March 20, 2020

MYTH-BUSTING COVID-19

The GEM team has seen a lot of misinformation on what we can do to effectively protect ourselves from the COVID-19, AKA Coronavirus. 

We’ve combed the web and did the research to debunk the top 3 unfounded claims on immunity and prevention. 

MYTH: “If I wash my hands and sanitize my stuff, I’ll be fine.

FACT: Sanitizing is extremely important in the fight against any respiratory viruses, as is building your internal immune system.

While most recover from coronavirus quickly, it appears that those with weakened immune function are more at risk of severe effects. In addition to sanitizing, practice social distancing to avoid unintentional spread from unknowing carriers.

Consider diversifying your nutrient intake. Eating foods rich in disease-fighting antioxidants, like astaxanthin which has an antioxidant profile that is 6000x more powerful than vitamin C. 

astaxanthin - antioxidants

MYTH: “Vitamin C is the number 1 essential I need for immunity support.

FACT: “It’s true that vitamin C helps to prevent colds, but many believe we need to increase our intake to improve immunity function or get better once we’re sick. 

Megadosing vitamin C will not create immunity to respiratory illnesses. You need a lot more than that to support your immune system. In fact, most of us already get enough vitamin C in our daily diets. 

Consider essentials you may already be deficient in like vitamin D, an essential that isn’t easily found in foodstudies have shown this essential has a protective effect on the respiratory system and assists in supporting a healthy immune system. 

MYTH: “As long as I eat my fruits and vegetables my immune system will be strong

FACT: “Stress management is just as important as nutrition for immunity function. Stress limits the body’s ability to fight off infection and heal itself.

With anxiety levels at an all-time high, it’s important to reduce stress levels. Adaptogens like ashwagandha, work to prevent the overproduction of stress hormones that can accelerate the degenerative process in the body.

In addition to stress-relieving properties, ashwagandha studies have found that it can increase the activity of immune cells that fight infection and keep you healthy (1). 

Every bite of GEM includes 4mg of antioxidant-rich astaxanthin, 20.6mcg of vitamin D from mushrooms, and 130mg of ashwagandha.

Sources:

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19504465/

Image by Константин Беляев/Adobe Stock

This article is based on scientific research and/or other scientific articles and contains trusted sources.

Our goal at GEM is to give readers up-to-date and objective information on health-related topics. GEM content is written by experienced health and lifestyle contributors and articles undergo an extensive review process.

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