COVID and other viruses leave you tired, stuffed up, and off your game. Even a mild case is a drag, so now is the time to strengthen your immune system by eating all the right foods, getting sleep, exercising, and taking care of yourself. Here are the 17 best foods to choose to help you stay healthy all winter long by boosting your immune system.

There are simple things you can do to supply your killer T cells and other immune responses with all the ammo required to fight off viruses. Eat healthy and incorporate into your daily diet the best immunity foods that have been shown to help fight off COVID, both before or after you are exposed.

Below is a list of the best immune-boosting foods to add to your diet. To further strengthen your immune system get plenty of sleep, fit in your daily exercise, and do all the self-care rituals that help you relieve stress.

Read More: Try the 3-Day Immunity Boosting Meal Plan

A Plant-Based Diet and COVID

Soon after the first wave of the pandemic hit, doctors and immunological experts began to recommend that their patients most vulnerable to serious symptoms (with a pre-existing condition or who have diabetes or lung conditions) switch to a mostly plant-based diet, which is known to bolster up the immune system.

One doctor urged his patients to eat mostly fruit and vegetables and stay away from inflammation-causing meat, dairy, and processed food, in light of COVID-19. And of course, get the vaccinations and boosters that are available to you.

The Best Immune-Boosting Foods to Eat

1. Apples

Apples are the reigning prince of fruit when it comes to fiber, with 4.4 grams per fruit, which helps shift your microbiome to lower inflammation and fight diseases from heart disease to diabetes and even cancer. The more fiber in your diet, the more your immune cells can sweep for “other problems” including attacking agents like viruses or other infections.

To understand the role of soluble fiber and immunity, scientists studied how fiber can help shift the gut microbiome to lower inflammation in the body and strengthen immunity in a study that showed the immune cells “change” from having to work on inflammatory diseases to instead focus on invaders from outside.

“Soluble fiber changes the personality of immune cells – they go from being pro-inflammatory, angry cells to anti-inflammatory, healing cells that help us recover faster from infection,” said Gregory Freund, a professor at the U of Illinois College of Medicine. This happens because soluble fiber causes increased production of an anti-inflammatory protein.

How much soluble fiber to eat in a day: The recommended amount is that women need at least 25 grams of fiber a day and men should get at least 38 grams of fiber a day, but more is better. An apple has more than 4 grams of fiber, but you can also get fiber from oats, as well as black beans, broccoli, pears, sweet potatoes, figs, avocados, nectarines, flax seeds, sunflower seeds as well as other fruits and vegetables.

2. Citrus Fruits

Your body does not produce vitamin C, which means you need to get it daily to have enough to create healthy collagen (the building blocks for your skin and healing). Also known as ascorbic acid, vitamin C is a water-soluble nutrient found in leafy greens and citrus, especially grapefruit, oranges, tangerines, lemons, limes, and clementines. It acts as an antioxidant, protecting cells from damage caused by free radicals.

How much vitamin C do you need a day? The recommended daily amount to shoot for is 65 to 90 milligrams a day, which is the equivalent of one small glass of orange juice or eating a whole grapefruit. Almost all citrus fruits are high in vitamin C. With such a variety to choose from, it’s easy to get your fill.

3. Red Peppers

Want even more vitamin C than that orange you eat every morning? Add red bell peppers to your salad or pasta sauce. One medium-sized red bell pepper contains 152 milligrams of vitamin C, or enough to fulfill your RDA.

Peppers are also a great source of beta carotene, a precursor of vitamin A (retinol). Vitamin A is important for healthy skin, mucous membranes, and your immune system. Beta carotene helps keep your eyes and skin healthy, as well. One cooked pepper has 19 percent of your daily recommended amount of beta carotene.
How much beta carotene do you need a day? You should try to get 75 to 180 micrograms a day which is the equivalent of one medium bell pepper a day. But a red pepper has more than two and a half times your RDA for vitamin C so eat them all winter long.

4. Broccoli

Broccoli may be the most super of all the superfoods on the planet. It’s rich in vitamins A and C as well as being a good source of lutein, a powerful antioxidant, and sulforaphane, another potent antioxidant.

Broccoli also contains additional nutrients, including magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, lutein, and iron which support your immunity. Lutein is one of 600 known naturally occurring carotenoids and is found in high quantities in green leafy veggies such as spinach and kale.

There’s another thing you need to know about broccoli, and why it’s important to not overcook it. Broccoli contains sulforaphane, a compound that is a killer to a bug chewing on the stalk in the garden and equally deadly to “invaders” like viruses when they enter the body. Sulforaphane is a sulfur-rich compound found in several cruciferous vegetables like bok choy, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and kale, but broccoli has the most.

How much should you eat in a day? There is no RDA for lutein, but experts say to get at least 6 milligrams. That means try to eat a half cup or more of broccoli a day. Throw it in sauces, salads, and grain bowls.

5. Garlic

Garlic isn’t just a great flavor enhancer, it’s essential for your health. Ancient humans valued garlic as an infection fighter, which is why so much of our traditional diets include it as a first ingredient (making pasta sauce for instance). Value it and use it liberally for fighting infections.

Garlic’s immune-boosting properties are tied to its sulfur-containing compounds, such as allicin. Allicin is thought to improve your immune cells’ ability to fight off colds and flu, and viruses of all kinds. (Smelling more garlic on the subway? It could be smart coronavirus management.) Garlic also has anti-microbial and anti-viral properties thought to fight off infections.

How much should you eat in a day: The optimal amount of garlic to eat is more than most of us can fathom: Two to three cloves a day. While that may not be doable, realistically, some people take garlic supplements to get 300 mg of dried garlic in a powdered tablet.

6.  Ginger

Ginger is another ingredient that has super properties when it comes to fighting off illness. It has been shown to decrease inflammation, which can help if you get swollen glands or a sore throat, or any inflammatory ailment.

Gingerol, the main bioactive compound in ginger, is a relative of capsaicin and can be used in sweet or spicy dishes. It has been found to alleviate pain and fight nausea, which is the reason ginger ale was given for upset stomachs, back when it contained actual ginger. Now few store-bought formulations do. Make your own ginger tea. Gingerol is responsible for many of its medicinal properties. It has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits.

How much ginger should you eat a day? Most recommendations land on 3–4 grams of ginger extract a day, or up to four cups of ginger tea, but no more than 1 gram a day if you are pregnant. Some studies have linked high dosages to an increased risk of miscarriage.

7. Spinach

Spinach is not only packed with vitamin C but also antioxidants and beta carotene, both of which give your immune system the healthy boost it needs to fight off invaders.

Don’t overcook your spinach, since the more it’s cooked the less active the antioxidants will be. If you eat it raw or lightly steamed you’ll keep more of the nutrients intact.

How much should you eat a day: Aim for 1 cup of fresh spinach or 1/2 cup cooked per day, but this is the right moment to try the raw or slightly wilted approach. Order warm or wilted spinach salad when you go out, or make it yourself with olive oil, pine nuts, and vegan parm.

8.  Almonds

Vitamin E in almonds will help ward off colds and flu and is key to your immune system humming along. It’s a fat-soluble molecule, meaning it requires the presence of fat to be absorbed, so nuts are the perfect package for E to make it into your system.

How many almonds should you eat in a day? A half-cup serving, or 46 whole, shelled almonds, provides almost 100 percent of your RDA of vitamin E. Almonds are great for you but they don’t come with a  “free” pass, since 1/4 cup is a serving and has 162 calories, so double that for your RDA and you’re eating about 325 calories. Throw them into smoothies instead.

9. Turmeric

If you ever feel healthier eating curry, it is probably because of turmeric, which is an ingredient that gives it its burnt orange color. But this highly pigmented spice is known for its anti-inflammatory qualities. The ingredient curcumin has been found to decrease muscle soreness after a hard workout. How does it help immunity? decrease exercise-induced muscle damage.

How much turmeric should you eat in a day? Try adding extra turmeric to your diet during periods of stress or during flu season. Or take 500-2,000 mg of curcumin to help fight inflammation and power up your immune system.

10. Green Tea

Teas have been shown to help boost immunity and fight aging since they are packed with antioxidants and powerful phytochemicals. Whether you prefer green tea or black tea, you will benefit from the compounds called flavonoids, powerful antioxidants in most herbal teas. Green tea has high levels of EGCG, (epigallocatechin gallate) another hard-working antioxidant.

EGCG is known to boost immune function, and originally all tea leaves contain this anti-oxidant, but when black tea is fermented it deactivates most of the EGCG. Green tea is steamed so the EGCG is still active when you drink it.

Green tea also contains L-theanine, an anti-oxidant that appears to help in the production of T-cells in your body, the killer  L-theanine may aid in the production of germ-fighting compounds in your T-cells.

How much green tea should you drink in a day? The optimal amount is three to five cups in a day, but most people won’t get to that level. Any amount is better than nothing. Swapping out a usual beverage daily for green tea could improve your health.

11. Papaya

Papaya delivers over twice your recommended daily amount of vitamin C in one fruit –– though you’re likely to eat a few slices on a salad or in a smoothie. It also contains an enzyme called papain that has anti-inflammatory effects, and inflammation is one factor in most illnesses, so avoiding it can help your body fight off bacterial infections like sinusitis.

Papayas contain potassium, vitamin B, and folate, which is a powerful cell rebuilder. Exactly how folic acid works to build immunity is linked to its role in protein synthesis, and researchers think that any mechanism in which cells proliferate can be affected (which is why it’s critical for pregnant women). People who are folate-deficient have compromised immune systems.

How much folate should you eat a day: Whether you are pregnant or not, folate (vitamin B9) is a great vitamin to keep your cells healthy and strong. The recommendation is 400 micrograms a day, or get it from legumes, spinach, papayas, and avocados.

12. Kiwi Fruit

When you think of anti-oxidants, you should think of fruits that grow in the sun, since their vitamin pack comes from having to fight off the oxidation of the strong rays that beat down on them in the tropics. Kiwis are a great example. They are full of folate, vitamin K, vitamin C, and potassium.

These vitamins in combination work in the body to build healthy cells, fight infection and keep your immune system humming along. Vitamin K deficiency is rare but when people don’t have enough they suffer from weak bones and compromised immune systems. The inflammation system in the body is also dependent on vitamin K, especially your killer T cells that mobilize and fight cancer and other diseases.

How much vitamin K should you eat in a day? Vitamin K is one of the unsung heroes of the body. Women should get 90 micrograms a day, and men should have 120 micrograms.

13. Sunflower Seeds

Most seeds are filled with nutrients since they give the plant a healthy start. But sunflower seeds are especially healthy since they provide phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamin B-6 as well as vitamin E. Your immune system needs vitamin E to function at full throttle. You can also get vitamin E from avocados and spinach and broccoli.

How many sunflower seeds should you eat in a day? Anywhere from 1 ounce (30 grams) per day to a healthy handful is considered healthy, but because they are high in sodium you might want to refrain from eating the entire bag. The raw seeds have 204 calories per quarter cup.

14. Miso Soup or Paste

You’ve had miso soup at your favorite Japanese restaurant and perhaps even thought: “This tastes incredibly healthy! If a bit salty.” Both thoughts are true. Miso is a fermented paste that adds a salty umami flavor to many Japanese dishes and soups. Most miso is made in Japan, where the ingredient has been used since the eighth century.

Miso needs no preparation and adds a touch of saltiness to soups, marinades, and dressings. Some people credit miso as a factor in Japanese longevity. Japan has more centenarians per capita of the population than anywhere else in the world –– and Japan has one of the lowest rates of obesity.

The nutrients in miso, which is a soybean paste that has been fermented with salt and a koji starter, boost immune system function by delivering healthy probiotics to the gut, making your microbiome healthier. How does Miso benefit your immune system?  It is a “SIRT” food, which are foods that contain high levels of ‘sirtuins’ or proteins that regulate cells and activate metabolism. A diet high in sirts is believed to lead to weight loss, increased wellness, and longevity.

How much miso should you eat in a day? Researchers believe that consuming one bowl of miso soup per day, as is the tradition in Japan, lowers the risks of breast cancer. Other than its high sodium content there is no reason to stay away from miso with all its varied health benefits. We say cheers to that.

15. Blueberries

Nothing helps your body fight off infection better than a bowl of mixed berries, especially blueberries, which contain powerful antioxidants that give the fruit its vibrant color.

Blueberries contain a flavonoid called anthocyanin, which helps boost your immune system and fight off systemic stress of any kind including toxins.

In a recent study, researchers found that flavonoids play an essential role in your respiratory tract’s immune defense system, especially helpful in the case of infections that target the lungs such as COVID-19. People who eat a diet rich in flavonoids are less likely to get sick from an upper respiratory tract infection, or common cold than those who don’t eat berries regularly.

How many blueberries should you eat? Get one cup of berries a day in a smoothie or bowl, as a snack or dessert. The calories burn slowly thanks to the fiber in the fruit, so you can eat them and not worry about a spike in blood sugar.

16. Mushrooms

Mushrooms have been shown to help support the immune system, in study after study. They are high in antioxidants like selenium that help support immune function and protect your cells from disease-causing damage. Mushrooms are also a rich source of vitamin D, which is critical for the immune system and lower levels of vitamin D have been tied to worse symptoms of COVID.

All mushrooms contain vitamin D and some mushrooms increase their vitamin D levels when exposed to sunlight or UV light, according to the Mushroom Council. The nutrients found in mushrooms have also been shown to suppress growth and help prevent the recurrence of hormone-dependent breast cancers, studies have shown.

How many mushrooms to eat in a day? Even just adding one small mushroom a day was linked to a decrease in the risk of breast cancer. When it comes to immunity, the more mushrooms you eat the healthier you’ll be.

17. Carrots

Beta carotene is one of the “server” antioxidants that helps your body use vitamin A, which is a vital nutrient for cell growth and in supporting your eyes, heart, lungs, and kidney function. A large carrot contains six milligrams of beta carotene, enough to convert to 1,000 mcg of vitamin A.

How many carrots to eat in a day? You can eat carrots or drink carrot juice. One study showed that drinking 16 ounces of carrot juice a day for three months helped to significantly increase the total antioxidant profile and lowered markers for inflammation, heart disease, and blood pressure. Carrot seeds and extract have been shown to have powerful anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.

 Bottom Line: Eat These Immunity-Boosting Foods to Fight Viruses.

The fact that COVID is hanging around means that we should eat immune-boosting foods daily and do everything possible to boost our immune system. Try incorporating these 17 foods that have been shown to strengthen your immune system, and help you be stronger and healthier on a cellular level.

For more research-backed advice, visit The Beet’s Health & Nutrition articles. 

The post 17 Immune-Boosting Foods to Help You Fight Off Viruses appeared first on The Beet.

What is Zinc?

Zinc is a nutrient that people need to stay healthy, according to the National Institutes of Health, which explains: Zinc is found in cells throughout the body. It helps the immune system fight off invading bacteria and viruses. The body also needs zinc to make proteins and DNA, the genetic material in all cells. During pregnancy, infancy, and childhood, the body needs zinc to grow and develop properly. Zinc also helps wounds heal and is important for the proper senses of taste and smell.

Does Zinc Boost Immunity?

Zinc is a mineral with numerous roles in your body. Not only do a multitude of enzymes need it to function, but it also assists in hormonal activities, such as protein and DNA synthesis, wound healing, bone structure, and immune function, says Julianne Penner, M.S., R.D., dietitian at cardiopulmonary rehabilitation at Loma Linda University Medical Center in Loma Linda, Calif.

With COVID-19 not in the rearview mirror yet, zinc’s role in immune functioning has received particular attention recently –– and for good reason. “When your body doesn’t get enough zinc, the immune system is compromised and doesn’t work as well,” says Emily Ho, Ph.D., director of the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University in Corvallis. In some cases, that may cause it to overreact by creating inflammation, or it may not work as well to fight off infections. The upshot? “When you don’t have enough zinc, your ability to get sick from infections will increase.”

Zinc Deficiency Symptoms

Unfortunately, there isn’t an effective test for zinc deficiency. What can decrease your zinc: If you have copper pipes in your house zinc competes with copper for absorption, so a trace amount of copper in your body will negate the body’s uptake of zinc.

Taking calcium supplements can deplete zinc as can exercise, drinking alcohol, and viral infections. If you have diarrhea that can also deplete your zinc, and the majority of tests that exist for measuring zinc are not accurate, Penner says. You can be watchful for symptoms of zinc deficiency, which show up in small clues, like white specks on your fingernails, unusual hair loss, recurrent infections, diarrhea, or any skin changes, but outside of that, you’re often left to guess.

How Much Zinc Should I Take?

Current dietary guidelines recommend that women aged 19 and up get 8 milligrams (mg) of zinc per day (that increases to 11 mg if you’re pregnant, or 12 mg if you’re lactating). Men should get 11 mg of zinc per day. Although many animal foods contain zinc, it is possible to get enough zinc you need on a plant-based diet, Penner says.

Plant-Based Zinc Sources

• Firm tofu: 4 mg per cup

• Hemp seeds: 3 mg per cup

• Lentils: 3 mg per cup

• Oatmeal: 2 mg per cup

• Pumpkin seeds: 2 mg per 1 ounce

• Quinoa: 2 mg per cup

• Shiitake mushrooms –2 mg per cooked cup

• Black beans: 2 mg per cup

• Green peas: 2 mg per cup cooked

• Cashews: 2 mg per 1-ounce

• Spinach: 1mg per cooked ounce

• Lima Beans: 1 mg per ounce

• Chia Seeds: 1 mg per ounce

• Pecans: 1 mg per ounce

• Avocados: 1 mg per ounce

• Flax Seeds: 1 mg per ounce

• Asparagus: 1 mg per ounce

 (Source: MyFoodData)

Yet increasing evidence suggests that individuals who are at higher risk for infections or those over 60 may need even more zinc than doctors once thought. “Dietary survey data suggests that among this population, close to 40 percent may not be eating the zinc they need,” Ho says. Because many older adults don’t eat as many protein-rich foods, which is where zinc is mainly found, they could be falling short. Research shows that people over 60 have more trouble utilizing and absorbing the zinc they are getting, which is why taking a zinc supplement may be a good idea, Ho says.

Another group that may need to up their zinc intake? Plant-based eaters, which is why Ho recommends that strict plant-only eaters double their intake. “Plant-based foods often contain phytates, which bind to zinc and can interfere with absorption,” says Ho, who takes a multi-mineral, multivitamin to supplement her predominantly plant-based diet. If you want to go this route, check that the label has zinc listed as an ingredient, as many popular daily supplements don’t contain zin/c.

Can Zinc Strengthen Your Immune System?

This is the million-dollar question that everybody’s asking: Will more zinc provide greater infection-fighting potential, especially if you already have normal levels of zinc?

While there is evidence that zinc can help your body fight a cold if taken in the first 24 hours of symptoms showing up, its role against COVID-19 is unknown. And in clinical trials that show zinc can help fight infection, it’s unclear whether study subjects started with a zinc deficiency or not. “For those people taking a zinc supplement who show benefits, you don’t know if they’re reversing a potential zinc deficiency and that’s why they’re benefiting or if they had normal levels of zinc to begin with and the extra zinc is giving them a boost,” Ho says.

And although zinc itself isn’t necessarily harmful, it is possible to get too much. “If you’re consuming lots of extra zinc over several months, it can compete with other essential minerals like copper and iron,” Ho says. As a result, you could become deficient in those minerals, which can lead to other health issues. At high doses, zinc can also create toxicity, causing nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and headaches according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

If you do want to up your zinc during the continued spread of COVID-19, there’s probably no harm in doing so for the short term, especially if you suspect you’re low in zinc. “It may be a good idea to take zinc during the pandemic, but like many aspects of COVID-19, it hasn’t been studied yet,” says Dana S. Simpler, M.D., internal medicine physician with Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Md., adding that 50 mg per day is the recommended amount to prevent catching colds or speed recovery from colds.

Aim to get it through food first, which eliminates the worry for toxicity and other problems, Penner says. Then if necessary, you can take a supplement, veering toward one with zinc picolinate, a type of zinc that’s absorbed more easily into the body than others (check the label for this term). Watch the amount of zinc, though, as the NIH notes that adverse effects have been shown with as little as 60 mg/day for up to 10 weeks.

Just remember that zinc isn’t a silver bullet when it comes to protecting your body from infections and viruses like COVID-19. “Zinc is just one of the many nutrients that will benefit your immune system,” Ho says.

Get sleep, exercise, eat a healthy plant-based diet of mostly fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts, and seeds, and keep your stress levels in check. Everything you do to boost immunity will be another helpful piece of the puzzle to stay healthy and keep your chances of all infections lower. 

Bottom line: To Reduce Your Chances of Getting Sick, Take Zinc.

Zinc is a vital mineral that helps your body’s immune system fight off infection from viruses like COVID-19 or the flu. There are few ways to know if you are zinc deficient other than the fact that you may lose your sense of taste or smell. You need 8 mg to 11 mg of zinc a day to stay healthy.

For more expert advice, visit The Beet’s Health & Nutrition articles.

The post Here’s How Much Zinc You Need to Boost Immunity Right Now appeared first on The Beet.

If and when you test positive, there are foods you can eat that can lower your likelihood of severe symptoms, by arming your immune system’s rapid response to the virus. There are even foods to eat – such as zinc– that have been shown to help speed up the response to the virus, shortening the duration of the days you’ll feel any symptoms at all.

The virus has one enemy, and it is your immune system. Give your body the sleep it needs, the stress-relief you deserve, and the essential immune-boosting nutrients to strengthen your immune cells for the battle, and think of it this way: You are trying to eat to win. If you get a positive response to your test, the more vitamins and nutrients you can eat that will arm your immune cells for the fight, the better.

What to eat if your COVID-19 test turns positive

Think of your immune system as a big city police force, says Dr. Bob Lahita, an immunologist, author of Immunity Strong, and expert on the topic of how to help your immunity keep you healthy for decades to come. When a situation occurs, he explains, the immune cells need to have a swift and strong response to go out into the body and seek out the virus and neutralize it, by recognizing that the coronavirus “spikes” are present. The immune cells have to be armed and ready to de-activate these viral invaders before they can make you sick. When you have COVID-19, what you eat matters.

The immune system needs vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, iron, and other nutrients like vitamins A and E to fully arm itself and be strong enough to mount a quick defense. The 13 best foods to strengthen your immunity include citrus fruits, leafy greens, iron-rich beans and legumes, among other plant-based staples.

If it’s impossible to load up on all these nutrient-dense foods, take a multivitamin every day to backstop your diet and fill in the gaps, suggests Dr. Bob (as he prefers to be known). And if you do that and take vitamin D and zinc, you will be arming your cells with the best nutrients to fight a cold or even shorten the symptoms he says. The reason this matters, he adds, is that viruses all work in similar ways and trigger the immune system’s response. So the stronger your immune system’s cells, the better.

Cannabis compounds stopped the coronavirus in a lab study

In a surprising study out of the University of Oregon, two compounds in cannabis were able to prevent the momentum of the famous spikes of the virus that are known to latch onto your cells and penetrate the membrane in order to create havoc in the body. That means that these spikes have another disrupter, other than the immune cells, and it is derived from cannabis, or specifically hemp.

The compounds were discovered in the lab that can “blanket” the spikes and neutralize and even prevent COVID from causing illness, at least in theory. Human tests are yet to be done, but this is promising to anyone who would be willing to eat the cannabis compounds, as a way of preventing and short-circuiting the coronavirus in its tracks.

What to eat if you lose your sense of taste and smell

Although the omicron variant appears to not make most people lose their sense of taste and smell, if you do lose these it can be disconcerting and even a safety issue (in the case of fire). So there are a few foods that appear to help trigger the re-set of your olfactory senses and your taste buds, and most of them are the staples from childhood that you know by heart. So eating peanut butter or sucking on lemons can help your brain believe that you are smelling and tasting your food again. But you may just need to be patient and know that it will come back, little by little, according to experts.

Bottom Line: Get Your Free COVID-19 Tests & Eat These Foods If You’re Positive

If you think you have COVID and want to get your free at-home test, here is where to get it. Then if you have it, here’s what to eat to arm your immune system and help your body mount a swift response.

The post Think You Have COVID? Here’s Where to Get Your Free Test and What to Eat appeared first on The Beet.

Hopefully, you have mild symptoms, that resemble nothing more than a cold, due to the fact that you are vaccinated and boosted. But no matter what your immunization status, there are ways to help your immune system fight off a case of COVID just as it needs to battle the flu or even the common cold since all these viruses trigger the body’s immune defense. If you eat immune-boosting foods and take care of yourself, you may even experience fewer severe symptoms and get through your COVID case that much faster.

For what to eat to strengthen your immune system against COVID (either before or after you get it) we spoke with an immunologist and specialist, Dr. Robert Lahita, Professor of Medicine at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine who has been affiliated with Weill Cornell and other venerable hospitals. He is the author of Immunity Strong, which tells readers how to kick up their immune systems to live longer, healthier lives. Dr. Bob (as he requests to be called) has some very practical and actionable advice for what to do if you get COVID and pretty much every other virus or infection out there.

“Your immune system is like the police department in a big city and that city is your body, and it has to watch out for crimes big and small and do its job to keep everything and everyone safe and sound,” Dr. Bob told The Beet. In more scientific terms, the driver of the immune system, the dispatch that signals to the body that everything is quiet, or to sound the alarms, is your gut and the microbiome living within it.

The billions of tiny organisms found in the gut are not bad for you but co-exist in a way that acts as the body’s first line of defense, so when you eat a diet rich in probiotics (like fruits and vegetables) and prebiotics (like fermented foods and drinks such as kombucha) it is a great way to give your microbiome all the energy it needs to create a healthy immune system that can head off any infection.

The 7 Foods to eat that will help you if you get COVID

Here are the best vitamins and minerals to help boost your immunity, but first, Dr. Bob says, he highly recommends that you take a multivitamin every day to fill in the gaps

“I would not have always recommended this, but at the point, we are now at with COVID and our poor diets, I think it’s wise,” he says. “With nine out of 10 Americans not eating the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day – or not even getting three if they’re lucky – it may be time to bring back the multivitamin.”

Of course, it’s better to get your nutrients naturally, from diet, but at this point, the standard American diet is not providing what the immune system needs to function properly, Dr. Bob warns us. The most important vitamins and minerals we should be eating more of, that we are not getting from the diet, are Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and zinc. “These are immune co-factors that help strengthen your immune system and help fortify it. Zinc, he says, is too often overlooked.

“I strongly recommend everyone take a multivitamin every day. I have a dispenser and I take it every day,” says Dr. Bob. “Multis have been ‘poo-poo’d’ or dismissed. I remember doing a magazine article years ago when this was the case. Everyone thought that only children needed a multi.”

But today most Americans don’t get all the nutrients they need from their diet. Only 10 percent of Americans get the recommended 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. In fact, you’re lucky if you get three, says Dr. Bob. “And there are specific immunity drivers that are essential now in the days of Covidd, such as Vitamin C, D, A, and E that you need to supplement. Iron and zinc are especially hard to get enough of if you are plant-based,” explains Dr. Bob. “So instead of worrying about it, just supplement.”

Immunity Booster 1. Vitamin C

Your daily intake should be well over 500 and up to 1000 milligrams a day is healthy, says Dr. Bob. The easiest way to get it is from citrus fruits like oranges. “I eat a clementine in the morning and one at dinner time,” he says since they have about 35 mg each. “And I get vitamin C in the multivitamin I take each morning. We know from research that a vitamin C dose of over 500 milligrams a day can help combat the common cold – and guess what? The omicron is related to the common cold.”

Eat citrus fruits like an orange in the morning                                                                                                                                                                                                                  m                                          (51 mg of vitamin C), or drink lemon water when you wake up (a lemon has 30 mg of vitamin C on average). Grapefruit is also high in vitamin C (38 mg for half a grapefruit) but Dr. Bob adds: “Make sure your medications are compatible since grapefruit can accelerate drug elimination or it can potentiate blood thinners – if you are taking those.”

Bottom Line: Eat as much citrus as you like to get vitamin C all day long

Immunity Booster 2. Vitamin D

Vitamin D is essential for immunity and most people only get a fraction of what they need, especially in the winter months when we are not exposed to as much sunlight as the rest of the year. Dr. Bob says you can either frontload your D vitamin for the week and take one large dose once a week, or you can take it daily and make sure to take it with calcium so your body absorbs what you need.

“You need 50,000 units a week or 500 a day with calcium,” he says. “I advise every patient to get a Vitamin D test from their doctor since during the winter our D levels drop. So chances are you are deficient and don’t know it. And for women or anyone with autoimmune diseases, who I see a lot in my practice, they are often short on D. So just assume you need to take vitamin D.

But don’t overdose with vitamin D. You only need an average of 500 mg a day, and some people who have taken five times that amount or more on a daily basis have had adverse side effects, such as kidney stones. As for taking it once a week, yes, your body can sustain that big amount once a week. Add it to juice, so it gets absorbed without disturbing your digestion.”

Bottom Line: Take 500 mg of vitamin D a day with calcium for best immune function

Immunity Booster 3. Zinc

Zinc is one of the key elements that you should take for general immunity, and studies have shown that it can help reduce the symptoms of COVID-19. How? zinc helps the body build the lymphocytes that your body needs to send out the immune cells into the body to kill off invaders of all kinds, and even shorten a common cold. “Zinc is crucial for normal development and function of cells mediating nonspecific immunity such as neutrophils and natural killer cells,” according to one study.

Zinc is also helpful in metabolism function. The Mayo Clinic website states: “Evidence suggests that if zinc lozenges or syrup is taken within 24 hours after cold symptoms start, the supplement can help shorten the length of colds.” Women need 8 mg daily and men 11 mg.

The best foods for zinc include tofu, hem, lentils, oatmeal, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, shiitake mushrooms, black beans, green peas, and cashews.

Dr. Bob says it’s easier to take zinc than to get it in diet, so he keeps zinc lozenges on his desk and pops one a day. In fact, they are so popular that as he reached for one his supply was out. “I keep them right here on my desk but the nurses take them. They work! You can get them at the supermarket.”

Bottom Line: Take zinc (either 8 or 11 mg depending) to shorten the symptoms of the virus

Immunity Booster 4 & 5. Vitamin A & E for Immunity and function.

Studies show that Vitamin A is crucial for promoting healthy growth and development of cells and protecting the epithelial tissue that surrounds all your organs and that infections or viruses have to pass through to attack any parts of the body. It is also essential to creating healthy mucus which lines the nose and helps capture invading airborne agents that you might inhale. “Vitamin A is also known as an anti-inflammation vitamin because of its critical role in enhancing immune function,” studies have found.

“I take vitamin E for my skin and immune support,” Dr. Bob adds. Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant in the human body that also helps the immune system fight infections. One way it does this, studies show, is that It widens blood vessels and this helps to keep clots from forming in them.

“It’s hard to get all the vitamin E you need from your diet, so do take a supplement. I take 200 units of E every day.” Vitamin E, which is found in nuts, oil, and other foods, has anti-aging benefits and can prevent inflammation, lower the risk of heart disease and some cancers, studies have found.

Bottom Line: Take Vitamins A and E to boost immunity, either a supplement or in food

Immunity Booster 6. Iron

Iron is essential to the immune response in the body, studies have shown. “The role of iron in immunity is necessary for immune cells proliferation and maturation, particularly lymphocytes, associated with the generation of a specific response to infection,” according to one study.

“Most people think iron only comes from animal products but in fact, watercress is high in iron,” says Dr. Bob. So are spinach and arugula. Beans are rich sources of iron, as are pumpkin seeds and quinoa. Eat white mushrooms, lentils, potatoes, tofu among other high iron foods. It’s actually easy to get enough iron on a plant-based diet.

“Many vegetables and most legumes contain iron,” says Dr. Bob. Men need 8 mg a day while women need over double that amount, or 18 mg a day.

The best way to get all these every day is simply to take a multivitamin, says Dr. Bob.

Bottom Line: You need iron to create healthy immune cells. Get it in beans and vegetables

Immunity Booster 7. Take pre-and pro-biotics for gut health

And Dr. Bob adds: “We need to think about the microbiome, the billions of bacteria that live in the but as well as the lungs, around the hear, in every part of our bodies, which should not be thought of as bad – but rather as co-existing with us to help keep the body running smoothly. You need probiotics and prebiotics, in the form of fiber-filled foods or fermented drinks like kombucha, to feed these organisms and let them signal to the immune system that everything is a-okay.”

The easiest way to support your microbiome is by eating high-fiber foods such as fruits and vegetables and drinking Fermented juices. Kombucha. WheatGrass, and other fermented foods.

Bottom Line: Eat a diet rich in fiber to create a healthy gut microbiome to spur immunity

Exercise daily. Get on the elliptical or the bicycle every day, or swim or take a walk. You need to move every single day to show your immune system that you are healthy and able. This motion not only makes your heart healthier but also every other cell in your body.

 Bottom Line: Take a Multivitamin to Help you FIght COVID If You Get It

An immune specialist says that in order to strengthen your immunity against COVID and other viruses, take a multivitamin. It’s the easiest way to make sure you are getting all the nutrients such as Vitamins C, D, A, and E plus zinc and iron, right now.

The post What to Eat If You Get COVID-19 to Help Ease Symptoms and Get Better Faster appeared first on The Beet.

Recent estimates reveal that a loss of smell affects 48 percent of COVID-19 patients globally while another 41 percent experience a loss of taste. These common symptoms can persist in some people for weeks and even months, as part of what doctors call “long covid.”

The impact of changes to smell and taste

Some people experience an altered sense of taste or smell, which not only puts them off the usual foods that they previously enjoyed, but can have unexpected consequences and be dangerous. A few of the potential hazards are not being able to smell smoke during a fire or to detect gas if there is a leak. More commonly, they are unable to detect spoiled milk or food that’s gone bad, resulting in food poisoning.

Not being able to smell the special scent of a newborn baby can lead to missing an olfactory connection with your infant, and alterations in smell can lead to someone going off their partner – since scent is a big part of attraction. These are distressing outcomes.

One study concluded that this alteration in senses due to COVID led to “severe disruption to daily living” impacting on mental and physical health, intimacy and social bonding, and a reduced desire and ability to eat and prepare food.

Why does COVID cause changes to smell and taste?

Scientists are still trying to figure out what causes these symptoms, which they refer to as anosmia (loss of smell) and ageusia (loss of taste). Some research indicates that the virus affects the sensory neurons in the nose that affect someone’s smell while other studies suggest COVID causes inflammation and cell death in the gustatory system, which is responsible for the perception of state and flavor.

There’s more research to be done before we understand how this issue occurs and what doctors can do to treat it.

Can loss of smell and taste be cured?

Some people will recover their sense of smell or taste naturally, and fully, according to a review study that indicates that after two months 54 percent of patients got their smell and taste back and were 100 percent normal, while another study showed that after four weeks, 90 percent of patients experienced an improvement in taste and smell.

Because research into cures for smell and taste dysfunction is in its infancy, there is very little that doctors can prescribe. Corticosteroids that suppress inflammation have been used effectively in some cases,  but experts advise that these types of medications have side effects including fluid retention, high blood pressure, and mood swings.

Smell training

Smell training involves sniffing at least four different odors twice a day for several weeks and has emerged as a cheap, easy, and side-effect-free treatment option. Smell training existed long before the pandemic for people who had lost their smell due to other disorders, but it has recently gained more popularity.  People should choose scents that represent the four smell categories — floral, citrus, spice, and resin – to help stimulate their sense of smell, according to an article in the British Medical Journal. The researchers suggested that any smell that’s available to you can work, as long as you feel comfortable with it –such as coffee, pepper, or fresh herbs. The exercise involves sniffing it for ten seconds in the morning and evening to try to trigger your olfactory senses to kick back in.

What to eat if you lose your taste

A healthy diet is important for COVID recovery and adding more plant-based foods to your diet – full of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals – gives your body the nutrients it needs to function optimally. By fueling energy reserves, boosting the immune system, and supporting mental wellbeing.

Some people may go off eating healthy foods due to lack of taste, and start adding more salt, fat, or sugar to meals for flavor. Experts warn that over months, this can lead to worsening of conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease. Loss of taste may cause some people to lose weight, while others to gain weight, and in severe cases, people may develop depression since they lose their enjoyment around food.

Making small changes can help you to eat a balanced diet while avoiding adverse health effects or weight gain or loss. Some foods may actually help you to normalize your senses.

Eat the “rainbow” of vegetables and fruits

Aim to include as many different colored vegetables and fruit in your everyday diet as possible, since a 2021 review suggested that adoption of a plant-based diet could be a strategy to tackle long COVID symptoms The pigments in plant foods contain different beneficial compounds called phytonutrients, so including an array of colorful fruits and vegetables gives your body the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants it needs to recover from the virus. The study authors suggest a plant-based approach is beneficial for supporting sleep, mental health, and musculoskeletal pain post-COVID, and speeds recovery.

Eat your fruit and vegetables individually, as taste disorder experts advise that combining ingredients in single dishes such as casseroles or one-pot meals can mask the individual food flavors and dilute taste further, causing you to eat more. To further stimulate your senses, go heavy into Vitamin-C-rich fruits and vegetables with stronger flavors such as grapefruit, lemons, limes, kiwi, tomato sauce, peppers, fall squash, and leafy greens like tart arugula.

Add herbs and spices

Using aromatic herbs and hot spices to add more flavor can help someone avoid adding more sugar or salt (which can be detrimental to weight and overall health). Many natural herbs and spices contain beneficial compounds and anti-inflammatory agents as well as nutrients such as vitamin C and magnesium, so not only do you improve flavor when you add them to dishes, it may actually help your recovery too.

Odor molecules enter through both the nose and mouth, stimulating smell and taste.  Research indicates the volatile compounds in herbal plants are beneficial for bumping up the impact of these foods. Include ginger, turmeric, cayenne, thyme, mint, parsley, and oregano in both meals and herbal teas to stimulate your smell and taste buds to the max.

Eat zinc-rich foods

Zinc is an essential mineral that is important for immune function and our sense of smell and taste. Because zinc helps regenerate the cells in the parts of the body involved in smell and taste its has historically been used to treat dysfunctions.

According to a recent review study, altered smell and taste in viral infections such as COVID may be linked to zinc deficiency. One recent study found that supplementing zinc may be a treatment for loss of smell and taste, but the effectiveness and dosages need to be further studied.

The recommended daily amount of zinc for adults is 8 milligrams for females and 11 milligrams for males. Animal proteins contain zinc, and some experts believe that phytates in certain plant foods may prevent zinc from being absorbed. If you are eating plant-based or are avoiding meat and seafood, you can still get zinc by including the following foods on a regular basis:

• seeds such as pumpkin, chia, hemp, and linseed
• beans, chickpeas, and lentils
• nuts including cashew, walnut, and almond
• oatmeal
• whole-grain bread
• quinoa

Tryptophan rich foods

A diet deficient in the amino acid tryptophan could be linked to loss of taste and smell in COVID patients, according to another recent study. Tryptophan is converted in the body to the neurotransmitter serotonin, which modulates the neurons (nerve cells) involved in smell and taste. You can consume tryptophan in a plant-based diet by eating the following foods:

• leafy green vegetables
• broccoli
• watercress
• soybeans
• pumpkin seeds
•  mushrooms
• green peas

The Bottom Line: A plant-based diet can help stimulate your senses and keep you healthy while you recover

Be sure to include a rainbow of different colors, zinc and tryptophan foods, and fragrant herbs and spices for optimum nutrients and plenty of flavor. Additionally, try smell training with whatever strong-smelling foods or essential oils that you have at home.

The post What to Eat If You Lose Your Sense of Smell and Taste Due to COVID appeared first on The Beet.

We can’t control the virus, but we can somewhat control our body’s reaction to it, doctors are finding, and Dr. Mark Cucuzzella, a Family Medicine professor at West Virginia University School of Medicine, is recommending that his patients eat a low-carb, high fiber diet and try to reduce their blood sugar levels to a healthy range before they get the virus, to help them ride out COVID-19 with milder symptoms if they do get infected.

Inflammation in the body can leave us vulnerable to all kinds of lifestyle diseases, including the virus, and people with high blood sugar generally suffer worse symptoms of COVID-19, explains Dr. Cucuzzella, which is why he is urging his patients to get healthier. He is also the author of the book Low-Carb on Any Budget.

Blood sugar is tied to immune response, inflammation, and the cytokine storm

A recent study found that “the level of blood glucose control directly affects the immune response and state of the body. Diabetic patients have low immunity and are prone to increase the risk of disease.

“Once infected, [the virus] is likely to aggravate the condition of diabetic patients further,” the authors found, and “increase the difficulty of blood glucose control, and more easily aggravate the infection, thus leading to cytokine storm and acute inflammatory response. Inflammation is closely related to the occurrence and development of diabetes.”

The study found that COVID-19 patients with diabetes had higher serum levels of inflammation-related biomarkers and were susceptible to a cytokine storm, leading to rapid deterioration of COVID-19.

“Inflammatory cytokines can cause structural and functional abnormalities of endothelial cells, leading to insulin transport disorder in human tissues and cells, and thus lead to insulin resistance. At the same time, inflammatory cytokines may lead to structural changes and dysfunction [pancreatic] cells, promote apoptosis of [pancreatic cells], cause insufficiencies of insulin secretion, and eventually lead to the rise of blood glucose.”

Blood sugar levels are tied to simple carbs in our diet

Here’s how blood sugar and works in the body: Your bloodstream contains five liters of volume, and can only handle the equivalent of one teaspoon of sugar at any given time, according to Dr. Cucuzzella, a doctor who treats diabetes patients, and helps them lower their blood sugar, lose weight and be healthier by following a low-carb diet.

Above that amount of blood sugar or 90 to 110 milligrams/deciliter, your body works to strictly regulate what stays in the blood (in the form of glucose) and what gets sent off to the cells–in the liver, muscles, and organs–to “run on” or use as fuel. Once those cells are full and topped off, the signaler hormone insulin instructs the body to store the extra glucose as fat, which for easy access, is usually stored as belly fat. (People with excess belly fat often have insulin resistance, which is when there is too much insulin for the body to respond to.)

How many carbs is too many to be healthy and keep blood sugar low?

The average American meal has from 60 to 75 grams of carbs for men, 45 to 60 grams for women, that’s more than 15 times the amount of carbs in a teaspoon (4.2 grams), or what the bloodstream can manage at any given time. Those excess carbs have to go somewhere, Dr. Cucuzzella explains, so insulin starts “knocking on the door” to tell the body to send the excess blood sugar to the cells, or the overflow to your fat cells. As you eat more carbs than the body can handle, more insulin gets released, and eventually, the body stops listening or “resists” the message, which is what is known as insulin resistance.

USDA recommends 130 grams of carbs, which this doctor thinks is too high

The USDA’s Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for carbs is 130 grams of carbs per day. “You can see why we have a problem,” says Dr. Cucuzzella, who recommends anyone with a large amount of belly fat, or who has insulin resistance, or who suffers from diabetes or is clinically overweight or has obesity, dial way back on the carbs and stick to much fewer carbs in their daily diet. He espouses a low-carb diet for most patients, and he himself lives this way: “I have lived on 20 to 30 grams of carbs a day, and as a diabetic, it keeps me running,” writes Dr. Cucuzzella in an email. “Off to run now.”

The combination of diet and exercise is one way to regulate blood sugar levels, prevent the spikes of insulin that can cause weight gain, and maintain a healthy weight. The overall recommendation from this diabetes doctor, who himself has diabetes, is to lower your carb intake, eat more high fiber foods, which helps the body stabilize blood sugar and keep a healthy gut microbiome, and exercise daily.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that carbohydrates make up 45 to 65 percent of your total daily calories, according to the Mayo Clinic. That means if you eat a total of 2,000 calories a day, between 900 and 1,300 calories should be from carbohydrates, which translates to 225 and 325 grams of carbohydrates a day. Notably, the World Health Organization recommends less than half that amount, urging us to reduce our daily intake of “free sugars” to less than 10 percent of our total intake. The WHO says “further reduction to below 5 percent, or roughly 25 grams per day would provide additional health benefits.”

The body simply can’t burn off that much extra energy, and instead of using it, you store it, often as belly fat, Dr. Cucuzzella explains. “Belly fat is dangerous fat,” he says, since it raises our risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and chronic inflammation, making us more susceptible to infections such as viral infection from COVID-19.

How does sugar in the diet impact our ability to fight off COVID-19

One link between blood sugar, inflammation, and COVID-19 is that if we do get sick, as can happen with any viral infection, including the one caused by COVID-19, our symptoms are far worse if we already have chronic inflammation in the body. The cytokine storm reaction to the virus, when your immune system goes into overdrive and floods the bloodstream with anti-viral immune cells, also drives up the glucose in the body, Dr. Cucuzzella explains.

“I work in a hospital and see what happens when someone comes in with COVID-19 and has metabolic syndrome,” says Dr. Cucuzzella. Metabolic syndrome is a bundle of conditions that are all related to an overworked insulin system, which causes inflammation, increased chance of obesity, and diabetes, along with a higher risk of diseases like heart disease and stroke.

“If you want to protect yourself from the next wave of COVID-19, get healthy now. We see in the hospital when someone gets infected with COVID, the cytokine storm causes their glucose to go up. But you can get healthy by maintaining a low-carb diet. That really has strength against the virus.

“If you are ever in hospital you need to have the host or body be healthy to fight the infection. The cytokine storm causes hyperglycemia. And when we have hyperglycemia our whole immune system function is disabled and it starts a cascade of negative effects. We don’t have a good treatment for the cytokine storm yet. You have to ride it out. The people who have it the worst are people with some spectrum of high blood sugar or metabolic syndrome.”

According to a recent study, COVID-19 symptoms and the effects of elevated blood sugar in diabetics impact each other and cause worse symptoms and more cell damage than either condition alone. “The virus infection symptoms and diabetes affect each other and aggravate each other, leading to further deterioration of the condition,” the study found.

“The clinical spectrum of COVID-19 ranges from mild, moderate, severe to critical conditions. Some patients show symptoms like a common cold, while others have severe lower airways symptoms and die,” according to the researchers. “Patients with diabetes or hypertension had a 2-fold increase in the risk of severe disease or requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission.”

Dr. Cucuzzella’s recommendation is that anyone who can get healthier now and stay healthy by eating a low-carb diet do so, in order to protect themselves from the most severe symptoms of COVID-19.

How much sugar is best to keep blood sugar low and maintain a healthy weight

Dr. Cucuzzella says he has eaten 20 to 30 grams of carbs a day for ten years, and as someone with diabetes, and this level “keeps me well and running.” For a list of the best foods to eat to keep blood sugar low, Dr. Cucuzzella shares his list of foods that are non-starchy plant foods that he gives to his patients.

The first thing Dr. Cucuzzella recommends is that we all put a “Lockdown on Sugar.” Along with limiting your intake of simple sugar and processed foods, you can keep blood sugar low by adding high-fiber foods to your diet, which helps regulate blood sugar and allows the body to absorb nutrients and energy from the foods you eat steadily, without causing a spike in insulin. Here are 21 foods to incorporate into a healthy diet to keep blood sugar under control and maintain a healthy weight.

The 22 “green foods” that help keep blood sugar low

When choosing carbs, you need to look for healthy carbs that are high in fiber. This list appears in his book, Low Carb on Any Budget. “It should not be expensive to eat healthily,” says Dr. Cucuzzella. We call it the Green Food list. Eat these to help lower insulin resistance and lose belly fat.”

• Avocado
• Asparagus
• Bell Pepper
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Cucumber
• Green Onions
• Jalapeño
• Mushrooms
• Olives
• Onion
• Pickles
• Romaine Lettuce
• Spinach
• Sauerkraut
• Tomatoes
• Zucchini
• Macadamia Nuts
• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Pecans

For more great content like this, and ways to incorporate a healthy, plant-based diet into your life, check out The Beet’s Health and Nutrition articles.

Read More: How to Lower Insulin Resistance and Lose Fat, From a Doctor | The Beet |

The post Doctor: Keep Blood Sugar Low to Help Prevent Severe COVID Symptoms appeared first on The Beet.

“Denmark is one of the largest fur producers on the planet, so a total shutdown of all Danish mink fur farms amidst spiraling COVID-19 infections is a significant development. Although not a ban on fur farming, this move signals the end of suffering for millions of animals confined to small wire cages on Danish fur farms solely for the purposes of a trivial fur fashion that no-one needs,” said Dr. Joanna Swabe, Senior Director of Public Affairs for the Humane Society International Europe.

Denmark Killing Minks Over COVID-19 Fears

“We commend the Danish Prime Minister on her decision to take such an essential and science-led step to protect Danish citizens from the deadly coronavirus and ensure that the effectiveness of any vaccine is not compromised by mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 virus from its mink hosts,” Swabe continued, adding: “With COVID-19 having already been detected on 207 of the 1,139 fur farms in Denmark and over 1.2 million mink having already been culled as a result, the risk of keeping these virus reservoirs operating is far too great.”

“A decline in the public demand for fur fashion has led to a significant drop in pelt prices and stockpiles of fur skins going unsold at auctions. Although the death of millions of mink – whether culled for COVID-19 or killed for fur – is an animal welfare tragedy, fur farmers will now have a clear opportunity to pivot away from this cruel and dying industry and choose a more humane and sustainable livelihood instead. HSI urges the Danish government to assist fur farmers to transition to other activities. There has never been a more compelling time for Denmark to shut down this sick industry for good.”

Minks were first found to be infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus in April of 2020, and the government called for a closing of all farms by March 2021. Over a million minks have already been killed during the pandemic, due to fear about possible mutations the animals could cause in the virus.

Animals and the Transmission of COVID-19

There are many concerns from scientists about the potential vulnerability animals have to COVID-19, how the virus could affect them, and possible dangerous mutations that could be caused. The biggest fear is that the virus could mutate in animals and become more transmissible or more dangerous to humans. So far, minks are the only animals known to have passed the coronavirus to humans since the outbreak of the virus.

Although the mutated coronavirus transferred from minks to humans does not seem to be more transmissible or cause more severe illness in humans. There is concern from the Danish health authorities that the effectiveness of vaccines in development might be diminished by this variant. They have taken extreme measures to stop this spread but sadly that includes killing millions of minks. This has sparked concern from many countries around the world, with the UK even banning non-citizen travelers from Denmark. The World Health Organization and scientists outside of Denmark have stated that they have not seen evidence that this variant will have any impact on vaccines.

Pets and COVID-19 transmission does not appear to be a problem

When it comes to pets, a very small number of animals including cats and dogs have been infected with COVID-19, but so far there have been no known cases of people who were infected by exposure to their pets.

According to the CDC: “At this time, there is no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading the virus that causes COVID-19,” and there is no reason to worry that your pet will be the cause of viral spread.

The post Millions of Minks to be Killed, as Officials Say They Pose COVID Risk to Humans appeared first on The Beet.

The Beet: What is your best advice about staying healthy over the holidays? With Coronavirus, it seems even more important than ever to take care of ourselves.

Dr. Michael Greger: Quite simply, we should eat natural foods that come from the ground and from the fields, not factories, and from gardens, not garbage. 

Studies have shown plant-based eating can improve not only body weight, blood sugar levels, and ability to control cholesterol, but also emotional states, including depression, anxiety, fatigue, sense of well-being, and daily functioning. Researchers have shown that a more plant-based diet may help prevent, treat, or reverse some of our leading causes of death–including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure—all of which have been shown to be conditions that lead to the most severe cases of COVID-19.

The Beet: Do those same foods help our immune systems function better? How does eating healthy keep us safe from COVID-19?

Dr. Greger: Only one way of eating has ever been proven to reverse heart disease in the majority of patients: a diet centered around whole plant foods. If that’s all a whole-food, plant-based diet could do—reverse our number-one killer—shouldn’t that be the default diet until proven otherwise?

The fact it may also be effective in preventing, treating, and arresting other leading killers seems to make the case for plant-based eating simply overwhelming.

For example, studies of plant-based diets have shown, 90 percent reductions in angina within just a few weeks. Plant-based diet intervention groups have reported greater diet satisfaction than control groups, as well as improved digestion, increased energy, and better sleep, and significant improvement in their physical functioning, general health, vitality, and mental health. 

The Beet: Do you have an immunity holiday recipe? Something simple? Even a holiday dessert with dates and turmeric (immune-boosting foods)?

Dr. Greger: My Pumpkin Pie Smoothie recipe from The How Not to Die Cookbook is perfect for getting you into the holiday spirit with a pep in your step. It tastes like pumpkin pie in a glass! This recipe is as easy as can be and makes one 1½ cup serving.

Ingredients

• ½ cup solid-pack pure pumpkin (pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 small frozen ripe banana, cut into chunks before freezing
• 3 soft Medjool dates, pitted
• 1¼-inch piece fresh turmeric, grated (or ¼ teaspoon ground)
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tablespoon almond butter

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients with 1 cup of water in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Serve and enjoy immediately.

Q: Do you have any tips for not getting off track diet-wise, or even trying to lose weight this season?

Dr. Greger: It’s not what you eat today that matters, or tomorrow, or next week, but rather what you eat over the next months, years, and decades. As the days get shorter and colder, it’s harder to get outside to exercise and move around, and with the social limitations put on us due to the pandemic, this season may bring us some sadness and anxiety, rather than happiness and cheer.

They don’t call it comfort food for nothing. Overeating may be a sign that something is eating us.

The Beet: So how do we stop stress-eating?

Dr. Greger:  Though some people eat less during stress, the majority of us not only eat more, but tend to gravitate toward foods high in sugar, fat, and calories. If you give people their own private snack buffet, those with high chronic stress levels eat less fruits and veggies and more chocolate cake. We suspect it’s cause and effect because you can demonstrate the acute effects of stress in a lab. Randomize people between solvable and unsolvable word puzzles, for example, and food choice shifts from a healthy snack (grapes) to a less healthy snack (M&M’s) in the more stressful condition. Even just watching a video with distressing scenes, including traffic problems, financial hardship, or sexual harassment can evoke the same shift in eating behavior toward chocolate.

The best way to relieve the effects of stress is to relieve the stress itself. To the extent possible, we should try to reorient our lives to avoid major stressors and use exercise to work off what’s unavoidable. This can include yoga, walking, or resistance band stretching. Mindfulness techniques can be used to reduce stress and deal with cravings. To buffer the release of the stress hormone cortisol, we can reduce our intake of saturated fats and added sugars, and pile on the plants.

And when it’s time to prepare a meal, think of it as an opportunity to do something good for yourself. To treat yourself. To give yourself food that is delicious and healthful.

The Beet: How do we prevent weight gain during the holidays?

Dr. Greger: It’s actually quite simple: It turns out the healthiest diet also appears to be the most effective diet for weight loss. Indeed, we have experimental confirmation: A whole food, plant-based diet was found to be the single most effective weight-loss intervention ever published in the medical literature, proven in a randomized controlled trial with no portion control, no calorie counting, no exercise component: the most effective ever.

The Beet: What do YOU eat for TG? A fake turkey? Which one? Or do you make your own? AND why does real turkey make you feel drugged?

Dr. Greger:  Though it’s commonly thought the amino acid tryptophan in turkey makes us feel lethargic and even sleepy, any large such meal will do it. I most definitely keep turkeys off my plate on Thanksgiving and all other days of the year, but I also tend to stay away from the plant-based turkey alternatives readily available these days. Don’t get me wrong: I think they can be great for those wanting a close approximation to a traditional holiday entrée, but without all the myriad downsides of consuming animal products, but I prefer foods that are less processed. Foods that are whole and hearty.

Some of my favorites are included in my The How Not to Diet Cookbook, including Roasted Root Vegetables on Garlic-Braised Greens, Baked Grain Loaf with Umami Gravy, Roasted Kabocha with Kale-Cranberry Stuffing, and Balsamic Butternut, Brussels, and Beets.

The Beet: Everyone who is interested in going splant based asks the question — BUT WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR PROTEIN?

Dr.Greger: Anyone who doesn’t know how to get protein on a plant-based diet doesn’t know beans! Protein from plant sources is preferable because of the baggage that comes along with protein from animal products. Food is a package deal. Beans and other legumes, such as split peas, chickpeas, or lentils, are the protein superstars of the plant kingdom, and we should ideally enjoy them every day.

Dr. Greger is also the founder of Nutritionfacts.org, a site devoted to eating plant-based for your health, from the perspective of a science-based career treating patients and educating the public on how avoiding foods with animal fat and instead choosing to eat vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, grains and legumes is a healthier approach. For more information on how to adopt a plant-based diet, visit Nutritionfacts.org.

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Diet and lifestyle changes are key to reducing chronic inflammationy. Some healthy steps you can take to decrease inflammation are getting daily exercise, reducing stress, and getting quality sleep, regularly. One of the most powerful tools to protect against chronic inflammation is to eat a diet rich in plant-based whole foods, experts say. “Making good choices in our diet to include fresh vegetables and fruits as well as reducing refined sugar intake can make a big difference,” said Dr. Varinthrej Pitis, MD, an internal medicine physician at Scripps Clinic in Carmel Valley in a Scripps article.

Studies have shown the link between the role of a whole-foods, plant-based diet in reducing chronic inflammation: A 2019 study published in Nutrients found a relationship between the Meditteranean diet and cancer incidence, demonstrating that the key nutrients in the diet help can fight chronic inflammatory cells. Another 2019 study published in Nutrition and Aging found that an anti-inflammatory diet can reduce the force of neuroinflammation, resulting in a lower likelihood of Alzheimer’s disease.

Below are the top 10 plant-based foods that will fight inflammation and nourish your body.

10 Plant-Based Foods to Fight Inflammation

1. Avocados

This popular toast pairing is packed with potassium, magnesium, fiber, and healthy fats. A 2020 study found that avocado is beneficial in reducing obesity, which activates low-grade inflammation and oxidative stress. The study found that avocados “induce antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory effects by improving enzymatic activity and modulating obesity‐related impairments in the anti‐inflammatory system in different tissues, without side effects.”

2. Berries

This colorful fruit is filled with tons of antioxidants that can reduce your risk of disease. A 2017 study published in Molecules examined the healthy properties of berries, finding that they are neuroprotective, meaning that they protect nerve cells from further damage. This effect may be linked to lower toxicity and inflammation, which are associated with chronic diseases.

3. Cocoa

Cocoa is a powder of ground cacao beans, heavily concentrated in dark chocolate. Cocoa contains flavanols that reduce your body’s oxidative stress, according to a 2019 study published in Nutrients. Oxidative stress is when there is an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in the body. High levels of oxidative stress can cause chronic inflammation, leading to damaged cells, proteins, and DNA in the body.

4. Extra virgin olive oil

This Mediterranean diet staple is a healthy fat-filled with nutritious benefits. A 2019 study published in Nutrients found that extra virgin olive oil contains polyphenols that decrease the amount of inflammatory markers in the body. The study also suggests that it is an important dietary tool in preventing chronic diseases like obesity.

5. Grapes

This popular fruit has important nutrients like vitamin K, copper, and manganese. It is also a great source of resveratrol, a key compound that has been found to prevent and mitigate intestinal inflammation, according to a 2017 study published in Nutrition Research Reviews. This could alleviate symptoms with chronic gastrointestinal diseases like IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and perianal infections.

6. Green tea

Green tea is made from the camellia Sinensis plant filled with tons of antioxidants. A 2017 study published in Nutrients found that this tea contains polyphenols such as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which reduces the surge of inflammatory markers like cytokines. This research shows that green tea can be used as diet therapy to relieve symptoms and prevent inflammation.

7. Mushrooms

This soft vegetable is low in calories and is a great source of selenium, copper, and B vitamins. A 2018 study found that reishi mushrooms protected against gut inflammation due to a reduction in the inflammatory cytokines. This vegetable could be incredibly helpful for people with sepsis, a condition caused by the body’s response to infection.

8. Peppers

Peppers are loaded with high amounts of vitamin C, similar to what is found in citrus fruits. They are filled with capsaicin, which has anti-inflammatory properties, according to a 2017 study published in Pharmacognosy Magazine. The study found that the consumption of capsaicin-rich foods, such as chili peppers, can reduce the inflammatory effects in muscle-related diseases such as myotube atrophy.

9. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a great source of vitamin C, potassium, and folate. They also are a major dietary source of the antioxidant lycopene, which has been shown to reduce pro-inflammatory compounds causing heart disease, according to a 2017 study. This has been linked to many health benefits, such as a low risk of contracting cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

10. Turmeric

Turmeric is a spice-filled with curcumin, a nutrient known for its many health benefits. A 2018 study published in The Journal of Immunology found that curcumin in turmeric inhibits inflammation through suppressing the pathways that active it in the body. This points to the potential use of turmeric as a herbal supplement in helping alleviate symptoms with inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

The post The 10 Best Anti-Inflammatory Foods You Should Be Eating Right Now appeared first on The Beet.

Studies have shown that vegan diets have helped people with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes lose significant amounts of weight, and one study, in particular, showed that a vegan diet high in legumes works even better to lose weight faster than a vegan diet not as rich in legumes.

So how much weight can you lose in one month on the Vegan Diet? It depends on whether you also give up refined carbs such as sugar and processed flour, since of course, these are vegan but not “whole food” and the key to weight loss is eating fiber-dense, nutrient-rich foods and not empty calories. That means focusing on fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds and giving up processed foods that come in bags or boxes and could not be grown.

Going Vegan Can Help You Lose Weight

Because dairy and meat are high in fat, which is calorie-dense, avoiding these foods also means that you can fill up on plant-based foods that are full of fiber and feel full longer. Fiber only comes in vegetables and fruit or legumes and nuts and seeds, since animals have skeletons to keep them upright and moving around, while plants have fiber to keep them reaching for the sky.

Fiber is one key to healthy weight loss, and the minimal amounts you need to get per day as per the recommendations are 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men. That’s a start but most Americans fall far short of that goal, according to fiber diet guru Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, who lost 50 pounds on a plant-based diet and wrote the fiber diet book, Fiber Fueled: The Plant-Based Gut Health Program for Losing Weight, Restoring Your Health, and Optimizing Your Microbiome,

Read More: How a High-Fiber Diet Can Help You Lose Weight, From a Doctor

So more fiber is better, as celebrity dieters have learned.

There are several diets flying around the internet that include the Adele Diet, which is also known as the Sirtfood Diet. (We tried it and here’s what happened.) Then there is Intermittent Fasting. (Which also works, as long as you eat healthy during the “on eating hours.”)

More people are trying to eat plant-based than ever, right now: 23 percent of consumers are incorporating plant-based or vegan foods into their diet: Sales of plant-based meats are up 35 percent, while overall sales of all vegan foods are up 90 percent since the height of the COVID-19 crisis. It’s only growing, as people want a diet that lets them lose weight and be healthy, and a vegan or plant-based “clean-eating” diet promises both: Healthy immunity, plus steady weight loss.

Plant-Based Protein Leads to Healthy Weight Loss, Leaner Body Composition

The Vegan Diet and Plant-Based Diet is winning now because it’s healthier than other diets. And yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like. You stay away from inflammation-boosting animal products and fill your plate with plant-based whole foods that are low in oil, minimally cooked, and full of fiber. And guess what? It works.

But the reason that the Vegan Diet is catching on right now is two-fold: One is that people are staying away from meat during the time of COVID-19, and the other is that the Vegan Diet helps you lose weight and build your immunity. It’s also sustainable, healthy, and natural. There is nothing more natural than eating a whole-food plant-based diet low in oils and fats.

The Vegan Diet is exactly what it sounds like: You eat tons of vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds. There’s no point system or counting carbs, calories or net carbs. You fill your plate with plant-based whole foods that are low in oil, minimally cooked, and full of fiber. If you can grow it, it’s a “Go!” If you have to look for ingredients on a label and there are many, it’s a “No-Go!” This simple way of losing weight is natural, intuitive, and sustainable. If you lose 2 pounds a week (which is a healthy rate) you can lose 12 pounds in just six weeks!

The Vegan Diet for Weight Loss Growing More Popular

Why is the Vegan Diet having a moment? Back during the start of the pandemic, consumers learned where their food came from, as shortages of meat showed up in supermarkets. This was because meat processing plants were rife with COVID outbreaks, and several large plants had to shut down for weeks. That reminded consumers that meat doesn’t walk itself to our supermarket refrigerator shelves, but gets slaughtered, packaged, and put there. While the supply chain was disrupted consumers had a chance to sample meatless alternatives like Beyond and Impossible and liked what they tasted.

The idea that there are other alternatives to meat and dairy dawned on the population. Among people under 25, over half of Gen Z self-identifies as flexitarian, and the other half of that awareness is driven by the fact that over one-third of manmade greenhouse gases are created during food production. Lower our dependence on meat and dairy and we can lower our individual contribution to the CO2 released by big farming since plant-based farming only produces a fraction of what animal agriculture does. So a vegan diet is better for your health, the planet and of course, farmed animals – a win all around.

Meanwhile, on the upside, the Vegan Diet is also natural, allowing the dieter to fill up on vegetables and legumes, grains and nuts and seeds, plus fruit — all foods that are full of fiber, satisfyingly filling, and offer plenty of dietary protein. In fact for the foods that offer the most protein, see this list. For most dieters, getting enough protein on a vegan diet starts with a bowl of oatmeal and plant-based milk, which gets you about one-quarter of the way there in an easy, low calory meal. For the Beginner’s Guide to Going Plant-Based, which is a one-week Vegan Diet, click here. 

Why a Vegan Diet is Better For Weight Loss

To fill up on healthy foods, the higher the fiber content the better. Fiber has been given a bad rap as a “regulator” for anyone who has trouble going to the bathroom, but in fact, it’s the “anti-carb”  when it comes to eating healthy foods that spur weight loss. When diabetics are put on a  strict low-carb diet they are coached to look for fiber since the fiber-to-carb ratio is more important than carbs alone. This is why fruit, though higher in carbs than vegetables, does not make you fat.

The fiber in the food you eat allows the body to access healthy nutrients while keeping blood sugar low and your insulin response in check. The lower your blood sugar, the lower your insulin response, and the less your body gets the signal to store the extra energy as fat.

The high-fiber content of fruits and vegetables means that the “net carb” effect offers all the nutrients at less of the calories, carbs, and unhealthy fat that animal products or highly processed foods deliver. So the key to losing weight on the Vegan Diet is choosing foods that are as close to nature grows them as possible. Whole foods that are plant-based, including vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds and grains, make up a healthy assortment of vitamins and minerals proteins and complex carbs to make the person eating this way feel satisfied and full, never hungry and deprived, and still lose weight.

When your fat intake is low — meaning no animal fat and minimal oils — your body will mobilize ready energy from what is stored in the body. You use up your glycogen first, and as anyone knows who has taken a 45-minute spin class or run, you switch over your energy system when you run out of available stored energy in the muscles and the liver, and then start to burn off fat stores and pull energy out of storage. The Vegan Diet low in oils is a natural way to prompt your body to find energy from within, essentially revving your engines to burn fat faster.

Healthy Vegan Diet Can Lower Inflammation and Boost Immunity

The Vegan Diet is full of vegetables and fruits offers immunity-boosting properties All the foods known to help boost your natural immunity are “on the list” for the Vegan Diet. Broccoli, mushrooms, peppers, and citrus are among the 13 foods that offer the most immunity per bite.

The Vegan Diet can help you lose weight that is sustainable, by minimizing eating processed foods that are likely to be high in added sugar and fat, low in fiber, and full of additives. So while potato chips are mostly vegan, they don’t make the cut because they are processed. The same goes for Twizzlers and other packaged foods that are only vegan because they don’t contain animal products. To lose weight you have to think “if I can grow it, I can eat it.” You have never seen a PopTart in a garden.

What to Eat to Lose Weight on Vegan Diet

When you eat the Vegan Diet, you lose weight because you stay away from inflammation-boosting animal products and fill your plate with plant-based whole foods that are low in oil, plainly cooked, and full of fiber. And guess what? It works. You can lose up to 2 to 3 pounds a week and keep it off it you stick to a whole food plant-based –or vegan– diet.

For what foods are “on the list” and how much is recommended for each, check out the Vegan Food Pyramid. The basic idea of the Vegan Diet is to allow 55-60 percent of your calories from carbs, 20-25 percent from (plant-based) protein, and 15-25 percent from fat.

Foods to eat more of:

Fruits such as blueberries, citrus such as oranges and grapefruits, kiwi and mango or papaya, and seeded fruit like apples, peaches and plums

Vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and leafy greens such as spinach and kale. Load up on colorful root vegetables like beats. (Some people avoid starchy vegetables like potatoes due to their high carbohydrate content.)

Legumes such as chickpeas, beans, peas, pulses, and lentils. These are high in protein and fiber

Soy products such as tofu, tempeh, or soy milk, since soy is a complete protein and the phytoestrogen has been shown to be protective against breast cancer

Whole grains such as wild rice, brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, and minimally processed grains and oatmeal or oat milk

Nuts such as almonds, pistachios, cashews and walnuts, and almond milk

Seeds such as chia seeds, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds

Here is a list of vegan dinner ideas for weight loss according to nutritionists.

Here is a list of the best vegan lunches for weight loss according to nutritionists.

Here is a list of the best vegan breakfasts to eat for weight loss according to nutritionists

For more on how to eat to lose weight on a nutrient-dense Vegan Diet, check out Eat for Life by Dr. Joel Fuhrman or The Plant-Based Solution by Dr. Joel Kahn, or How Not to Diet by Dr. Michael Greger.

Bottom Line: To Lose Weight on a Vegan Diet, Eat Mostly Whole Foods

How much weight can you lose in a month on a vegan or plant-based diet depends on how many whole foods you eat, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, greens, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. Stay away from refined carbs such as sugars and flour, and instead get your calories from plant-based protein and high-fiber foods. Going vegan to lose weight is like any other diet: The healthier you eat the better.

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