May Newsletter
Here we are in May and our country is still in the thick of the Coronavirus pandemic but we are starting to see some opening of society. I for one feel this quarantine and the pandemic have taken a toll on my health. The changes to my stress, diet, activity level and predictability of my schedule have at times been for the better more often have been for the worse. It has become clear to me that this is a marathon and not a sprint. Like a marathon, we want to condition our immune system to afford us protection when confronted with a viral pathogen. To that point, taking this time as an opportunity to give our body what it needs for self-care such as sleep, nutrition, movement and stress management is critical.
Obesity and COVID-19
The baseline health of the “host” is associated with the clinical outcome of COVID-19 infection. There is preliminary data to suggest that obesity is a risk factor for ICU admission and mechanical ventilation for COVID-19 hospitalized patients. Obesity tends to be an inflammatory biological state and often there are co-morbidities that impact the effect of the virus on the body. In addition, metabolic, cardiovascular and respiratory dysfunctions are often associated with obesity and felt to be related to a more severe course of COVID-19.
I would like to stress it is not too late to make changes that can improve your health status if coronavirus comes your way. I think this health crisis will be with us for some time and although these issues do not resolve overnight but you can make significant impact metabolically over the course of even a few weeks.
Vitamin D and COVID-19
It is known to us in functional medicine world that vitamin D supplementation is a basic and one of the core supplements that I feel is a universal need for our area of the world. It has been estimated that vitamin D deficiency is extremely common especially the further away you live from the equator.
I certainly have seen this in practice living here in the Northeast. There is an interesting article that uses fatality rates (number of COVID deaths / the number of confirmed COVID cases) and notes mortality from the virus increased with latitude. There are outliers of course but for the most part researchers at John Hopkins estimated fatality rate 6 % in the northern states compared to 3 % in the southern states! Vitamin D production is stimulated by sun exposure to our skin and hard to get from food alone. We know that vitamin D is an important modulator of the immune system. Outbreaks for viral infections peak in winter months when our sun exposure and thus our vitamin D levels are at their lowest. In addition, vitamin D deficiency promotes a more inflammatory state and in the case of COVID-19, we know that the inflammatory cytokine storm is a hallmark in people with more severe manifestations.
I feel it is of course best to obtain vitamin D levels periodically to know if we are getting the right amount. It is usually a safe bet to take 2000 – 5000 IU daily and I have included it in my anti-viral maintenance regimen. Because it is the kind of vitamin that will build up in your system, checking levels are important but it is very rare that I see a level that exceeds the safe range in blood. I tend to just reduce dosing in the summer but this year, I am feeling more inclined to test to make sure we are keeping those levels optimized.
Who is Up For a 28 Day Re-boot?
Toxins stress our immune system. I love a good cleanse to support the immune system by reducing the toxic burden it deals with daily. For me personally, I feel the need to detox this year more than ever. Intuitively a spring cleaning of my mind body and spirit just feels right given the events of the past few months. I am offering a 28 Day Metabolic Detoxification for the month of June for the first time virtually. We will be utilizing Metagenic’s Clear Change Protocol and supplements for this detox. We will be meeting via zoom and will arrange for supplement pick up or direct shipping of the program supplements. The details and sign up can be found here. If you have questions on if this is appropriate for you personally, please contact me on the portal.
I often use a Metabolic Detox to kick off weight loss when there has been a plateau. Inflammation and toxins in the fat tissue affect our ability to lose weight. Sometimes addressing this can jump start a weight loss plan. Weight loss is never the primary goal of a detoxification protocol but it is often a welcomed effect in some people.
Obesity and impaired metabolic health in patients with COVID-19.
Stefan N, Birkenfeld AL, Schulze MB, Ludwig DS.
Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2020 Apr 23.
Does vitamin D status impact mortality from SARS-CoV-2 infection?
Marik PE, Kory P, Varon J.
Med Drug Discov. 2020 Apr 29:100041.
