Lifestyle Changes, Nutrition, Supplementation to Address Long COVID or PASC

Research suggests that between one month and one year after having COVID-19, 1 in 5 people ages 18 to 64 has at least one medical condition that might be due to COVID-19. Among people age 65 and older, 1 in 4 has at least one medical condition that might be due to COVID-19.

Some people with COVID-19 have lingering symptoms for weeks or months after they begin to recover. You might know this as “long COVID.” Experts have coined a new term for it: post-acute sequelae SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC).

Broad Symptoms :
  • Fatigue
  • Getting tired very quickly physically and mentally
  • Brain fog
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Heart palpitations
  • Neurological symptoms or mental health conditions, including difficulty thinking or concentrating, headache, sleep problems, dizziness when you stand, pins-and-needles feeling, loss of smell or taste, and depression or anxiety
  • Joint pain
  • Muscle pain
  • Digestive issues
  • Blood clots
  • Changes in the menstrual cycle

Read more at about long Covid at below resources

Reasons:
  • Experts don’t know why people get long COVID. Research continues on that.
  • Some of the experts in the area of Functional medicine and holistic medicine claim that the virus may attack the Mitochondria in our cells. Mitochondria use aerobic respiration to generate most of the cell‘s supply of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is subsequently used throughout the cell as a source of chemical energy.
  • It is speculated that our bodies cannot generate enough amount of energy (ATP) as our cellular mitochondria are not functioning optimally. This is called Mitochondrial dysfunction. This may be the reason for all or some of the above symptoms.

Read more about Mitochondrial dysfunction at below resources

What to do Now

It is recommended to take some action with the resources we have in hand before we get clarity on the proven treatment options for Long Covid. We need to try our best to improve our lives with what we have and where we are.

Lifestyle Changes:
  • Get outside and experience natural light.
  • Spend some time in Sunlight.
  • Hydrate optimally. Drink some water in regular intervals even if not thirsty.
  • Set up a routine for everything that you do daily. Fix times for exercise, feeding, sleeping, spending time with family etc., Be regular and stick to scheduled time as much as possible.
  • Have regular physical activity and sweat it out. Do activities and exercises that increase your heart rate.
  • Regular movement every 30 to 45 minutes. Do not sit for long. Keep moving throughout the day.
  • Walk for 10 to 15 minutes after having a meal.
  • Eat healthy foods high in protein, healthy fats and fiber. Eat whole foods.
  • Do some deep breathing exercises or practice meditation.
  • Yoga or some stretching exercises may relieve joint or muscle aches.
  • Avoid snacking in between the meals if possible.
  • Avoid inflammatory habits and foods like processed foods, fast foods and deep fried foods.
  • Stop smoking tobacco.
  • Stop drinking alcohol.
  • Reaching out to an expert for training and nutrition or reaching out to a therapist for improving mental health condition is helpful.

Read more at

Nutrition and Supplementation:

One may either choose to eat foods high in below nutrients or supplement them with an expert guidance. All of the below nutrients support in proper Mitochondrial functioning apart from numerous other benefits.

  • Vitamin D3
  • Vitamin E
  • All B Vitamins including Biotin
  • Vitamin C
  • Magnesium
  • Zinc
  • N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC)
  • CoQ10
  • Omega 3 fatty acids
  • L-Carnitine
  • Resveratrol
  • Selenium
  • Caffeine

~Praveen Jada

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