10 Things to Eat Right Now to Fight Back Against Covid

NOTE: William W. Li, MD, is an internationally renowned physician, scientist and author of the New York Times bestseller, “Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself.” His groundbreaking work has led to the development of more than 30 new medical treatments and impacts care for more than 70 diseases including cancer, diabetes, blindness, heart disease and obesity. His TED Talk, “Can We Eat to Starve Cancer?” has garnered more than 11 million views. He is president and medical director of the Angiogenesis Foundation and is leading research into COVID-19. This is a guest post by Dr. Li. You can learn more about his work here. Nutrition plays a critical role in helping to fight disease and activate our body’s defenses at every stage in our lives. I’ve been busy researching COVID-19 to understand how the virus affects our health defenses. By now, most of us are familiar with the most dominant characteristics of the coronavirus. It’s much more contagious than the common flu virus, symptoms may vary from severe difficulty breathing, blood clots, and gastrointestinal distress to temporary loss of smell or no clinical symptoms at all. One thing discovered is that it attacks our blood vessels, which is why blood clots form. So, we need to protect our circulation.  Of course, you should continue to follow guidelines on wearing a mask, social distancing, and washing your hands. The Centers For Disease Control (CDC) says that COVID-19 vaccines are effective at protecting people from COVID-19 and help keep adults and children from getting seriously sick. The CDC also advises that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the known and potential risks, which are rare, and that the vaccines can reduce the risk of people spreading the virus. But what else can you be doing to protect your body against the virus? We’re in this for the long haul, so supporting your body’s own defense system is important—now and going forward.  RELATED: 5 Expert Tips to Manage Uncertainty During a Seriously Difficult Time As we continue to navigate the pandemic, it’s extremely important to place a focus on what we’re eating in order to do what we can to fight back against COVID-19. As I describe in my book, “Eat To Beat Disease,” it’s also important to point out that it’s not just about the food that you’re eating, but also about how your body responds to what you put in it. Focusing on boosting your immune system through food is one of the most powerful things that you can do.  10 Foods and Drinks to Fight Back Against COVID In order to make it easy for you, I put together a list of 10 things that you can eat and drink that will help your immunity and strengthen your body’s defenses during COVID-19. Blackberries: These berries are a great source of vitamin C and dietary fiber. They’re great for your gut bacteria, which means they’re great for immunity. Blueberries: Research has shown that blueberries increase certain types of immune cells in healthy people. Broccoli Sprouts: Sprouts are baby broccoli plants that are great for salads and smoothies. Research shows that eating these actually “pumps up” your immune system against viruses. Extra Virgin Olive Oil: EVOO ramps up your number of immune cells and activates them. Green Tea: A natural substance in green tea, called EGCG, calms inflammation and helps to reset immune systems to healthy levels. Mushrooms: Mushrooms increase protective antibodies from your saliva and ward off infection. The good stuff is in the stems as well as the caps so make sure you enjoy both. Oyster Sauce: It’s used for sauces in Chinese food and actually made from oysters. Scientists have shown that extracts made from oysters can boost a healthy immune response and calm inflammation at the same time. Pecans: Pecans are packed with fiber and omega-3s that support immunity. Pomegranate Juice: Increases a healthy bacteria in the gut called Akkermansia. Higher levels of this bacteria is associated with an improved immune response. Tomatoes: Tomatoes are a great source of vitamin C. You can eat the tomatoes whole, cook them, or enjoy them as a sauce. Just eat them! For more on how to boost your immunity with this top 10 list, watch Dr. Li here.

Should You Be Drinking Alkaline Water?

Q: I’ve heard more alkaline water is better for my health. Should I spend the extra money to buy bottled water with higher alkalinity? A:  “Alkaline water” is now everywhere. Many companies print the pH level on the bottle and then claim that their water—and theirs alone—will change your life (at a price premium). My overall advice is this: Drink water. Any water. Water water water. All day, every day. For energy, great skin, weight loss, and more. Whether or not that water is alkaline is sort of besides the point. RELATED: Should You Drink Water During Meals? There is very limited evidence that more alkaline water may have some small benefits, which I’ll explain below, but the research is inconclusive. There’s also no evidence that drinking alkaline water will hurt you, so if you’re intrigued, I won’t stop you, as long as you’re getting in those 64 ounces. Here’s what you need to know. Alkalinity, Explained PH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline something is, on a scale of 0 to 14. 0 is the most acidic, 7 is neutral, and 14 is the most alkaline. Foods can be acidic or alkaline; water is usually around neutral but can lean more acidic. Alkaline water has a pH above 7. Proponents of alkaline diets believe a diet high in acid-producing foods makes your body acidic, which leads to illness and weight gain. The science, however, generally shows their reasoning is bogus. First of all, the body is really good at regulating pH on its own—in fact, it has to keep you alive. Your lungs and kidneys are working on the task around the clock. In addition, many acid-forming foods—like meat, oats, and some nuts—are healthy.  (FYI the alkaline diet is mostly really healthy by default, since alkaline foods include green veggies, most fruits, beans, spices, and seeds. In other words, if you’re eating a healthy, plant-forward, whole foods diet, it will naturally include primarily alkaline foods.) RELATED: What You Need to Know to Be a Healthy Vegan What About Alkaline Water? So where does water fit in? There are claims that drinking it increases overall body alkalinity, which may be true, but “body alkalinity” is not linked to better health outcomes overall (and remember the earlier point about the body’s internal regulation system that’s already always cranking). There is some evidence that alkaline water banishes AGEs (compounds linked to inflammation) in rats and that it may protect from pathogens by influencing bacteria in the gut—but all of the research claims are incredibly weak and speculative. The most solid research out there doesn’t show big, exciting benefits. It shows small benefits for specific people: for example, drinking alkaline water may help patients with reflux disease. Of course, the science so far also shows there’s no reason not to drink it. So if you want to shell out the extra cash to see if it helps improve a health issue you’re experiencing, go for it. Just do so while empowered with your new knowledge of the pH scale.