The following is an excerpt from an original study, Integrative considerations during the COVID-19 pandemic, from Lise Alchuler, ND and Andrew Weil, MD and other experts in integrative medicine, published in the medical journal Explore.
“There is a high level of interest in integrative strategies to augment public health measures to prevent COVID-19 infection and associated pneumonia. Unfortunately, no integrative measures have been validated in human trials as effective specifically for COVID-19. Notwithstanding, this is an opportune time to be proactive. Using available in-vitro evidence, an understanding of the virulence of COVID-19, as well as data from similar, but different, viruses, we offer the following strategies to consider. Again, we stress that these are supplemental considerations to the current recommendations that emphasize regular hand washing, physical distancing, stopping non-essential travel, and obtaining testing in the presence of symptoms.”
“While the pathogenicity of COVID-19 is complex, it is important to understand the role of inflammation in this disease. The virulence and pathogenicity (including acute respiratory distress syndrome) associated with SARS corona viruses develops as the result of viral activation of cytoplasmic NLRP3 inflammasome. This inflammasome within activated (upregulated NFkB) macrophages and Th1 immune cells releases proinflammatory cytokines, namely IL-1B and IL-18, which dictate the pathogenic inflammation responsible for the virulence and symptoms of COVID-19.1 Understanding this component of COVID-19 infection provides a mechanistic underpinning to several of the following.”
Integrative Strategies During the COVID-19 Pandemic
In this study, you will learn:
- Risk Reduction, such as sleep, stress management, healthy foods, dietary supplements.
- Actions, during symptoms of infection or with a positive test, such as avoiding immunostimulatory agents which may increase the inducement of a cytokine storm.
- Safe natural immunostimulatory and antiviral agents.
Conclusion/ The information and understanding of COVID-19 continues to change rapidly. We encourage you to make integrative recommendations carefully and with consideration of the underlying mechanisms of both the COVID-19 infection and the intended intervention. It is also important to reiterate that to date there are no clinically evidence-based integrative prevention or treatment strategies for COVID-19 infection.
