Health Optimization and Adaptogens – An Effective Strategy Against Pathogens

In general, I am astonished by how little attention is placed on the value and importance of good health in our society. In the face of the current pandemic, with underlying co-morbidities present in an estimated 60% of the population, increasing the risk of death from complications, there is an even greater urgency to educate our communities and urge our citizens to adopt the key components to optimal health. For example, there is now a clear association between diabetes and increased mortality and severity in COVID-19 pneumonia, and ocular symptoms of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2).[1] These and many other underlying conditions can be successfully managed by applying the fundamental building blocks to optimal health and wellness, which include nutrition, botanical medicine, lifestyle, and diet. The more robust our health at the molecular, cellular, and organ system levels, the better equipped we are to resist and recover from disease.

The vibrant colors we observe in plants serve a different role depending on the organism being considered.  For the plant itself, the pigments may aid in the absorption of light and photosynthesis, as well as contribute to metabolism and reproduction.  For birds and insects, the pigments provide a signal to the availability of food, such as nectar or pollen.  For humans, the pigments may provide a clue of the type of health benefits we are likely to incur upon ingestion.

“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art…. It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

During these unprecedented times, it’s important for all of us to focus on positive steps that we can take to stay healthy, not only physically, but also emotionally and spiritually. As difficult as things may appear to be, remember that within every crisis lie opportunities for growth and change.

One of the primary hopes that the conventional medical paradigm holds out for overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic is the development of a vaccine. But the reality is that we will never be able to prevent viral infections, because as quickly as vaccines are developed, viruses mutate, and new strains arise.

I’ve always been a proponent of bolstering our innate immune function instead of relying on vaccines. And in my research and clinical practice, I’ve come to believe that zinc is the most important nutrient for enhancing immunity.

False information can spread like wildfire, particularly during times of fear and uncertainty. Right now, there is misinformation circulating about elderberry (Sambucus nigra) and COVID-19.

Elderberry extract is being falsely accused of triggering a cytokine storm or cytokine release syndrome (CRS), an intense inflammatory response that can be deadly. During the SARS epidemic, CRS caused severe lung damage and was a driving factor in many fatalities.

A fever can actually benefit a sick person, and both traditional healthcare practitioners and now even modern researchers have attributed tendencies to over-treat to “fever phobia”–a fear that fever is harmful, which likely originated after the introduction of anti-fever drugs like Tylenol.

Fever is a protective adaptive response that should be allowed to run its course under most circumstances. This approach has been supported by several recent randomized controlled trials.¹