3 Essentials You Need To Fight any Covid-19 Variant.

I’m sure you have heard the good news and bad news. If not, the good news is omicron variant is milder than previous versions. Omicron is less likely to damage the lungs, therefore, causing less severity in people. But it is spreading way faster than delta.

And the bad news is, there is a new variant in the pipeline of 2022. This new strain is detected in 12 people living in the same location. One of them had returned from Cameroon.

According to WHO, The new strain – IHU- is identified in France. it is named IHU after its identification center, which is the Mediterranee Infection institute in Marseille.

till now all we know is that it has 46 mutations and 37 deletions in its genes, which is way more than the original covid strain or even omicron.

Even Omicron is milder than its predecessors, we have to take this seriously as increased transmissibility on omicron which is about 5 times higher than the delta variant will result in a large number of patients. Even though hospital admission is less, a large number of infections will result in overburdening of the health care system.

As mutation is a normal phenomenon during viral spread and replication, the only immunity which is going to protect us is our own immune system.

Today I will be sharing 3 essentials to keep the immunity power-packed.

Our immunity is an army of our body to fight infections, germs, toxins, etc. A strong immune system is a key to staying protected from any upcoming covid wave.

This pandemic and its social distancing rules have confined everyone behind the 4 walls of their homes. The increasing stress of balancing household and official work, staying away from close friends and family members, all takes a significant toll on our overall health.

The foundation of strong immunity is laid by essential macro and micronutrients, and we will be talking about the top 3, we cannot afford to ignore.

Zinc.

If you have been infected, You probably have been taking and reading a lot of zinc. Zinc is a key mineral that is needed to pump up more than 300 enzymes and biological processes in the body.

Doctors provide artificial zinc tablets or capsules. but, zinc is easily bioavailable through natural food sources than artificial supplements. Supplement that is absorbable by the body such as Zinc picolinate is very expensive.

The recommended dosage of zinc is 40mg per day. anything more than this can cause nausea and digestive issues. Overdose of zinc can also interfere with the body’s ability to absorb other minerals like copper and other antibiotics (Source).

You can easily meet your daily zinc requirement through diet and herbs which are rich in zinc. and one they are

Holy basil

Holy basil is considered a queen of herbs. In the ancient ayurvedic system, this herb is known for its plethora of nutrients and benefits. Holy basil is very high in Vitamin A, C, calcium, and Zinc. Basil contains about 7 mg of zinc, meeting 47% RDA.

Apart from that, the herb is known from ancient times to help with inflammation and oxidative stress due to its antiviral, antioxidative, and anti-inflammatory properties. There is research available to show its wound healing property against acne, keloids, and ulcers.

My recommendation for the Holy Basil supplement.

Asparagus Racemosus.

It is not your daily supermarket asparagus, it’s the native of the Indian subcontinent, in the western world it is known for its fertility-boosting benefits, but it is also a storehouse of vitamins and antioxidants that helps in fortifying immunity.

Asparagus racemosus is a strong candidate for the herbal and natural supplementation of zinc in the body. it contains 0.54 mg of zinc per 100 grams. Apart from this, it is rich in other important nutrients which are crucial for immunity, such as. iron, calcium, manganese, seleniu,, thiamine, folates, niacin and vitamin K.

My recommendation of Asparagus Racemosus supplement

Other zinc-rich vegetarian foods.

Legumes such as lentils; chickpeas and beans; seeds including sesame, squash, and pumpkin; meat; nuts such as almonds, cashew, and pine nuts; dairy products like milk and cheese, eggs; whole grains; and shellfish.

For vegans, consuming zinc through herbal dietary supplements is recommended.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a great immunity builder, you may have noticed, doctors are prescribing vitamin C tablets to fight out cold and flu symptoms of omicron wave. Even in normal flu doctors prescribe Vitamin C.

Simply put, it helps to build up your immune system by increasing the production of white blood cells, which fight off infections (Source). To get your daily dose of Vitamin C from citrus fruits, squeeze oranges, lemons, limes into your meals and salads.

Vitamin C is also known for its powerful scavenging properties of free radicals which cause cell degeneration, leading to several diseases, such as cancer, cataract, heart disease, diabetes, and aging. If taken along with iron-rich foods. Vitamin C can cure anemia by enhancing iron absorption.

But if you want a one-stop natural supplement, then go for Amla Capsules or juice.

Only on tiny amla contains nearly 20 times more vitamin C than oranges. While 100 gms of amla provide 600 mg of vitamin C, 100 gms of oranges provide only 30 mg. The vitamin C content of one amla fruit is equivalent to about two oranges.

My recommendation for Amla based supplement.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D act as a nutrient we eat as well as a hormone our bodies make. The primary work of vitamin D is to help the body absorb and retain calcium and phosphorous. These are both the primary ingredients of our bones and teeth.

Laboratory studies have shown the potency of vitamin d to stop or reduce the growth of cancer cells. these studies have shown that many vital body organs have vitamin d receptors, which suggests the importance of these hormones.

There are three primary sources of vitamin D. UVB exposure, Nutritional intake, and supplementation. The most predominant way to get vitamin D is exposure to UVB rays from the sun.

Many people living in the west have insufficient levels of vitamin D because they live in places where sunlight is limited in winter, or because they have limited sun exposure due to being inside much of the time.

Vitamin D is very crucial for the proper functioning of the immune system. Studies have shown that individuals with low Vitamin D levels are more likely to develop upper respiratory tract infections, (which is the primary infection in the covid-19 pandemic) than those with sufficient levels.

And several studies have reported an association of lower Vitamin D levels and increased rates of infection,

My recommendation of Vitamin D supplement