» Articles » PMID: 33041708

The Functional Medicine Approach to COVID-19: Nutrition and Lifestyle Practices for Strengthening Host Defense

Overview
Date 2020 Oct 12
PMID 33041708
Citations 2
Authors
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

The developing symptoms of COVID-19, as well as the progression of illness and fatality, are a clearly a function of the overall health status of the individual. Complex, chronic diseases such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes are directly correlated with risk of disease severity and mortality. We explore lifestyle interventions that have specifically been demonstrated to strengthen host defense, reduce the probability and mitigate the severity of viral infection. Lifestyle interventions, from a Functional Medicine perspective, include nutrition, sleep, exercise, stress reduction, and connection. These factors, when in balance, provide a foundation for optimal health and immune function.

Citing Articles

Medical nutritional therapy for renal transplantation in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Akbulut G, Gencer-Bingol F World J Transplant. 2021; 11(6):212-219.

PMID: 34164296 PMC: 8218345. DOI: 10.5500/wjt.v11.i6.212.


Integrative Oncology Consultations Delivered via Telehealth in 2020 and In-Person in 2019: Paradigm Shift During the COVID-19 World Pandemic.

Narayanan S, Lopez G, Powers-James C, Fellman B, Chunduru A, Li Y Integr Cancer Ther. 2021; 20:1534735421999101.

PMID: 33655797 PMC: 7934055. DOI: 10.1177/1534735421999101.

References
1.
Simpson R, Campbell J, Gleeson M, Kruger K, Nieman D, Pyne D . Can exercise affect immune function to increase susceptibility to infection?. Exerc Immunol Rev. 2020; 26:8-22. View

2.
Cotillard A, Kennedy S, Kong L, Prifti E, Pons N, Le Chatelier E . Dietary intervention impact on gut microbial gene richness. Nature. 2013; 500(7464):585-8. DOI: 10.1038/nature12480. View

3.
Marshall Jr G . The adverse effects of psychological stress on immunoregulatory balance: applications to human inflammatory diseases. Immunol Allergy Clin North Am. 2010; 31(1):133-40. PMC: 2991159. DOI: 10.1016/j.iac.2010.09.013. View

4.
Venter C, Eyerich S, Sarin T, Klatt K . Nutrition and the Immune System: A Complicated Tango. Nutrients. 2020; 12(3). PMC: 7146186. DOI: 10.3390/nu12030818. View

5.
Agarwal S, Marshall Jr G . Stress effects on immunity and its application to clinical immunology. Clin Exp Allergy. 2001; 31(1):25-31. View