Covid19 is at the forefront of everyone’s mind. While the risks to those who are elderly or immunocompromised are drastic and well documented, there is far less information around the impacts of Covid 9 on foetal development and although findings are optimistic, pregnant women, or those trying to conceive should be - and are - taking the virus very seriously. I know this, because I’ve had several patients ask me what they can do to “boost” their immune system.

The answer is, you can’t ‘boost’ it.

Myth: You can boost your immune system and reduce your risk of contracting Covid 19.

Fact: Our immune system is complicated and relies on a number of factors to work optimally. A deficiency is any area may result in an inadequate immune system. So, we while we can support our immune system through optimising different areas of our health, there is no one solution to “boost” immunity.

Yeah?

What areas should I consider to ensure I’m supporting immune health?

How is your sleep?

It’s understood that during sleep, infection fighting cells are produced. Consider both quality and quantity – are you falling asleep, staying asleep and waking up refreshed?

We need to take sleep seriously. If you could do with improvement, implement sleep hygiene rules (like no screens after 6) adding a magnesium supplement, or The Fertility Suite ‘Sleep’ tonic

How is your diet?

Food is complicated. WHAT we eat is just the tip of the iceberg. Beneath the surface are emotional, financial, physical and personal elements that impact our food choices.

For this reason, I’m taking a vastly oversimplified approach – for immunity, vegetables are your best friend. Five serves per day is good, eight is better. Canned and frozen count. Bonus points if they’re cooked and warm. I talk about food more in the TFS Welcome Bundle - this is free to download at the moment, with the code WBFREE.

How is your nutritional status?

In an ideal world we would get everything we need from our diet. But we live in a world with stress, soil degradation, alcohol, overwork, pollution, plastics and a number of other factors which influence the quality of the food we put in our mouths.

In terms of immunity, some major nutritional players are:

Vitamin C – around 500mg per day

Zinc - I generally prefer a zinc chelate formulation. Aim for around 25-30mg per day
Vitamin D - opt for small doses daily, around 600 IU as oppose to large doses less frequently.

How is your gut health?

TCM has long recognised the digestive system as a large contributor to immunity. With all this hand sanitising, we’re wiping out our good gut bacteria and with it, damaging our immune function. A probiotic is a great addition in this current climate – again, make sure it’s good quality, is an immunobiotic and includes an SB strain (SB - Saccharomyces boulardii ).

If you’re after a TCM formula for digestive support, formulas like Si Jun Zi Tang, Bao He Wan or The Fertility Suite ‘Clear’ tonic are good starting points, or consult with a registered herbalist for an individualised formula.

What’s in your medicine cabinet?

Already feeling lousy? There are specific formulations shown to alleviate symptoms and shorten duration of upper respiratory tract infections and colds. I keep on hand;

Armaforce (if you’re pregnant take only Armaforce Pregnancy, and for the littles, Armaforce Juniors is a kid-friendly option)
Gan Mao Ling, a Chinese formula that has been used for centuries.

For Covid19 specifically, Lian Hua Qing Wen is a Chinese herbal formula currently being used in conjunction with biomedical treatments in China and Italy. Patients adding this formula to their treatments have shown shortened duration of high temperatures and an overall faster recovery time.

The [not very] secret way of protecting yourself from Covid19

All this said – the very best thing you can do to protect yourself and our communities is adhere to the hygiene advice being sung across the world. It’s boring, but effective;

Wash your hands
Avoid touching your face
Cough and sneeze into a tissue or elbow
Stay at home as much as possible

You can read more about Covid19 and the extensive infection control practices we have put in place at The Fertility Suite.

Jenna x

Covid19 and the myth of boosting your immune system