Are you doing anything to boost your immune system/general health?

[daffodilsandblossom]

I was wondering, aside from increased hand hygiene, what other measures are people talking to boost their immune system or general health?

I have started taking a multivitamin containing vitamin D and upping my fruit and vegetable intake. I also am going to try and exercise more to boost my lung capacity and overall fitness as I am really unfit at the moment. I doubt any of these will have that much of an effect but it at least gives me an illusion of control and a way to channel my anxiety.

Anything you can do is positive, all really good ways to channel your anxiety. I’m doing the same. I’m taking B, C, D, Zinc and a Probiotic in slightly higher doses than usual. Would be interested to know what others are doing too.
As of now I’m also trying to minimise my exposure to media. I’ve moved mentally into the isolation phase so I don’t need to prep much more, the more I see the more I panic and it’s not helpful.

Zinc has some proof that’s it’s helping so just bought some supplements of that and have the kids on multivitamins. I’m going to start my preventer inhalers again as I’m getting wheezy but think it’s psychosomatic!

Also exercising more and lots of non processed meat and fruit for the kids.

Yes - I hate feeling passive. I like to try to do something so we're upping our raw and lightly cooked garlic, root ginger, turmeric, spinach, plenty of fruit etc.

I'm running again after a long break. I just want to feel as strong and resilient as possible. It helps me more than buying 47,000 loo rolls

I've been taking Immunace Extra Protection for about a year now due to compromised immunity & just started taking extra vitamin D3 yesterday. I've been taking Turmeric for a couple of years too. I need to do some aerobic exercises, I get short of breath easily (have been waiting MONTHS for chest physio, gonna be a while yet methinks).

Where is the evidence about Zinc helping please & how much would you take daily? There is 15mg in the immunace, wondering if I'd need more.

No ones know what will help otherwise their would be public announcements. But you can be sensible and try to eat foods which will be give you the resources to fight an infection. Things rich in iron, greens like kale and spinach. All the normal health foods you can google recipes for

Vitamin tablets have such poor absorption I wouldn’t bother unless you have now access to fresh food. In which case anything is better than nothing

Watching with interest as probably the best health tip would be sleep. I'm an insomniac and this crisis isn't helping.

I am overweight and have a job that can be stressful and my blood pressure is often high-ish. It's a vicious circle as I eat badly because of the stress.

But I need to be fit for my children and this epidemic highlights that.
I'm going to try to eat healthier, take supplements and exercise, along with relaxation techniques.

This crisis also highights that actually the stresses I find in my job pale into insignificance when I see the people in Italy.
Although because of the nature of my work, the CV will bring more work for me and increase my stress...

I am continuing to eat healthily (less processed food, high quantities of fruit and veg etc) and run regularly. The exercise also helps combat the stress from all of this.
I'm lucky in that I am fit and healthy, so I hope that if when I get the virus it will be fairly mild and I wont' need to trouble the NHS.

I always try and eat healthily and exercise to boost my immune health. I am now taking more vitamin C and zinc.

I already take an a to z multivitamin, and high strength vitamin d, plus a feroglobin capsule every other day. I've now started taking high strength vitamin c and zinc too. I don't get out much due to illness, but DD and DS both work, both take public transport to work and DD works as a Waitress in a busy pub/restaurant. I've got them taking the multivitamin, vit d, and vit c and zinc now too. I'm doing as much gentle exercise as I can manage, and trying to do a little bit of time on the exercise bike each day, even if I can't manage very long, and I go at a very sedate pace, but I try and do that anyway. We eat pretty well too, mostly from scratch and lots of vegetables, though I have tried to cut down on the sugar and I keep nagging DS and DD to drink more water because I don't think that either of them drink enough.

Definitely extra vit d at this time of year. Vit c and zinc; I'm taking a breastfeeding multi vit with all in but adding a half extra big vit c and d as there's not a particularly high amount. Ive got hypothyroidism and asthma and small kids so just being a super healthy as I can.

Eat well, get fresh air and gentle exercise, as much sleep as possible

I’m going to bed about half an hour earlier. Over two weeks that will be the equivalent of an extra nights sleep! Getting in about 8 hours a night now.
I’m also turning my phone off about two hours before bed, limiting caffeine and wearing blue light blocking glasses. I was kind of doing this anyway as an attempt at improving sleep quality, but just being more strict about it now.

High strength Vitamin D, keeping up with exercise (although not going swimming at the public pool like I normally do). Eating well.

Going to try and exercise as well, but not too much. Going to keep doing my Calm app to try and deal with it mentally as well, and relax as stress is not meant to be great for the immune system. In the past when very stressed, I got shingles so that tells me I was run down, for example. Taking the vitamin D as well recently tested for that as was low and back to normal which is good.

I take vit c and zinc everyday and have done ever since a friend recommended it because I was forever coming down with severe chest infections.

Not had one since I started taking the supplements 5 years ago. I get mild colds and a slightly sore throat occasionally but never so bad that I can't carry on as normal.

I've now put the whole family on them.

Eating healthily. Exercise. Elderberry syrup. Vit D in the form of daylight/sunshine where I can - even if it's raining. Trying to keep us all as chilled as possible but prepared for things to get inconvenient.
I have MS so keeping my immune system strong as I can particularly in winter is what I do.
Although MS is not hereditary, I've been encouraged by hcps to make sure dd gets as much vit D from daylight as possible. She's in secondary now and has an outdoor pursuit as her hobby. But every year as I met a new primary school year teacher, I would warn them to get her out as much as possible.

Vitamin D has some very compelling data in regards to helping boost your immune response. Most of us in the UK will be sorely lacking at this time of year.

I'm not going to criticise anyone for having a healthier diet and more exercise, it can only do you good.

However you really can't 'boost' an immune system. It is either working or it isn't. The 'isn't' has lots of degrees from 'boy in the bubble' to just not working too well.

And if you could 'boost' your immune system you wouldn't want to, believe me I have an autoimmune disorder, my immune system is attacking me every day.

The only 'boosting' that works is the type where something like a monoclonal antibody is prepared in a lab and then injected in to you.

So it's ok to take multi vitamin and individual tablets (C,D,Zinc?) together?

I agree OP. I have decided that I am not going to wait around for Coronavirus to come knocking at our door. I had the flu for the first time ever a few weeks back and it was awful.

So, my strategy it to get everyone to take responsibility for their hygiene whilst not in my house i.e. washing hands, hand gels, tissues in pockets and keep your hands off your face. Once back in my house I am now designated Sargent Major issuing orders to wash hands once coat is off and before surfaces are touched. I am also trying to keep surfaces in my house a bit cleaner.

Secondly, to try and boost everyones immune system by more fruit and veg, better meals and more exercise. I'm off to buy vitamins for everyone later today. My DH regularly takes echinacea and he has not had a cold for 4 years whereas before this he was always off sick.

Finally, whilst not panic stock buying, I have bought extras to keep in case anyone gets sick. I've always bulk bought from a wholesaler so I always have loads of stuff in anyway.

I've been through this before as I was living in HK during SARs so I know where this can head. I'm hoping the UK won't have a lot of cases but the one thing I keep hearing is "the UK is 12 days behind Italy". So, in 12 days are we expecting to be in the same situation as Italy? I hope not! If so, I'm glad I am putting the above plan into action.

One thing I am thinking of, but my DH poured scorn on it last night, is to get something for post virus like a tonic. Not sure what though?

Hmm, after finishing that last sentence I am going to get some Guinness in. Seriously, I have had this before after an operation and after I had my DC. It is full of vitamins!

Vit Bs, D, C+zinc, NAC*. If it gets bad, oil of oregano, plus lots of fresh garlic and ginger in meal.

*NAC - N-Acetyl cystine

Vit C and D but I do that all winter anyway and still manage to catch everything going . I have started using my preventative inhaler regularly which I dont usually do until I actually have a chest infection.

Lots of good ideas here, thank you everyone. The multivitamin I take has 10µg of vitamin D, 80mg of vitamin C and 10mg of Zinc. I am not sure if I should take anything in addition to that?

I may look into making a green smoothie every morning as a way of getting lots of spinach and greens into my diet but I'd have to look up whether that affects the nutrient bioavailability.

@sashh I agree that the term "boost immune system" is pretty misleading as we are not literally boosting our entire immune system as, as you say, that would be maladaptive. I just meant in the context of the coronavirus, what are ways we can reduce the severity of its effects i.e. which vitamins which can improve the outcome of respiratory illnesses. For example, vitamin D supplementation has been shown to reduce the incidence of respiratory tract infections (Martineau et al., 2017; BMJ).

daffodils, you are a lot more articulate than I am and put it so much better, but I do think eating healthily and eating super foods does improve your health, even over a short period of time. That's in contrast of eating poorly, which is proven to have a detrimental effect on ones health.

We're taking D3 here

We're having loads more sex. And eating healthily, as usual