Basic Steps to Support Immunity in Today's Environment

Stay well hydrated. Pure water, ginger, and herbal tea are good. (How to Make Fresh Ginger Tea)
Alkalize. Consume daily 2 cups of vegetables for lunch and 2 for dinner, 2 to 3 servings of fruit, nuts and seeds, and use plenty of herbs and spices. (10 Tips for an Alkaline Diet)
Maintain a first-morning urine pH of 6.5 to 7.5. Test your pH using our Alkaline Diet Starter Kit.
Spend time outdoors in nature (in open spaces, at least 6 feet away from others).
Worry less. Meditate, rest, get enough sleep.
Follow the general CDC sanitary precautions and maintain social distancing.
Seek medical help if you get ill.

Alkaline for Life^® Immune-Support Nutrient Supplement Suggestions:

L-Ascorbate/Vitamin C. Begin by taking 3,000 to 5,000 mg of vitamin C spread throughout the day. Increase dose to bowel tolerance as necessary for optimum immune enhancement. Vitamin C is a highly documented and powerful natural anti-oxidant and anti-viral, especially powerful when it is taken in adequate amounts on a regular basis. At the Center for Better Bones and Alkaline for Life we use a professional grade, fully buffered, fully reduced L-ascorbate vitamin C powder, designed for therapeutic high-dose use (Alkalini-C). Each ½ teaspoon of Alkalini-C provides 1.5 grams of this high-quality, fully buffered, fully reduced L-ascorbate form of vitamin C. Alkalini-C is a premier anti-oxidant, a potent natural anti-viral, and a powerful alkalizing agent. Read our blogs on the benefits of vitamin C here.

Vitamin D. Ideally you want to take enough vitamin D to reach a 50 to 60 ng/mL blood level. Those not yet taking vitamin D might start with 4,000 IU a day for two weeks and then reduce to 2,000 IU per day. If you are testing your vitamin D level, adjust your dose accordingly to achieve a level of 50 to 60 ng/mL blood level of vitamin D. Generally, each 1,000 IU of additional vitamin D increases blood level vitamin D by 10 points (ng/mL). A simple blood spot test for vitamin D is available from Grassroots Health and a self-order blood test is available from Direct Labs. Vitamin D strengthens the immune system and thus helps the body fight viral infections. Numerous studies have documented that vitamin D reduces rates of respiratory infections.

Quercetin Flavonoid/Flavonol Combination (500 to 4,000 mg). At the Center for Better Bones and Alkaline for Life we use high-dose water-soluble quercetin dehydrate enhanced with pomegranate extract and OPC (1,000 to 4,000 mg/day). Quercetin is a powerful, broad-spectrum anti-viral and a potent anti-oxidant, which also inhibits release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and stabilizes mast cells. It works synergistically with L-ascorbate (vitamin C) to activate cells responsible for repair. A quercetin derivative is currently being tested in China for COVID-19.

Zinc and Selenium. Supplement daily with zinc (20 to 30 mg) and selenium (150 to 250 mcg). These can be found in a professional grade multivitamin or as single supplements. Both zinc and selenium are essential for optimum immune functioning and display important anti-viral activities.

Magnesium. Supplement with a total of at least 400 mg magnesium in alkalizing form (such as magnesium citrate, glycinate, ascorbate). Magnesium is an important mineral that participates in many immune responses. Also, abundant magnesium is essential for maintaining optimum pH balance (which itself helps protect cells from viral invasion). The intake of magnesium is suboptimal to deficient in the average diet. If magnesium gives you a loose stool, it is due to a cellular block to magnesium uptake. This can be corrected by taking 1 teaspoon of liquid choline citrate 2x per day with the magnesium. This liquid choline citrate will enhance magnesium uptake and help alkalize your chemistry. Watch Dr. Brown’s video about magnesium uptake problems here.

Multivitamin/mineral. Consider using daily a professional grade multivitamin/mineral high in B vitamins, bioavailable anti-oxidants, and other cofactors helpful for boosting immunity. Generally this should be at least a 2-servings-per-day product to deliver adequate doses of the nutrients.

These statements have not been reviewed by the FDA. Those with health concerns and/or taking pharmacological drug medications should consult with their health care provider on the appropriateness of nutrient supplements for their individual situation. Large doses of vitamin C have been questioned for those with diabetic ketoacidosis or glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PD) and perhaps in pregnancy/lactation, so discuss with your healthcare professional first. Some, but not all, authorities suggest high-dose vitamin C should not be used in people with hemochromatosis or active oxalate kidney stones.

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Selected Support Materials:

Alkaline for Life website

Vitamin C Questions: Answered, Helen Saul Case, March 27, 2018

Dr. Robert Cathcart 1980 lecture about treating 20,000 patients with high-dose vitamin C

Orthomolecular Medicine News Service Releases on Vitamin C for COVID-19.

Nutritional Treatment of Coronavirus, Andrew W. Saul, January 30, 2020

How to Protect Yourself from COVID-19, Mark Hyman, MD, 2020

Magnesium Uptake with Choline Citrate. Russell Jaffe, MD, PhD, CCN, Director, PERQUE, LLC