Make a Fall and Winter Sick Care Kit

Fall is here (and so is bug season)!

Cool weather usually means more time indoors, which also means more opportunities to catch something that'll mess up your awesome fall or winter plans. The best way to avoid (or at least decrease) the awfulness of getting sick is to support the immune system.

Time is of the essence when you first get sick, so aside from getting medical care, what can you do? It turns out there’s a lot you can do with supplements to speed up recovery.

Keep a sick care kit handy for when you need it.

Why not make a kit for just in case you get sick? That’s what I did this year! I should let you know that some of the links will give me a kickback (at no expense to you), so please use them so I can write posts like this more often.

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Oops I got Covid (Or the Flu)!

Let’s assume you already take a high-quality multivitamin and that you have seen a medical professional to make sure you aren’t knocking on death’s door. Since both covid and flu are respiratory infections, the supplements that boost immune function are similar. but this kit is mainly built for covid, since it is less familiar to people.

• Thermometer (check a throughout the day and seek medical care if your temperature is 103 degrees Fahrenheit or higher)

• Pulse Oximeter (check oxygen every few hours and seek medical care if it falls below 90%)

• Cough lozenges - I really like these because they contain immune-boosting elderberry

• NAC (N-Acetyl Cystine) (500 mg 2-3 times daily)

• ResveraCel - contains 300 mg resveratrol and 500 mg quercetin (1 cap twice daily)

• Curcumin (500-1000 mg twice daily)

• Omega-3 (1-2 caps three times daily works out to 2400-4800 mg EPA/DHA)

• L-Arginine (1,000 mg twice daily)

• Vitamin D3 with K2 (10,000-20,000 IU per day, depending on Vitamin D status)

• Zinc (10-30 mg per day)

• Vitamin C (1000 mg two times daily)

• Antibiotic-resistant probiotics (1 cap in the evening or several hours after antibiotic medications)

• At-home testing kits

Depending on how detailed you want to be, think about including a cold/hot bag, bath products (especially if you are making a kit as a gift) and soft facial tissues.

N-Acetyl Cystine (NAC)
this is one of the most important supplements to take during recovery. NAC is an antioxidant that helps the body make glutathione, which helps the liver repair itself. Covid-19 infection is extremely hard on the liver, with abnormal liver function directly tied to poor Covid-19 outcomes. So many people have told me how much better they felt once they started taking NAC.

• Promotes immune function

• Protects the liver and kidneys from toxic stress

• Supports liver and kidney detoxification

As with all supplements, be sure to go with a reputable brand like Thorne. Find NAC on our dispensary and save 10% or more.

Resveratrol
This powerful antioxidant does a lot and can help mitigate some of the damage commonly seen in Covid-19 infection. Resveratrol is the reason red wine has those health benefits that all the wine moms talk about. Better not tell them that resveratrol can also be found in blueberries and balsamic vinegar!

• Protects nerves and helps with repairs

• Promotes heart and vascular health

• Supports healthy liver function

Quercetin
One of the best supplements you can take if infected with influenza or Covid-19. Quercetin is a powerful flavonoid and anti-inflammatory compound that helps the body modulate histamines (which show up in allergic reactions), repair gut lining, and boost the immune system. Over the last several years, research has been indicating quercetin’s usefulness in the body’s defense against viruses. In this model, quercetin demonstrated reduced changes in host cells 48 hours after infection, which makes it harder for coronavirus to move in and get cozy. In a 2016 study, quercetin was shown to prevent death in mice infected with Ebola. A more recent study of quercetin and vitamin C found strongly suggested the combination for prevention and early treatment of COVID-19. This study shows it as an effective antiviral during flu infection, inhibiting viral entry (infection) and helping the body fight off sickness if taken after infection. Pretty cool, right?

Curcumin
Studies have suggested that curcumin can be helpful through an anti-inflammatory and antiviral mechanism. This study found that curcumin directly inactivates the influenza A virus, blocks its absorption, and inhibited its replication in the body. regardless of whether those properties carry over to covid, we know that covid is a sickness if inflammation, and the more we can manage it and bring the inflammation down, the quicker people recover. Curcumin is poorly absorbed unless it is chemically bonded with fat, which is the method that Indena, the maker of Thorne’s curcumin supplement does. They use a patented process called phytosome technology that makes the curcumin exponentially easier for the body to absorb. Unfortunately, most makers of curcumin products aren’t selling a high-quality, bioavailable form.

Omega-3 Fish or Algae Oil
Reducing inflammation is key with infections, and omega-3s are great at calming things down. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fatty cold-water fish, egg yolks and pastured animal products, but short of eating an entire school of salmon, supplementing is the only way to get the levels you would need during an active infection. Aim for a combined EPA and DHA between 2400 and 4800 milligrams per day. Thorne Super EPA is a great option. When choosing an omega 3:

• Look for EPA and DHA to be listed on the back (if it isn’t listed, don’t buy it)

• Add up the EPA and DHA numbers to determine how much comes in each serving

• Target dosage is 2400-4800 mg combined EPA and DHA daily

• Take as many servings as you need to get to that dosage

L-Arginine

A September 2021 study done in Italy shows that patients who supplemented with arginine cut over 20 days from their time in a hospital compared to the control group. How does it work? The lining of the arteries creates nitric oxide from arginine, relaxing the blood vessels and improving blood flow to organs and tissues. Arginine also helps the body resist attachment of the coronavirus spike protein, which helps the body clear the virus faster and diminish existing infection. This article goes into a little more depth about it. During digestion, some of the arginine gets broken down and flushed out without being used, which is why taking a large enough dose is important.

Vitamin D
For years, Vitamin D has been part of treatment protocols used by doctors. Vitamin D has immune-booting properties that help strengthen the body's natural defenses, such as increased anti-microbial compounds in mucus. A 2017 Queen Mary University study links it to prevention of respiratory infections

Here’s how vitamin D helps:

• Supports blood sugar regulation

• Supports innate immune system function

• Protects against risk of getting acute respiratory infection

Vitamin D comes in two forms, D3 and D2. D2 must be converted by sunlight to D3 before the body can use it, so be sure to skip the middleman and use D3. Vitamin D is best absorbed when taken alongside vitamin K2. This is an example of what to look for. 

Zinc
Zinc is crucial for production of the cells that help with innate immunity (the body's natural defenses). Zinc helps more with prevention of sickness and has only weak evidence to show its effectiveness during an active infection. Many multivitamins already contain zinc, but here's one if you want extra or don't take a multi. A good dosage is between 10 and 30 mg (getting too much zinc can be a bad thing). A few facts about zinc:

• Inhibits viral replication through the interference of the viral genome transcription

• Has anti-inflammatory properties

• Modulates function of enzymes, olfaction, gustation, intracellular signaling, and more 

Vitamin C

This one kind of goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and vitamin that helps with immune function and has been shown to improve recovery by about 8% in COVID patients. Keep in mind that the body clears vitamin C relatively quickly, so it is best to take it in divided doses throughout the day. Excess vitamin C can cause diarrhea, but so can covid (something to keep in mind). 1,000 mg at a time should be enough (but not too much), especially if you are taking it throughout the day. Be aware that taking over 2,000 mg per day can cause heartburn, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, so don’t get crazy.

Antibiotic-Resistant Probiotics

Research has shown that people with healthy gut flora have better covid outcomes, especially those that eat diets high in fermented vegetables like kimchi or sauerkraut. Since it is quite common in a medical setting to receive antibiotics, opting for a probiotic supplement that resists being killed by antibiotics or stomach acid is a no-brainer.

Put It Together

OK, now it’s time to make your care kit. Be sure to put it somewhere convenient that you will remember. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just stocked and ready to help you feel better!