Nutrients for Boosting Immunity
by Rebecca Roentsch Montrone
BS Holistic Nutrition, Certified Holistic Health PractitionerProprietor, Wondrous Roots, Keene NH
DISCLAIMER: This information provided on this page is for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
I have to start by saying that while there are those nutrients that shine when it comes to boosting our natural immunity, the most important factor of all is being well-nourished in the first place.
Malnutrition in our modern day and in the Western world is much more common than we might think it is. When a pathogenic invader such as a new virus appears on the scene, poor nutritional status becomes evident, and those at the bottom of the nutritional totem pole succumb much more easily.
Consider our elderly population. In a day of convenience foods, microwave cooking of pre-prepared, processed foods, and in many cases institutional living and care, I would venture to say that the majority of the elderly in this country are hanging onto their lives by a nutritional thread to begin with. Most of them have two or more chronic degenerative diseases or conditions. These are typically managed with medications, and it is not uncommon for seniors to be taking a long daily list of prescription drugs, sometimes up to 10 and beyond.
When an elderly person is considered to need some help with nutrition, the standard recommendations are canned nutritional supplements such as Boost or Ensure. These are nothing but high calorie sources of junk, such as high fructose corn syrup, inflammatory vegetable oils, with some token synthetic vitamins thrown in to look good on the label.
One of my long-time professional fantasies is being able to run an assisted living facility that barred all of those things and served good, old-fashioned, homemade food; no microwave, no aspartame, no Boost or Ensure, no soda, etc. Fresh, locally grown foods. Nutritional supplements of high quality and targeted purposes that nourish the aging body and brain, that increase mitochondrial energy and youthful vitality. Staff would include functional medicine healthcare providers dedicated to healing from the foundation up rather than simply managing disease with polypharmacy.
As it is now, our elderly are many times slowly killing themselves with the lifestyle choices they make and in other cases those that are imposed upon them; this can be through what the government offers in the way of food assistance for those who need it and through the Madison Avenue stocked hospital and nursing facility kitchens.
So what happens to nutrient deficient people when a new infectious agent starts circulating? What happens when the very nutrients that should be present within us are simply not there to begin with? Naturally, those people will succumb much more easily. Their health status is already at a point where they can be knocked over with a feather.
The nutrients I discuss here for preventing, and yes, even treating Covid-19, are all nutrients or endogenous substances – such as glutathione and melatonin – that should be present in much greater levels in the average human body. The elderly, again, are woefully depleted when it comes to these defenses. This is because they naturally stop producing them as time goes on and because the lack the baseline nutrients that help them do that.
Our modern healthcare and food industries have produced a sickly population here in the United States. When confronted with a challenging health situation such as Covid-19, these special interests continue to perpetuate the same misdirected pathway of prevention and treatment. These are hugely lucrative to their respective industries and is the reason they are the options of choice. Just try to get a good nutritional supplement regimen approved for your senior family member in a nursing facility. Good luck. BUT. Don’t refuse those yearly vaccinations; what? two pneumonia, flu, shingles, etc., year after year after year. We use vaccinations in an effort to prevent illnesses that our bodies – if well-nourished – would easily be able to fight off or handle on their own. The vaccinations also interfere with normal immune system function and further weaken the individual’s natural defenses.
Enter Covid-19 into this scene.
The key nutrients that are preventive of infection and that cool off the storm when infection is present, are the very nutrients woefully deficient in the population I describe above. While, generally speaking, the elderly have it the toughest here, a large percentage of our population of all ages do not have the nutritional stores and daily intake of nutrients for vibrant, resilient health.
In the material that follows, please reference the sections below for additional information. My recommended daily doses are fine for daily use and optimal for prevention of infection unless otherwise noted.
VITAMIN D – Vitamin D is not a vitamin at all, really, but a hormone. Vitamin D deficiency is a widespread problem across the globe. There is a strong correlation between vitamin D deficiency and the susceptibility to and severity of Covid-19 infection. Reasons for vitamin D deficiency are many. Among them:
· Lack of UVB sun exposure – sunscreens are a problem here, spending too little time outside, etc., but it isn’t just that.
· People with darker skin have a more difficult time producing Vitamin D.
· Low cholesterol – at the same time we’ve been warning people to slather on the sunscreen, we’ve also been warning them to get their cholesterol levels as low as they possibly can. Cholesterol is the Lord and Giver of Life in the hormonal cascade. For UVB rays to activate the production of Vitamin D when it hits your skin, it has to find the raw material of cholesterol in order to do it.
· Common genetic defects in the Vitamin D receptor (VDR) genes. I often have genetic analysis of methylation factors done for my clients. In the several hundred over the years, I don’t think I remember seeing one person who did not have one of their VDR receptor genes mutated to some extent.
My recommended daily dose of Vitamin D3 (and be sure – unless you are on warfarin for blood-thinning – other blood thinners are fine) that it includes about 100 mcg of vitamin K2: 5,000-10,000 IU daily depending on the person and whether using for preventing infection or handling an infection already present.
VITAMIN C – Intravenous vitamin C has been used with good result for Covid-19 – see info about that by clicking on the link. Vitamin C, while an immune system booster, is used for severe cases of Covid not for that mechanism but to shut off the cytokine storm through its antioxidant activity. We are unable to do achieve this result taking vitamin C orally, and this is because it is very difficult for the body to take it up into the cells through via this route. Liposomal forms are better, because being bound to a fat, the vitamin C has better bioavailability. Use oral, liposomal vitamin C to help keep your immune system strong, and that will certainly help prevent illnesses of many kinds. Thankfully, we can use glutathione and melatonin orally to achieve the antioxidant action we can’t using oral vitamin C. More on that to come.
My recommended daily dose of liposomal vitamin C daily – 1000 – 5000 IU.
ZINC – Zinc is a trace mineral that is found to be extremely low in the elderly population. Please click to see the zinc and Covid information.
My recommended daily dose of zinc is approximately 25-50 mg daily (you can take more than 50 mg if fighting something for the short-term – a few days, but not on a regular basis)
SELENIUM – another trace mineral and also a very, very common nutrient deficiency and found to have direct correlation to Covid susceptibility (and many other problems of the immune system). However, like the other nutrients in this list, immune system support is just one of many mechanisms by which it influences here.
My recommended daily dose of selenium is 200 to 400 mcg, with no more than 400 mcg daily in supplement form and at least 200 mcg.
IODINE– Iodine is a nutrient that virtually everyone in the United States is deficient in and for reasons I won’t get into here. Povidine iodine has been found to arrest the Covid-19 virus instantly and is used as nasal spray for that purpose and prevent transmission. See the material in the link.
My recommended dose for iodine for general health and immune system support – 12.5 – 50 mg Lugol’s solution (potassium iodide/iodine) daily.
GLUTATHIONE – glutathione is a tripeptide made by all of our cells, but most of us do not make nearly enough for optimal health. It has been called the “miracle molecule.” See the paper in the link: Endogenous glutathione deficiency the key factor in poor outcome of severe Covid infection and death. Virtually every single person of advanced age will be low in glutathione. It is key in the development of their degenerative disease conditions, be it cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases such as dementias, Parkinson’s, etc.
As a practitioner, I’ve had very little call for working with Covid-19, but in both cases, a large dose of glutathione turned the corner. Plain l-glutathione is not bioavailable. Reduced glutathione only works it it is nebulized. Fortunately, S-acetyl-l-glutathione in capsule form is better absorbed and much longer acting than glutathione given through IV infusion. In a nutshell, it turns off the cytokine storm of SARS.
My recommended daily dose for S-acetyl-glutathione for health and prevention of Covid is 100 mg/50 lb body weight. If feeling symptoms associated with SARS (dry cough, fever) take a whopping dose at one time of about 1200 mg, then continue to use daily on normal regimen, more if you seem to need it according to your symptoms.
(Here is a firsthand account of glutathione arresting advanced SARS from Covid-19. This happened over mother’s day weekend and was reported in the New York Post – nowhere else, of course.
https://nypost.com/2020/05/09/new-york-mom-with-coronavirus-saved-by-medical-student-son/)
MELATONIN – Melatonin is considered a hormone. It is made in the pineal gland, deep in the brain. Melatonin production also drops way off as people age, and this is because the pineal gland slowly becomes calcified. Fortunately, we can take melatonin in supplement form. You will see in the information through the link that melatonin is suggested as an adjuvant therapy for Covid-19. It works very similarly to glutathione. It is a master antioxidant and also shuts down the inflammatory cytokine storm that comes with severe cases of Covid-19. I use pure melatonin powder with my clients, and for many very health reasons, at what would be considered super high doses by some.
My recommended daily dose for melatonin is 60-180 mg nightly (for therapeutic effects against degenerative diseases of all kinds – cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, diabetes, etc.). If experiencing SARS symptoms such as fever, dry cough, add a dose to the high dose of glutathione recommended above. Symptoms should subside quickly.
ADDITIONAL –
· B-complex in active forms (i.e., methyl-folate instead of folic acid)
· Vitamins A & E – A from fish liver oil not beta carotene 10,000 IU and E in a form that includes mixed tocopherols
· Magnesium chloride
· Mitochondrial-boosting nutrients such as CoQ10, lipoic acid, etc.
For most of my clients, the above regimen is pretty easy to do with the incorporation of a good multivitamin/mineral supplement which covers some of the bases nicely. I also use a topical bio-energy disk programmed with the frequencies of virtually every mitochondrial-boosting nutrient known to man.
General Nutritional Status and Viral Infections: Interesting, if you take the time to read some of the science through the links below, you will note that in many cases the nutrients not only improve your body’s ability to handle the infection but also influence how the infectious agent itself is expressed within you, which is pretty remarkable. This further demonstrates how cultivating the soil, if you will, the terrain of our bodies is the key to staying healthy no matter the threat.
Research Resources
Evidence that Vitamin D Supplementation Could Reduce Risk of Influenza and COVID 19 Infections and Deaths
To reduce the risk of infection, it is recommended that people at risk of influenza and/or COVID-19 consider taking 10,000 IU/d of vitamin D3 for a few weeks to rapidly raise 25(OH)D concentrations, followed by 5000 IU/d. The goal should be to raise 25(OH)D concentrations above 40-60 ng/mL (100-150 nmol/L). For treatment of people who become infected with COVID-19, higher vitamin D3 doses might be useful.
Does vitamin D deficiency increase the severity of COVID-19?
Low vitamin D levels have been associated with an increase in inflammatory cytokines and a significantly increased risk of pneumonia and viral upper respiratory tract infections. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increase in thrombotic episodes, which are frequently observed in COVID-19. Vitamin D deficiency has been found to occur more frequently in patients with obesity and diabetes. These conditions are reported to carry a higher mortality in COVID-19. If vitamin D does in fact reduce the severity of COVID-19 in regard to pneumonia/ARDS, inflammation, inflammatory cytokines and thrombosis, it is our opinion that supplements would offer a relatively easy option to decrease the impact of the pandemic.
Vitamin D Deficiency and Outcome of COVID-19 Patients
Our study demonstrates an association between VitD deficiency and severity/mortality of COVID-19, highlighting the need for interventional studies on Vit D supplementation in SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals.
Vitamin D and Inflammation: Potential Implications for Severity of Covid-19
Conclusions Optimising vitamin D status to recommendations by national and international public health agencies will certainly have benefits for bone health and potential benefits for Covid-19. There is a strong plausible biological hypothesis and evolving epidemiological data supporting a role for vitamin D in Covid-19.
MECHANISMS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY: Vitamin D and COVID-19
The SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic has generated an explosion of interest both in the mechanisms of infection leading to dissemination and expression of this disease, and in potential risk factors that may have a mechanistic basis for disease propagation or control. Vitamin D has emerged as a factor that may be involved in these two areas. The focus of this article is to apply our current understanding of vitamin D as a facilitator of immunocompetence both with regard to innate and adaptive immunity and to consider how this may relate to COVID-19 disease. There are also intriguing potential links to vitamin D as a factor in the cytokine storm that portends some of the most serious consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection, such as the acute respiratory distress syndrome. Moreover, cardiac and coagulopathic features of COVID-19 disease deserve attention as they may also be related to vitamin D. Finally, we review the current clinical data associating vitamin D with SARS-CoV-2 infection, a putative clinical link that at this time must still be considered hypothetical.
Low level of Vitamin C and dysregulation of Vitamin C transporter might be involved in the severity of COVID-19 Infection |
Gregory Patterson1, Carlos M. Isales2,3, Sadanand Fulzele1,2,3,* |
1Department of Medicine, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA. |
NEWS RELEASE 11-NOV-2020
Vitamin C’s effectiveness against COVID may hinge on vitamin’s natural transporter levels
MEDICAL COLLEGE OF GEORGIA AT AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY
Quercetin and Vitamin C: An Experimental, Synergistic Therapy for the Prevention and Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 Related Disease (COVID-19)
Safe, cheap interventions which have a sound biological rationale should be prioritized for experimental use in the current context of a global health pandemic. We present the current evidence for the use of vitamin C and quercetin both for prophylaxis in high-risk populations and for the treatment of COVID-19 patients as an adjunct to promising pharmacological agents such as Remdesivir or convalescent plasma.
The use of IV vitamin C for patients with COVID-19: a case series
Raul Hiedra 1, Kevin Bryan Lo 1, Mohammad Elbashabsheh 1, Fahad Gul 1, Robert Matthew Wright 2, Jeri Albano 1, Zurab Azmaiparashvili 1, Gabriel Patarroyo Aponte 3
Volume 12, June 2020, 100190
Intravenous vitamin C for reduction of cytokines storm in acute respiratory distress syndrome
PERSPECTIVE ARTICLE
Front. Immunol., 10 July 2020 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2020.01712
The Potential Impact of Zinc Supplementation on COVID-19 Pathogenesis
Inga Wessels1†, Benjamin Rolles2† and Lothar Rink1*
- Zinc Directly Inhibits Viral Replication
- Zinc Balances the Immune Response During Infectious Diseases
- Zinc Supplementation in Respiratory Infections
- Risk Groups and Symptoms of COVID-19 and Zinc Deficiency Reveal a Large Overlap
“Zinc supplementation improves the mucociliary clearance, strengthens the integrity of the epithelium, decreases viral replication, preserves antiviral immunity, attenuates the risk of hyper-inflammation, supports anti-oxidative effects and thus reduces lung damage and minimized secondary infections. Especially older subjects, patients with chronic diseases and most of the remaining COVID-19 risk groups would most likely benefit.”
British Journal of Pharmacology
REVIEW ARTICLE
Free Access
Targeting zinc metalloenzymes in coronavirus disease 2019
First published: 15 July 2020
https://doi.org/10.1111/bph.15199
Citations: 1
Abstract
Several lines of evidence support a link between the essential element zinc and the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). An important fact is that zinc is present in proteins of humans and of viruses. Some zinc sites in viral enzymes may serve as drug targets and may liberate zinc ions, thus leading to changes in intracellular concentration of zinc ions, while increased intracellular zinc may induce biological effects in both the host and the virus. Drugs such as chloroquine may contribute to increased intracellular zinc. Moreover, clinical trials on the use of zinc alone or in addition to other drugs in the prophylaxis/treatment of COVID‐19 are ongoing. Thereby, we aim to discuss the rationale for targeting zinc metalloenzymes as a new strategy for the treatment of COVID‐19.
International Journal of Infectious Diseases
Volume 100, November 2020, Pages 343-349
COVID-19: Poor outcomes in patients with zinc deficiency
Author links open overlay panelDineshJothimaniaEzhilarasanKailasambSilasDanielrajaBalajiNallathambiaHemalathaRamachandranaPadminiSekaraShruthiManoharancVidyalakshmiRamanicGomathyNarasimhanaIlankumaranKaliamoorthyaMohamedRelaa
- Patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had significantly low zinc levels in comparison to healthy controls.
- Zinc deficient patients developed more complications (70.4% vs 30.0%, p = 0.009).
- Zinc deficient COVID-19 patients had a prolonged hospital stay (7.9 vs 5.7 days, p = 0.048).
- In vitro studies have shown that reduced zinc levels favour the interaction of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein and likewise that increased zinc levels inhibit ACE2 expression resulting in reduced viral interaction.
J Med Microbiol. 2020 Oct; 69(10): 1228–1234.
Published online 2020 Sep 15. doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.001250
PMCID: PMC7660893
PMID: 32930657
Zinc sulfate in combination with a zinc ionophore may improve outcomes in hospitalized COVID-19 patients
Philip M. Carlucci, 1 Tania Ahuja, 2 Christopher Petrilli, 1 , 3 Harish Rajagopalan, 3 Simon Jones, 4 , 5 and Joseph Rahimian 1 ,*
“In univariate analyses, zinc sulphate increased the frequency of patients being discharged home, and decreased the need for ventilation, admission to the ICU and mortality or transfer to hospice for patients who were never admitted to the ICU. After adjusting for the time at which zinc sulphate was added to our protocol, an increased frequency of being discharged home (OR 1.53, 95 % CI 1.12–2.09) and reduction in mortality or transfer to hospice among patients who did not require ICU level of care remained significant (OR 0.449, 95 % CI 0.271–0.744).
Conclusion
This study provides the first in vivo evidence that zinc sulphate may play a role in therapeutic management for COVID-19.”
Researcher identifies link between Covid-19 and selenium –
Using cumulative COVID-19 outcome data from Feb. 18, the study found that in the city of Enshi, which has the highest selenium intake in China, the cure rate (percentage of COVID-19 patients declared “cured” by that date) was almost triple that of the average for all the other cities in Hubei province. In contrast, in Heilongjiang province, where Keshan is located and selenium intakes are among the lowest in the world, the death rate from COVID-19 was almost 5 times as high as the average of all the other provinces and municipalities outside of Hubei.
“A role for selenium may also help explain phenomena such as the recently reported blood clotting in COVID-19, because selenium is known to have an anti-clotting effect.”
“These findings are particularly significant for myself and Prof. Jinsong Zhang” (who are joint first authors on the new study), he added, “because we had presented research findings at an international symposium on SARS in Beijing in 2003, strongly suggesting that selenium would be a factor in SARS pathogenesis. Many of those observations we made 17 years ago still apply to the SARS-Coronavirus-2, the cause of COVID-19, which is a close relative of the original SARS virus.”
The international collaboration was led by Dr. Margaret P. Rayman at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom.
The link to the actual published study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Selenium donors at the junction of inflammatory diseases
Selenium is an essential non-metal trace element, and the imbalance in the bioavailability of selenium is associated with many diseases ranking from acute respiratory distress syndrome, myocardial infarction and renal failure (Se overloading) to diseases associated with chronic inflammation like inflammatory bowel diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, and atherosclerosis (Se unload).
Dietary Selenium in Adjuvant Therapy of Viral and Bacterial Infections1,2
Holger Steinbrenner,3 Saleh Al-Quraishy,5 Mohamed A Dkhil,5,6 Frank Wunderlich,4 and Helmut Sies3,5,*
Adv Nutr. 2015 Jan; 6(1): 73–82.
Published online 2015 Jan 7. doi: 10.3945/an.114.007575
PMCID: PMC4288282
PMID: 25593145
Iodine Intake to Reduce Covid-19 Transmission and Mortality
- April 2020
DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.18989.84964
- Project: Covid-19, coronavirus
Abstract
A preliminary technical report here showed evidence that increasing our iodine intake within safe levels might be sufficient to help against covid. This report adds subsequently identified information that conclusively shows that raising our iodine intake within safe levels will fully supply the body with amounts that it needs to fight covid in three ways: (1) on the skin before you touch your face, (2) in your nasal passages before you are infected, and (3) if infected, by helping kill infected cells that are replicating the virus. The evidence is replete in the literature, including reasons why the information is not public via the government or mainstream media. This paper summarizes this all and suggests grassroots action.
Molecular Iodine as a New Frontline Defense Against COVID19
Free Dental CE Webinar: Molecular Iodine as a New Frontline Defense Against COVID-19 in the Dental Office
There is overwhelming evidence backed by research that the COVID-19 virus can be safely and effectively inactivated by molecular iodine, the biocidal component of povidone-iodine. D. Scott Trettenero, DDS Dentistry IQ.
PRESENTER: Dr. Herb Moskowitz
DESCRIPTION:
A new generation of super-iodines is being developed with proven anti-virucidal activity against SARS-CoV-2. This course will analyze the efficacy and safety of current anti-microbial rinses and introduce the latest generation of rinses under development. Upon the completion of this webinar, you will be provided with evidence-based studies showing the most effective rinses to protect both patients and staff.
Dr. Herb Moskowitz is the Chairman and Co-Founder of ioTech International. He is the co-author of ioTech’s U.S. patent and global patent applications. He previously founded and served as Chairman and CEO of Advanced Tissue Sciences and Life Medical Sciences, two publicly traded medical technology companies. He has also practiced clinical dentistry for more than 25 years and is a graduate of the University of Tennessee Dental School.
The Use of Povidone Iodine Nasal Spray and Mouthwash During the Current COVID-19 Pandemic May Reduce Cross Infection and Protect Healthcare Workers
10 Pages Posted: 30 Mar 2020 Last revised: 19 May 2020
UConn Health Researchers Find a Simple Oral Rinse Can Inactivate the COVID-19 Virus
June 18, 2020 – Courtney Chandler, UConn Health
Endogenous Deficiency of Glutathione as the Most Likely Cause of Serious Manifestations and Death in COVID-19 Patients
Affiliations
- PMID: 32463221 PMCID: PMC7263077DOI: 1021/acsinfecdis.0c00288
Abstract
Higher rates of serious illness and death from coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection among older people and those who have comorbidities suggest that age- and disease-related biological processes make such individuals more sensitive to environmental stress factors including infectious agents like coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Specifically, impaired redox homeostasis and associated oxidative stress appear to be important biological processes that may account for increased individual susceptibility to diverse environmental insults. The aim of this Viewpoint is to justify (1) the crucial roles of glutathione in determining individual responsiveness to COVID-19 infection and disease pathogenesis and (2) the feasibility of using glutathione as a means for the treatment and prevention of COVID-19 illness. The hypothesis that glutathione deficiency is the most plausible explanation for serious manifestation and death in COVID-19 patients was proposed on the basis of an exhaustive literature analysis and observations. The hypothesis unravels the mysteries of epidemiological data on the risk factors determining serious manifestations of COVID-19 infection and the high risk of death and opens real opportunities for effective treatment and prevention of the disease.
Glutathione against coronavirus
Feb 3, 2020 – Dr. Mark Sircus
2020 Oct;219:108544.
doi: 10.1016/j.clim.2020.108544. Epub 2020 Jul 22.
Therapeutic blockade of inflammation in severe COVID-19 infection with intravenous N-acetylcysteine
Homam Ibrahim 1, Andras Perl 2, Deane Smith 3, Tyler Lewis 3, Zachary Kon 3, Ronald Goldenberg 3, Kinan Yarta 3, Cezar Staniloae 3, Mathew Williams 3
Local doctor says COVID-19 patients noticed results with glutathione
COVID-19: Melatonin as a potential adjuvant treatment
Rui Zhang 1 , Xuebin Wang 1 , Leng Ni 1 , Xiao Di 1 , Baitao Ma 1 , Shuai Niu 1 , Changwei Liu 2 , Russel J Reiter 3
Affiliations expand
- PMID: 32217117 PMCID: PMC7102583DOI: 1016/j.lfs.2020.117583
Free PMC article
Abstract
This article summarizes the likely benefits of melatonin in the attenuation of COVID-19 based on its putative pathogenesis. The recent outbreak of COVID-19 has become a pandemic with tens of thousands of infected patients. Based on clinical features, pathology, the pathogenesis of acute respiratory disorder induced by either highly homogenous coronaviruses or other pathogens, the evidence suggests that excessive inflammation, oxidation, and an exaggerated immune response very likely contribute to COVID-19 pathology. This leads to a cytokine storm and subsequent progression to acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and often death. Melatonin, a well-known anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative molecule, is protective against ALI/ARDS caused by viral and other pathogens. Melatonin is effective in critical care patients by reducing vessel permeability, anxiety, sedation use, and improving sleeping quality, which might also be beneficial for better clinical outcomes for COVID-19 patients. Notably, melatonin has a high safety profile. There is significant data showing that melatonin limits virus-related diseases and would also likely be beneficial in COVID-19 patients. Additional experiments and clinical studies are required to confirm this speculation.
Keywords: COVID-19; Cytokines; Immunomodulation; Melatonin; Oxidation-reduction; SARS-CoV-2.
REVIEW
Melatonin: Roles in influenza, Covid‐19, and other viral infections
First published: 21 April 2020
https://doi.org/10.1002/rmv.2109
Citations: 33
Protection by melatonin in respiratory diseases: valuable information for the treatment of COVID-19
Host nutritional status: the neglected virulence factor
Trends Microbiol. 2004 Sep; 12(9): 417–423.
Published online 2004 Jul 30. doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2004.07.007 Melinda A. Beck, a Jean Handy, b and Orville A. Levanderc
Abstract
The emergence of new infectious diseases and old diseases with new pathogenic properties is a burgeoning worldwide problem. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) are just two of the most widely reported recent emerging infectious diseases. What are the factors that contribute to the rapid evolution of viral species? Various hypotheses have been proposed, all involving opportunities for virus spread (for example, agricultural practices, climate changes, rainforest clearing or air travel). However, the nutritional status of the host, until recently, has not been considered a contributing factor to the emergence of infectious disease. In this review, we show that host nutritional status can influence not only the host response to the pathogen, but can also influence the genetic make-up of the viral genome. This latter finding markedly changes our concept of host–pathogen interactions and creates a new paradigm for the study of such phenomena.
Top image by garlandjasper from Pixabay
Downloadable Documents
You can download any of the sections on this page as PDFs.
Nutrients for Boosting Immunity – Overview
(main page content)
Vitamin D
Vitamin C
Zinc
Selenium
Iodine
Glutathione
Melatonin
General Nutritional Status and Viral Infections
More on Nutrients and Treatments
C19Protocols.com:
Prevention and Early Treatment Protocols, and Physicians and Telemedicine Options https://c19protocols.com/physicians-facilities-offering-early-treatment/
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Study: Vitamin D deficiency found in over 80% of COVID-19 patients
