How to build your immunity in the time of COVID-19, according to honorary general physician to former Presidents of India

In addition to masks and sanitizers flying off the shelves, it is the immunity-booster products like chyawanprash (an ayurvedic herbal supplement) and herbal tablets, which are experiencing a huge surge in demand. As the number of novel coronavirus patients are rapidly rising in India with the death toll already touching 166, people across the country are turning to ayurvedic medicines and supplements to boost their immune system.

With no definitive cure in sight for the COVID-19, there has been a drastic shift in the approach of the general public when it comes to battling infectious conditions. People are gravitating towards various preventive measures to strengthen their immune system and to battle the highly contagious novel coronavirus.

As per the Ministry of Ayush (The Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha), alternate forms of medicines may function as preventive measures to protect against the spread of COVID-19 and might also be useful in the symptomatic management of the novel coronavirus.

We spoke to Dr Mohsin Wali, honorary general physician to the former Presidents of India and asked him to shed light on the efficiency of the Ayurvedic immunity boosters. Here are the major takeaways:

Chyawanprash is an age-old Ayurvedic formulation of nutrient-rich herbs and minerals. Since Amla (Indian gooseberry) is the prime ingredient of this Ayurvedic supplement, Dr Wali maintains that it a good source of antioxidants and can help the body develop the required strength to fight infections. He also stressed on the fact that none of the supplement available in the market can skyrocket your immune system overnight.

However, Chyawanprash, when consumed in the right quantity (not more than 1 tablespoon per day, preferably in the morning), acts as a strong antioxidant which will help in protecting your cells against free radicals. For the uninitiated, free radicals are unstable atoms in the body which can lead to degenerative processes. It is important to note that high blood pressure and diabetes patients should consult their medical practitioner before consuming Chyawanprash and other Ayurvedic supplements.

Dr Wali also insisted on paying attention to our dietary habits and eating a balanced diet consisting of fresh fruits, salad and green vegetables. Make sure that that the food isn’t too oily or spicy. You can also include Haldi wala doodh (Milk with turmeric powder), kalonji (fennel flower) and dalchini (cinnamon) powder to strengthen your body as they are loaded with antioxidants.

One of the first things that you need to do in order to kickstart your immunity is to quit smoking and drinking right away. The minute you stop smoking and drinking, you actually give your body a helping hand in kick starting its natural defence system.

Ultimately, no matter what you do or don’t do, what goes inside your head has a lot to do with how your body reacts. So, when you consciously destress yourself and avoid unnecessary tension and stress, you pave the way to a stronger immune system. When you focus on positive thoughts and do not entertain constant negativity, it may help in reducing the inflammation in your body and prevent the stress from bogging your health down.

In our increasingly hectic lives, we have begun to compromise on almost all the aspects of a healthy lifestyle including a goodnight’s sleep. With the constant engagement of the gadgets and the undying need to check what is happening online has left a lot of us with poor, broken quality of sleep. What you don’t realise is when you don’t sleep well, it hampers your body’s ability to fight back any inflammation and disease.