Boosting Immunity

[statsman]

News on vitamin D: "Preliminary results from a yet-to-be-peer-reviewed study carried out by scientists from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Foundation Trust and the University of East Anglia have linked low levels of the hormone vitamin D with COVID-19 mortality rates across Europe."

Source: https://www.sciencealert.com/covid-...h-vitamin-d-deficiency-here-s-what-that-means

So, all of the frustrating garden work in the past two weeks in 80 to 90 (F) degrees weather in the afternoon did have a benefit. Although the use of sunscreen probably negates some of that benefit.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Here is an interesting letter to the editor of the BMJ citing other recent research: COVID 19 ICU risk 20 times greater in the vitamin D deficient.

Source:https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m1548/rr-6

 

[Oz investor]

Here is an interesting letter to the editor of the BMJ citing other recent research: COVID 19 ICU risk 20 times greater in the vitamin D deficient.

Source:https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m1548/rr-6

given the current economic impact AND danger of a second wave , one might wonder if a Vitamin D & C + zinc supplement to ( nearly ) everybody might be a cost effective thing even it it reduced hospitalizations by 2 in 1,000 patients, one daily basis ... say for the next year

surely you can pump these out for about 10c a pill ( give extra pills for those with diagnosed deficiencies )

 

[statsman]

given the current economic impact AND danger of a second wave , one might wonder if a Vitamin D & C + zinc supplement to ( nearly ) everybody might be a cost effective thing even it it reduced hospitalizations by 2 in 1,000 patients, one daily basis ... say for the next year

surely you can pump these out for about 10c a pill ( give extra pills for those with diagnosed deficiencies )

The medical community won't support that. There's no money to be made on it.

I wish I were joking.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

The medical community won't support that. There's no money to be made on it.

I wish I were joking.

There is a proverb for that: When money talks, the truth remains silent.

I would encourage other posters who find these studies interesting to email the links to friends and post the links on your other favorite forums or social media accounts so that the demand for more research in this area goes viral, no pun intended. As I have posted previously, for most people having adequate vitamin D (and zinc) would seem to not have any downside and could have many health benefits, possibly including a less severe case of COVID19.

 

[Oz investor]

** I wish I were joking. ***

i wish you were too

HOWEVER if they love Covid so much , maybe they should work with the seriously ill patients 5 days a week ... get elbow deep in Covid , so to speak

i reckon there will plenty of car wrecks , shootings, substance abuse to keep real doctors busy in the future

 

[Old Microbiologist]

Important to understand that aged persons (above 60) do not make Vitamin D in sunlight. The ability diminishes with age so sunlight isn't going to do it for most people.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3501367/

Oral supplements are not all that great either as gut absorption also diminishes as we age. So, we need to have increased UVB exposure and also add in extra supplementation through fortified foods and/or oral supplements. The required amounts are dramatically increased as we age. Wild brown mushrooms (not store bought) are very high in Vitamin D. They must be grown in the sun as they work similarly as our skin. Commercial mushrooms are not grown in the presence of UV-B so do not have sufficient levels of Vitamin D in them. Living in Europe it is common to be able to purchase wild mushrooms at farmer's markets but as always it is important to understand mushrooms so you don't accidentally eat poison mushrooms. There is a useful guide for this:https://www.amazon.com/Field-Guide-Mushrooms-America-Peterson/dp/0395910900

When I was doing my PhD at Cornell I was taught wild mushroom collecting by a fellow grad student from Russia and we spent weekends hunting mushrooms in the forests of upstate New York. It is a lot of fun to do and I encourage people to get into this and it has the benefit of adding Vitamin D to our diets. For those in the Keto diet regimen mushrooms are very beneficial. So a win-win for many.

 

[statsman]

Welp, I'm above 60 and I hate eating mushrooms. Not a fish person, either. No Vitamin D benefit from working 40+ hours in the garden in the afternoons the past two weeks, it would seem. I guess I get to go back to cursing the garden again.

 

[Oz investor]

like mushrooms especially when picked fresh and eaten that evening

fish .. it depends on which type

and have red hair ( going silver now ) which sheds worse than most pooches

vitamin D v. more skin cancers .... decisions , decisions

 

[Mr. Tightwad]

I eat salmon every opportunity to get my vitamin D. Along with other healthy foods. It is tough to get enough D by diet alone. Which is why so many are deficient.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Vitamin D deficiency is linked to lung scarring and blood clots, other symptoms also linked to COVID19.

 

[Oz investor]

the Vitamin D link would explain several trends seen in serious cases

it might be MONTHS before any benefit is proven , but balancing the risk v/ the cost it certainly seems like something you would gamble on as an early option

and let's face it this virus is killing some people

 

[eytonxav]

When I was doing my PhD at Cornell I was taught wild mushroom collecting by a fellow grad student from Russia and we spent weekends hunting mushrooms in the forests of upstate New York. It is a lot of fun to do and I encourage people to get into this and it has the benefit of adding Vitamin D to our diets. For those in the Keto diet regimen mushrooms are very beneficial. So a win-win for many.

I remember when I was scouting colleges many years ago and visiting Cornell, I came to the conclusion the campus and surrounding area was so beautiful it would keep from concentrating on my school work. I ended up in Troy, NY instead. But love the Ithaca area!

 

[sengsational]

I don't think all of these things will turn out to be effective, but it's what Dr. Seheult is reporting as of May 1st.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Dietary selenium is also being reported as a possible factor. I buy bags of Brazil nuts I keep in the fridge and we each have at least one a day.

Article: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200429105907.htm

"The correlation we have identified is compelling, particularly given previous research on selenium and infectious diseases. As such, a careful and thorough assessment of the role selenium may play in COVID-19 is certainly justified and may help to guide ongoing public-health decisions."

 

[eytonxav]

More info on vit D's role in fighting viral infections:
https://newsrescue.com/vitamin-ds-r...O651781vgAOpoIi76mF8Q8T97eCU5KV4RDo1Zs7M3b1NI

 

[statsman]

More info on vit D's role in fighting viral infections:
https://newsrescue.com/vitamin-ds-r...O651781vgAOpoIi76mF8Q8T97eCU5KV4RDo1Zs7M3b1NI

I think I saw that posted elsewhere here, with the main response being anyone 60+ has issues absorbing Vitamin D, whether by food, supplements, or sunlight.

I was disappointed to hear that considering all of the hours spent in the front yard the past three weeks (mostly south-facing). Oh well.

 

[audreyh1]

I think I saw that posted elsewhere here, with the main response being anyone 60+ has issues absorbing Vitamin D, whether by food, supplements, or sunlight.

I was disappointed to hear that considering all of the hours spent in the front yard the past three weeks (mostly south-facing). Oh well.

Blood levels of vitamin D can be monitored. Then you’ll know if you are high enough.

 

[eytonxav]

I think I saw that posted elsewhere here, with the main response being anyone 60+ has issues absorbing Vitamin D, whether by food, supplements, or sunlight.

I was disappointed to hear that considering all of the hours spent in the front yard the past three weeks (mostly south-facing). Oh well.

I am the OP and do not recall seeing this particular link posted, but one of my main points is that as we age our ability to absorb nutrients from food diminishes, let alone assuming one is getting all the vitamins and minerals from their diets. Anyway, vit D is one of those that can diminish with age, and also shows some evidence of anti-viral benefit.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Zinc in the news -

"The antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine has shown mixed results against the coronavirus in early studies, but a new paper out of New York suggests combining it with the dietary supplement zinc sulfate could create a more effective treatment.....Rahimian said that it may be that when used to treat coronavirus patients, it is the zinc that does the heavy lifting and is the primary substance attacking the pathogen....Hydroxychloroquine, on the other hand, acts as an agent that transports the zinc into cells, increasing its efficacy, he suggested."

Source: https://news.yahoo.com/zinc-hydroxy...ective-covid-19-patients-study-215732283.html

 

[martyp]

Zinc in the news -

"The antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine has shown mixed results against the coronavirus in early studies, but a new paper out of New York suggests combining it with the dietary supplement zinc sulfate could create a more effective treatment.....Rahimian said that it may be that when used to treat coronavirus patients, it is the zinc that does the heavy lifting and is the primary substance attacking the pathogen....Hydroxychloroquine, on the other hand, acts as an agent that transports the zinc into cells, increasing its efficacy, he suggested."

Source: https://news.yahoo.com/zinc-hydroxy...ective-covid-19-patients-study-215732283.html

This MedCram video explains how hydro chloroquine works with Zinc. This video was published 2 months ago.

https://youtu.be/U7F1cnWup9M

 

[eytonxav]

Here is some good overall info on Covid19, and if you go down to section 8, it shows some alternative ways to address early on symptoms from respiratory infections that may be worth trying:https://www.lifeextension.com/protocols/infections/respiratory-immune-support

 

[sengsational]

^That's a good all encompassing article. LEF (the publication) was recommended to me by a doctor or I wouldn't have given them much credence (since they hawk supplements). But the doc said to use the references to the papers and discount the pitch.


I would like to see more of a distinction between the early treatment, mid disease, and oh crap, I'm gonna die phases when it comes to drug and other therapies. You really wanted an overcharged immune response early (actually before) virus gets in you. That's innate immune response. Later, with the cytokine storm, your immune response is "bad". The two are very different. The article lacked mention of vWBF and ideas to break that down, but overall, hit the most important points and not too many distractions.

 

[eytonxav]

^That's a good all encompassing article. LEF (the publication) was recommended to me by a doctor or I wouldn't have given them much credence (since they hawk supplements). But the doc said to use the references to the papers and discount the pitch.

One of the best and most reputable sources for high quality supplements.

 

[RAE]

There is growing evidence that you need adequate selenium in your system to help defend against viral attacks, including COVID-19. Here is a section I copied from an article I was reading yesterday, summarizing some of the evidence from studies over the years:


The following details the chronology of referenced work linking selenium to virus occurrence and virulence, including immune function

1970s Selenium supplementation shown to be effective on several thousands of people in China in controlling the often fatal Keshan disease.

By 1984 It was accepted that selenium deficiency predisposes people to viral attack, possibly by impairing the immune function.

By 1987 High risk of HIV-related mortality is associated with selenium deficiency in the USA.

By 1989 Incidence of infectious hepatitis in several thousands in intervention studies in China reduced by supplementation with selenium supplied in salt.

By 2001 Influenza A strain (H3N2) was more virulent in mice raised on a selenium deficient diet.

By 2001 Both Coxsackievirus B1 and an Echovirus 9 caused most heart damage in selenium deficient mice.

By 2002 An increase in selenium intake improves immune function and clearance of poliovirus in adults with marginal selenium status in England.

2020, April Claim that the only people that can be infected by the Covid-19 coronavirus have less than 98.7 µg/L of Selenium in plasma or serum.

2020, April Selenium status was linked to the occurrence of Covid-19 in China; the better the selenium intake and status the less disease
________________________________________________________________
If you don't like taking supplements, you can get adequate selenium by just eating about 3-4 brazil nuts daily.