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Originally Posted by Darield
I hope by using the term “Lessen” in my title, I wasn’t implying that I was saying we could avoid getting the virus. I agree that we should continue social distancing and hand washing. I did want to make the point that I see very little written about the importance of good nutrition and exercise. It will be a long time before we know why so many have very few if any symptoms but there is a lot of research concerning the importance of increasing our immune systems through diet and exercise. I thought these articles were interesting.
COVID-19: The immune system can fight back -- ScienceDaily
"We showed that even though COVID-19 is caused by a new virus, in an otherwise healthy person, a robust immune response across different cell types was associated with clinical recovery, similar to what we see in influenza," Professor Kedzierska said.
How to boost your immune system - Harvard Health
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Nothing in these two links says that eating better will help you. I am a believer in fruits and veggies and exercise. But belief is not science, even when what we believe makes so much sense to us. It makes sense because we believe it, circular.
From the Harvard link you provided:
For now, there are no scientifically proven direct links between lifestyle and enhanced immune function...
Scientists have long recognized that people who live in poverty and are malnourished are more vulnerable to infectious diseases. Whether the increased rate of disease is caused by malnutrition's effect on the immune system, however, is not certain. There are still relatively few studies of the effects of nutrition on the immune system of humans.
There is some evidence that various micronutrient deficiencies — for example, deficiencies of zinc, selenium, iron, copper, folic acid, and vitamins A, B6, C, and E — alter immune responses in animals, as measured in the test tube. However, the impact of these immune system changes on the health of animals is less clear, and the effect of similar deficiencies on the human immune response has yet to be assessed.
The sciencedaily article is a report of measurement of immune functions in a patient with active COVID. It says absolutely nothing about diet or nutrition. It does say that a working immune system helps overcome COVID.
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The point is we are just trying to flatten the curve with masks and social distancing. No one is talking about how we can increase our immune systems and focus on our health. Are we so busy judging everyone else for their behavior that we barely have time to focus on how we can help ourselves? Did you eat 5 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables and get a half hour of exercise yesterday? Everyday? There are many supplements that have been studied for a long time concerning helping us to raise our immune systems. Are you taking any of these supplements or are you researching how you can be healthier?
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The point is that there is no evidence that 5 servings a day and 1/2 hr of exercise does anything to "increase our immune systems" And certainly no evidence that taking supplements helps avoid COVID either.