{"id":18638,"date":"2020-04-03T17:56:39","date_gmt":"2020-04-03T22:56:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thepapergown.zocdoc.com\/?p=18638"},"modified":"2023-03-06T11:16:06","modified_gmt":"2023-03-06T16:16:06","slug":"the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/","title":{"rendered":"The Truth About ‘Boosting Your Immunity’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Coronavirus information changes quickly, so please note the publication date on this story. You can find current<\/em> recommendations and national outbreak data on the CDC<\/a> website. Or, if you want local coronavirus updates, check out the department of health website for your state<\/a> or your city<\/a>. Enjoy reading and stay safe.\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

If you check the news or scroll through social media right now, there’s a good chance you’ll see something about products, foods and drinks that boost immunity. One article<\/span> says to try elderberry syrup, another suggests boiling garlic and others recommend loading up on vitamin C. There’s nothing wrong with adding an herb to your morning smoothie, and vitamin-rich fruits and vegetables have unequivocal health benefits. It’s also natural to seek out ways to protect yourself from getting sick during a global pandemic. But don\u2019t let promises of immune-boosting cure-alls give you a false sense of invincibility \u2014 or make you waste money.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou cannot boost immunity by just taking one or two things,\u201d says Dr. Sean Leng, a professor of medicine, molecular microbiology and immunology at Johns Hopkins Medicine. \u201cThese things probably don’t hurt, but they’re not going to ‘boost’ your immune function overnight. The immune system is a very complicated system, as all systems in the body are.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The immune system has two parts: the innate immune system and the adaptive immune system. The innate immune system includes our skin and the linings of our lungs and gut, all of which create physical barriers to keep pathogens (anything that causes disease) from entering the body. It also includes cells called macrophages and neutrophils that recognize pathogens and produce other molecules to attack the invader. \u201cThis isn’t pathogen-specific,\u201d Leng explains. \u201cYou could have bacteria, the influenza virus or COVID-19 enter the body, and these cells will attack all of those.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On the other hand, the adaptive immune system consists of T and B cells, which fight off specific pathogens, the collective term for viruses, bacteria, fungi and other types of microorganisms that can cause disease. It’s \u201cadaptive\u201d because these cells only evolve once you’ve encountered and recovered from a pathogen.<\/span> \u201cIf you have a virus, after the infection clears, your body develops specific T and B cells against that particular pathogen so that it will be able to respond in a much stronger fashion the next time it encounters the virus,\u201d Leng says. \u201cThe B cells produce antibodies to go out and neutralize the virus, and the T cells are cellular immunity. Those kill the other cells that are infected by the virus so the virus will not survive\u201d in your body.<\/span><\/p>\n

Although genetics influence our immune response, our individual life experiences and environments also play a big role. \u201cOur immune system is constantly shaped by what we are exposed to,\u201d says Dr. Dawn Bowdish, Canada Research Chair of aging and immunity at McMaster University. If we have been exposed to certain pathogens in our environment, then we’re more likely to develop specific immunities to them. In the case of COVID-19, humans had never been exposed to the virus before this outbreak, so no one had built immunity to it. That’s one reason it\u2019s become such a widespread pandemic.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lifestyle factors such as smoking, being inactive, eating an unhealthy diet and excessive drinking can also compromise the overall immune system. And \u201cas we age, immune function declines,\u201d Leng says, which may partly explain why older adults seem more susceptible to becoming severely ill from COVID-19.<\/span><\/p>\n

All of these variables cause each of us to have different responses to different viruses. Some people can be exposed to the coronavirus and not be infected; some people will be infected but have no symptoms; some will develop symptoms but be able to manage them at home, and some will become very sick and need to be hospitalized.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In some cases, serious cases of COVID-19 are actually caused by the immune system overreacting. \u201cA strong inflammation response fights infections, but in COVID-19, part of what is killing people is a strong immune response,\u201d Bowdish says. At the onset, COVID-19 attacks the lungs, where it replicates and travels deep into the lungs. The immune system responds by releasing pro-inflammatory cytokines and other cells. But in some people, this reaction goes too far, setting off what’s called a cytokine storm. \u201cThe immune system is out of control,\u201d Leng says.<\/span><\/p>\n

The resulting inflammation damages the air sacs, which leak liquid in the lungs. \u201cWater in the lungs happens very deep with this virus,\u201d Bowdish explains. \u201cThat’s why so many need ventilator support. It’s just like drowning. Your lungs can’t get oxygen, and the heart compensates by beating harder and harder and harder and faster.\u201d This acute respiratory distress syndrome can lead to death.<\/span><\/p>\n

An overactive immune system can also lead to autoimmune disorders like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis as well as asthma. So if \u201cboosting\u201d the immune system means increasing the response, that’s not necessarily a good thing. Additionally, \u201cthe immune system does so much; some features that might be good for one thing might be bad for another,\u201d Bowdish says. \u201cI don’t know what ‘boosting’ would mean.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

However, there are proven ways to support a healthy immune system. \u201cWe need a good immune response against pathogens so that when a virus comes to attack us, it will kill the virus,\u201d Leng says. \u201cBut when people talk about one food or a quick fix, that will not help, because the immune system needs to be maintained and fostered for longer periods of time. It builds up over the years.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The first thing both Bowdish and Leng recommend is regular physical activity. A sedentary lifestyle is <\/span>associated with<\/span><\/a> impaired immune response<\/span><\/a>. One reason may be that sitting appears to <\/span>increase<\/span><\/a> markers<\/span><\/a> of <\/span>inflammation<\/span><\/a>. \u201cExercise is nature’s anti-inflammatory,\u201d Bowdish says. \u201cMoving and exercise can help support the health of multiple organs so the body can invest less energy in repairing those organs and more energy doing what it needs to do.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A healthy diet also helps. Research <\/span>links diets that are high in sugar and saturated and trans fats, and low in fiber and antioxidants, with immune dysfunction<\/span><\/a> as well as <\/span>changes in the gut microbiome<\/span><\/a>, which affects <\/span>our immune system<\/span><\/a>. \u201cA diet high in fiber, fruit, vegetables and good fats, and low in bad fats and sugars supports a healthy gut that’s not too leaky and a well-functioning immune system,\u201d Bowdish says. The Mediterranean diet in particular may improve innate immune function, according to <\/span>some<\/span><\/a> studies<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

And you can’t overlook good sleep, avoiding or quitting smoking, managing any chronic conditions, and maintaining a strong social network and good mental health, Leng adds. \u201cThe immune system isn’t alone in our body. It’s impacted by <\/span>hormones<\/span><\/a> and by the <\/span>nervous system<\/span><\/a>,\u201d he explains. \u201cOne theory is that <\/span>if we maintain our psychological well-being, it helps to create a good environment for the immune system<\/span><\/a>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

While you can forget about any magic supplement or other quick fix to \u201cboost\u201d your immunity, don’t forget about about the known ways to protect yourself against the coronavirus: Social distancing is critical, so stay home as much as possible, and when you do venture outside to exercise or visit the grocery store, stay at least six feet away from other people. COVID-19 can live for up to <\/span>24 hours on cardboard and up to three days on plastic and stainless steel<\/span><\/a>, so wash your hands regularly. Lastly, if you do start to exhibit symptoms, call your doctor. Only go to the hospital if you have severe symptoms, Leng says. Globally, we may still be working on our immune response, but individually, there\u2019s still plenty that\u2019s within your control.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Ready to book a doctor’s appointment? Visit Zocdoc.<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/h1>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“The immune system needs to be maintained and fostered for longer periods of time. It builds up over the years.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":18603,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[227],"tags":[149,83],"class_list":["post-18638","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","tag-covid19","tag-wellness","reviewer-dr-nassim-assefi","specialist_by_city-find-primary-care-physicians-near-you"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Truth About 'Boosting Your Immunity' - Guides<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\""The immune system needs to be maintained and fostered for longer periods of time. It builds up over the years.\u201d\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Truth About 'Boosting Your Immunity' - Guides\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\""The immune system needs to be maintained and fostered for longer periods of time. It builds up over the years.\u201d\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Paper Gown\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-04-03T22:56:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-03-06T16:16:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HeroWhentoGetTested2-01-1.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"968\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"452\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Brittany Risher Englert\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Brittany Risher Englert\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Brittany Risher Englert\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a715cdc7b4c539f6965310257d130d21\"},\"headline\":\"The Truth About ‘Boosting Your Immunity’\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-04-03T22:56:39+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-03-06T16:16:06+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/\"},\"wordCount\":1315,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HeroWhentoGetTested2-01-1.png\",\"keywords\":[\"COVID-19\",\"Wellness\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Guides\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/\",\"name\":\"The Truth About 'Boosting Your Immunity' - Guides\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HeroWhentoGetTested2-01-1.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-04-03T22:56:39+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-03-06T16:16:06+00:00\",\"description\":\"\\\"The immune system needs to be maintained and fostered for longer periods of time. It builds up over the years.\u201d\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HeroWhentoGetTested2-01-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HeroWhentoGetTested2-01-1.png\",\"width\":968,\"height\":452,\"caption\":\"Kelsey Tyler\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Guides\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/category\/guides\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"The Truth About ‘Boosting Your Immunity’\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"The Paper Gown\",\"description\":\"Stories for and about patients\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Zocdoc\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ZD-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ZD-logo.png\",\"width\":2059,\"height\":1049,\"caption\":\"Zocdoc\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a715cdc7b4c539f6965310257d130d21\",\"name\":\"Brittany Risher Englert\",\"description\":\"Brittany is a writer, editor and digital strategist specializing in health and lifestyle content. She's written for publications including Men's Health, Women's Health, Self and Yoga Journal.\",\"sameAs\":[\"theresa.fisher@zocdoc.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/author\/brittanyrisher\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Truth About 'Boosting Your Immunity' - Guides","description":"\"The immune system needs to be maintained and fostered for longer periods of time. It builds up over the years.\u201d","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Truth About 'Boosting Your Immunity' - Guides","og_description":"\"The immune system needs to be maintained and fostered for longer periods of time. It builds up over the years.\u201d","og_url":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/","og_site_name":"The Paper Gown","article_published_time":"2020-04-03T22:56:39+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-03-06T16:16:06+00:00","og_image":[{"width":968,"height":452,"url":"https:\/\/zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HeroWhentoGetTested2-01-1.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Brittany Risher Englert","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Brittany Risher Englert","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/"},"author":{"name":"Brittany Risher Englert","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a715cdc7b4c539f6965310257d130d21"},"headline":"The Truth About ‘Boosting Your Immunity’","datePublished":"2020-04-03T22:56:39+00:00","dateModified":"2023-03-06T16:16:06+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/"},"wordCount":1315,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HeroWhentoGetTested2-01-1.png","keywords":["COVID-19","Wellness"],"articleSection":["Guides"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/","url":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/","name":"The Truth About 'Boosting Your Immunity' - Guides","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HeroWhentoGetTested2-01-1.png","datePublished":"2020-04-03T22:56:39+00:00","dateModified":"2023-03-06T16:16:06+00:00","description":"\"The immune system needs to be maintained and fostered for longer periods of time. It builds up over the years.\u201d","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HeroWhentoGetTested2-01-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/HeroWhentoGetTested2-01-1.png","width":968,"height":452,"caption":"Kelsey Tyler"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/the-truth-about-boosting-your-immunity\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Guides","item":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/category\/guides\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"The Truth About ‘Boosting Your Immunity’"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/","name":"The Paper Gown","description":"Stories for and about patients","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Zocdoc","url":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ZD-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ZD-logo.png","width":2059,"height":1049,"caption":"Zocdoc"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a715cdc7b4c539f6965310257d130d21","name":"Brittany Risher Englert","description":"Brittany is a writer, editor and digital strategist specializing in health and lifestyle content. She's written for publications including Men's Health, Women's Health, Self and Yoga Journal.","sameAs":["theresa.fisher@zocdoc.com"],"url":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/author\/brittanyrisher\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18638","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/40"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18638"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18638\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18603"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18638"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18638"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18638"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}