At the end of March as the pandemic began to take hold, we blogged about what immune system experts were recommending and using to protect themselves and their families. You can review that article here: Immune System Experts.

There were several suggestions including Vitamin C, Vitamin D, quercetin, and zinc. We are pleased to announce a new product from Designs for Health – BioFizz Immune – that contains all those nutrients in one great tasting powder. This is great for kids as they head back to school and for the whole family. Our initial supply is on its way! Let us know if you would like some!

Here’s some more information courtesy of Designs for Health:

BioFizz Immune – A great tasting prophylactic and symptom reducing product especially for this current pandemic (formulated with that in mind):

A review of what Vitamin C does for immunity:

  • Maintains structural and functional integrity of mucosal cells in innate barriers such as the skin and respiratory tract.
    • Promotes differentiation, proliferation, functioning, and movement of neutrophils, monocytes, and phagocytes (innate immune cells).
    • Maintains intracellular redox homeostasis, modulating cytokine production, and regenerating other critical antioxidants.
    • Supports differentiation, proliferation, and normal functioning of cytotoxic T cells.
    • Promotes antibody production by promoting lymphocyte proliferation.

Along with its ability to attenuate oxidative damage, quercetin possesses various antiviral properties and may be a promising prophylaxis for infections, such as the common cold and other respiratory viruses. Quercetin has been shown in research to inhibit infectivity and replication of viruses and reduce resistance to antiviral medications. Moreover, it reduces virus-related hyper-responsive/inflammation (aka “cytokine storm”) of the immune system.

Evidence suggests dietary and supplemental tocotrienols may be helpful in mitigating COVID-19-related pathologies and comorbidities, such as the increased thrombosis phenomena observed in the novel coronavirus.

A science report found that vitamin D levels were significantly lower in patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 compared with those who tested negative.

One of its metabolites, geranylgeranylacetone (GGA), demonstrated the ability to inhibit influenza virus in animal models as it is a potent inducer of heat shock proteins which enhance antiviral factors.

Supplementing with zinc has been shown to stimulate the production of white blood cells, as well as support the actions of neutrophils, T-lymphocytes, and natural killer cells. Zinc helps to increase the number of T cells, especially in the elderly, as this population is often deficient in this mineral.