7 All-Natural Ways to Reduce Your Covid Risk The Covid lockdowns yielded an unusual statistic. For the first time in over a century, the average life expectancy in the United States has fallen (26). However, it is not the result of what you believe. After two years and billions of dollars in research and development, there is still no foolproof cure for Covid. If you are under the age of sixty and in good health, your chances of catching the disease, being hospitalised, or dying from it are quite low (22). 95% of people who died as a result of Covid had another serious medical problem (23). So, what are you going to do? 1. Maintain a healthy BMI (Body Mass Index) Being overweight or obese significantly increases your risk of serious sickness or death from Covid (1). Those with a BMI of 23 or below had the lowest probability of being admitted to a hospital or ICU or dying (2). The chance of being critically sick with Covid rose in correlation with BMI. Trimming down is one of the most effective ways to lower your risk. 2. Exercise for 30 minutes every day Exercise boosts the immune system and decreases the risk of non-infectious diseases including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes (3). According to one study (4), those who were sedentary (0-10mins exercise) daily were three times more likely to be hospitalised with Covid. The World Health Organization (5) advises that people between the ages of 18 and 64 engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week or 22 minutes of physical exercise per day, as well as two strength training sessions. 3. Get Enough Sleep People who obtain more sleep have a lower risk of getting immune-related disorders like Covid (6). The "optimal" sleep time for everyone is mostly determined by heredity (7). A good rule of thumb for most individuals is to obtain 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night (8). 4. Drink Less Alcohol According to one study (9), but drinking beer, cider, and spirits increases your chances of catching COVID. Research (10) indicates that excessive drinking compromise’s immune function, while moderate drinking is unlikely to do so. If you're torn between "moderate" and "severe" alcohol use, or if you're an outspoken boozer, cutting back will reduce your chance of being ill. 5. Unwind The previously mentioned drop in life expectancy is mostly due to increasing sadness and loneliness caused by the lockdowns (29), as well as increased drug usage, smoking, and drug overdoses as a result. Stress may also wreak havoc on your immune system, leaving you more susceptible to infection and disease (11). According to the National Bureau of Economic Research (14), 87 percent of Covid news coverage in the United States has been negative. Technology overuse (15) has even been linked to depression and other symptoms of poor mental health. Listening to classical music (12), spending more time with family and friends (13), and spending less time with technology can all help to ease stress (15). 6. Eat a Healthy Diet The less vitamins, minerals, and nutrients you eat, the fewer resources you'll have to establish a robust immune response, and the greater the likelihood of being critically ill (16). Fruits, vegetables, cereals, lean meats, fish, pulses, nuts, seeds, legumes, and plant oils are all components of a healthy diet that is high in whole, nutritious, and unprocessed foods. There are no hard and fast rules for how much of each meal or food type should be consumed or avoided. 7. Spend Time Outside in Nature A lack of vitamin D can increase your risk of several diseases, including heart disease (17), stroke (18), some cancers (19), and even Covid (20). Spending time in the sun is one of the best ways to maintain your D levels (21). If you live in a freezing northern environment or are bundled up against the cold, supplementation is the answer. Final thoughts Unfortunately, there is no pill, powder, potion, or injection (24) that can protect you from Covid. One research (25) discovered that natural immunity provided longer-lasting and higher protection against infection, symptomatic illness, and hospitalisation caused by Covid when compared to the Pfizer two-dose vaccine-induced immunity. Thanks to experts that have accumulated and examined a great amount of data on Covid, you may easily lower your chances of having a bad case of Covid or contracting it at all by just adhering to these 7 lifestyle behaviours. References 1. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/obr.13128 2. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landia/article/PIIS2213-8587(21)000899/fulltext#seccestitle10 3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21446353 4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33849909/ 5. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity 6. https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-021-02825-4 7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18688819/ 8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29073412/ 9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35047542/ 10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4590612/ 11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22474371/ 12. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7963281/ 13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2921311/ 14. https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w28110/w28110.pdf 15. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563213003993 16. https://gut.bmj.com/content/70/11/2096 17. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18180395/ 18. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18635847/ 19. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18290728/ 20. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.736665/full 21. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8017528/ 22. https://systematicreviewsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13643-021-01636-2 23. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid_weekly/index.htm 24. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanmic/article/PIIS2666-5247(21)00306-2/fulltext 25. https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.24.21262415v1 26. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsrr/vsrr015-508.pdf
