Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, recommends getting enough sleep, maintaining a healthy diet, and avoiding or alleviating stress as the three most potent ways to keep your immune system strong.
He states that “it is much more healthy living than giving yourself supplements of anything”.
Recently, when responding to a question, Dr. Fauci told the actress Jennifer Garner that he takes two supplements: vitamin D and vitamin C.
Fauci states consistently that the best ways to control the pandemic are: good hand hygiene, mask-wearing, and social distancing.
Vitamin D might make sense.
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in a few foods, added to others, and available as a dietary supplement. It is also produced when ultraviolet (UV) rays from sunlight strike the skin and trigger vitamin D synthesis. It comes in two main forms, D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol). Both forms are well absorbed in the small intestine.
Yet, regarding vitamin D, “there is good evidence that if you have a low vitamin D level, you have more of a propensity to get infected”, Dr. Fauci commented.
Several scientific studies have concluded that being deficient in vitamin D can put you at greater risk of infection, and it appears anecdotally that finding has held true again during the coronavirus pandemic.
“There is good evidence that if you have a low vitamin D level, that you have more of a propensity to get infected when there are infections around,” Fauci said. “Those data are pretty good data.”
In addition to reducing inflammation in the body, vitamin D also helps our bodies absorb calcium, keeping bones healthy and strong, so it’s good for people of all ages and races to make sure they’re getting enough.
Sources of Vitamin D
Few foods naturally contain vitamin D. The flesh of fatty fish (such as trout, salmon, tuna, and mackerel) and fish liver oils are among the best sources.
References:
- https://www.msn.com/en-us/Health/wellness/forget-vitamins-fauci-says-the-3-best-things-to-keep-your-immune-system-working-optimally-cost-nothing/ar-BB199xsP?li=BBnbfcL&ocid=overlayclose
- https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/