Gloria & Emilio Estefan Open Up to Dr. Juan Rivera About COVID-19 and More

Dr. Juan Rivera is a best-selling author on heart health, and known as Univision’s chief medical correspondent. Now, the renowned cardiologist is becoming a special correspondent for “Extra,” teaming up with Gloria and Emilio Estefan to talk about the COVID-19 health crisis.

Gloria battled the coronavirus in November. Dr. Juan asked her and Emilio, “If you have to summarize COVID in one word, what would that be?” Gloria answered, “Fear!” Emilio added, “Like Gloria said, ‘scared,’ because you don't know how it's going to happen to you… because different people have different symptoms.”

Gloria’s case was mild. She stayed on top of her medical care from the start. Dr. Juan said, “I've always told Gloria that she's an AAD — that's ‘almost a doctor.’ Because she told me one time that she wanted to be a doctor.” Gloria added, “And I’ve got my own lab coat here,” laughing.

She has always taken supplements to boost her immune system. Dr. Juan pointed out that she has mentioned taking vitamin C and zinc in the past. “What else do you take on a daily basis?” he asked.

Gloria told him, “I was already taking a lot of D3, I take sublingual B12, which is really good to boost your immune system… which I'm sure most of that had a lot to do how my body endured the virus.”

The Estefans are also doing their part to battle COVID-19. Gloria donated plasma and Emilio got the vaccine on local TV to fight skepticism in the Latino community. Emilio shared, “I didn’t feel nothing — the only thing I feel is secure. I feel more protected, and that’s the only hope we have.”

The couple recently lost the president of their company, close friend Frank Amadeo, to heart disease. For American Heart Month, Dr. Juan has some lifesaving tips.

Dr. Juan shared that red yeast rice is known for decreasing production of cholesterol in your liver, and another home remedy for blood pressure is hibiscus tea. He added that for an energy boost, “You might want to try something like maca, which is, you know, a Peruvian root that gives you energy.” He joked, “I’m not saying it’s going to be like Emilio Estefan… but it will get your day going.”

The doctor also put Gloria to the test with a med school crash course, and she dished out some home remedies of her own. Watch!