This is the question on everyone’s mind as we face a worldwide crisis. We don’t yet know how to fully prevent or manage the damage caused by COVID-19, the disease caused by a coronavirus that is new to us all.
The basics
These are things that you can do today that don’t cost anything. We recommend you prioritize these basic steps for protecting and improving your health — and potentially your immune system.
While these actions are always important aspects of maintaining good health, they may be crucial during times of increased risk, like now.
Experts consistently agree that the best way to prevent the spread of the coronavirus is to wash your hands, with soap and warm water, consistently and thoroughly.
Best practices include washing your hands for at least 20 seconds, and drying them thoroughly.
Black Seed - A Natural Immune System Booster
Black Seed, what is it?
Nigella sativa or Black Seed herb is a flowering herb native to the Middle East and southwest Asia. The seeds of the fruit are used as a spice, in confectionery, in food, and in liquors. Also known as Black Cumin, Kalonji, Habbat Al-Barakah or Seed of Blessing, in the traditional healing systems of the region, Black Seed is used as a natural digestive aid.
Why does it help boost your immune system?
The immune system boosting properties of Black Seed was noted in (Ibn Sina) Avicenna’s 1025 A.D. Canon of Medicine, who used the seed for stimulating the body's energy and speed recovery from fatigue.
Black Seed contains over 100 valuable components and is a significant source of fatty acids, proteins, carbohydrates and other vitamins and minerals. Today it is used as a good source of energy, to detoxify and rejuvenate the body, aid in digestion, boost the body’s natural immune system and ease cough and colds, to name just a few.
Black Seeds anti-inflammatory properties for conditions such as rheumatism and inflammatory disease were studied in 1960 by a group of scientists from the Department of Pharmacy at Kings College in London. They tested black seed oil and its derivative thyomoquinone as an anti-inflammatory agent. What they discovered was that the Black Seed oil possessed antioxidant activity and it inhibited certain types of short lived local tissue hormone responsible for inflammation.
With all the benefits of Black Seed, incorporating it into your daily routine is easy. To make a warm healthy tea mix black seed (crushed) and pure honey with warm water. This tea can also help when you have a cough and cold and to help ease intestinal gas.
While there is still more to be studied on the benefits of black seed, it seems as though it can be helpful for a wide variety of ailments. More importantly though, as with most nutritional and healthy substances it should be incorporated into an overall holistic approach to one’s everyday health so that its healing properties can help build the body's immune system over time, supplying it with the optimum resources it needs to help prevent and fight illness.
Turmeric
Turmeric is a spice commonly used in Indian and Asian cuisine, including curries. It contains a bright-yellow compound known as curcumin, which emerging research suggests might enhance immune function.
Garlic, a popular and pungent herb with a characteristic aroma, is widely believed to have antibacterial and antiviral effects, including helping to fight the common cold.
A 2014 randomized controlled trial did find that people who took a garlic supplement had fewer colds and recovered more quickly from colds than people who didn’t take garlic.
Although this is encouraging, this is just one study. Other high-quality trials are needed to confirm whether garlic is truly beneficial for the common cold or other upper-respiratory infections. For now, enjoy garlic for its zesty flavor and unmistakable aroma rather than counting on it to boost your immunity during the coronavirus pandemic.
Echinacea
Echinacea is an herb that can reportedly help prevent the common cold. But is this reputation well-deserved? A recent systematic review of randomized trials found that echinacea may possibly have a mild protective effect against upper-respiratory infections but doesn’t appear to reduce the length or severity of illness.
Echinacea is a very popular herb, and people commonly take it to help combat flu and colds. It is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants in the daisy family – Asteraceae. It is also known as the American coneflower.
Echinacea is available over the counter (OTC) at pharmacies, health shops, and online as teas, liquid extracts, a dried herb, and as capsules or pills.
Promoters of echinacea say that the herb encourages the immune system and reduces many of the symptoms of colds, flu and some other illnesses, infections, and conditions.
Echinacea is an herbal supplements which can be usedas treatment for the common cold, herpes simplex infection (topical), immunostimulant, psoriasis (topical), upper respiratory tract infections (viral).
Fruits, veggies and seeds
Getting plenty of fruits, vegetables, and seeds is a common recommendation seen on many sites, but the evidence is inconclusive if it truly helps. In one often-quoted study, elderly volunteers were randomized to less than two or greater than five daily servings of fruits and vegetables.
They found the group with the higher fruit consumption had a better immune response to the pneumonia vaccine but not to the tetanus vaccine.
Another claim is that “eating the rainbow” and getting “adequate phytonutrients” improves immune function and reduces infection risk. Unfortunately, “eating the rainbow” and getting “adequate phytonutrients” are poorly defined terms, and such messages are usually compromised by being based on nutritional epidemiology studies heavily impacted by the underlying diet (i.e mostly in high-carb diets) and healthy-user bias.
It is true that malnutrition can impair your ability to fight off illness and infection,but if you eat an otherwise balanced diet, loading up on specific "super" foods like kale, berries, or anything else won't provide any additional benefits.
So, if you're not in the habit of eating a variety of fruits, veggies, and lean sources of protein, now is a good time to start. Following common-sense dietary advice is enough to keep your immune system in good shape, no superfoods required.
Vitamin-D:
It's also a common cause of nutrient deficiency. You can get vitamin D naturally through sunlight,
Yes, this means managing fears about the coronavirus itself — good strategies include taking breaks from social media and relying on trust media sources for information, both of which can help you avoid panic and misinformation.
How you choose to relax will vary from person to person, whether that's taking a walk outside, curling up with a favorite book, or taking time to meditate.
Best practices include washing your hands for at least 20 seconds, and drying them thoroughly.
Black Seed - A Natural Immune System Booster
Black Seed, what is it?
Nigella sativa or Black Seed herb is a flowering herb native to the Middle East and southwest Asia. The seeds of the fruit are used as a spice, in confectionery, in food, and in liquors. Also known as Black Cumin, Kalonji, Habbat Al-Barakah or Seed of Blessing, in the traditional healing systems of the region, Black Seed is used as a natural digestive aid.
Why does it help boost your immune system?
The immune system boosting properties of Black Seed was noted in (Ibn Sina) Avicenna’s 1025 A.D. Canon of Medicine, who used the seed for stimulating the body's energy and speed recovery from fatigue.
Black Seed contains over 100 valuable components and is a significant source of fatty acids, proteins, carbohydrates and other vitamins and minerals. Today it is used as a good source of energy, to detoxify and rejuvenate the body, aid in digestion, boost the body’s natural immune system and ease cough and colds, to name just a few.
Black Seeds anti-inflammatory properties for conditions such as rheumatism and inflammatory disease were studied in 1960 by a group of scientists from the Department of Pharmacy at Kings College in London. They tested black seed oil and its derivative thyomoquinone as an anti-inflammatory agent. What they discovered was that the Black Seed oil possessed antioxidant activity and it inhibited certain types of short lived local tissue hormone responsible for inflammation.
With all the benefits of Black Seed, incorporating it into your daily routine is easy. To make a warm healthy tea mix black seed (crushed) and pure honey with warm water. This tea can also help when you have a cough and cold and to help ease intestinal gas.
While there is still more to be studied on the benefits of black seed, it seems as though it can be helpful for a wide variety of ailments. More importantly though, as with most nutritional and healthy substances it should be incorporated into an overall holistic approach to one’s everyday health so that its healing properties can help build the body's immune system over time, supplying it with the optimum resources it needs to help prevent and fight illness.
Turmeric
Turmeric is a spice commonly used in Indian and Asian cuisine, including curries. It contains a bright-yellow compound known as curcumin, which emerging research suggests might enhance immune function.
Garlic, a popular and pungent herb with a characteristic aroma, is widely believed to have antibacterial and antiviral effects, including helping to fight the common cold.
A 2014 randomized controlled trial did find that people who took a garlic supplement had fewer colds and recovered more quickly from colds than people who didn’t take garlic.
Although this is encouraging, this is just one study. Other high-quality trials are needed to confirm whether garlic is truly beneficial for the common cold or other upper-respiratory infections. For now, enjoy garlic for its zesty flavor and unmistakable aroma rather than counting on it to boost your immunity during the coronavirus pandemic.
Echinacea
Echinacea is an herb that can reportedly help prevent the common cold. But is this reputation well-deserved? A recent systematic review of randomized trials found that echinacea may possibly have a mild protective effect against upper-respiratory infections but doesn’t appear to reduce the length or severity of illness.
Echinacea is a very popular herb, and people commonly take it to help combat flu and colds. It is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants in the daisy family – Asteraceae. It is also known as the American coneflower.
Echinacea is available over the counter (OTC) at pharmacies, health shops, and online as teas, liquid extracts, a dried herb, and as capsules or pills.
Promoters of echinacea say that the herb encourages the immune system and reduces many of the symptoms of colds, flu and some other illnesses, infections, and conditions.
Echinacea is an herbal supplements which can be usedas treatment for the common cold, herpes simplex infection (topical), immunostimulant, psoriasis (topical), upper respiratory tract infections (viral).
Fruits, veggies and seeds
Getting plenty of fruits, vegetables, and seeds is a common recommendation seen on many sites, but the evidence is inconclusive if it truly helps. In one often-quoted study, elderly volunteers were randomized to less than two or greater than five daily servings of fruits and vegetables.
They found the group with the higher fruit consumption had a better immune response to the pneumonia vaccine but not to the tetanus vaccine.
Another claim is that “eating the rainbow” and getting “adequate phytonutrients” improves immune function and reduces infection risk. Unfortunately, “eating the rainbow” and getting “adequate phytonutrients” are poorly defined terms, and such messages are usually compromised by being based on nutritional epidemiology studies heavily impacted by the underlying diet (i.e mostly in high-carb diets) and healthy-user bias.
It is true that malnutrition can impair your ability to fight off illness and infection,but if you eat an otherwise balanced diet, loading up on specific "super" foods like kale, berries, or anything else won't provide any additional benefits.
So, if you're not in the habit of eating a variety of fruits, veggies, and lean sources of protein, now is a good time to start. Following common-sense dietary advice is enough to keep your immune system in good shape, no superfoods required.
Vitamin-D:
It's also a common cause of nutrient deficiency. You can get vitamin D naturally through sunlight,
Yes, this means managing fears about the coronavirus itself — good strategies include taking breaks from social media and relying on trust media sources for information, both of which can help you avoid panic and misinformation.
How you choose to relax will vary from person to person, whether that's taking a walk outside, curling up with a favorite book, or taking time to meditate.
-Being Mu'min
