There are too many viruses and “variants” lurking in the world for us to focus on just one.
After all, the results of one study suggested that at least 320,000 different viruses infect mammals.
It’s smarter to prepare our bodies to withstand the assault. Antoine Bechamp, whom nobody knows because Pasteur’s “germ theory” gained prominence, taught correctly that the internal environment surrounding the cells governs life and health and sickness and death. Simply, if we are healthy inside we are healthy outside. Strengthening our immune system for optimal function is therefore prudent and essential.
Zinc is probably the most important mineral for keeping the immune system strong.
Too little zinc can lead to a drop in infection-fighting white blood cells, which can increase your risk of getting sick.
Zinc deficiency in the U.S. is common since soils are progressively more depleted; plus, it is removed from processed foods. Zinc deficiency causes the overuse of salt and loss of sense of taste.
That means if you eat a low protein or vegetable-based diet, you are more likely to have lower than ideal zinc levels and you should supplement.
People with zinc deficiency are at increased risk of getting esophageal and oral cancers. At the same time, extra zinc above the “daily intake” level can stop the growth of cancer cells altogether. Also, those who have lung cancer usually have low levels of zinc in their bodies as well.
Researchers at the National Eye Institute tested whether taking nutritional supplements could protect against AMD in the Age-Related Eye Disease Studies (AREDS and AREDS2).
Supplements can protect you… as long as you include one of the must-have minerals that worked: zinc.
Zinc supports a healthy metabolism. Zinc helps tissues grow and repair themselves, and helps heal wounds faster.
In case you are interested in a little bit of science, you should know that coronaviruses activate NF-kappa-B which is the key signaling molecule that provokes the inflammation in the lungs that makes it difficult for acute sufferers from COVID-19 to breathe.
Anything therefore that targets and inhibits NF-kappa-B is a candidate for suppressing coronaviruses and their effects. While there are no proven cures for coronaviruses, there do exist 785 natural NF-kappa-B inhibitors we already know about. These include, as you probably guessed by now, zinc.
Wisdom, warning and what to look for
Now, here’s a bit of health wisdom that those who blindly promote supplements often never mention… it is not well known but important, and that is zinc can interfere with the absorption of other minerals. That’s why you want to take zinc separately, preferably before you go to bed so that you have a whole night of sleep to absorb it, and before taking any other supplements during the day.
Zinc blocks the absorption and enhances the excretion of copper when taken over time. So when zinc is recommended long-term (over many months) for any condition from arthritis to prostate problems or even Alzheimer’s, it’s important to get some copper as well. As a rule of thumb, every 30 mg of zinc needs to be balanced by 2 mg of copper. High-quality zinc products will provide the extra copper you need.
Further, nickel poisons enzymes that rely on zinc. So for optimal immunity, you want to chelate the metals out of your body for proper immune response.
For years, I have kept a Ziploc bag of pumpkin seed (high in zinc) with me to eat daily. I eat at least two tablespoons a day. They are available at any local grocery store. In the South, they are often called by the Spanish name “pepitas.” If you can’t get them, then the zinc in cashews is almost as good, so when it’s time for a snack, reach for a handful of those.
Sea salt is only 84 percent sodium chloride, and the other 16 percent is mineral content: as many as 80 minerals (depending on the brand), including a lot of zinc.
Lentils and black-eyed peas are rich in folate and zinc. Stevia is high in chromium (which helps to stabilize blood sugar), but also zinc.
Bob Livingston
