Fighting the good fight

Immunity boosting is the new buzzphrase — every other person is holding forth on T-cells and turmeric. But, what's the truth really? What works and what doesn't?

Salman Khan, Alia Bhatt and Karan Johar have fallen far behind. In the past few months, one of the most commonly searched phrases on Google happens to be, ‘how to boost immunity’. It seems everyone is out to build that elusive immunity during these Covid times. Scientific jargon like T-cells and cytokines are casually bandied about while every uncle (and aunt) on WhatsApp is a newly-minted expert on homemade immune boosters. So, what gives?

Simply put, your individual immunity levels decide your response to the novel coronavirus infection, just like any other infection.

‘Immunity is dynamic’

Dr Subramanian Swaminathan, Senior Consultant (Infectious Disease) at Gleneagles Global Health City, threw some light on what immunity exactly is. “It is a dynamic thing and there are no quantifiable measures to say ‘this is what immunity is’. All of us have some amount of innate immunity. But, because Covid-19 is a new infection, we don’t seem to have enough. The only way to deal with this is to either get infected or get a vaccine in order to build immunity. Immunity has many different levels and is an entire system in the body. For example, the skin is as much part of the immune system as is the stomach. Immunity, to a significant extent, is genetic, but it is also a result of our interaction with the environment and other factors like vaccination.”

Dr Sachin Kumar, Senior Consultant and Head, Department of Pulmonology, Sakra World Hospital, described immunity as the naturalised frontline defence mechanism against any illness, especially viral infections.

“Immunity helps the body fight through receptors that identify unpleasant viruses. Medicine takes care of a part of the illness, but your immunity is the backbone in this fight.”

Do concoctions and pills work?

Covid-19 has opened our eyes to the need for immunity. However, are we doing the right thing by stuffing ourselves with health foods, guzzling herbal concoctions using spices from our kitchen racks and perhaps doing some yoga? Says Dr Isacc Abbas, well-known nutritionist and health expert, Rebirth Fitness Centre, Mumbai: “Our immune system cannot be boosted overnight like social media messages would have us believe. The body needs balanced nourishment to fight infections, but many believe they can boost their immunity in a few days, just by consuming superfoods or kitchen spices. The most common mistake people make is to pop multi-vitamins or mineral supplements. But, there is no evidence that multi-vitamins boost immunity. In fact, when taken in excess, some of these have been found to alter some components of the immune function. Only sustained efforts over a period of time work,” Dr Isacc said.

Surely, our kitchen recipes passed down from generations are not harmful and have, in fact, aided in speedy recovery from the coronaviruses that cause the common cold, cough and flu? “A bite of ginger or garlic every morning cannot boost your immunity instantly. Healthy lifestyle strategies give a good boost to your immunity, but over time. Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, along with low carb-high protein foods is good. Many people overdo the healthy eating part thinking the more the nutrition they pack into their day, the better their immunity. Actually, a person must eat according to her nutritional needs. I would recommend buying any fruit/veggies/greens that you can afford. Avoiding locally-available nutrition is counter-productive to immunity,” said Dr Isacc.

Doctors are of the opinion that there is no harm in taking Vitamin C and D, along with zinc, but these cannot stave off an infection. “Kitchen spices cause no harm and if they help improve your general well-being, you can consume it, but kashaya or kadha is not the only way to protect yourself. When in the middle of a pandemic, following safety protocols is most important,” said Dr Swaminathan.

Is there a shortcut?

To cut a long story short, good immunity can only be achieved through leading a healthy lifestyle, doing regular exercises, ensuring good sleep and eating a well-balanced diet. The healthier your intake, the better equipped your body is to fight an infection.

“Proteins help to strengthen antibodies, which is why those with poor immunity are advised high-yield proteins. Vitamin C and minerals like zinc are important. Keep an eye on your sugar and oil intake and avoid smoking and drinking, if you desire good immunity,” Dr Sachin explained. “People above 65 are finding it difficult to cope because of co-morbidities and decreased antibody generation due to ageing, which compromises one’s immunity,” he added.

What about Ayurvedic remedies?

This brings us to another interesting question of whether our own ancient nature and plant-based science — Ayurveda — could provide any answers.

The Ministry of AYUSH gives an interesting take on immunity stating that Ayurveda, being the science of life, propagates the gifts of nature in maintaining a healthy life. Ayurveda’s extensive knowledge, based on preventive care, derives from the concepts of ‘Dinacharya’ (daily regimes) and ‘Ritucharya’ (seasonal regimes). Dr Sachin said, “India has a wealth of information on alternative methods of treatment, including Ayurveda and yoga. But, findings should be backed by robust scientific data, which is where the difficulty comes in.” That said, there is no harm in taking preventive measures.

How to tell if your immunity is good or bad?

Dr Sheela Chakravarthy, Director-Internal Medicine, Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta Road, said, the tricky part is that one cannot really tell if one’s immunity is good or bad. Unlike popular perception, mild infection is not always indicative of good immunity. Medical researchers around the world are exploring the effects of diet, exercise, age, psychological stress and other factors on the immune response and the jury is still out, so to speak.

The body continually generates immune cells, but it is not yet known how many are needed for optimum immunity. Researchers and scientists have also found that a probable cause of lesser immunity as we age is the decreased production of T-cells that fight infections.

Dr Swaminathan opined that while it is true the elderly are more susceptible to infections and are at a higher risk, statistics concerning this group should not be extrapolated to individuals.

“One of my patients, an 85-year-old man with hypertension, walked out healthy after his brush with Covid-19. And we have heard of many such cases now. So, we have to be careful with statistics.” As with previous infections, hopes have been pinned on vaccines. Dr Sachin, meanwhile, said that immunity levels against a virus generally improve over three or four months, but one cannot be sure that the same immunity will be good for the next viral infection.

“Viruses change all the time in character, making it difficult to say if one vaccine will make us immune. The silver lining is that if the virus is killing someone, it is also dying. This is what happened in H1N1. Today, it is increasingly a case of survival of the fittest,” he added.

Dr Swaminathan added: “What we know now is just the tip of the iceberg. However, an interesting aspect that has emerged is the use of convalescent plasma. People who have recovered have donated plasma with their high levels of antibodies and this has led to positive results in many cases. This is one area where immunity helps both donor and recipient and we need to explore this further.”