Feeling Fatigued? Covid-19 Stress May Have Reactivated a Dormant EBV Virus
Your flu symptoms might not be the flu at all.
The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is triggering exhaustion and flu-like symptoms for millions of women, says functional medicine expert Jill Carnahan, M.D. “EBV is super common: 95 percent of people have it. It will lie dormant in the body as long as the immune system is strong. But stress — like that caused by COVID- 19 — can weaken immunity, allowing EBV to reactivate.” In fact, in an Ohio State University study, subjects under increased stress were twice as likely to have EBV reactivation.
Complicating matters: “Most of us are very depleted in magnesium, and when we’re under stress, we go through it even quicker,” says Dr. Carnahan. In one study, subjects with a deficiency were 41 percent more likely to have active EBV in their system.
What you can do:
Your doctor can run tests to see if EBV is behind your fatigue. If so, the steps below can send EBV back into dormancy.
• Sip celery juice. “It’s an incredible herbal medicine that contains ‘sodium cluster salts’,” asserts Anthony William, author of the Medical Medium book series. “These kill off viruses like Epstein-Barr. Celery juice also cleanses the body of toxins viruses feed on and strengthens the immune system.” To do: Juice one bunch of celery and drink daily on an empty stomach; wait 20 minutes before eating breakfast.
• Try supplements. Taking magnesium supplements calms the nervous system to curb the high stress levels associated with EBV, says Dr. Carnahan. William suggests taking 220 mg. of magnesium glycinate twice daily. Also smart: taking 2ml. of liquid zinc sulfate (like Vimergy, Vimergy.com) daily. “Zinc supplements suppresses viral growth while reducing inflammation”, adds William. “It also strengthens white blood cells so they can seek and destroy EBV cells.”
This story originally appeared in our print magazine.
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