cheung says another tcm remedy, astragalus, can also boost immunity. used for centuries by chinese practitioners, its active compounds may help strengthen the immune system and reduce inflammation.
but as tcm is customized to the patient, there is no magic bullet that can stave off coronavirus, cautions dr. cheung.
naturopathic doctors are also fielding questions from worried patients. while none of their recommendations are specific to covid-19, they advise that patients boost their immunity.
“vitamin c may support certain aspects of the immune system and some data indicates that it may reduce the severity and duration of an upper respiratory infection,” says jill kerr, a naturopathic doctor with toronto-based insight naturopathic clinic.
she says if you have low vitamin d, which helps support the immune system, you might be at increased risk of an upper respiratory infection. a deficiency can easily be checked with a blood test.
zinc supplementation also appears to help reduce the incidence of upper respiratory infections. the best immune-boosting dose is 15mg-25 mg per day, according to
harvard medical school researchers
.