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The most important supplements you need for protection against COVID-19 and influenza

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We’re already getting warnings from the CDC and other prominent doctors and scientists that COVID-19 is not going away. Coupled with the influenza threat, which normally starts around October and lasts through March or April, it’s a good idea to start building up your immune system now.

Here are the vital nutritional supplements that health practitioners recommend to protect you from COVID-19 and influenza.

Vitamin D
All the recently published studies are showing that individuals with low levels of vitamin D fared worse from COVID-19 than those with higher levels. Additionally, in a study published April 2020 there is evidence that vitamin D3 supplementation might reduce your risk of influenza and COVID-19 infections and deaths.

The authors of one study recommended that people at risk of influenza and /or COVID-19 consider taking 10,000 IU a day of vitamin D3 for a few weeks to rapidly raise their vitamin D concentrations, followed by 5000 IU a day. For treatment of people who become infected with COVID-19, higher vitamin D3 doses might be useful. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32252338/

Another study advises that older adults, especially those with Parkinson’s disease, should take 2000-5000 IU a day of vitamin D3 which has the potential to slow Parkinson’s while also potentially offering protection against OVID-19. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7287983/

How does vitamin D help?

Vitamin D supports immunity in two ways: 1) It is necessary for the production of antiviral peptides in the respiratory tract, making the respiratory tract less likely to be infected with a virus. 2) It helps promote a balanced inflammatory immune response.

Researchers at Northwestern University analyzed publicly available patient data from 10 countries and discovered a strong correlation between vitamin D levels and cytokine storm—a hyper-inflammatory condition caused by an overactive immune system — as well as a correlation between vitamin D deficiency and mortality. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/05/200507121353.htm

According to Ali Daneshkhah, the study’s first author, “Cytokine storm can severely damage lungs and lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome and death in patients. This is what seems to kill a majority of COVID-19 patients, not the destruction of the lungs by the virus itself. It is the complications from the misdirected fire from the immune system.”

The research team believes that this is where vitamin D plays a major role. Vitamin D enhances our innate immune systems, and prevents our immune systems from becoming dangerously overactive. This means that having healthy levels of vitamin D could protect patients against severe complications, including death from COVID-19.

Lead researcher Vadim Backman said, “ Our analysis shows that it might be as high as cutting the mortality rate in half. It will not prevent a patient from contracting the virus, but it may reduce complications and prevent death in those who are infected.“

Getting enough Vitamin D

Vitamin D is made in the skin as a result of exposure to sunlight. The problem is, most of us do not get the sunlight needed for cutaneous vitamin D synthesis.

Vitamin D is actually a hormone that is made in the skin as a result of exposure to sunlight. The problem is, if you live at a latitude of 42 degrees (a line approximately between the northern border of California and Boston) the sun’s rays are too low between November and February for your skin to get the sunlight needed for cutaneous vitamin D synthesis.

If you live at a latitude below 34 degrees north (a line between Lost Angeles and Columbia, South Carolina) your body can make vitamin D from sun exposure yearlong. However, it’s important to expose a large portion of bare skin (like your midriff) to mid-day sun for at least 15 minutes every day. Most people are unable to fit this into their schedule, so vitamin D supplementation is highly recommended, especially since so few foods contain it.

According to Michael Holick, PhD, MD, an internationally recognized expert on vitamin D and director of the Vitamin D, Skin and Bone Research Laboratory at Boston University Medical Center, approximately one billion people throughout the world are deficient in vitamin D.

Blacks, Browns, and other dark skinned individuals are at even higher risk for inadequate levels of vitamin D because their skin isn’t able to absorb as much sunlight. This may be one of the reasons that these populations have fared so poorly in the fight against COVID-19.

Foods that are high in vitamin D

  • Cod liver oil, salmon, tuna, sardines, herring, smoked whitefish, rainbow trout, swordfish
  • Milk and fortified non-dairy drinks (orange juice, coconut, soy, almond, etc.)
  • Fortified cereals
  • Mushrooms are the only food in the produce section that has vitamin D. Portobello, maitake, white button have the highest vitamin D content.

How much should you take?

Dr. Holick says, “I recommend to all of my patients that they should take 2000-3000 IU of vitamin D a day from dietary sources, sensible sun exposure and supplements. I believe that it is important for women to take at least 2000 IU of vitamin D a day. Although many of the studies are association studies there continues to be strong evidence that increasing vitamin D intake has other health benefits besides those for bone health. From my perspective there is no downside to increasing your vitamin D intake to levels I have recommended in “The Vitamin D Solution” which is 1000 IU of vitamin D a day for children and 2000-3000 IU of vitamin D for adults.” https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmra070553

If you’re over 60, consider taking at least 3,000 IU daily during the summer, and take 5,000 IU in the winter if you want to increase your protection against COVIC-19 and other respiratory illnesses.

Zinc

Zinc is naturally found in the body and is the second most abundant trace element. It is commonly taken to relieve symptoms of the common cold and influenza. It prevents viral replication and the binding of viruses to cells. However, moderate deficiencies can increase the risk of infection.

How does it help?

Researchers are working on lab studies showing how zinc supplementation can help reduce risk of COVID-19. But we know this: Zinc is thoroughly involved in cell-mediated immunity against any infectious agent such as bacteria and virus. Zinc is one of the major factors that control function and proliferation of neutrophils, natural killer (NK) cells, macrophages, and T and B lymphocytes as well as cytokine production by the immune cells. Zinc also mediates protection from the adverse effect of ROS that are generally produced during inflammatory processes. 

Zinc supplementation might play an important role to COVID-19 patients by adding immune boosting effects with anti-viral drugs.

Foods that are high in zinc

  • Meat
  • Shellfish
  • Legumes—chickpeas, lentils, beans
  • Seeds—pumpkin
  • Nuts —cashews,almonds, pinenuts, peanuts
  • Dairy
  • Eggs

How much should you take?

The recommended daily allowance of zinc will vary according to the age, sex, and health conditions of an individual. For healthy adults, the recommended daily allowance is typically 15–30 mg of elemental zinc. Make sure the supplement contains some copper, which makes the zinc more absorbable. The supplement should contain a ratio of 15 mg of zinc to 1 mg of copper.

Other important supplements

Vitamin C and selenium are antioxidants with lots of studies showing how they help support the immune system.

Selenium

Selenium is an essential trace element obtained from the diet (i.e. fish, meat and cereals) which has been found to affect the severity of a number of viral diseases in animals and humans.

Margaret Rayman, Professor of Nutritional Medicine at the University of Surrey, said: “Given the history of viral infections associated with selenium deficiency, we wondered whether the appearance of COVID-19 in China could possibly be linked to the belt of selenium deficiency that runs from the north-east to the south-west of the country.”

Examining data from provinces and municipalities with more than 200 cases and cities with more than 40 cases, researchers found that areas with high levels of selenium were more likely to recover from the virus. For example, in the city of Enshi in Hubei Province, which has the highest selenium intake in China, the cure rate (percentage of COVID-19 patients declared ‘cured’) was almost three-times higher than the average for all the other cities in Hubei Province. By contrast, in Heilongjiang Province, where selenium intake is among the lowest in the world, the death rate from COVID-19 was almost five-times as high as the average of all the other provinces outside of Hubei.

Most convincingly, the researchers found that the COVID-19 cure rate was significantly associated with selenium status, as measured by the amount of selenium in hair, in 17 cities outside of Hubei. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200429105907.htm

How does it help?

Selenium supplementation modulates the inflammatory response in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients by restoring the antioxidant capacity of the lungs, thus improving lung function. When there isn’t enough antioxidant capacity in the lungs because of selenium deficiency, mutations within viruses occur. This makes them even more dangerous and infectious.

Foods that are high in selenium

  • Brazil nuts
  • Tuna
  • Shellfish–oysters
  • Pork chops
  • Beef
  • Chicken
  • Firm Tofu
  • Whole wheat pasta, kamut, oatmeal, brown rice
  • Shrimp
  • Shitake mushrooms

How much should you take?

It’s best to make sure you’re eating foods containing selenium. When taken by mouth: Selenium is LIKELY SAFE for most people when taken by mouth in doses less than 400 mcg daily, short-term. However, selenium is POSSIBLY UNSAFE when taken by mouth in high doses or for a long time. Taking doses above 400 mcg can increase the risk of developing selenium toxicity. Most multi-vitamins contain selenium. Check yours (and yes, you shuld be taking a multi-vitamin. Make sure it contains adequate selenium. The recommended Daily Value (DV) or daily allowance for selenium is 55 mcg per day for adults. During pregnancy, a woman should get 60 mcg, and lactating women should get 70 mcg a day.

Look for my next blog in which I’ll discuss how vitamin C infusions can help keep you from being put on a ventilator if you get COVID-19.

 

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Barbra Cohn cared for her husband Morris for 10 years. He passed away from younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2010. Afterward, she was compelled to write “Calmer Waters: The Caregiver’s Journey Through Alzheimer’s & Dementia”—Winner of the 2018 Book Excellence Award in Self-Help—in order to help other caregivers feel healthier and happier, have more energy, sleep better, feel more confident, deal with feelings of guilt and grief, and to ultimately experience inner peace. “Calmer Waters” is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Boulder Book Store, Tattered Cover Book Store,  Indie Bound.org, and many other fine independent bookstores, as well as public libraries.

What’s new in Alzheimer’s research?

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Photo of real female scientists looking into a microscope, Photo taken behind the glass.June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, so I’ve gathered several new studies that you may find interesting and helpful.

You don’t only avoid holes in your teeth by keeping good oral hygiene, researchers at the University of Bergen have discovered a clear connection between gum disease and Alzheimer´s disease. The researchers have determined that gum disease (gingivitis) plays a decisive role in whether a person develops Alzheimer´s or not.

“We discovered DNA-based proof that the bacteria causing gingivitis can move from the mouth to the brain,” says researcher Piotr Mydel at Broegelmanns Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen (UiB).

The bacteria produces a protein that destroys nerve cells in the brain, which in turn leads to loss of memory and ultimately, Alzheimer´s.

Brush your teeth for better memory

Mydel points out that the bacteria is not causing Alzheimer´s alone, but the presence of these bacteria raise the risk for developing the disease substantially and are also implicated in a more rapid progression of the disease. However, the good news is that this study shows that there are some things you can do yourself to slow down Alzheimer´s.

“Brush your teeth and use floss.” Mydel adds that it is important, if you have established gingivitis and have Alzheimer´s in your family, to go to your dentist regularly and clean your teeth properly.

A new longitudinal study has shown that a nutritional drink* designated a “food for special medical purposes” containing the multinutrient combination Fortasyn Connect® can benefit patients with the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment, who are at risk of progressing to the dementia stage of AD, report scientists in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease Reports.

Opioid analgesics were associated with a 30% increase in the risk of pneumonia in persons with Alzheimer’s disease, a recent study from the University of Eastern Finland shows. The risk was most pronounced in the first two months of use. This is the first study to investigate the association between opioids and pneumonia in this population. The results were published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Various clinical trials indicate what effects can be expected from standardized intervention programs on the basis of existing evidence. Little is known about the way in which such programs can be implemented in actual care practice. However, it may be possible to use data from clinical practice to estimate the potential of drug prescriptions to delay or reduce the development of dementia. The goal of the present study was to investigate the relationship between antihypertensive drug use and dementia in elderly persons followed in general practices in Germany.

Researchers found seniors who ate more than 300 grams of cooked mushrooms a week were half as likely to have mild cognitive impairment

Singapore, Singapore – A team from the Department of Psychological Medicine and Department of Biochemistry at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has found that seniors who consume more than two standard portions of mushrooms weekly may have 50 per cent reduced odds of having mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

A portion was defined as three quarters of a cup of cooked mushrooms with an average weight of around 150 grams. Two portions would be equivalent to approximately half a plate. While the portion sizes act as a guideline, it was shown that even one small portion of mushrooms a week may still be beneficial to reduce chances of MCI.

Copenhagen, Denmark – A new study suggests that vital exhaustion – which can be perceived as an indicator of psychological distress – is a risk factor for future risk of dementia. Researchers from the Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen have, in collaboration with the National Research Centre for the Working Environment, and the Danish Dementia Research Centre, shown that being distressed in late midlife is associated with a higher risk of dementia in later life. The findings contribute to our understanding of psychological distress as an important risk factor that should receive more focus when considering prevention initiatives in relation to later dementia.

Psychological distress can be defined as a state of emotional suffering sometimes accompanied by somatic symptoms. Vital exhaustion is operationalized as feelings of unusual fatigue, increased irritability and demoralization and can be considered an indicator of psychological distress. Vital exhaustion is suggested to be a response to unsolvable problems in individuals’ lives, in particular when being incapable of adapting to prolonged exposure to stressors. The physiological stress response, including cardiovascular changes and excessive production of cortisol over a prolonged period, may serve as the mechanism linking psychological distress with an increased risk of dementia.

Morgantown, WV, USA – A research team led by Dr. Kim Innes, a professor in the West Virginia University School of Public Health, has found that a simple meditation or music listening program may alter certain biomarkers of cellular aging and Alzheimer’s Disease in older adults who are experiencing memory loss. Study findings, reported in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, also suggest these changes may be directly related to improvements in memory and cognition, sleep, mood, and quality of life.

Sixty older adults with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), a condition that may represent a preclinical stage of Alzheimer’s disease, participated in the randomized, clinical trial. While SCD has been linked to increased risk for dementia and associated with certain neuropathological changes implicated in Alzheimer’s disease development, including elevated brain levels of beta amyloid, this preclinical period may also provide a critical window for therapeutic intervention.

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Barbra Cohn cared for her husband Morris for 10 years. He passed away from younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2010. Afterward, she was compelled to write “Calmer Waters: The Caregiver’s Journey Through Alzheimer’s & Dementia”–winner of the 2018 Book Excellence Award in self-help– in order to help other caregivers feel healthier and happier, have more energy, sleep better, feel more confident, deal with feelings of guilt and grief, and to ultimately experience inner peace. “Calmer Waters” is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Boulder Book Store, Tattered Cover Book Store,  Indie Bound.org, and many other fine independent bookstores, as well as public libraries.

 

Mushrooms may reduce risk of mild cognitive impairment by 50%

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Mushrooms - morchella mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, on white background.If  you eat golden, oyster, shiitake and/or white button mushrooms, as well as dried and canned mushrooms, you’re in luck! A team from the Department of Psychological Medicine and Department of Biochemistry at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has found that seniors who consume more than one and one-half cups of mushrooms weekly may reduce their odds of having mild cognitive impairment (MCI) by 50%. 

What is MCI?

Mild cognitive impairment causes cognitive changes that are serious enough to be noticed by people experiencing them or to other family and friends. The changes are not severe enough to interfere with daily activity. People with MCI that involves memory problems are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias than people without MCI. Approximately 15-20 percent of people age 65 or older have MCI.

Mushrooms might be a key to reducing MCI

The correlation between eating mushrooms and reducing risk of MCI is surprising and encouraging, according to Assistant Professor Lei Feng, who is from the NUS Department of Psychological Medicine, and the lead author of this work.

The six-year study, which was conducted from 2011 to 2017, collected data from more than 600 Chinese seniors over the age of 60 living in Singapore. The research was carried out with support from the Life Sciences Institute and the Mind Science Centre at NUS, as well as the Singapore Ministry of Health’s National Medical Research Council. The results were published online in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease on 12 March 2019.

The researchers found that the compound called ergothioneine (ET), a unique antioxidant and anti-inflammatory which humans are unable to synthesize on their own, is the key to possibly reducing MCI. Ergothioneine is found in liver, kidney, black beans, kidney bean and oat bran. But the highest levels are found in bolete and oyster mushrooms.

Other compounds contained within mushrooms may also be advantageous for decreasing the risk of cognitive decline. Certain hericenones, erinacines, scabronines and dictyophorines may promote the synthesis of nerve growth factors. Bioactive compounds in mushrooms may also protect the brain from neurodegeneration by inhibiting production of beta amyloid and phosphorylated tau, and acetylcholinesterase, the culprits of Alzheimer’s disease.

How much do you need to eat?

In the study, a portion was defined as three quarters of a cup of cooked mushrooms with an average weight of around 150 grams. Two portions would be equivalent to approximately half a plate. While the portion sizes act as a guideline, it was shown that even one small portion of mushrooms a week may still be beneficial to reduce chances of MCI.

An article in Science Daily said this: According to Robert Beelman, professor emeritus of food science and director of the Penn State Center for Plant and Mushroom Products for Health, it’s preliminary, but you can see that countries that have more ergothioneine in their diets, countries like France and Italy, also have lower incidents of neurodegenerative diseases, while people in countries like the United States, which has low amounts of ergothioneine in the diet, have a higher probability of diseases like Parkinson’s Disease and Alzheimer’s,” said Beelman. “Now, whether that’s just a correlation or causative, we don’t know. But, it’s something to look into, especially because the difference between the countries with low rates of neurodegenerative diseases is about 3 milligrams per day, which is about five button mushrooms each day.”

 

Mushroom recipes

Cooking mushrooms does not seem to significantly affect the compounds. Roasted or baked mushrooms are simple to make and delicious, and go well with most foods as a side dish or topping.

Wash and slice musthrooms. Lightly oil shallow baking pan large enough to hold mushrooms in single layer. Add mushrooms and toss with 2 to 3 tablespoons oil. Add garlic; season with salt; roastfor 20 minutes stirring on occasion; mushrooms should be browned. Season with pepper.

For baked mushrooms with parmesan, thyme and lemon simply toss with olive oil, Paremesan cheese, garlic, thyme, lemon zest and lemon juice.

For more mushroom recipes google for mushroom risotto, mushroom gravy, cream of mushroom soup, creamy mushroom pasta, mushroom and barley soup.

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Barbra Cohn cared for her husband Morris for 10 years. He passed away from younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2010. Afterward, she was compelled to write “Calmer Waters: The Caregiver’s Journey Through Alzheimer’s & Dementia”–winner of the 2018 Book Excellence Award in self-help– in order to help other caregivers feel healthier and happier, have more energy, sleep better, feel more confident, deal with feelings of guilt and grief, and to ultimately experience inner peace. “Calmer Waters” is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Boulder Book Store, Tattered Cover Book Store,  Indie Bound.org, and many other fine independent bookstores, as well as public libraries.