Tuesday February 25, 2020 ~ WEST SHORE
by Mary Brooke ~ West Shore Voice News
Working to maintain and boost your own immune system is an important part of the discussion about coronavirus (and flu season more generally). Strategic use of vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements can be helpful.
Most health food stores are getting questions from customers about what to take for immune system support.
Right off the top, Chris at Lifestyle Markets in Victoria recommends zinc and Vitamin C, as well as colloidal silver (which selectively penetrates invading pathogens) and oil of oregano. Vitamin D is also important to boost the ‘more investigative part of the immune system’, he says. Elderberry (in syrup form) is popular for children.
At House of Nutrition in Colwood, Andrea says three products are particularly popular in flu season: elderberry (syrup or powder), thieves oil (usually a blend of oils from cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, lemon and rosemary), and Immune 7 (which contains chaga mushroom from birch trees).
At the West Coast Natural Foods store in Sooke, Karam recommends the Natural Factors Anti-Viral tincture (with Echinacea extract) as well as echinacea angustifolia by Prairie Doctor (which is high in antioxidants). “Both are good for the immune system and will fight viruses,” says Karam. He also recommends liposomal Vitamin C which encapsulates phospholipids for targeted release in the intestine.
In Langford at OakTree Naturals, Aman says many customers are asking for oil of oregano for immune system protection in flu season. And with the additional emphasis on hand-cleansing, he recommends diluted thieves oil as a hand sanitizer (commercial sanitizers contain isopropyl alcohol which can stress the liver).
=== This article was first published on page 2 in the February 21 to 23, 2020 print-PDF edition of West Shore Voice News.