Michelle Parsons
- May 19, 2021
- 3 min read

Probiotics Can Boost Immunity Against COVID-19

Over the past year, much attention has been paid to the impact of diet, metabolic health, and nutritional status on immune function, susceptibility to infection, and disease severity with diabetes and obesity being the biggest risk factors of developing complications to infection with COVID-19. A diet high in saturated fat has also been shown to impair T and B cell (our bodies main immune cells) proliferation and maturation in animal models. I will frequently recommend a diet high in green crunchy vegetables, lean chicken and fish, and low in starch and saturated fats. Weight Loss Program | Renove (renovemedspa.org) .

Micronutrient (vitamin and mineral) deficiencies can also impair proper immune system function. Inadequate micronutrient intake is common among adults in the United States and deficiencies of certain micronutrients are especially common in older adults. Supplementation with certain nutrients including probiotics, selenium, vitamin D, vitamin E, and zinc may modulate immune function. Please refer to my last blog on How to Boost Your Immune System How to Boost Your Immune System & Protect from COVID-19 (renovemedspa.org) .

Research on the role of specific nutrients on immune response after vaccination suggests a positive relationship between nutrient status and supplementation on immune response after vaccination. We can improve our nutritional status by improving the absorption of vitamins and minerals in our diet, through probiotics.

Probiotics improve gut health and natural immunity

Probiotics

Various probiotic organisms have been shown to influence the function of immune cells. Probiotic organisms are known to affect mucosal immunity in the gastrointestinal tract and have been studied as adjuvants to increases effectiveness for vaccines. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria strains have been shown to increase IgA levels after oral vaccines for poliovirus, typhoid, cholera, and the influenza intramuscular vaccine.

In one randomized controlled trial investigating the role of Lactobacillus fermentum on influenza vaccine response, participants taking daily probiotics for two weeks before and two weeks after vaccination showed increased IgA antibody levels compared to the control group. Interestingly, participants in the probiotic group also showed a lower incidence of influenza-like illness in the five month period following vaccination.

Specific probiotic supplements I recommend:

Probiotic Pearls 90 caps Integrative Therapeutics

Probiotic Blend providing 1 billion CFU, 11 mg, live, active cutures

Bifidobacterium longum BB536

Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM®

In order for a probiotic supplement to be effective, it must utilize a delivery form that protects the live, active cultures from a wide array of damaging, ever present environmental factors. Probiotic Pearls accomplish this with a novel encapsulating process, known as True Delivery™ Technology. This triple-layer coating system results in a convenient, one-of-a-kind delivery form that protects the vulnerable probiotics within from heat, moisture, oxygen, and stomach acid.

True Delivery Technology guarantees that active cultures:

• Survive stomach acid

• Arrive in the intestines

• Remain alive for exceptional support

Shelf-Stable, Non-Refrigerated

The unique encapsulation also ensures Probiotic Pearls are shelf-stable and require no refrigeration, while maintaining full potency through the lifespan of the product.

You can purchase this probiotic online through our Wellevate store for an online 10% discount. Wellevate Supplements | Renove (renovemedspa.org) or email/contact us for an email link to purchase. Go to https://wellevate.me/michelle-parsons and set up your account and Dr. Parsons will send you an invitation with a recommended protocol.

We can also test the adequacy of your GI health indirectly by testing for vitamin K levels, which is produced by healthy gut bacteria. If your vitamin k level is deficient, this indicates you may not have enough of the healthy bacteria in your gut. Vitamin & Mineral Testing | Renove (renovemedspa.org)

FYI Vaccine Types and Mechanisms of Action

A vaccine is a preparation that is administered (as by injection) to stimulate the body's immune response against a specific infectious disease. The word vaccine comes from "vacca" which is Latin for cow, as the first vaccine, for smallpox, originated from the cowpox virus.

Vaccines come in different forms and use different techniques to stimulate an immune response. This immune response is designed to promote the production of antibodies, but most vaccines can also induce a T cell response, which is a quicker and longer term activation of the immune response. A variety of mechanisms are utilized to stimulate the host response. Some vaccines contain inactivated or weakened pathogens while others contain toxoids, pathogen subunits, nucleic acid (like messenger RNA), or viral vectors.

• Attenuated (weakened) pathogen vaccines: Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR combined vaccine), rotavirus, chickenpox, influenza (intranasal)

• Inactivated pathogen vaccines: influenza, poliovirus, hepatitis A

• Subunit, recombinant, polysaccharide, and conjugate vaccines: Haemophilus influenzae type B, hepatitis B, human papillomavirus, pneumococcus, meningococcus, shingles

• Toxoid vaccines: diphtheria, tetanus

• Viral vector vaccines: Ebola, COVID-19 - Johnson & Johnson.

• Nucleic acid vaccines: COVID-19 - such as the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.