5 Tips That Can Help Reduce the Risk of COVID

Overview

Several research papers demonstrated that regular exercise and a healthy diet can lower the risk of many illnesses and aids in the recovery of others. Examples of these diseases include cancer, heart disease, dementia, and, now, COVID-19.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that people exercise for at least 150 minutes every week to reap these benefits.

In this article, we will cover some tips that could boost your immune system and help reduce your risk of catching COVID.

5 tips to help reduce your risk of COVID

1. Exercise

A large number of clinical studies confirmed the importance of regular exercise on the function of the immune system.

According to a 2018 study, researchers concluded that “a single bout of exercise is known to stimulate immune cells during efforts and during recovery.”

While the underlying mechanisms are still being debated, experts theorize that exercise stimulates the release of hormones and neurotransmitters that positively impact the intercellular signaling of immune cells.

Interestingly, a new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine states that regular exercise lowers the risk of COVID-19 and protects from severe illness.

Researchers found that people who are consistently inactive had a greater risk of developing COVID, getting hospitalized, being admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and death.

These risks change dramatically if the person practices COVID-19 exercises. Additionally, people who were active for more than 10 minutes per week had partial protection against severe cases of COVID-19. Obviously, the protection was less effective than in people who exercised for 150 minutes or more.

The study reveals that when women exercise regularly, they dramatically lower their risk of death from COVID-19, even if they have other risk factors of severe disease.

If you’re not into traditional exercises, make sure to learn about Divacise and diva workouts to see just how fun and effective these routines can be.

2. Eating right

Eating the right food will supply the cells and immune system with all the necessary nutrients to eliminate COVID before it spreads to the body.

Avoid excluding a macronutrient to lose weight since it can disrupt the function of your immune system.

Here are a few examples of immune-boosting foods:

Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate is rich in nutrients and contains fiber, magnesium, iron, manganese, copper, potassium, and zinc.

The primary role of fiber is to ensure the proper digestion of food by optimizing the gut microbiome and regulating the absorption of food.

By all measurements, fiber is considered the best product to detoxify and temper down inflammation across the body.

Moreover, the other minerals found in dark chocolate enhance metabolism, cognition, and the immune system.

This unique combination makes dark chocolate very effective at preventing COVID-19 and other viral infections.

Green tea

Green tea possesses potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds that neutralize the harmful complications of viruses.

Drinking green tea on a regular basis will undoubtedly improve your immune system’s ability to fight COVID-19.

Other immune-boosting foods

• Vegetables (e.g., broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower)
• Fruit (e.g., grapes, cherries)
• Avocados and olives
• Olive oil and coconut oil
• Salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, and anchovies
• Almonds and other nuts
• Bell peppers and chili peppers

3. Supplements

Ashwagandha

Due to its antimicrobial and antioxidative effects, ashwagandha is also an effective herb in the treatment of viral infections (e.g., the flu, COVID).

A 2012 study checked the antiviral activity of ashwagandha and found that it’s very effective at inhibiting the replication of the genetic material of these viruses to prevent infection.

Researchers are still debating about the mechanism of action, but the predominant theory suggests that ashwagandha triggers the immune cells to be more robust when encountering viruses.

Cat’s claw

Cat’s claw (Uncaria tomentosa) keeps fascinating holistic physicians with its endless benefits on human health.

This herb is effective against many infections, including Lyme disease, Candida, Epstein-Barr infection, herpes, bladder infections, hepatitis, prostatitis, and of course, COVID.

Throughout the years, many studies have confirmed the antiviral properties of this herb and the necessity for further investigation about the potential incorporation of cat’s claw as an antimicrobial agent in modern medicine.

Turmeric

The benefits of turmeric mainly stem from anti-inflammatory properties.

Despite the importance of this reaction in terms of protecting the body from foreign pathogens, several conditions can be so severe once inflammation gets out of control.

Fortunately, curcumin (the active ingredient in turmeric) is a potent anti-inflammatory compound that could have the same anti-inflammatory effects as certain drugs.

This makes turmeric the perfect candidate for preventing COVID and lowering its potential complications.

4. Meditation

Ever since ancient times, meditation has been linked to relieving anxiety.

In a classic 2014 meta-analysis, researchers found that mindfulness can lower the risk of numerous psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety, and chronic stress.

Lowering your stress levels is crucial to your immune system. Chronically elevated cortisol levels will negatively impact the ability of your immune system to fight off viruses.

Controlling the stress associated with this pandemic will also lower your risk of mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression.

5. Healthy sleep

Sleeping enough hours is essential to boost your immune system and lower your risk of COVID.

In fact, several studies found that poor sleep quality pre-disposes people to viral infections of the upper respiratory tract. Therefore, you need to make sure that you are sleeping 7–9 hours per night.

You should also focus on improving your sleep hygiene by removing any distractions from your bedroom and dimming the lights as much as possible.

Takeaway message

Following the tips we listed in this article may potentially help with reducing the risk of contracting COVID, as well as other severe illnesses.

We hope that this article managed to shed some light on the effective tips that could potentially lower your risk of COVID.