If there was ever a time in modern human history to take control of our health, surely it is now!
In the last 5 months our lives have been turned upside down. The health, social and economic consequences of the pandemic have affected us all and those effects will be felt for a very long time to come. In an effort to take a positive out of a negative, we have all been forced to consider the way in which we live our lives, and the message has been very clear: There are a lot of lifestyle factors we can change to reduce the effect of this virus. Becoming healthier and strengthening our immune systems will remove us from the vulnerable category, and that in turn will reduce the fear factor associated with this disease. It will also reduce the strain on health services
Consider your immune system as your first line of defense against disease, and that includes the infectious types! Virtually all human disease is either directly or indirectly linked to nutritional deficiency. Linus Pauling, 2 times Nobel Prize winner was famous for saying “You can trace every sickness, every disease and every ailment to a mineral deficiency”. Nutrients form the bedrock of our immune systems, in fact every single function of the human body uses nutrients to perform its role. The use of medications would be significantly reduced if we did not have deficiencies. Unfortunately we exist in a medical system that focuses on treating the symptom, not the cause of disease. Add to that the poor quality of farm soils, and we can appreciate the challenges of getting sufficient nutrition from our food. It is estimated that there are only 8 minerals available in any kind of quantity in most of the food we eat today, yet we require 60 for optimum health
Diet: Whilst Foodstate supplements offer effective health benefits, we must remember that our diet is fundamental to a healthy body and a strong immune system. In particular, try to focus on alkalising your diet, eating plenty of “live” foods, especially green veggies. Avoid stimulant and refined foods, especially those containing refined sugar and saturated fats. The message is simple – stick to nature!
Foodstate Supplements are the closest thing we have to food nutrients. We produce them to share exactly the same structure as those created by the plant. Here are a number of products that directly improve your Immune System:
Zinc: This mineral acts as an antioxidant and is an important mineral in its role as a viral invader, as long as it can be absorbed properly, which rules out most Zinc supplements. Foodstate Zinc is much better absorbed, used and retained than other forms and we add the food mineral copper, which further helps absorption
Selenium: An equally underrated mineral, Selenium is essential to a strong immune system and boosts our defences and resistance to infection. Low levels are associated with depression and other mental disorders – particularly relevant at the moment. This particular mineral has suffered significant depletion from farm soils, and 80 - 90% of Brits are considered deficient. Ordinary selenium supplements have toxicity issues, so only take Foodstate Selenium
Vitamin C: Widely known as important to the immune system, and water soluble so not a vitamin we can store. It improves the outcome of patients with Sepsis and Respiratory Infections. You can take plenty of Foodstate Vitamin C, unlike the synthetic version (ascorbic acid) which can cause intestinal discomfort
Vitamin D: At this time of year we can benefit from natural Vitamin D production from the sun, but if you prefer not to expose your skin to the sun, supplemental Vitamin D is particularly important at the moment because one of its roles is to protect the lungs and respiratory system
Beta Glucans: These plant glucans are potent antioxidants with a unique quality to help fight viruses. Beta-Glucans 1,3 and 1,6 help activate the immune system, alerting the body to help defend itself against viral and bacterial invaders. Many healthcare Practitioners use them to help boost patients’ immunity and fight disease
Probiotic E505: It is always important to include this product when talking about the immune system, because it improves the gut’s ability to efficiently digest the nutrition from your food. The truth is, foods like refined sugars and carbohydrates, prescribed drugs (in particular antibiotics) and a lack of “live” food, diminish the function of the gut and hence the immune system
Vitamin D is Life-Saving: This particular vitamin deserves more attention
We are all aware that it is generally the elderly who are suffering the highest death rate from this pandemic, and we know that the common health markers that increase the risk of death are:
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- High blood pressure
- Inflammatory disease
But there is one which absolutely deserves its place on this list and it is:
And it isn’t getting the publicity it deserves. In the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918 – 1919, the death rate showed a sudden decline as the season changed and people started to get more Vitamin D naturally through sunlight. Vitamin D is protective to the lungs, and if the virus develops into pneumonia Vitamin D becomes very relevant. But here’s the important point: Avoid being Vitamin D deficient in the first place
Ivor Cummins in his excellent The Fat Emperor Podcast has gathered data and statistics on the increased risk of death for those contracting the virus who are Vitamin D deficient, and it’s frightening! What are healthy levels?
- 30ng/ml is a sufficient, healthy level
- 20 – 30ng/ml is an insufficient level
- Under 20ng/ml is a deficient level
The associational risk of death for those Vitamin D insufficient is nearly 8 times higher. The risk of death for those deficient is 10 times higher – so this is a sobering statistic!
Those with dark skin are at higher risk: People with darker skin are prone to higher Vitamin D deficiency, especially in our climate, because their skin naturally filters out a lot more UV. We are seeing much higher death rates in darker-skinned people
Dietary Sources of Vitamin D: Meat, oily fish, fortified cereals and dairy products, eggs and certain mushrooms (exposed to UV light) are all high in Vitamin D
Get more sun: Natural sunlight is the cheapest way of getting sufficient Vitamin D. Oil under the skin mixes with sunlight to naturally generate Vitamin D. Burning should always be avoided
Supplemental Vitamin D: If your diet doesn’t provide sufficient Vitamin D and you prefer to avoid the sun (or cover up with sunscreen) then supplementation is advised. Foodstate Vitamin D is better absorbed, used and retained than ordinary Vitamin D supplements