With President Trump testing positive for COVID, I thought I'd touch on a few things related to the disease. Your Vitamin D level at diagnosis can be predictive to how severe your case will be. Many physicians say that normal Vitamin D levels are around 30 to 35 ng/ml and in my opinion, for the best positive outcomes with COVID, Vitamin D levels need to be at least 65 ng/ml. The cancer reduction benefits of Vitamin D start at around 85 ng/ml. We can take too much Vitamin D so we just can't take high doses haphazardly, you need to have your physician test you and supplement accordingly.
As the winter months get closer, the level we supplement may have to increase.
Most people with severe cases of COVID (men have more severe outcomes than women) have mutations to their VDR and SOD genes. The isn't much we can do about this other than try to increase our antioxidant intake. COVID is an antioxidant capability problem. We just don't have enough. COVID issues can continue long after the infection subsides if antioxidant capabilities remain low.
Vitamin C and Glutathione are two of our most important antioxidants. We can't make Vitamin C so it must be ingested. Glutathione is made in our body but if we have an acid/base issue at the cellular level, our Glutathione will become oxidized and will have no antioxidant capabilities. This is what happens in COVID as the virus binds to Carbonic Anhydrase II (and Heme Oxygenase) and alters normal cellular pH pathways. The body goes into overdrive to correct this issue but that doesn't give us more active Glutathione.
Supplementing N-Acetyl Cysteine and Alpha Lipoic Acid can increase intracellular concentrations of Glutathione which will decrease the severity of COVID. Taking Beta glucan (also found in plants, oats, barley, etc) can convert inflammatory Th2 cells to Th1 which act like anti inflammatory cells and lessen the severity of infection. On a side note, people who are depressed have an imbalance in Th1/Th2 cells and anti-depressants like Prozac help restore the balance between these cells.
Sulforaphane, found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, can help improve Glutathione production and reduce oxidative stress which will improve COVID outcomes. It can be supplemented as well but it is always better to get your vitamins from food rather than a tablet. There are synergistic effects from eating foods that we just don't get with vitamin supplements.
As the winter months get closer, the level we supplement may have to increase.
Most people with severe cases of COVID (men have more severe outcomes than women) have mutations to their VDR and SOD genes. The isn't much we can do about this other than try to increase our antioxidant intake. COVID is an antioxidant capability problem. We just don't have enough. COVID issues can continue long after the infection subsides if antioxidant capabilities remain low.
Vitamin C and Glutathione are two of our most important antioxidants. We can't make Vitamin C so it must be ingested. Glutathione is made in our body but if we have an acid/base issue at the cellular level, our Glutathione will become oxidized and will have no antioxidant capabilities. This is what happens in COVID as the virus binds to Carbonic Anhydrase II (and Heme Oxygenase) and alters normal cellular pH pathways. The body goes into overdrive to correct this issue but that doesn't give us more active Glutathione.
Supplementing N-Acetyl Cysteine and Alpha Lipoic Acid can increase intracellular concentrations of Glutathione which will decrease the severity of COVID. Taking Beta glucan (also found in plants, oats, barley, etc) can convert inflammatory Th2 cells to Th1 which act like anti inflammatory cells and lessen the severity of infection. On a side note, people who are depressed have an imbalance in Th1/Th2 cells and anti-depressants like Prozac help restore the balance between these cells.
Sulforaphane, found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, can help improve Glutathione production and reduce oxidative stress which will improve COVID outcomes. It can be supplemented as well but it is always better to get your vitamins from food rather than a tablet. There are synergistic effects from eating foods that we just don't get with vitamin supplements.
