Source:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3183890/

Elderberry juice

Elderberry compounds could help minimize flu symptoms the study suggests:

Source University of Sydney 23^rd April 2020. reported in Sciencedaily.com

In summary:

Compounds from elderberries can directly inhibit the virus’s entry and replication in human cells, and can help strengthen a person’s immune response to the virus.

The team also found that the elderberry’s antiviral activity can be attributed to its anthocyanidin compounds — phytonutrients responsible for giving the fruit its vivid purple colouring.

“The study has shown is that the common elderberry has a potent direct antiviral effect against the flu virus,” said Dr Golnoosh Torabian.

“It inhibits the early stages of an infection by blocking key viral proteins responsible for both the viral attachment and entry into the host cells.”

reported  at  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190423133644.htm

Andrographis

Andrographis (Andrographis paniculata) is an herb long used in traditional Chinese and Indian medicines Ayurveda. Andrographis is a bitter-tasting herb rich in compounds known as andrographolides. These compounds are thought to have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antioxidant properties.  Andrographis is most widely used to treat cold and flu symptoms. Andrographis is also said to act as a natural immune-booster. The herb is also used to treat other conditions.

As reported on www.verywellhealth.com

Upper Respiratory Tract Infections

In a research review published in 2017, scientists sized up 33 previously published clinical trials and found that andrographis appears to be beneficial for relieving symptoms of acute upper respiratory tract infections and ARDS when compared to other herbs, standard care, or a placebo.5  Andrographis was also found to shorten the duration of cough, sore throat, and sick days compared to standard care.

Source https://www.verywellhealth.com/can-andrographis-boost-immune-function-89538

The Science on vitamins as reported on www.dw.com

https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-and-how-to-boost-the-immune-system-with-vitamins/a-53360766

COVID-19: How to boost the immune system with vitamins

A functioning immune system is crucial in the fight against COVID-19. To maintain it, the body needs sufficient vitamins and other nutrients. But that is exactly what many people lack.

Wearing masks, keeping your distance, washing your hands — those rules currently apply around the globe. There is not much more we can do, except wait for an effective drug for Coronavirus to be developed. Right? No, not quite!

There is something else that is now more important than ever and that should be no less stressed than good hand hygiene. Something that has not gained a prominent place in either the public debate or in the catalogue of government recommendations: a functioning immune system.

Biochemist Adrian Gombart who is doing research on the relevance of nutrients  for the immune system at the Linus Pauling Institute of Oregon State University, wanted to change this situation. Together with his colleagues, he set about producing a review paper  summarizing the results of studies on different nutrients and their influence on the human immune system. These are findings that could be an additional weapon in the fight against the novel coronavirus.

Why we need vitamins

Nothing works without vitamins

“The measures being taken are all important. But it is also important that we pay attention to our nutrient status so that our immune system can function at all,” said Gombart. This is especially important in stressful times like these, when we tend to comfort ourselves with junk food, he says. After all, getting enough nutrients is not really a focus of our interest at the moment.

Yet vitamins C and D and other micronutrients such as zinc, iron and selenium are much more than just “nice to have.” In the worst case, a nutrient deficiency can open the door to the viruses because the body is unable to defend itself against the invaders. For people who belong to a risk group, the danger of a severe course of disease is then particularly high.

This comes down to simple biochemistry: “Every cell in our body uses different micronutrients to function,” says Gombart. Micronutrients include vitamins, minerals and omega fatty acids.

Unlike macronutrients such as fat, carbohydrates and protein, the micronutrients do not provide the body with energy, but they are nevertheless essential for the basic functions of an organism — not only for cell metabolism, but also for the defence system.

Holding the lines of defence

Adrian Gombart’s research focuses mainly on Vitamin D “A few years ago, our research group discovered that vitamin D regulates the expression of a gene encoding an antimicrobial peptide,” he says. Such peptides are involved in the body’s non-specific defence mechanisms. “Vitamin D is also involved in the regulation of other immune-related genes,” Gombart says.

Are vitamin D supplements helpful?

On the other hand, a vitamin D deficiency can leave a gap in our body’s defences. Intruders then have an easier time of it.

But in the best-case scenario, the human body can do a lot to defend itself. Intruding germs must first pass through the skin and mucous membranes. If they manage to overcome this first line of defence, the body reacts to the invaders with phagocytes, antimicrobial proteins and inflammation. These processes are among the body’s non-specific defence mechanisms. But if this generalized defense does not help, things have to become more precise.

SARS-CoV-2 can be fought only by a very specific immune response. Lymphocytes detect foreign microorganisms and molecules alien to the body – such as viruses. The lymphocytes can then produce antibodies and go into battle like sharpshooters.

Vitamin C against pathogens

These processes can function as they are meant to only if the body is well-equipped — for example, with vitamin C is needed, among other things, to form reactive oxygen species, also known as oxygen radicals. These radicals are another of the body’s weapons in the fight against pathogens,” says Gombart. Vitamin C is also involved in the production of antibodies, without which the body cannot keep COVID-19 in check.

High doses of vitamin C are thus used to treat patients suffering from COVID-19 and undergoing intensive medical treatment, says Isabelle Schiffer.

Schiffer is a geneticist and gerontologist and the scientific spokesperson of the Forever health Foundation .

Naturopathy from a scientific point of view

This holistic approach also includes naturopathy. In order to “make a contribution” during the coronavirus crisis, as Schiffer says, the Forever Healthy team set out to find medicinal plants whose effectiveness has been confirmed in clinical studies.

Schiffer and her colleagues have identified elderberry as one of the plant substances that might be helpful in the fight against COVID-19: “Clinical studies have shown that elderberry extract reduces the likelihood of catching a cold and shortens the duration of respiratory problems in influenza patients,” said Schiffer.

Food or dietary supplement?

Both Isabelle Schiffer and Adrian Gombart believe that it is currently advisable to increase the dose of vitamins and other micronutrients with the help of supplements. Most people lack enough vitamin D in particular.

Vitamin D3  Research of benefits:

“Vitamin D may be better than a mask for Covid-19 “source Mercola.com  29.06.2020

In Summary

Vitamin D helps regulate immune function and prevent respiratory illnesses in general (including ARDS), and data analyses show clear parallels between vitamin D levels and the risk of infection, severity and mortality from COVID-19 as well

Darker skin requires far more sun exposure to produce adequate vitamin D, so much so that dark-skinned individuals living north of the equator are virtually guaranteed to be chronically deficient especially in winter.

The Frontline Immune Support Team point out that vitamin D:²

“… plays a critical role in your immune defence system, both in reducing flu-like days of illness if your blood level is sufficient, and in helping your immune system respond when under viral attack. It speeds up recovery from pneumonia.

Two in five adults have a level of vitamin D below 25nmol/l, especially in late winter months such as February and March (Northern Hemisphere), that is likely to almost double their risk of flu. A vitamin D level above 100 nmol/l correlates with the lowest numbers of flu-like days. The moral of the story is to get your level up as quickly as possible.”

Vitamin D Level Correlates with Risk of Respiratory Infection( ARDS)

Clinical trials using vitamin D against COVID-19 are currently underway,⁴ but we don’t need to wait for results to know that vitamin D optimization is a good idea. SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped virus, which means it’s more difficult for your immune system to identify and destroy it.

Vitamin D could almost be thought of as a designer drug for helping the body to handle viral respiratory infections. It boosts the ability of cells to kill and resist viruses and simultaneously dampens down harmful inflammation, which is one of the big problems with Covid. — Adrian Martineau, professor of respiratory infection and immunity.

However, as noted by The Frontline Support Team, we already know higher vitamin D levels are inversely associated with infection by many other enveloped viruses, including dengue, hepatitis, herpes, HIV, rotavirus, respiratory syncytial virus and influenza.

Vitamin D also strengthens cellular junctions, thereby making it more difficult for viruses to gain entry through your eyes, ears, lungs and mucus membranes. This in turn makes the infection less likely to migrate down into your lungs.⁷ Importantly, vitamin D also strengthens the adaptive arm of your immune system, and its ability to produce antibodies. As reported in The Guardian:17.06.2020

“Public health officials are urgently reviewing the potential ability of vitamin D to reduce the risk of coronavirus. It comes amid growing concern over the disproportionate number of black, Asian and minority ethnic people contracting and dying from the disease, including a reported 94% of all doctors killed by the virus …

Vitamin D — ‘Designer Drug’ Against Viral Infections

Adrian Martineau, a professor of respiratory infection and immunity at Queen Mary University of London, is currently leading the “Covidence UK Study,” Martineau told “The Guardian” that COVID-19 deaths among black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) staff within the NHS raises important questions about vitamin D status.¹²

“Vitamin D could almost be thought of as a” designer drug” for helping the body to handle viral respiratory infections(ARDS). It boosts the ability of cells to kill and resist viruses and simultaneously dampens down harmful inflammation, which is one of the big problems with Covid,” he told the paper.

Why People of Color are at an Increased Risk

There’s a simple reason why BAME groups are more susceptible to COVID-19. Darker skin requires far more sun exposure to produce adequate vitamin D, so much so that dark-skinned individuals living north of the equator are virtually guaranteed to be chronically deficient.

According to data collected by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2005 and 2006, and published in 2018, 82.1% of black American adults and 62.9% of Hispanic adults are deficient in vitamin D. As noted in that paper, lower melanin levels are protective of vitamin D deficiency, and the darker your skin, the more likely you are of having a low vitamin D level.

The good news is that this predisposition is easily and inexpensively remedied. The Frontline Support Team has made good strides toward protecting health care workers, so far supplying about 750 NHS frontline staff with free supplement packs. But the general public also needs it, too. At bare minimum, the public needs the information.

What Science Says About Vitamin D

By now, there’s a very long list of scientific evidences pointing toward vitamin D optimization as being a crucial component for preventing another spike in COVID-19 deaths.

Ivor Cummins, chief program officer for Irish Heart Disease Awareness, explains how higher levels of vitamin D may reduce your risk of negative outcomes from COVID-19.( in particular ARDS) Studies supporting this view include but are not limited to the following:

Vitamin K the one Vitamin that may save you from the Coronavirus

A new study shows the vitamin K found in cheese and leafy greens can help stave off coronavirus.

By Alek Korab June 7, 2020 Source www.eatthis.com/coronavirus-vitamin-k/

As you fortify yourself against the coronavirus—wearing a mask, social distancing and keeping your immune system strong—there may be one vitamin you’re have missed that may hold the key in keeping you safe from COVID-19: Vitamin K. New findings may show “a link between deficiency and the worst coronavirus outcomes,” as reported in the Guardian.

Why Vitamin K May Be the Key

“COVID-19 causes blood clotting and leads to the degradation of elastic fibers in the lungs,” explains the paper about the findings. “Vitamin K, which is ingested through food and absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, is key to the production of proteins that regulate clotting and can protect against lung disease.”

Since COVID-19 is a respiratory disease, this protection could be key in adding another level of protection. The research, headed up by Dr. Rob Janssen, was done in partnership with the Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, a heart and vascular research institute in Europe. Over the course of a month, they studied 134 patients and found many who had died or been admitted to the ICU lacked the vitamin.

“My advice would be to take those vitamin K supplement,” Dr. Janssen told the Guardian. “Even if it does not help against severe Covid-19, it is good for your blood vessels, bones and probably also for the lungs.

How to Get More Vitamin K

“We have [vitamin] K1 and K2. K1 is in spinach, broccoli, green vegetables, blueberries, all types of fruit and vegetables,” Janssen continued. “K2 is better absorbed by the body. It is in  cheese and can be taken as a supplement.

Also a Japanese delicacy of fermented soya beans called natto is particularly high in the second type of vitamin .

“I have worked with a Japanese scientist in London and she said it was remarkable that in the regions of Japan where they eat a lot of natto, not a single person to died of Covid-19;

The research, undertaken in partnership with the Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, one of Europe’s largest heart and vascular research institutes, studied 134 patients hospitalised for Covid-19 between 12 March and 11 April, alongside a control group of 184 age-matched patients who did not have the disease.

Vitamin C   Can Vitamin C protect you from Covid-19?

Source Healthline.com Written by SaVanna Shoemaker, MS, RDN, LD on April 2, 2020 — Medically reviewed by Jillian Kubala, MS, RD

With the 2019 coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, it’s especially important to understand that no supplement, diet, or other lifestyle modification other than physical distancing, also known as social distancing, and proper hygiene practices can protect you from COVID-19.

While physicians and researchers are studying the effects of high dose intravenous (IV) vitamin C on the new coronavirus, no supplement, including vitamin C, can prevent or treat COVID-19.

What is vitamin C?

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient with several roles in your body. It’s a potent antioxidant, meaning it can neutralize unstable compounds in your body called free radicals and help prevent or reverse cellular damage caused by these compounds.  It’s also involved in a number of biochemical processes, many of which are related to immune health.

How does it affect immunity?

Vitamin C affects your immune health in several ways. Its antioxidant activity can decrease inflammation, which may help improve your immune function.

Vitamin C also keeps your skin healthy by boosting collagen production, helping the skin serve as a functional barrier to keep harmful compounds from entering your body. Vitamin C in the skin can also promote wound healing.

The vitamin also boosts the activity of phagocytes, immune cells that can “swallow” harmful bacteria and other particles.

In addition, it promotes the growth and spread of lymphocytes, a type of immune cell that increases your circulating antibodies, proteins that can attack foreign or harmful substances in your blood.

In studies of its effectiveness against viruses that cause the common cold, vitamin C doesn’t appear to make you any less likely to get a cold — but it may help you receover from a  cold faster  and make the symptoms less severe).

There’s also some evidence from animal research and case studies in humans that high dose or IV vitamin C can reduce lung inflammation in severe respiratory illnesses “ARDS” caused by H1N1 (“swine flu”) or other viruses

However, these doses were far above the DV, and there’s not enough research to support the use of high dose vitamin C for lung inflammation at this time. You shouldn’t take high doses of vitamin C supplements — even orally — because they can cause side effects like diarrhea.

Summary

Vitamin C is an important nutrient found in fruit and vegetables that may help shorten the duration and severity of colds. High doses are being studied for their potential to decrease lung inflammation, but more research is needed.

Vitamin C and COVID-19

In an article published in the Chinese Journal of Infection Diseases, the Shanghai Medical Association endorsed the use of high dose vitamin C as a treatment for hospitalized people with COVID-19.

Doses that are magnitudes higher than the DV are recommended to be given through IV to improve lung function, which may help keep a patient off of mechanical ventilation or life support.

Additionally, a 2019 review found that both oral and IV high dose vitamin C treatment may aid people admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) for critical illnesses by reducing ICU stay length by 8% and shortening the duration of mechanical ventilation by 18.2%

Chinese researchers have also registered a clinical trial to further study the effectiveness of IV vitamin C in hospitalized people with COVID-19.

Summary

High dose IV vitamin C has been used in China to help improve lung function in people with COVID-19. However, vitamin C’s effectiveness is still being tested. There’s no evidence to support the use of oral vitamin C supplements for COVID-19.

Vitamin B12

A Vitamin B12 Deficiency may increase your Risk of Death from COVID-19

Having low levels of this vitamin could be an underlying cause of severe coronavirus symptoms.

By Cheyenne Buckingham June 11, 2020 source https://www.eatthis.com/vitamin-b12-deficiency-coronavirus/

By now you’ve have  likely heard that vitamin D may be helpful in preventing adverse symptoms from COVID-19, as it’s known to support the immune system. However, there are several other vitamins and minerals that help strengthen immunity, one of which is known as cobalamin, or vitamin B12.

Having a B12 deficiency right now can be a serious problem. In fact, it “may unknowingly increase the death rate of this pandemic, especially in older adults,” says Sally M. Pacholok, RN, BSN, an ER nurse who’s currently caring for COVID-19 patients, and the co-author of Could It Be B12? An Epidemic of Misdiagnoses.

A B12 deficiency is often misdiagnosed, yet the consequences of it can be fatal—especially for those who have contracted coronavirus and are already at high risk, Pacholok says. Inadequate B12 levels can suppress the immune system and inhibit the body’s ability to produce antibodies to viral infections. Severe deficiencies can even cause hyperhomocysteinemia, a condition that can cause fatal blood clots to form in the brain, lungs, and lower leg.

RELATED:  5 Ways to Boost Your Immune System Naturally. According to Health Professionals

More people suffer from low vitamin B12 levels than you may think. In fact, Pacholok says that as many as 1 in 6 Americans are deficient. “B12 deficiency strikes all ages, races, and socioeconomic classes,” she says.

Unfortunately, this deficiency has been overlooked when determining the cause of death from COVID-19, as clinicians fail to screen for it in both at-risk and symptomatic patients. Still, the CDC says that “vitamin B12 deficiency can be detected and diagnosed quite easily,” yet it remains underdiagnosed.

Foods that are rich in vitamin B12:

Vitamin B12 is naturally occurring in animal products, such as eggs, milk, fish, and meat.   Yeast also packs B12, which is helpful for vegans they are inevitably at high risk of deficiency.

Some examples of foods that pack a lot of B12 are: Salmon, Trout,Tuna,Milk,Yogurt and cheese

Symptoms of B12 deficiency:

In a different Eat This, Not That! article about vitamin B deficiency, Sydney Greene, MS, RD says that elderly people are at high risk of B12 deficiency because, “as we age, we lose the ability to absorb vitamin B12 from food.”

Symptoms include extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, numbness, tingling, or burning in either the hands, legs, or feet, and developing ulcers or sores in the mouth. Even psychological changes can be an indicator of low vitamin B12 levels.

Of course, the best way to prevent vitamin B12 deficiency is to eat food that are rich in it. However, Greene has said, “I always recommend that my female clients taking oral contraceptives speak to their doctor about starting a B complex supplement, especially if they are experiencing sudden low energy or mood swings,” as birth control is known to deplete vitamins B2, B6, and B12.

Source:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3183890/

Elderberry juice

Elderberry compounds could help minimize flu symptoms the study suggests:

Source University of Sydney 23^rd April 2020. reported in Sciencedaily.com

In summary:

Compounds from elderberries can directly inhibit the virus’s entry and replication in human cells, and can help strengthen a person’s immune response to the virus.

The team also found that the elderberry’s antiviral activity can be attributed to its anthocyanidin compounds — phytonutrients responsible for giving the fruit its vivid purple colouring.

“The study has shown is that the common elderberry has a potent direct antiviral effect against the flu virus,” said Dr Golnoosh Torabian.

“It inhibits the early stages of an infection by blocking key viral proteins responsible for both the viral attachment and entry into the host cells.”

reported  at  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190423133644.htm

Andrographis

Andrographis (Andrographis paniculata) is an herb long used in traditional Chinese and Indian medicines Ayurveda. Andrographis is a bitter-tasting herb rich in compounds known as andrographolides. These compounds are thought to have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antioxidant properties.  Andrographis is most widely used to treat cold and flu symptoms. Andrographis is also said to act as a natural immune-booster. The herb is also used to treat other conditions.

As reported on www.verywellhealth.com

Upper Respiratory Tract Infections

In a research review published in 2017, scientists sized up 33 previously published clinical trials and found that andrographis appears to be beneficial for relieving symptoms of acute upper respiratory tract infections and ARDS when compared to other herbs, standard care, or a placebo.5  Andrographis was also found to shorten the duration of cough, sore throat, and sick days compared to standard care.

Source https://www.verywellhealth.com/can-andrographis-boost-immune-function-89538

The Science on vitamins as reported on www.dw.com

https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-and-how-to-boost-the-immune-system-with-vitamins/a-53360766

COVID-19: How to boost the immune system with vitamins

A functioning immune system is crucial in the fight against COVID-19. To maintain it, the body needs sufficient vitamins and other nutrients. But that is exactly what many people lack.

Wearing masks, keeping your distance, washing your hands — those rules currently apply around the globe. There is not much more we can do, except wait for an effective drug for Coronavirus to be developed. Right? No, not quite!

There is something else that is now more important than ever and that should be no less stressed than good hand hygiene. Something that has not gained a prominent place in either the public debate or in the catalogue of government recommendations: a functioning immune system.

Biochemist Adrian Gombart who is doing research on the relevance of nutrients  for the immune system at the Linus Pauling Institute of Oregon State University, wanted to change this situation. Together with his colleagues, he set about producing a review paper  summarizing the results of studies on different nutrients and their influence on the human immune system. These are findings that could be an additional weapon in the fight against the novel coronavirus.

Why we need vitamins

Nothing works without vitamins

“The measures being taken are all important. But it is also important that we pay attention to our nutrient status so that our immune system can function at all,” said Gombart. This is especially important in stressful times like these, when we tend to comfort ourselves with junk food, he says. After all, getting enough nutrients is not really a focus of our interest at the moment.

Yet vitamins C and D and other micronutrients such as zinc, iron and selenium are much more than just “nice to have.” In the worst case, a nutrient deficiency can open the door to the viruses because the body is unable to defend itself against the invaders. For people who belong to a risk group, the danger of a severe course of disease is then particularly high.

This comes down to simple biochemistry: “Every cell in our body uses different micronutrients to function,” says Gombart. Micronutrients include vitamins, minerals and omega fatty acids.

Unlike macronutrients such as fat, carbohydrates and protein, the micronutrients do not provide the body with energy, but they are nevertheless essential for the basic functions of an organism — not only for cell metabolism, but also for the defence system.

Holding the lines of defence

Adrian Gombart’s research focuses mainly on Vitamin D “A few years ago, our research group discovered that vitamin D regulates the expression of a gene encoding an antimicrobial peptide,” he says. Such peptides are involved in the body’s non-specific defence mechanisms. “Vitamin D is also involved in the regulation of other immune-related genes,” Gombart says.

Are vitamin D supplements helpful?

On the other hand, a vitamin D deficiency can leave a gap in our body’s defences. Intruders then have an easier time of it.

But in the best-case scenario, the human body can do a lot to defend itself. Intruding germs must first pass through the skin and mucous membranes. If they manage to overcome this first line of defence, the body reacts to the invaders with phagocytes, antimicrobial proteins and inflammation. These processes are among the body’s non-specific defence mechanisms. But if this generalized defense does not help, things have to become more precise.

SARS-CoV-2 can be fought only by a very specific immune response. Lymphocytes detect foreign microorganisms and molecules alien to the body – such as viruses. The lymphocytes can then produce antibodies and go into battle like sharpshooters.

Vitamin C against pathogens

These processes can function as they are meant to only if the body is well-equipped — for example, with vitamin C is needed, among other things, to form reactive oxygen species, also known as oxygen radicals. These radicals are another of the body’s weapons in the fight against pathogens,” says Gombart. Vitamin C is also involved in the production of antibodies, without which the body cannot keep COVID-19 in check.

High doses of vitamin C are thus used to treat patients suffering from COVID-19 and undergoing intensive medical treatment, says Isabelle Schiffer.

Schiffer is a geneticist and gerontologist and the scientific spokesperson of the Forever health Foundation .

Naturopathy from a scientific point of view

This holistic approach also includes naturopathy. In order to “make a contribution” during the coronavirus crisis, as Schiffer says, the Forever Healthy team set out to find medicinal plants whose effectiveness has been confirmed in clinical studies.

Schiffer and her colleagues have identified elderberry as one of the plant substances that might be helpful in the fight against COVID-19: “Clinical studies have shown that elderberry extract reduces the likelihood of catching a cold and shortens the duration of respiratory problems in influenza patients,” said Schiffer.

Food or dietary supplement?

Both Isabelle Schiffer and Adrian Gombart believe that it is currently advisable to increase the dose of vitamins and other micronutrients with the help of supplements. Most people lack enough vitamin D in particular.

Vitamin D3  Research of benefits:

“Vitamin D may be better than a mask for Covid-19 “source Mercola.com  29.06.2020

In Summary

Vitamin D helps regulate immune function and prevent respiratory illnesses in general (including ARDS), and data analyses show clear parallels between vitamin D levels and the risk of infection, severity and mortality from COVID-19 as well

Darker skin requires far more sun exposure to produce adequate vitamin D, so much so that dark-skinned individuals living north of the equator are virtually guaranteed to be chronically deficient especially in winter.

The Frontline Immune Support Team point out that vitamin D:²

“… plays a critical role in your immune defence system, both in reducing flu-like days of illness if your blood level is sufficient, and in helping your immune system respond when under viral attack. It speeds up recovery from pneumonia.

Two in five adults have a level of vitamin D below 25nmol/l, especially in late winter months such as February and March (Northern Hemisphere), that is likely to almost double their risk of flu. A vitamin D level above 100 nmol/l correlates with the lowest numbers of flu-like days. The moral of the story is to get your level up as quickly as possible.”

Vitamin D Level Correlates with Risk of Respiratory Infection( ARDS)

Clinical trials using vitamin D against COVID-19 are currently underway,⁴ but we don’t need to wait for results to know that vitamin D optimization is a good idea. SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped virus, which means it’s more difficult for your immune system to identify and destroy it.

Vitamin D could almost be thought of as a designer drug for helping the body to handle viral respiratory infections. It boosts the ability of cells to kill and resist viruses and simultaneously dampens down harmful inflammation, which is one of the big problems with Covid. — Adrian Martineau, professor of respiratory infection and immunity.

However, as noted by The Frontline Support Team, we already know higher vitamin D levels are inversely associated with infection by many other enveloped viruses, including dengue, hepatitis, herpes, HIV, rotavirus, respiratory syncytial virus and influenza.

Vitamin D also strengthens cellular junctions, thereby making it more difficult for viruses to gain entry through your eyes, ears, lungs and mucus membranes. This in turn makes the infection less likely to migrate down into your lungs.⁷ Importantly, vitamin D also strengthens the adaptive arm of your immune system, and its ability to produce antibodies. As reported in The Guardian:17.06.2020

“Public health officials are urgently reviewing the potential ability of vitamin D to reduce the risk of coronavirus. It comes amid growing concern over the disproportionate number of black, Asian and minority ethnic people contracting and dying from the disease, including a reported 94% of all doctors killed by the virus …

Vitamin D — ‘Designer Drug’ Against Viral Infections

Adrian Martineau, a professor of respiratory infection and immunity at Queen Mary University of London, is currently leading the “Covidence UK Study,” Martineau told “The Guardian” that COVID-19 deaths among black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) staff within the NHS raises important questions about vitamin D status.¹²

“Vitamin D could almost be thought of as a” designer drug” for helping the body to handle viral respiratory infections(ARDS). It boosts the ability of cells to kill and resist viruses and simultaneously dampens down harmful inflammation, which is one of the big problems with Covid,” he told the paper.

Why People of Color are at an Increased Risk

There’s a simple reason why BAME groups are more susceptible to COVID-19. Darker skin requires far more sun exposure to produce adequate vitamin D, so much so that dark-skinned individuals living north of the equator are virtually guaranteed to be chronically deficient.

According to data collected by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2005 and 2006, and published in 2018, 82.1% of black American adults and 62.9% of Hispanic adults are deficient in vitamin D. As noted in that paper, lower melanin levels are protective of vitamin D deficiency, and the darker your skin, the more likely you are of having a low vitamin D level.

The good news is that this predisposition is easily and inexpensively remedied. The Frontline Support Team has made good strides toward protecting health care workers, so far supplying about 750 NHS frontline staff with free supplement packs. But the general public also needs it, too. At bare minimum, the public needs the information.

What Science Says About Vitamin D

By now, there’s a very long list of scientific evidences pointing toward vitamin D optimization as being a crucial component for preventing another spike in COVID-19 deaths.

Ivor Cummins, chief program officer for Irish Heart Disease Awareness, explains how higher levels of vitamin D may reduce your risk of negative outcomes from COVID-19.( in particular ARDS) Studies supporting this view include but are not limited to the following:

Vitamin K the one Vitamin that may save you from the Coronavirus

A new study shows the vitamin K found in cheese and leafy greens can help stave off coronavirus.

By Alek Korab June 7, 2020 Source www.eatthis.com/coronavirus-vitamin-k/

As you fortify yourself against the coronavirus—wearing a mask, social distancing and keeping your immune system strong—there may be one vitamin you’re have missed that may hold the key in keeping you safe from COVID-19: Vitamin K. New findings may show “a link between deficiency and the worst coronavirus outcomes,” as reported in the Guardian.

Why Vitamin K May Be the Key

“COVID-19 causes blood clotting and leads to the degradation of elastic fibers in the lungs,” explains the paper about the findings. “Vitamin K, which is ingested through food and absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, is key to the production of proteins that regulate clotting and can protect against lung disease.”

Since COVID-19 is a respiratory disease, this protection could be key in adding another level of protection. The research, headed up by Dr. Rob Janssen, was done in partnership with the Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, a heart and vascular research institute in Europe. Over the course of a month, they studied 134 patients and found many who had died or been admitted to the ICU lacked the vitamin.

“My advice would be to take those vitamin K supplement,” Dr. Janssen told the Guardian. “Even if it does not help against severe Covid-19, it is good for your blood vessels, bones and probably also for the lungs.

How to Get More Vitamin K

“We have [vitamin] K1 and K2. K1 is in spinach, broccoli, green vegetables, blueberries, all types of fruit and vegetables,” Janssen continued. “K2 is better absorbed by the body. It is in  cheese and can be taken as a supplement.

Also a Japanese delicacy of fermented soya beans called natto is particularly high in the second type of vitamin .

“I have worked with a Japanese scientist in London and she said it was remarkable that in the regions of Japan where they eat a lot of natto, not a single person to died of Covid-19;

The research, undertaken in partnership with the Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, one of Europe’s largest heart and vascular research institutes, studied 134 patients hospitalised for Covid-19 between 12 March and 11 April, alongside a control group of 184 age-matched patients who did not have the disease.

Vitamin C   Can Vitamin C protect you from Covid-19?

Source Healthline.com Written by SaVanna Shoemaker, MS, RDN, LD on April 2, 2020 — Medically reviewed by Jillian Kubala, MS, RD

With the 2019 coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, it’s especially important to understand that no supplement, diet, or other lifestyle modification other than physical distancing, also known as social distancing, and proper hygiene practices can protect you from COVID-19.

While physicians and researchers are studying the effects of high dose intravenous (IV) vitamin C on the new coronavirus, no supplement, including vitamin C, can prevent or treat COVID-19.

What is vitamin C?

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient with several roles in your body. It’s a potent antioxidant, meaning it can neutralize unstable compounds in your body called free radicals and help prevent or reverse cellular damage caused by these compounds.  It’s also involved in a number of biochemical processes, many of which are related to immune health.

How does it affect immunity?

Vitamin C affects your immune health in several ways. Its antioxidant activity can decrease inflammation, which may help improve your immune function.

Vitamin C also keeps your skin healthy by boosting collagen production, helping the skin serve as a functional barrier to keep harmful compounds from entering your body. Vitamin C in the skin can also promote wound healing.

The vitamin also boosts the activity of phagocytes, immune cells that can “swallow” harmful bacteria and other particles.

In addition, it promotes the growth and spread of lymphocytes, a type of immune cell that increases your circulating antibodies, proteins that can attack foreign or harmful substances in your blood.

In studies of its effectiveness against viruses that cause the common cold, vitamin C doesn’t appear to make you any less likely to get a cold — but it may help you receover from a  cold faster  and make the symptoms less severe).

There’s also some evidence from animal research and case studies in humans that high dose or IV vitamin C can reduce lung inflammation in severe respiratory illnesses “ARDS” caused by H1N1 (“swine flu”) or other viruses

However, these doses were far above the DV, and there’s not enough research to support the use of high dose vitamin C for lung inflammation at this time. You shouldn’t take high doses of vitamin C supplements — even orally — because they can cause side effects like diarrhea.

Summary

Vitamin C is an important nutrient found in fruit and vegetables that may help shorten the duration and severity of colds. High doses are being studied for their potential to decrease lung inflammation, but more research is needed.

Vitamin C and COVID-19

In an article published in the Chinese Journal of Infection Diseases, the Shanghai Medical Association endorsed the use of high dose vitamin C as a treatment for hospitalized people with COVID-19.

Doses that are magnitudes higher than the DV are recommended to be given through IV to improve lung function, which may help keep a patient off of mechanical ventilation or life support.

Additionally, a 2019 review found that both oral and IV high dose vitamin C treatment may aid people admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) for critical illnesses by reducing ICU stay length by 8% and shortening the duration of mechanical ventilation by 18.2%

Chinese researchers have also registered a clinical trial to further study the effectiveness of IV vitamin C in hospitalized people with COVID-19.

Summary

High dose IV vitamin C has been used in China to help improve lung function in people with COVID-19. However, vitamin C’s effectiveness is still being tested. There’s no evidence to support the use of oral vitamin C supplements for COVID-19.

Vitamin B12

A Vitamin B12 Deficiency may increase your Risk of Death from COVID-19

Having low levels of this vitamin could be an underlying cause of severe coronavirus symptoms.

By Cheyenne Buckingham June 11, 2020 source https://www.eatthis.com/vitamin-b12-deficiency-coronavirus/

By now you’ve have  likely heard that vitamin D may be helpful in preventing adverse symptoms from COVID-19, as it’s known to support the immune system. However, there are several other vitamins and minerals that help strengthen immunity, one of which is known as cobalamin, or vitamin B12.

Having a B12 deficiency right now can be a serious problem. In fact, it “may unknowingly increase the death rate of this pandemic, especially in older adults,” says Sally M. Pacholok, RN, BSN, an ER nurse who’s currently caring for COVID-19 patients, and the co-author of Could It Be B12? An Epidemic of Misdiagnoses.

A B12 deficiency is often misdiagnosed, yet the consequences of it can be fatal—especially for those who have contracted coronavirus and are already at high risk, Pacholok says. Inadequate B12 levels can suppress the immune system and inhibit the body’s ability to produce antibodies to viral infections. Severe deficiencies can even cause hyperhomocysteinemia, a condition that can cause fatal blood clots to form in the brain, lungs, and lower leg.

RELATED:  5 Ways to Boost Your Immune System Naturally. According to Health Professionals

More people suffer from low vitamin B12 levels than you may think. In fact, Pacholok says that as many as 1 in 6 Americans are deficient. “B12 deficiency strikes all ages, races, and socioeconomic classes,” she says.

Unfortunately, this deficiency has been overlooked when determining the cause of death from COVID-19, as clinicians fail to screen for it in both at-risk and symptomatic patients. Still, the CDC says that “vitamin B12 deficiency can be detected and diagnosed quite easily,” yet it remains underdiagnosed.

Foods that are rich in vitamin B12:

Vitamin B12 is naturally occurring in animal products, such as eggs, milk, fish, and meat.   Yeast also packs B12, which is helpful for vegans they are inevitably at high risk of deficiency.

Some examples of foods that pack a lot of B12 are: Salmon, Trout,Tuna,Milk,Yogurt and cheese

Symptoms of B12 deficiency:

In a different Eat This, Not That! article about vitamin B deficiency, Sydney Greene, MS, RD says that elderly people are at high risk of B12 deficiency because, “as we age, we lose the ability to absorb vitamin B12 from food.”

Symptoms include extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate, numbness, tingling, or burning in either the hands, legs, or feet, and developing ulcers or sores in the mouth. Even psychological changes can be an indicator of low vitamin B12 levels.

Of course, the best way to prevent vitamin B12 deficiency is to eat food that are rich in it. However, Greene has said, “I always recommend that my female clients taking oral contraceptives speak to their doctor about starting a B complex supplement, especially if they are experiencing sudden low energy or mood swings,” as birth control is known to deplete vitamins B2, B6, and B12.