Turmeric & how it can help with The Virus

In December 2019, we saw the first outbreak of a new viral infection- Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2, more commonly called Covid-19. It has wreaked havoc across the globe for just over 2 years so far. Thankfully, the infection rates of the latest variant of coronavirus- Omicron- appear to be dropping. Many adults have had two, if not three, vaccinations. The country is slowly creeping back towards socialising once again. 

However, Covid-19 is still very much with us. The Omicron variant in particular is highly infectious and easily transmissible, although thankfully much less dangerous than previous variants. The majority of people who catch this strain of covid suffer from cold-like symptoms; scratchy throat, runny nose, headaches, muscle aches, tiredness… While not exactly life-threatening, still not at all pleasant. 

Prevention is better than treatment, but even following social distancing and sanitising guidelines to the letter does not guarantee you won’t catch Covid-19. There is, however, a remarkable assistant on hand: turmeric. 

Turmeric and Prevention of Covid-19

The best way to minimise infection risk is to follow the basic rules of covid safety: keep space between people, ventilate crowded areas, and wash hands well and often. 

That’s not to say there aren’t also other things that can help you avoid Covid-19 in the first place. One of these is perhaps the simplest of all- a turmeric supplement. How can a commonly used household spice help prevent covid? Well, it does not guarantee immunity, but it does increase resistance to the disease.

Without going too heavily into the science, the way a lot of viruses infect the human body is through cell reproduction. When the virus infects cells, it needs to copy and replicate itself as many times as it can, quickly, in order to infect us. Most viruses, such as Covid-19 or HIV, do not have the ability to reproduce itself, so they use our own cells to help them reach their goal. The virus will inject its genetic material into particular cells (CD4 cells) and use them like a virus-production factory. 

Within our body, a busy system of enzymes works to extract desired nutrients from our food and break them down into compounds our body can make use of. Lipase breaks down fats, amylase breaks down carbohydrates, and protease breaks down protein. However, unlike the other two, protease carries out several other important roles too

·       Cell division

·       Immune support

·       Blood clotting

·       Reuse of proteins

It is these extra duties that make them a key target for viruses. Unable to replicate cells themselves, the virus will take over healthy cells and highjack the protease. The virus can then multiply, and quickly reach dangerous levels, overwhelming the immune system. 

So How Does Turmeric Help?

Turmeric disrupts the work of protease enzymes. 

Technically speaking, curcumin- the component that gives turmeric its distinctive colour- has been shown to disrupt the particular protease enzyme that Covid-19 (and some other viruses) relies on. This means that the virus cannot replicate itself as easily or quickly, giving our immune system time to step in before we’re overwhelmed. There are some clever scientists working on extracting curcumin for stand-alone use, but for now, the easy- and natural- way to get curcumin is through consuming turmeric. 

Turmeric is classed as a functional food. 

A functional food is food that has beneficial effects on the body beyond the basic nutritional benefits, and either reduces the risk of disease, or improves health. They are natural foods and have properties which can be anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-diabetic, antioxidant, to name a few. 

As you might have guessed, functional foods are our favourite foods at Booyah Vitality. They’re the basis for our range of drinks; the dandelion root in our Dandelion Coffee, our Kombucha, and of course, the Turmeric Shots.  

But what if you’ve already caught Covid-19?

Turmeric and Treatment of Covid-19

Sometimes, all the handwashing, distancing, and turmeric supplements in the world just can’t stop you catching Covid-19. Good news- the miracle work of turmeric does not stop just because you’ve caught the virus!

The majority of people who catch Covid-19 suffer from the typical symptoms of an upper respiratory tract infection: cough, sore throat, fever, runny nose, headaches, etc. Some people, particularly those with a compromised immune system or underlying health issue, have a severe reaction to the virus leading to hospitalisation, and even fatality. 

Turmeric, or more exactly curcumin, has been found to have a beneficial effect on many of the symptoms of Covid-19 in both mild and severe reactions. A compound that is released during inflammation, called Bradykinins, is the cause of the typical ‘covid cough’. A triple-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial found curcumin to be effective at reducing this particular type of cough. 

Chemokines are compounds in the body that play a critical role in fighting viral infections by leading immune cells to sites of infection. However, as with anything, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing, and covid-19 encourages the excessive production of chemokines. Too much of an immune response leads to inflammation, and potentially acute respiratory disease syndrome (ARDS), which leads to lung damage and is the main cause of death in severe Covid-19 cases. But, just like turmeric disrupts protease enzymes, it also inhibits the release of chemokines. Usually, immune responses and helpful, but in the case of excessive inflammatory response to Covid-19, inhibiting the release of chemokines can prevent the development of ARDS. 

For those of use with milder symptoms, turmeric should still be firmly in your daily routine.  

Losing your taste and smell is a common symptom of Covid-19, although less so with the Omicron variant. Taking a turmeric capsule has been shown to rapidly recover these senses- sometimes within merely hours!- even in people who tried several other medications first.

Turmeric is a natural analgesic, which basically means it’s nature’s painkiller. It can help relieve muscle pains, and soothe headaches. It’s also a blood thinner. This means that it can decrease the risk of blood clots- an uncommon, but potential, side effect of the covid-19 vaccinations. 

In short, turmeric is a bit of a miracle worker. 

Even before covid, everyone would have benefitted from a daily shot of turmeric. Now, there’s really no excuse. Give your immune system the boost it needs, whether you’re looking to relieve your symptoms, or looking to avoid the infection in the first place.