Long Covid Natural Treatment Strategies with Dr. Hedberg
Written by 
Dr. Michael Ruscio, DC on
August 29, 2022
Why long COVID affects some more than others and which nutritional, herbal, and lifestyle interventions (like protein, sleep, and amino acids) can help improve symptoms
For many years, Dr. Hedberg has been a speaker in the functional medicine arena, presenting on autoimmune disease and the connection between infections and chronic illness. In this podcast, he speaks about why long COVID affects some more than others and what nutritional, herbal, and lifestyle interventions can help improve symptoms. Listen in to hear more.
Long COVID predictors
- Age
- Sex
- Comorbidities (obesity, asthma, diabetes, etc.)
- Vaccination status
- Social determinants
Potential causes of long COVID
- Viral antigen persistence
- Gut dysbiosis
- Systemic and tissue specific inflammation
- Reactivation of herpes virus, Epstein Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, or shingles
- Microvascular dysfunction
- Immune system dysregulation
Goals to improve long COVID symptoms
- Improve body mass and insulin resistance
- Re-establish immune system balance
- Restore gut health
Healing approaches to long COVID
- Dietary: Green leafy vegetables, berries, green tea, beetroot juice, a low histamine diet, intermittent fasting, adequate protein consumption (starting with 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram body weight)
- Herbs and supplements: L-Citrulline, arginine with vitamin C, garlic, slippery elm, melatonin, turmeric, glutathione, Resveratrol, ashwagandha, ginger
- Lifestyle choices: sleep hygiene, vagus nerve stimulation
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Dr. Michael Ruscio is a DC, natural health provider, researcher, and clinician. He serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Bridgeport and has published numerous papers in scientific journals as well as the book Healthy Gut, Healthy You. He also founded the Ruscio Institute of Functional Health, where he helps patients with a wide range of GI conditions and serves as the Head of Research.
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