Just Ask Terry

Terry is happy to provide his opinion on diet and nutrition, supplements and lifestyle choices. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to replace the advice of your physician and is not to be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Should you have any concerns please contact your physician directly.

Q. “Terry, my husband and I live in Arizona. My husband suffers from COPD and Valley Fever. Is there anything you can suggest that can help him with energy? We prefer natural products whenever possible. He takes only one prescription for COPD, the rest is natural supplements. But he really needs more energy so any suggestions you might have would be appreciated.” —Sugee A. Queen Creek, AZ A. Dear Sugee, First I would like to describe COPD and Valley Fever for those readers who may not be familiar with these conditions. COPD refers to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, a disease of the lungs. The symptoms include coughing, mucus, shortness of breath and wheezing. Valley Fever is an infection caused by inhaling spores from a fungus that is often found in desert areas. There are a wide variety of symptoms, which can be mild or severe, including cough, fever, muscle aches, wheezing, and joint stiffness. Since your husband is under a doctor’s care for a chronic condition, and taking a prescription medication for his COPD, I encourage you to discuss your desire to add more natural products to his daily routine to make sure there is no reason he should not do so. To help reduce any inflammation in the lungs, I suggest a combination of curcumin and boswellia. Although research in COPD is just getting underway, there are preliminary studies that have found that curcumin is helpful in reducing the inflammation of the lungs that can make COPD symptoms worse. Boswellia has been helpful in other inflammatory lung conditions, including asthma, and together curcumin and boswellia provide potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Two things to keep in mind when choosing products: make sure the curcumin has excellent absorption and this is proven in published human studies (curcumin is notoriously hard to absorb) and make sure the boswellia has an AKBA standardization of more than 10% AKBA. There are some excellent combination products on the market. To help clear out mucus and keep airways clear, try thyme and ivy. Both have been found in research studies to ease congestion in the lungs and help expel mucus. Keeping the lungs clear of mucus improves air exchange, which improves oxygen absorption, which improves energy! I suspect that when your husband is breathing more easily he will have more energy. But one additional suggestion is to try chemotyped essential oils, specifically, a combination of the oils of pine, spruce and thyme. These natural energizers, taken at breakfast, can help give him a daylong boost without caffeine or artificial stimulants. Best of luck, and thank you for taking the time to write to me.