THE COMPLETE

IMMUNE SUPPORT
GUIDE

© 2020, Poliquin™ Group 1

Poliquin™ Group

Copyright © 2020, Poliquin Performance Center 2, LLC. All rights reserved.

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Written by Laanna Carrasco, MS, Poliquin™ Group Editorial Staff

2 © 2020, Poliquin™ Group

 The Complete Immune Support Guide

Written by:
Laanna Carrasco, MS, Poliquin™ Group Editorial Staff

© 2020, Poliquin™ Group 3

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 5

PART I: SCIENCE OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

Chapter 1: Innate vs. Adaptive Immunity ................................................. 7

Chapter 2: How The Response Works ...................................................... 8

Chapter 3: Bacteria, Viruses & Parasites ................................................. 10

Chapter 4: The Neuroendocrine-Immune Connection ........................ 11

PART II: HOW TO KEEP YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM HEALTHY

Chapter 5: Lifestyle Actions to Support Immunity ............................... 13

Chapter 6: Nutrition For A Healthy Immune System ........................... 15

Chapter 7: Immune Support Supplements ............................................. 18

Chapter 8: Physical Activity For A Healthy Immune System ............ 21

AFTERWORD 23

BIBLIOGRAPHY 24

ABOUT POLIQUIN™ GROUP 27

4 © 2020, Poliquin™ Group

INTRODUCTION

Think of your immune system as your own private guardian of your galaxy. It protects you from invading
pathogens, heals injuries, and helps prevent the growth of cancer tumors.

Of all the physiological systems in the human body, the immune system may be the most fascinating, em-
ploying an amazing web of interconnected components and organs that work together to keep you safe. This
deeply complex system is impacted by many factors, including age, nutrition, physical activity, and stress.
Fortunately, there are actions you can take to improve immunity so that your body is better able to fight off
illness.

The threat of the coronavirus and the COVID-19 illness it causes is challenging many aspects of our daily
realities. One of the scariest things about this pandemic is feeling like you have no control. If you do catch
COVID-19, your immune system will be responsible for fighting it. At no time in our generation has it been
more important to understand the immune system and have a concrete action plan for supporting it.

That’s where this book comes in.

In the following chapters, we tell you everything you need to know about how the immune system works and
give you practical actions you can take today to fortify your immune system.

This is a good time to be vigilant about self-care. By keeping yourself healthy, you will be better able to sup-
port your family and friends while reducing your need to engage with the health care system.

In Part 1, we cover the science of immunity, focusing on the different components of your immune response
and how the body fights off an illness.

In Part II, we give you action-based tools you can use to bolster your immune system and protect your health.
Not only will you know what to eat, but we give you a plan for incorporating physical activity into your day.
You’ll understand the importance of managing stress and getting adequate rest. And you’ll know which im-
mune support supplements are proven with research to back up their use.

While this book can’t keep you from contracting an illness, it can give you the tools to strengthen your im-
mune system and give your body the best chance against disease. By the time you finish this text, you should
have a proactive plan for fortifying your immunity and protecting your family from whatever ailments arise in
the future.

© 2020, Poliquin™ Group 5

 PART I:
SCIENCE OF THE
IMMUNE SYSTEM
CHAPTER 1: Innate Vs. Adaptive Immunity
It’s normal to take the immune system for granted. Your immune system is there with you from birth, tire-
lessly defending your body against viruses, bacteria, and parasites. But, when things go wrong and you get
sick, you want your immune system to come through for you with all its defenses blazing.

Knowing the science of immunity can be reassuring. With a robust immune system, your body functions like
a well-oiled machine, rousing cells that attack pathogens and recruit other protective cells to your rescue. It’s
a multifaceted response that employs numerous organs, cells, and systems in the body. And it’s primary goal
is to protect you and prevent or limit infection.

Innate Vs. Acquired Immunity

An important distinction in our discussion of the immune system is the difference between innate and ac-
quired immunity. Innate immunity—also known as the nonspecific immune system—is the body’s first line
of defense against infectious agents. You are born with this innate immune system and it provides general
protection, combating all invading organisms seen for the first time.

In contrast, adaptive, specific immunity develops throughout our lives and allows the immune system to pro-
vide a targeted reaction for each infectious agent. The adaptive system fights individual pathogens in cus-
tomized ways by “remembering” them and producing targeted antibodies to respond more effectively.

Adaptive immunity is what you get from a vaccination and it is the reason that you only get chicken pox one
time. Once you have it, your body’s adaptive immune system will be able to respond and fight off infection
when you are re-exposed to it. COVID-19 is thought to be similar: Early animal studies suggest that if you
catch the virus and survive, you will develop antibodies that will prevent you from getting it again (1).

Innate Versus Adaptive Immunity

Innate Adaptive
Speed of Onset Immediate Approx. 3-day lag
Specificity Unspecific Highly Specific
Duration Short (Days) Long (Years)
Potency Lower Higher
Memory No Yes
Features Primitive and Broad Highly Specific

© 2020, Poliquin™ Group 7

CHAPTER 2: How The Immune Response Works
The immune system distinguishes between normal, healthy cells and unhealthy cells by recognizing a vari-
ety of “danger” cues. Cells may be unhealthy because of infection or because of cellular damage caused by
non-infectious agents like sunburn or cancer.

When the immune system first recognizes these signals, it responds with multiple actions, engaging the
following components (2, 3):

1. The Skin: Disease-causing pathogens attempting to get into the body must first move past the body’s
external armor. Your skin serves as a physical barrier that is the first line of defense. Skin cells produce and
secrete important antimicrobial proteins, and immune cells can be found in specific layers of skin. The skin is
usually only penetrable through cuts or abrasions.

2. Mucous Membranes: Mucous membranes are another part of your body’s armor. They serve as immune
hubs in the tracts of the GI, respiratory, and urinogenital systems. Microbes attempting to enter these sys-
tems are often thwarted by protective secretions. For example, pathogens entering the nose often cause the
nasal surfaces to secrete mucous. Attempts to enter the nose or lungs can trigger a sneeze or cough reflex to
force invaders out of the respiratory passageway.

3. Bone Marrow: Inside bones there is soft tissue that produces both innate and adaptive immune cells. The
innate immune cells are the first-line responders to infection and include neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils,
mast cells, monocytes, dendritic cells, and macrophages. The adaptive immune cells mount attacks to spe-
cific pathogens based on previous encounters and include natural killer cells, B, and T cells (a group that are
also called lymphocytes).

4. Lymphatic System: The lymphatic system is a network of lymph nodes and vessels that carry lymph fluid,
nutrients, and waste material into the bloodstream for disposal. Lymph nodes are a communication hub
where immune cells sample information brought in from the body. For instance, if adaptive immune cells
in the lymph node recognize pieces of a microbe, they will activate, replicate, and leave the lymph node to
circulate and address the pathogen. Thus, doctors may check patients for swollen lymph nodes, which may
indicate an active immune response.

5. The Spleen: An organ located behind the stomach, the spleen helps identify pathogens in the blood and
assists with the bacteria-destroying mission of the lymphatic system.

6. The Thymus: The thymus is a gland in the upper chest that produces T cells that attack pathogens.

What Are Immune Cells?

When your body is exposed to a foreign invader, these diverse components mobilize to launch the immune
response.

If pathogens survive the body’s front-line defenses, they still have to find a way through the walls of the
digestive, respiratory, or urogenital passageways to the underlying cells. These passageways are lined with
tightly packed epithelial cells that secrete a special type of antibody called Immunoglobulin A (IgA).

Underneath the epithelial layer, a number of cells lie in wait for any germ that bypasses the barriers at the
surface. These include the following types of cells (2, 3):

8 © 2020, Poliquin™ Group

Macrophages (derived from a word that means “big eater” in Greek) are stationed at strategic points all over
the body. They are able to ingest and degrade invaders while also sending out chemical messengers known
as cytokines that activate more immune cells.

Natural Killer (NK) cells play an important role in acquired immunity, having receptors on their surfaces
that recognize invaders. NK cells latch onto viruses and inject them with lethal chemicals that cause them to
explode. They also contain proteins that can cause programmed cell death (known as apoptosis) in damaged
cells without harming healthy cells located nearby.

B and T Cells are white blood cells with adaptive immune actions. Helper T cells have a long lifespan and
coordinate other T and B cells to make antibodies that fight pathogens. T Helper cells can remember invad-
ers they have encountered and can learn which are most dangerous, helping to coordinate a repeat immune
attack.

Neutrophils are the most abundant innate immune cell and they patrol for problems by circulating in the
bloodstream. They act as phagocytes, meaning they ingest bacteria, degrading them inside special compart-
ments. This video shows how the red neutrophils accumulate at sites of injury and communicate with each
other to form cellular “swarms.”

Basophils and Eosinophils combat parasites and are involved in allergic reactions. Along with mast cells,
these undergo degranulation, which occurs when they bind to a foreign invader and burst, releasing chemical
histamines in a small explosion. These histamines produce the common allergic symptoms, such as a runny
nose and sore throat. It’s important to note that these symptoms are not only the result of the invader, but
also the result of your body’s immune response to the invading party.

Cytokines are not technically immune cells but they play a critical part in the immune response, particularly
in terms of enabling cells to communicate with one another. Cytokines include the following:

• Interferons activate immune cells that have both antiviral and antibiotic action.
• Interleukins provide specific immune-related instructions that have activating or inhibitory re-
sponses.
• Chemokines are made in specific locations of the body or at a site of infection to attract immune
cells. Different chemokines will recruit different immune cells to the site needed.
• Tumor necrosis factors (TNF) activate immune cells and the inflammatory response.

Cytokines are an important part of the body’s inflammatory response to illness or injury. When the response
is acute and the body is able to fight off a disease-causing invader, cytokine levels will decline and return to
normal. But sometimes the body’s immune defenses overreact, attacking healthy tissue and organs. This
appears to be a factor in COVID-19. Doctors have observed that in some coronavirus patients, IL-6 levels are
very high, indicating that the immune response is damaging the lungs even after significantly diminishing
the amount of virus in the body. Scientists are experimenting with drugs that block cytokines in an effort to
prevent killing cells that aren’t infected.

Something similar occurs with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, or
Hashimoto’s thyroid disease. In these cases, the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues,
manufacturing antibodies directed against healthy cells.

In many chronic diseases, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes, there is an immune response that
can lead to chronically high levels of cytokines and inflammation. These cytokines are used as a marker for
disease. For example, interleukins-1 and -6 and TNF-alpha are often associated with heart disease (4).
© 2020, Poliquin™ Group 9
CHAPTER 3: Bacteria, Viruses & Parasites
The most common disease-causing microbes are bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Each uses a different tactic
to infect a person, and, therefore, each is thwarted by a different part of the immune system.

Most bacteria live in the spaces between cells and are easily attacked by antibodies. When antibodies attach
to a bacterium, they send signals to phagocytic cells to destroy the bound microbes. Some bacteria are eaten
directly by phagocytes, which signal to certain T cells to join the attack.

All viruses and parasites must enter cells to survive, requiring a different defensive approach. Infected cells
display unique markers called MHC molecules that signal the need for an immune response. These MHC
molecules are displayed on the cell’s surface, flagging down lymphocytes to destroy the infected cell. Anti-
bodies assist this process, helping to clear a virus before it has a chance to enter the cell.

Parasites live either inside or outside cells. Intracellular parasites, such as the organism that causes malaria,
can trigger T-cell responses. Extracellular parasites are often much larger than bacteria or viruses and require
a much broader immune attack. Parasitic infections often trigger an inflammatory response when specialized
granular immune cells rush to the scene and release their stores of toxic chemicals in an attempt to destroy
the invader.

10 © 2020, Poliquin™ Group

CHAPTER 4: The Neuroendocrine-Immune System
One of the most interesting things about immune cells is their ability to communicate. Known as the neu-
roendocrine system, the brain works with endocrine glands throughout the body to regulate all aspects of
human function, including communicating with immune cells, many of which are located in the gastrointesti-
nal tract.

The live bacteria in your gut are known as your microbiome. There are literally billions of bacteria that impact
cells, genes, and DNA, affecting all systems in the body. The microbiome communicates with the brain to
influence physiology through three pathways:

1. Endocrine hormone release

2. Nerve transmission
3. Immune activation

Endocrine cells release neurotransmitters and hormones such as cortisol, tryptophan, and serotonin, which
communicate directly with the brain. These compounds impact mood, ability to handle stress, pain tolerance,
sleep, and wakefulness. Studies show that when you are under stress and have higher levels of the stress
hormone cortisol circulating, your immune system is not as robust and you are more likely to get sick. This is
the reason that we often associate being cold with getting sick. It’s not that catching a chill makes you sick.
Rather, being cold is stressful and illnesses are able to bypass your immune defenses.

The intestinal nervous system is connected with the vagus nerve in the brain, regulating your ability to rest
and recover. The vagus nerve governs the parasympathetic nervous system (versus the sympathetic nervous
system) and studies show that stimulating it can lead to lower levels of inflammatory markers that impede
your body’s ability to fight off an illness. Scientists are currently exploring the use of electrical pulses to stim-
ulate the vagus nerve to treat autoimmune diseases.

The microbiome also interact with immune cells, of which over 70 percent reside in the gut. These immune
cells regulate your body’s response to illness, injury, and chronic disease. Additionally, the gut is the site of
much of your lymphatic system, which plays a central role in defending your body against viruses, bacteria,
and foreign pathogens.

In practical terms, this trifecta of pathways means that the gut has its own ability to impact functions we
usually attribute to the brain. In fact, the gut works independently from your rational brain, regulating immu-
nity and coordinating your stress response.

© 2020, Poliquin™ Group 11

 PART II:
HOW TO KEEP YOUR
IMMUNE SYSTEM HEALTHY
CHAPTER 5: Lifestyle Actions to Support Immunity
One of the scariest things about the coronavirus pandemic is feeling like you have no control. The reality is
that there are several concrete actions you can take to sharpen your immune system and mitigate the chance
you will suffer severe symptoms if you do contract the virus.

Along with the common sense actions like regular handwashing and social distancing, nutrition, physical
activity, sleep, and stress management are primary ways your behavior can help you build a healthy immune
system. Diet and exercise are so important that they will be covered in subsequent chapters, but here we
address lifestyle actions for a healthy immune system.

Create A Stress Management Plan

Your body does a good job fighting off illness when it is not under stress. Not so much when your adrenal
glands are pumping out cortisol 24/7.

We can all agree that the coronavirus era is one of the more stressful times of our generation. When you
compound everyday stress, financial worries, and the unknown of a worldwide pandemic, the increase in
cortisol can stifle the protective action of immune cells.

High cortisol has other negative health effects: It increases appetite for unhealthy junk food and impairs
sleep, making you feel like you can’t turn your brain off at night. It also messes with metabolism and gut
function, both of which play a primary role in immunity.

Balancing cortisol needs to be individualized but some things that can help include deep breathing, regular
meditation, yoga, exercise, sticking to a routine, having fun, playing with pets, listening to music, and getting
good sleep.

Certain nutrients can help your body handle stress:

Taurine is an amino acid that has a calming effect on the brain. Vegetarians are often deficient, which can
lead to anxiety and racing thoughts (5).

Holy Basil (also known as tulsi) is an herb that has been shown to have stress-relieving effects, improving
cognitive function during high-stress times. It also impacts metabolic function and can help balance blood
sugar, which has implications for cortisol release and stress management (6).

The Omega-3 Fatty Acids found in fish oil have anti-stress and immune boosting properties. In addition to
tamping down inflammation, omega-3 fats can improve the number and activity of T immune cells (7).

Optimize Sleep
Sleep is an essential component of the body’s rest and repair system. One study found that individuals who
slept less than hours a night were three times more likely to get sick than those who got more than 7 hours
of sleep (8).

During dreamtime is when your body produces disease-fighting white blood cells and sleep is necessary for
production of the “master antioxidant” glutathione, which is the linchpin of your body’s ability to counter
oxidative stress that compromises immunity. Sleep is also when growth hormone and other chemicals are
released that allow your innate immune system to function (8).

© 2020, Poliquin™ Group 13

Of course, worries about coronavirus can make sleep scarce. Some things that can help include:

• Having a set bedtime so that you take advantage of your body’s natural circadian rhythm.
• Avoiding screens in the hours before bed to give your melatonin production a lift.
• Limiting caffeine, especially later in the day.
• Sleeping in cool temperatures that mimic the outdoors.

Sometimes a sleep aid is warranted. Two sleep supplements that also support immunity are melatonin and
l-theanine.

Melatonin is a hormone that is released by the pineal gland that regulates your sleep-wake cycle. One analy-
sis of 19 studies found that taking between 0.5 and 6 mg of melatonin before bed improves sleep quality and
quantity, and reduces insomnia (9, 10).

L-theanine is an amino acid found in green tea that has pro-sleep, anti-stress, and immune support prop-
erties (11). Pure L-theanine supplements are available, as are formulated sleep aids in which L-theanine is
combined with herbs such as lemon balm and valerian for more powerful results.

14 © 2020, Poliquin™ Group

CHAPTER 6: Nutrition For A Healthy Immune System
Nutrition is an essential part of a strong immune system. Food provides the vitamins and minerals necessary
for the production of immune cells, enzymes, and cofactors that allow your body to combat illness.

The ideal nutrition plan to support immune function should accomplish three goals:

1. Balance blood glucose

Hyperglycemia is known to impair white blood cells, making individuals with high blood sugar more suscep-
tible to infections. We see this playing out with the novel coronavirus as diabetics are more likely to have
dangerous complications from COVID-19.

2. Nurture gut health and function

Supporting GI health is key because approximately 70 percent of our immune cells reside in the gut. Addi-
tionally, the gut is the site of much of your lymphatic system, which plays a central role in defending your
body against viruses, bacteria, and foreign pathogens.

3. Provide plenty of nutrients to counter inflammation

Every healthy diet should focus on an array of foods that provide the abundant nutrients your body needs to
counter inflammation and fight off disease.

The good news is that each of these goals can be achieved with simple principles to guide your im-
mune-boosting nutrition plan:

Plan meals around protein, healthy fat, and vegetables.

This combination is your go-to for regulating blood sugar and promoting GI function. High-quality protein
provides the building blocks needed for healing and it is used to build antibodies and immune cells. Aim for a
a variety of protein foods including seafood, meat, poultry, eggs, legumes, dairy, nuts, and seeds.

Get plenty of healthy fats.

Some forms of fat cause inflammation and impair immune function, including trans hydrogenated fats and
omega-6 fats that are abundant in seed oils. In contrast, the omega-3 fats found in fish oil and the monoun-
saturated fats in nuts are anti-inflammatory and support immune health.

Eat the rainbow.

Every healthy diet should focus on colorful fruits and vegetables that provide the abundant phytonutrients
your body needs to fight off disease. Plant-based foods also provide prebiotic fiber that feed the healthy
bacteria in your gut. These bacteria interact directly with immune cells and lower the production of inflam-
matory cytokines that impair immunity. Focus on eating the rainbow, incorporating as many leafy greens and
red, yellow, orange, and purple foods as possible.

Avoid the usual suspects.

Sugar, processed, and refined foods should be avoided because they spike blood sugar and stimulate parts
of the brain that encourage overeating. They also tend to be low in nutritional value and won’t provide the
building blocks needed for robust immune function.

Eat within your calorie needs.

Maintaining a healthy body composition will benefit the immune system. Obesity is an inflammatory condi-
tion that has been linked to increased risk of flu and other infections such as pneumonia (12).

© 2020, Poliquin™ Group 15

Incorporate supplements.
Once you get your overall nutrition dialed in, it’s time to consider specific immune support nutrients. It would
be great if we could get all of our nutrition from food, but the reality is that this approach can leave you with
nutritional deficits that compromise immunity. For example, aging causes changes to the GI tract that make it
harder to absorb some vitamins and minerals from food. This may be one reason why older individuals have
reduced immune function and are more at risk of severe symptoms when they get sick.

Another issue is that certain disorders, such as a high stress load, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and can-
cer, increase your nutritional needs beyond what is available from the healthiest diet.

High-quality supplements can help pad deficiencies while providing nutrients in a more bioavailable form. For
example, zinc is a top immune support supplement but few people get enough from food. The 2010 NHANES
nutrition survey found that fewer than 40 percent of the population achieved the government recommend-
ed zinc intake. Part of the reason is that dietary sources are scarce unless you eat large quantities of meat
and seafood. Although plant foods contain zinc, they also have phytates, which are compounds that impair
absorption of zinc and iron.

Supplementation can solve this, however, it is important to avoid inexpensive zinc salts that are poorly ab-
sorbed. Instead, zinc chelates that provide copper and selenium are more readily absorbed. The copper and
selenium are used by the body to make a protective anti-inflammatory enzyme called copper-zinc superoxide
dismutase that is necessary for immune function.

In the next chapter we discuss specific immune support nutrients, but many people will benefit from a few
foundational supplements:

Multivitamin/Mineral
The following graph from the 2010 NHANES survey found that adults didn’t come close to meeting the rec-
ommended amount for many of the 21 most important micronutrients for health and immunity. Deficiencies
were above 80 percent for vitamin D, vitamin E, potassium, and over 50 percent for choline, potassium, and
magnesium.

16 © 2020, Poliquin™ Group

When choosing a multi, you rarely want to go for the cheapest option. Because multivitamins combine so
many nutrients into one, quality is often compromised. All minerals are bound with another compound for
stability. An easy way for companies to decrease production costs is to use mineral salts for binding. Mineral
salts, which you can identify as carbonate, oxide, and sulfate, are very poorly absorbed.

Probiotics
Probiotics are the tiny bacteria that naturally occur in the gastrointestinal tract. In addition to enhancing
absorption of nutrients, the healthy bacteria in probiotics displace pathogenic, harmful bacteria. They play a
role in detoxification, improving the body’s ability to eliminate waste products and foreign compounds. For
instance, probiotics prevent damage to the liver and other organs due to alcohol, antibiotics, or everyday
painkillers like Tylenol.

Eating fermented foods can provide some probiotics, however, these bacteria are not guaranteed to be alive
or contain the species of bacteria that is protective. When supplementing, you want to buy a product that
actually contains live microflora bacteria. Many products are only guaranteed at the time of manufacture,
which means that the majority may have died off by the time you get around to taking them. Instead, only
buy probiotics that are guaranteed through the date of expiration.

Magnesium
Best known as an anti-stress mineral, magnesium is necessary for healthy blood sugar levels and is a cofac-
tor for immune cells (13). Lack of magnesium sends the nervous system into overdrive, leading to high blood
pressure and overwhelming stress.

Magnesium depletion is common. The RDA is 310 to 420 mg for adults, yet the average American barely
consumes 225 mg today—down from 500 mg/day in 1900 due to changes in soil quality (14).

There are many cheap magnesium chelates like magnesium oxide that are poorly absorbed. Instead, look for
magnesium that is bound with any of the following: citrate, malate, glycinate, threonate, taurate, fumarate, or
orotate. Best results will come from taking different forms of magnesium in divided doses. For example, you
could take magnesium glycinate after a morning workout and a blended magnesium before bedtime.

© 2020, Poliquin™ Group 17

CHAPTER 7: Immune Support Supplements
Healthy eating lays the groundwork for a well-functioning immune system. But sometimes you need extra
immune support. During a widespread outbreak like the coronavirus, it’s worthwhile to give your body extra
nutrients. Additionally, people with underlying health problems often require higher intake of certain vitamins
and minerals to offset inflammation and encourage better health.

Many micronutrients impact immunity, but there are several that have substantial research showing they
help fight off infection:

• Vitamin C
• Zinc, and
• The fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K

Vitamin C
Vitamin C supports immunity by the following actions (15, 16, 17).

1. Increases pathogen-killing immune cells

2. Donates electrons to act as an antioxidant scavenger

3. Necessary for clearance of spent immune cells, thereby lowering tissue damage

4. Contributes to hormone regulation, which impacts the body’s immune-related stress response

5. Supports epithelial barrier function against pathogens

The thing about vitamin C is that it won’t keep you from getting sick. It can’t block a virus from entering your
body. Rather, vitamin C supports immune function so that your body is more capable of fighting a virus off.
This is why vitamin C has failed to reduce the incidence of colds in otherwise healthy people (18).

What vitamin C can do is reduce the duration of cold symptoms, minimizing nasal congestion and running
nose (19). Regarding other acute illnesses, such as pneumonia and complications that are being seen with
the coronavirus, vitamin C may reduce the severity of symptoms and boost immune markers:

In a study of elderly patients admitted to the hospital with acute respiratory infections, supplementing with
200 mg of vitamin C significantly improved immune cells and decreased respiratory symptoms (20).

In the case of acute lung infections, intravenous vitamin C was shown to lead to rapid clearance of chest
X-rays (21).

In pneumonia patients, taking 1,600 mg of vitamin C a day reduced hospital duration by 36 percent (22).

Supplementation is most important in individuals with low vitamin C intake. For example, individuals with
inadequate vitamin C levels who took 1,000 mg of vitamin C for 8 weeks had decreased incidence of the cold
compared to a placebo group (23).

Vitamin C deficiency is frequently encountered in ill patients due to increased metabolic consumption and
high rates of oxidative stress. Unlike many animals, humans don’t have the ability to synthesize vitamin C, so

18 © 2020, Poliquin™ Group

they have to get it from diet. In normal situations, assuming diets replete with vegetables and fruit, you can
probably meet vitamin C needs, but if you are suffering from health conditions or compromised GI function,
you are at risk of insufficiency.

Stress also depletes vitamin C. Research into athletes shows that vitamin C supplementation can help clear
cortisol after intense training (24).

It should be noted that as yet no studies have been published testing vitamin C on coronavirus but there is
currently a trial of intravenous vitamin C for severe COVID-19-induced pneumonia in China that should be
published at the end of the year (25).

How To Take:
Vitamin C is a safe supplement and there is no risk of toxicity. In a deficiency state or when trying to combat
an illness, doses ranging from 1 to 10 grams a day may be indicated. Doses should be divided, taking half in
the morning and half in the evening.

Zinc
Zinc plays an essential function in both the innate and adaptive immune systems (26, 27):

1. Supports the production of antioxidants, such as superoxide dismutase, that scavenge free radicals

2. Maintains the integrity of physical barriers to viruses

3. Enhances activity of immune cells

4. Reduces viral replication, lowering your overall viral load

A deficiency of zinc is considered a disaster for the immune system (28). Ensuring that you have proper zinc
levels can go a long way to supporting immunity and preventing severe health problems. This is because lack
of zinc leads to fewer mature immune cells that are necessary for fighting off viruses and other pathogens.

For people who have adequate zinc, supplementation is less likely to be effective for preventing colds or
illness. However, once you are sick, zinc supplementation can be beneficial: A meta-analysis found that high-
dose zinc lozenges that supplied more than 75 mg of zinc a day led to a 20 percent reduction in cold dura-
tion (29), whereas lower doses of less than 75 mg a day had no effect. A second analysis showed that zinc
lozenges in doses of 80 to 92 mg a day reduced the duration of upper respiratory illness, decreasing nasal
congestion by 37 percent, scratchy throat by 33 percent, hoarseness by 43 percent, and cough by 46 percent.
The duration of muscle aches decreased by 54 percent (30).

Similar to vitamin C, low zinc is common in people with poor health, the elderly, and those with gastrointes-
tinal problems, including IBS and celiac disease. Additionally, vegetarians and people who don’t eat plenty of
zinc-containing foods are prone to zinc deficiency. The best sources of dietary zinc are meat, shellfish, and
dairy. Seeds, nuts, and vegetables contain zinc but they also contain phytates that result in poor zinc bioavail-
ability.

How To Take:
You need to be careful not to overdose on zinc because too much can be toxic. When you have an upper
respiratory illness, it is fine to use higher dose zinc lozenges that supply between 75 and 90 mg a day, but it
is not recommended that you go over 100 mg.

© 2020, Poliquin™ Group 19

When trying to raise levels from a deficiency, supplementing zinc with 25 to 45 mg a day should be suffi-
cient. As a daily preventative, a lower dose of 5 to 10 mg is considered safe. The zinc RDA for adult men is 11
mg a day and for women it is 8 mg a day. Zinc is not stored in the body, so you need to get it from your diet
or supplement on a regular basis.

The Fat Soluble Vitamins A, D, E, and K

Few people think of the vitamins A, D, E, and K when it comes to virus protection but each of these fat-solu-
ble vitamins play an essential role in immune function:

Vitamin A acts as an antioxidant and helps maintain your body’s physical barriers against pathogens, sup-
porting integrity of the skin, mucous membranes, blood vessels, and the cellular lining of the digestive and
respiratory tract. Vitamin A also enhances activity of B and T immune cells (31, 32). Studies show the impor-
tance of vitamin A in several diseases that affect the lungs, including HIV and tuberculosis.

Vitamin D raises levels of immune cells to attack invading pathogens. It also helps regulate the immune re-
sponse so that inflammatory markers don’t get out of control and damage cells and tissue (33). One random-
ized trial of 140 immunodeficient patients found that daily supplementation of 4000 IUs of vitamin D over
one year significantly reduced infectious symptoms (34).

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that improves activity of various immune cells, including natural killer cells and
B and T cells. Studies show vitamin E confers improved resistance to infection in people with poor health:
Nursing home patients who took 200 IUs a day of vitamin E for a year had fewer cases of upper respiratory
infection (35).

Vitamin K has anti-inflammatory action that suppresses immune-damaging cells, including nuclear factor
KB. It is especially important in reducing the onset of cardiovascular and age-related diseases (36, 37).

The fat-soluble vitamins are especially important in the coronavirus era because this is a disease that tar-
gets people with pre-existing health conditions or who have poor immune systems (38). Deficiencies in fat
soluble vitamins are also common in people with low sex hormones (low testosterone or estrogen), chronic
inflammation, high cortisol and stress, and diabetics (38, 39).

How To Take:
If you are healthy, regularly eat a variety of high-quality animal products, and get sun exposure (for vitamin
D), you may not need to supplement. For everyone else, a blended A, D, E, and K supplement can support
absorption of these vitamins to aid the immune system. Individuals who are deficient and need to bring their
levels up require higher intake than those who are supplementing as a maintenance dose.

Vitamin A should be from A palmitate, which is more efficiently used by the body than beta-carotene.

Vitamin D should be in the cholecalciferol D3 form (not the D2 ergocalciferol form).

Vitamin E should be from mixed tocopherols (not tocotrienols) because this form makes up around 90 per-
cent of the vitamin E in the blood.

Vitamin K should be from the menaquinone K2 form (not the K1 phylloquinone form) because this is the
active form that is useful to the body.

20 © 2020, Poliquin™ Group

CHAPTER 8: Physical Activity For A Healthy Immune System
Physical activity elevates your immune system by improving the body’s natural antioxidant system. Studies
show that those who exercise tend to suffer fewer infections than sedentary individuals (40).

But overdoing it with high volume training will compromise immunity. Elite endurance athletes are notorious
for getting sick, likely because this form of training elevates stress hormones. When combined with sleep dis-
ruption, exposure to infection, nutritional deficits, competition anxiety, and the stress of travel, competitive
exercise depletes immunity.

The smart approach is to stay active and keep up regular workouts to support your immune system. On the
other hand, if you are prone to overtraining or have a habit of getting sick, consider backing off and focusing
on recovery to give your immune system a chance to recuperate. You don’t want to put yourself at risk due to
an overcommitment to killer workouts. Once you are already feeling ill, it is generally best to get extra rest.

What follows are some goals and recommendations to consider when designing training programs:

Goal #1: Maintain muscle mass by lifting weights. Elevated cortisol will erode muscle mass, leading to
strength and muscle loss, so it’s important to counter this with lifting and proper nutrition.

Goal #2: Promote metabolic health (insulin sensitivity and fat burning). As cortisol goes up, your metabo-
lism takes a hit. Lifting and low-volume interval training can counter this by improving fat burning and restor-
ing insulin sensitivity.

Goal #3: Ensure recovery. Lifestyle habits and high-quality nutrition will help with muscle recovery and en-
able the body to clear cortisol post-workout. Yoga, deep breathing, meditation, walking, and other mind-body
practices can help.

Prioritize Strength Training

Training for strength with heavier weights and lower volume will maintain muscle, while minimizing the
stress response that makes you susceptible to illness.

Body part splits are a good way to allow for more complete recovery in between workouts. To start, use
rep ranges of 10 to 12 for 2 to 3 sets for multi-joint exercises, with 60 to 120 seconds rest. Progress to
strength-focused workouts in which you train in rep ranges of 6 to 10 reps with 2 to 3 sets.

How many sessions per week?

Four workouts lasting 45 minutes to an hour will do the trick for most people. This will allow complete mus-
cle recovery, while supporting immunity and wellness.

Do Smart Conditioning
Conditioning is an important part of any program, but you want to avoid long, intense cardio when immune
health is an issue. If you who like to get sweaty and push hard, appropriately designed interval training can
still be performed. For example, a low-volume sprint workout like the Wingate protocol (four 30-second
sprint repeats on a bike with 4 minutes active rest) may support neuroendocrine function while improving
mood due to release of beta endorphins and dopamine that make you feel good. A 20 minute cycle workout
consisting of 8-second intervals with 12-seconds easy pedaling is another option.

Of course, for some people, the idea of a sprint workout makes you want to lie down on the floor and take a

© 2020, Poliquin™ Group 21

nap. In this case, walking is your go-to cardio workout. Studies consistently show that walking can improve
immunity and well-being. Hiking in nature is especially effective, but if all you’ve got is pavement, the key is
to enjoy your walk.

Use Mind-Body Exercise

We know for certain that meditation has a profound impact on the immune system. One review found that
meditation lowered inflammation, increased immune cell count, and improved antibody response (41). Scien-
tists view meditation as a tool for lowering risk of infection and combating chronic diseases such as diabetes,
cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

Exercise that requires you to slow down and become mindful may have similar benefits. Yoga has been
shown to improve immune markers in the blood, while practitioners of the martial art judo have lower levels
of inflammation that predispose you to illness.

Other mind-body practices that will likely convey immune benefits include most martial arts, deep breathing,
regular stretching or foam rolling, and dancing.

22 © 2020, Poliquin™ Group

AFTERWORD

If you’ve been putting off taking your health seriously, now is the time. As much as possible, focus on eating
a wide variety of nutrient- rich foods and consider supplementing any deficits to protect you and your family.
Focusing on exercise and stress management is a great way to shape your routine. Getting good sleep and
incorporating some mind-body activities can set you up for a better-functioning immune system. This is a
great opportunity to try some new activities that can shape your health for the future.

© 2020, Poliquin™ Group 23

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26 © 2020, Poliquin™ Group

 ABOUT POLIQUIN™ GROUP

Our mission is to inspire and support fitness professionals to improve the health and performance of individ-
uals from all walks of life. We aim to create a global impact in the fitness and wellness industries through a
combination of unique products, evidence-based education, and actionable information. We are dedicated to
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Since the early 2000’s, Poliquin Group started as a fitness trainer education company and has grown into a
global leader in the health and fitness industry. Today you can find our certified coaches in over 70 countries
worldwide.

In the coming years, we will partner with industry-leading experts to offer cutting edge virtual health and fit-
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Poliquin™ Group’s driving force will be to support, guide, and inspire peak performance and optimal health
for people around the world through education, nutrition, and supplementation for years to come.

© 2020, Poliquin™ Group 27