Dear Patients,
I hope this note finds you and your family well.
As we approach the flu season, we wanted to pass along some information that maybe useful to help you stay healthy.
Since Covid19 started, experts have been researching to figure out exactly how it affects the body and found that three vitamins can be helpful in improving infection rate as well as ability to fight it if you are infected.
The most important of the three is Vitamin D3.
A large study has shown how proper levels of at least 55ng/ml of Vitamin D reduced Covid19 infection rate by 47%. See the diagram below for the effects of Vitamin D deficiency.
To reach proper levels of vitamin D3 levels in your body in our climate, you can take 1000-5000iu daily. A blood test is the only way to know for sure that you are taking enough. If you had blood work recently, you can look up your results or reach out to your primary care doctor. Our office offers a finger prick D3 test that can give you results in 10 minutes but it is not covered by insurance. For most healthy individuals, 1000-2000iu is generally considered safe to take daily.
As for vitamin C, it is very helpful for you to take at least 1000mg daily. The FDA recommended dose of 65-90mg is only enough to prevent scurvy. Up to 2000mg is considered safe. It has been suggested that much higher levels are necessary when you are sick to provide all the antioxidant support your body needs.
The third supplement is zinc. Unlike vitamin D3 and C that are considered safe to take everyday especially during the flu season, prolonged supplementation with zinc can have a downside. If you are deficient, you can take the standard supplement dose of 30mg per day. I would recommend that you consume zinc rich foods like grass fed beef, seafood and nuts (especially pumpkin seeds) daily. It would be useful to have some zinc supplements in your pantry so that you can supplement if you feel unwell.
I am often asked what brands I would recommend. We carry our favorite brands at our office but you do not need to come in unless you already have an appointment. In general, Carlson brand of vitamins are trustworthy, especially for vitamin D. As for vitamin C, a good everyday one is Source Naturals Ultimate Ascorbate C 1000mg. When your body needs the strongest antioxidant support, I recommend Lypo-spheric Vitamic C. It doesn’t taste great but when your body needs extra support, like travelling or when your family member starts coughing, it works well. As for Zinc, Carlson’s chelated zinc is the recommended product.
I hope this has been helpful for your general information. Do your own research and talk to your doctor. We hope to see you at your next visit Happy and Healthy!
*PS: Governor Inslee’s new restriction on social gatherings does not place any new limits on dental care. Continuation of preventative care to prevent future patient harm is strongly encouraged in the updated proclamation. For further information, you can follow this link from the Washington State Dental Association.
https://www.wsda.org/news/blog/blog-details/2020/11/15/new-restrictions-don-t-limit-dental-care
Dr. Min, Dr. Butler, Dr. Deshpande, & Team
