Author: Jenny

I am a public health nutrition counselor with fifteen years experience in the field of prenatal and early child health and lactation education (breast feeding support). Autoimmune disease, Autism Spectrum Disorders, and genetic defects that can cause nutrient deficiencies are also research interests.
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Dietitians’ responsibilities include understanding medications.

While individuals wouldn’t need to know too much about the medications being considered for treatment of SARS-CoV2 because they would need to be prescribed by a medical professional, as a Registered Dietitian, I am not in the category of an individual or a patient.

My training and work experience as a dietitian included seeking more information about health strategies or treatments and disease process and changes in nutrient needs across the lifespan. I was trained and expected to understand the basic mechanism of action of drugs and any nutrient/medication interactions that might make a patient need more of a nutrient in their diet or to avoid a nutrient or food, or any disease processes that might increase need for a nutrient or make limiting a nutrient or nutrients important for maintaining or restoring function. As a medical professional it is in my job training and experience to actively seek and read medical research regarding any diagnosis that is rare enough to not have standardized guidance available for patients or practitioners.

Save a few lives and you have a real grasp of how fragile life can be and how precious. May peace and safety, and good health be with you.

Traditional Chinese Medicinals – Chen pi & other recommendations used in China for guidance for individuals to use at home for milder illness, & practitioners to use in addition to modern medications.

TCM Treatment of COVID-19, based on extensive experience in Chinese hospitals, by Adam Tate, March 20, 2020, updated March 25, 2020. (medicinetraditions.com) — This includes stages of severity of illness and examples of symptoms that occur in the different stages, and herbal recipes recommended for the specific stage and symptom set. The Chinese medical professionals have found that a combination of the traditional medicinal herb mixtures and modern medicines to be more effective than either alone for treating patients with more severe COVID19 infections.

Whole herbs often seem to work well or even better than single extracts as the various phytonutrients in the herb may work together synergistically – adding up to a greater benefit together than any one would alone. Ginger is one of them, and is a very potent anti-inflammatory root vegetable that contains over 400 medically active phytonutrients.

Acupuncture recommendations are also included for milder illness and some strategies for improving air quality within an apartment. For anyone questioning the validity of acupuncture – the Meridian network was found to represent an additional vascular system that develops in an embryo/fetus before the blood vessels and lymphatic vessels and somewhat is associated with the other vascular networks. Nodes in the acupuncture vascular system are involved in stem cell production and stimulating acupuncture points may benefit health in part by stimulating stem cell production. (2) And it may stimulate our own internal production of opiates. (3)

Foods and nutrient or herbal supplements that I take:

If interested, not a recommendation, just as an example – my list of vitamin, mineral & herbal supplements that I take, and which may have helped with my recovery from untested illness with symptoms similar to the current COVID-19 cases. I also try to include certain whole foods daily/regularly including a 1/2 teaspoon of oregano, 1-2 tablespoons of the inner membrane of pomegranate peel, orange with the white pithy inner peel left on, cumin, coriander, cardamom, rosemary, thyme, Gumbo file powder, cilantro, carrot, onion, celery, garlic, greens, beans, rice or amaranth, cashews, pumpkin seeds, almonds, pistachios and/or walnuts, omega 3 fatty acid fish oil, lemon juice, pomegranate juice, dried cherries and/or dried cranberries. Occasionally pears, coconut yogurt, commercial rice breakfast cereal. Other vegetables, mushrooms, parsnips, winter squash, sweet potato, leeks, chives, romaine lettuce, kale, etc, variety of foods increases variety of trace nutrients in the diet.

Due to autoimmune disease and other food intolerances I have to avoid many foods and ingredients refined from the food so I try to take some vitamins regularly to fill in gaps due to my restricted diet (no dairy due to congestion, gluten due to inflammation & autoimmune reactions, no animal products except the fish oil, because albumin became an autoimmune problem).

The 30% calories from carbohydrate nutrient analysis series was based on the foods I had been using typically at the time. See: post1, post2, post3.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of Fair Use. It is not intended to provide individual guidance. Please seek a health care provider for individualized health care guidance.

Reference List

  1. Adam Tate, TCM Treatment of COVID-19, based on extensive experience in Chinese hospitals, March 20, 2020, updated March 25, 2020. medicinetraditions.com, https://www.medicinetraditions.com/tcm-treatment-of-covid-19.html?fbclid=IwAR0jWwy7J7H5ZN2OVzoAQnqMUMIQ5aIDRxCjEGj5R6eSSldTvS4hg5d0Dak
  2. Vitaly Vodyanoy, Oleg Pustovyy, Ludmila Globa, and Iryna Sorokulova, Primo-Vascular System as Presented by Bong Han Kim, in Special Issue: New Developments in Primo Vascular System: Imaging and Functions with regard to Acupuncture. Ev. Based Complimentary & Alt. Medicine, 2015, Article ID 361974, 17 pages, https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/361974 https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2015/361974/
  3. Donald D. Price, David J. Mayer, Evidence for endogenous opiate analgesic mechanisms triggered by somatosensory stimulation (including acupuncture) in humans. J of Pain, 4;1, P40-43, MARCH 01, 1995 DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S1082-3174(11)80074-7 https://www.jpain.org/article/S1082-3174(11)80074-7/pdf
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Cytokine Storm, SIDS, autism and Vitamin C

The over-reaction of the immune system to any infectious stimulant whether an infection or vaccines, may be a cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) (1) and the encephalopathy (2) that is a frequent factor in later development of autism. (3)

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome may be a toxin overload as success was achieved with mattress covers in Australia that prevented volatile chemicals or mold spores from reaching the baby. Crib mattresses often contain vinyl or fire retardants and a used mattress likely has mold even if not obvious. It can be healthy for infants to sleep on their belly as helps with even muscle development and skull shape. Babies that are held or left in the same position all the time can development flattened areas on the skull and limit muscle development. See previous post1, post2, post3.

Giving infants and children vitamin C prior to vaccines orally with juice may be protective against the harmful excess production of inflammatory cytokines. Giving a larger amount intravenously for adverse reactions may also be protective against the cytokine overreaction from worsening as the larger amount of vitamin C has an inhibitory effect on the production of them as well as helping as an antioxidant to detoxify the ones already made in excess. Giving extra vitamin C before vaccines was found to be protective even in lab animals that genetically can make vitamin C. (4)

Cytokine Storm over-reactions may be more of a risk due to genetic differences in as many as 10-15% of the population. (5) Symptoms of a Cytokine Storm reaction can include: “high fever, enlarged spleen, excessive bleeding, low counts of all types of blood cells (red, white and platelets) and, potentially, multiple organ failures.” (5) Diarrhea is unpleasant and can kill if it continues for long however multiple organ failures is more deadly.

Providing vitamin C as a protection against the risk of an overreaction of the immune system would be low cost and has had a low risk of side effects. Diarrhea occurs if excess is taken by mouth so there is little risk of too much being absorbed in the GI tract, and adverse reactions to higher doses of vitamin C given as intravenous therapy have not been prevalent (1%) in studies using the treatment as an addition to chemotherapy treatments. (6)

“Phase I studies of IV C alone & in combination with chemotherapy have reported excellent safety profiles 1–8,33. A survey of providers who used IVC for 9328 patients reported an adverse event rate of 1.0% 68..side effects of IVC…nausea, dizziness, dry mouth, perspiration, & weakness. 6,7” (6)

Giving vitamin C to infants and children would be providing them with a nutrient than most animals can produce for themselves. Humans had a genetic change that caused a loss of the ability. Giving vitamin C to infants and children might also help protect against a potentially fatal or brain damaging over-reaction of the immune system. If 10-15% of the population are genetically more at risk for the excess production of cytokines, (5) , then a government policy that mandates vaccinations would be genetically targeting those individuals for increased risk of an adverse reaction or death – a genocide.

Learning more about the gene differences involved in the increased risk for a Cytokine Storm reaction, and screening the population for the genes would also be helpful so those individuals would know that they have increased risk of death if they have an infection or strong immune reaction to something.

The Committee  to Review Adverse Effects of Vaccines that was asked to assess the research on autism and vaccines did not say there was no risk of autism from vaccines – they said there was a lack of evidence – more research was needed.

“The committee particularly counsels readers not to interpret a conclusion of inadequate data to accept or reject causation as evidence either that causation is either present or absent. Inadequate data to accept or reject causation means just that—inadequate. It is also important to recognize what our task was not. We were not charged with assessing the benefits of vaccines, with weighing benefits and costs, or with deciding how, when, and to whom vaccines should be administered.“

Committee to Review Adverse Effects of Vaccines
Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice, Institute of Medicine (7)

Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of Fair Use. It is not intended to provide individual guidance. Please seek a health care provider for individualized health care guidance.

Reference List

  1. Siri Hauge Opdal, PhD., Chapter 30: Cytokines, Infection, and Immunity, from the book SIDS Sudden Infant and Early Childhood Death: The Past, the Present and the Future. Duncan JR, Byard RW, editors., Adelaide (AU): University of Adelaide Press; 2018 May. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513388/
  2. Cytokine Storm, ScienceDirect.com, https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/cytokine-storm
  3. Kern JK, Geier DA, Homme KG, Geier MR. A ten year longitudinal examination of the incidence rate and age of childhood encephalopathy diagnoses in an autism spectrum disorder diagnosed cohort. Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars). 2020;80(1):66–75. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32214276/
  4. C. Alan B. Clemetson, M.D., Rapid Response: The prevention of vaccine reactions. BMJ 2004;328:51 https://www.bmj.com/rapid-response/2011/10/30/prevention-vaccine-reactions
  5. University of Alabama at Birmingham, Here’s a playbook for stopping deadly cytokine storm syndrome. Nov 11, 2019, theivcenter.net, https://theivcenter.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Vit-C-and-Cancer-Support.pdf
  6. E. Klimant, H. Wright, D. Rubin, et al, Intravenous vitamin C in the supportive care of cancer patients: a review and rational approach. Curr Oncol. 2018 April;25(2):139-148, https://theivcenter.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Vit-C-and-Cancer-Support.pdf
  7. Institute of Medicine (U.S.). Committee to Review Adverse Effects of Vaccines.  Adverse effects of vaccines : evidence and causality / Committee to Review Adverse Effects of Vaccines, Board on Population Health & Public Health Practice ; Kathleen Stratton … [et al.], eds.  ISBN 978-0-309-21436-0 (PDF)  https://www.nap.edu/read/13164/chapter/1
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Updates/ Vitamin C Infusion is helping CoV-19 patients in New York.

Addition – Food sources of vitamin C, quercetin, and zinc are at the top of this document, which includes this blog post and a few others on the topic of COVID-19 (Antivirals in Foods) Eating good sources several times a day may help the body prevent infection or have a less severe case.

Virus enter a cell and are replicated to the cell’s capacity to produce them, at that point the cell bursts releasing the newly formed virus which go and infect other cells and force those cells to make even more virus to the cell’s capacity, and they all burst, releasing yet more virus – in an exponentially increasing number. Each time a cell bursts and releases the viral load, the cell dies. So the sooner you can help your body stop the viral replication the sooner you are protecting your cells from being killed by the process.

Megadoses of the nutrients that help stop viral replication may not be needed. Moderate amounts of good food sources may help the body fight the infection before it has spread to numerous cells and caused significant cell damage. Reducing infection load may also help prevent an over-reaction of the immune system to the infection. An over-reaction of the immune system can be deadly as the inflammatory chemicals can attack healthy cells and lead to organ failure and eventually death. The next section is about a nontoxic treatment that might help if an over-reaction of the immune system leads to a Cytokine Storm/sepsis reaction.

Foods contain antivirals that work in a similar manner to the chloroquine medications that we have been hearing about in the news. More production is needed before they are available for widespread use, and they are somewhat expensive and can be dangerous. Quercetin is a phytonutrient that is readily available in vegetables and fruits and as a bulk or individual supplement.

Nursing homes and hospitals could be adding the bulk supplement powder to a food at each meal and including zinc food sources. The zinc is carried into infected cells by the quercetin (or chloroquine) and the zinc disrupts viral replication. The chloroquine, quercetin, or zinc are not killing virus. White blood cells are the body’s patrol for killing and removing infected cells.

Health takes work and work takes nutrients.

  • Vitamin C helps the immune system fight infection. Good sources include: cabbage, tomatoes, green peppers, broccoli, asparagus, peas, kale, & citrus, strawberries, kiwi, papayas, cantaloupe. (Vit C Fact Sheet)
  • Good food sources of quercetin include: red onion, onion, garlic, kale, tomatoes, asparagus, broccoli, capers, nuts and seeds, red grapes, cherries, olive oil. Herbal supplements also containing quercetin include St John’s Wort, Gingko biloba, and American Elder. (WebMd) 
  • Good food sources of zinc include oysters, meats, poultry, dairy, cashews, pumpkin seeds. Other beans, nuts and seeds would also have some as vegan sources. Meats have more than the vegan sources, while oysters have so much zinc that it might risk excess if eaten regularly in large servings.  (Zinc Fact Sheet).

There are no guarantees in life, but trying a nontoxic strategy is at least safe. Medications may have risks of side effects – always see a medical professional for individualized health care guidance.

Vitamin C Infusion for Cytokine Storm immune overreactions.

Good news updates – a hospital chain in New York has found the use of high dose intravenous Vitamin C Infusions helpful for patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) novel coranovirus. “Dr. Andrew G. Weber, a pulmonologist and critical-care specialist affiliated with two Northwell Health” is providing his patients who have sepsis/cytokine storm symptoms an intravenous drip with 1500 mg of vitamin C three or four times per day. (1) Patients getting the Vitamin C treatment have been helped more than patients who did not according to Dr. Weber. A spokesperson for the Northwell Health system said that vitamin C is being “widely used” at their hospitals where 700 patients approximately are being treated for SARS-CoV2, however it varied by patient need and the clinician’s plan of care. (1, 2)

“The patients who received vitamin C did significantly better than those who did not get vitamin C,” Weber said. (1)

The protocol for the treatment also includes vitamin B1 generally but that news article doesn’t mention that ingredient of the IV mixture. The treatment is a much larger amount of vitamin C than the daily recommendation for a normal diet, however a patient with an overactive immune response is not in normal health. The treatment is used for patients who have had an overactive immune response to the infection and their own immune cytokines become produced in excessive amounts. The cytokines can then start damaging the patient’s own organs which can lead to organ failure and result in death.

The damaging immune chemicals in a normal response to infection would only attack the infected cells. The excessive amounts however use up all supplies of vitamin C in the patient’s body, and supplying vitamin C in high doses is then very helpful for protecting the patient from harm by the excess.

Quercetin plus zinc is a zinc ionophore, and is being tested as an anti-viral in human clinical trials for the treatment of SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19).

Good news update regarding quercetin and zinc as a zinc ionophore – the combination had already made it through animal trials for use against Ebola, and SARS-CoV(1) and was approved by the FDA for human clinical trials. Plans were underway for it to be trialed in China for patients with SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19). I haven’t found results yet.

  • CBC News Interview with “Dr. Michel Chrétien’s team at the Clinical Research Institute of Montreal” : Canadian team invited to do clinical trials in China for antiviral drug. Feb 28, 2020, (youtube).

UK What to do if at home with a Potential Infection, Guidance:

Stay at home: guidance for households with possible coronavirus (COVID-19) infection. Updated 24 March 2020, (gov.uk).

*The UK guidance recommends isolating for seven days after symptom onset, – it might be wise to use caution longer than, especially if trying to protect people in your home who are in a high risk group, which includes: Senior Citizens, people with asthma or other lung conditions, smokers, people with hypertension, and immune-compromised people.

While the infectious stage seems to start prior to symptom onset and to have the most risk of spreading the infection during the early days of symptoms, when a fever is also often a symptom, that might not be consistently true and not everyone infected with SARS-CoV-2 gets a fever. The longest a patient has been found to be infectious was 37 days and the shortest was eight days. The average for patients with severe symptoms being treated in a hospital to be infectious was 19 days and for patients with critical symptoms the average was 24 days to remain infectious. (4)

Sensible precautions if sharing a home with infected and non-infected people include:

  • Cover your coughs or wear a mask or bandana to catch respiratory droplets from your breath, coughs or sneezes. Try to avoid being in the same room with non-infected people if possible, at least during the highest risk days during the early onset of symptoms, or positive test result.
  • Wash hands often and sanitize or wash with soap any commonly used surfaces such as door knobs, kitchen and bathroom areas.
  • Don’t prepare raw foods for non-infected people if you can avoid it. Otherwise wash hands thoroughly or wear food preparation gloves if possible after the initial week or two of more severe feverish symptoms has passed.
  • US CDC guidance for home care of a person infected with SARS-CoV2 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/guidance-prevent-spread.html

This is doable – the quercetin rich foods mentioned in the last post plus sinc supplements or foods may provide a protective effect against getting a viral infection. Stay calm and eat sauteed onions or citrus with a little of the peel left on, plus pumpkin seeds or meats. Best wishes for everyone’s health!

Request for plasma donations from people recently recovered from SARS-CoV2, Mount Sinai

There is a request for people who have recently recovered from SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19) and who would be willing to donate plasma if they have antibodies against the infection to contact Mount Sinai’s medical team. Antibody rich plasma can be given to severely ill patients with the infection to help them fight the virus. They can check for the presence of antibodies. Contact: COVIDSerumTesting@mountsinai.org, see (Statement from Mount Sinai Chief Medical Officer, (via @MikeDelMoro/via @joshchafetz).

Mount Sinai medical system has developed a test for checking for CoV-19 antibodies within hospitals and are sharing the technique: BREAKING: The First U.S. Test to Detect If a Person Has Potential Immunity to COVID-19 Was Just Developed (leapsmag.com)

Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes.

Reference List

  1. Lorena Mongelli and Bruce Golding, New York hospitals treating coronavirus patients with vitamin C. March 24, 2020, NYPost.com, https://nypost.com/2020/03/24/new-york-hospitals-treating-coronavirus-patients-with-vitamin-c/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPTwitter
  2. Dan Lyman, Coronavirus Patients Being Treated With Vitamin C at New York Hospitals. March 25, 2020, https://www.newswars.com/coronavirus-patients-being-treated-with-vitamin-c-at-new-york-hospitals/
  3. CBC News Interview with “Dr. Michel Chrétien’s team at the Clinical Research Institute of Montreal” : Canadian team invited to do clinical trials in China for antiviral drug. Feb 28, 2020, (youtube).
  4. Fei Zhou, Ting Yu, Ronghui Du, et al., Clinical course and risk factors for mortality of adult inpatients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China: a retrospective cohort study. The Lancet, March 11, 2020, DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30566-3 https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30566-3/fulltext#back-bib33
  5. Kira Peikoff, BREAKING: The First U.S. Test to Detect If a Person Has Potential Immunity to COVID-19 Was Just Developed. March 22, 2020 leapsmag.com, https://leapsmag.com/breaking-the-first-u-s-test-to-detect-if-a-person-has-potential-immunity-to-covid-19-was-just-developed/?fbclid=IwAR2z_hl9VZfsrjz2JL03Sze2cPscdqGTFD0VyBrSbUvx-bOP8f5lmz9BgdU
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Eat Food – Antivirals are found in common foods.

Chloroquine medications are dangerous, many medications are dangerous especially if taken in too large a dose. Chloroquines are typically used to treat malaria, a condition caused by a parasite. The mechanism of action is that the chemical can hold onto the mineral zinc and carry it into an infected cell where the zinc disrupts the replication of proteins, causing less virus replication. (6) It has been mentioned as a medication that potentially may be helpful for treating patients with the novel coronavirus that is currently causing a pandemic.

The chloroquine medications are also used by autoimmune patients and supplies of the drug are limited. Increasing production is a goal but will likely take some time. (7) There are other safer alternatives available in foods or phytonutrient extracts (1, 8, 9) that have an immune modulating effect – promoting removal of infected or damaged cells while also inhibiting an overactive immune response.

People with a heart condition may also be at more risk of dangerous side effects if taking chloroquines. The medication also needs to be given with zinc to be as effective as possible. The food or phytonutrient alternatives would also need to be used with zinc in the diet or added as a supplement. (1, 8, 9)

***** ONLY TAKE PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS THAT ARE PRESCRIBED FOR YOU BY YOUR OWN MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL *****

***** ONLY EAT FOOD *****

Someone is dead because they consumed a household product containing chloroquine because they thought it might protect them from coronavirus infection, (10), – dead is not infectable by a virus, but dead is also dead.

Quercetin plus zinc is also an antiviral that works as a zinc ionophore, (1), however it is readily available in some common foods or as a supplement and is nontoxic to cells. (1, 2) The zinc is disrupting protein replication within the infected cell so the virus can not be replicated to spread to other cells, for more replication, more infecting other cells, more replication, etcetera.

Onions are the richest source of quercetin (4) and citrus peel is also a very rich source. (3) Pumpkin seeds are the richest source of zinc in a vegetarian diet and is commonly available in meats in a non-vegetarian diet.

Pomegranate peel extract or the inner white membrane of a pomegranate is also a source of quercetin and another phytonutrient that acts as a zinc ionophore (epigallichatechin-gallate). (1) It also would be nontoxic to healthy cells and low risk compared to the chloroquine medications. (2) However it can have some side effects, acting as a diuretic and has COX2 inhibition activity. (recent post, older post) A tablespoon or two of the liquid extract or inner white membrane can be enough to provide some health benefits for an adult. (G13: Preparation & Benefits of Pomegranate)

Onions, citrus peel, pomegranate peel – we have choices, safe choices, to help our body’s own defense system stop the coronavirus. Chloroquines do not kill coronavirus – it helps our own defense system do its job – but with more risk to healthy cells, and normal function than onions, citrus peel or pomegranate peel or quercetin supplements. Zinc is a trace mineral which we need in small amounts, a larger dose taken for a week or two would be unlikely to build up to toxic amounts but please be aware that in large doses a zinc supplement could become toxic.

Eat food – that is what our body is designed for. If the GI tract is inflamed and the idea of eating food is no longer appealing due to pain or constant diarrhea than please see the recent post: ACE2, Diarrhea, & COVID19 – it gets complicated. and try to eat small servings of something that might help heal and stop the inflammatory reaction in the intestinal tract.

If nausea and vomiting are also symptoms, hold off on the food and just sip water that has a dash of lemon or lime juice or apple cider vinegar. Those all have a type of acid that is similar to stomach acid. In cases of severe nausea even plain water can be unsettling and larger amounts of anything can be a problem. Start gradually with small sips of the lemon water, or a lime or lemon popsicle may be soothing and not cause more vomiting.

Once feeling better some of the mucilaginous or hydrolyzable tannin foods mentioned in the recent post (ACE2, Diarrhea…) can help replace the mucous lining that coats the intestinal tract during times of health. It also serves as a defense system, helping to prevent entry of virus or other pathogens into the body between intestinal cells. And white blood cells patrol the area and actively defend against pathogens.

Pomegranate peel also provides hydrolyzable tannins if the white membrane is used in prepared foods like a bean soup (G8: Cookies & Bean Soup/recipes) or sweet potato dish. Pomegranate peel and citrus peel and onions (less so) are also sources of vitamin C which also helps our body’s natural anti-viral defenses. (5)

Addition: Table of drugs and phytonutrients that are being investigated for use as a COVID19 treatment, (@rubbersoul23,Eric/table) based on A SARS-CoV-2-Human Protein-Protein Interaction Map Reveals Drug Targets and Potential Drug-Repurposing, March 23, 2020, (biorxiv.org)

Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of Fair Use. It is not intended to provide individual guidance. Please seek a health care provider for individualized health care guidance.

Reference List

  1. Husam Dabbagh-Bazarbachi , Gael Clergeaud, Isabel M Quesada, et al., Zinc Ionophore Activity of Quercetin and Epigallocatechin-Gallate: From Hepa 1-6 Cells to a Liposome Model. J Agric Food Chem, 62 (32), 8085-93 2014 Aug 13. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25050823/
  2. Houston DMJ, Bugert JJ, Denyer SP, Heard CM. Potentiated virucidal activity of pomegranate rind extract (PRE) and punicalagin against Herpes simplex virus (HSV) when co-administered with zinc (II) ions, and antiviral activity of PRE against HSV and aciclovir-resistant HSV [published correction appears in PLoS One. 2017 Nov 20;12 (11):e0188609]. PLoS One. 2017;12(6):e0179291. Published 2017 Jun 30. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0179291 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5493292/
  3. Shafiya Rafiqa, Rajkumari Kaula, S.A. Sofia, et al., Citrus peel as a source of functional ingredient: A review. J of the Saudi Society of Ag Sci, 17;4, Oct. 2018, pp 351-358 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1658077X16300960
  4. Quercetin, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science/Quercetin, ScienceDirect.com, https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/quercetin
  5. Kim Y, Kim H, Bae S, et al. Vitamin C Is an Essential Factor on the Anti-viral Immune Responses through the Production of Interferon-α/β at the Initial Stage of Influenza A Virus (H3N2) Infection. Immune Netw. 2013;13(2):70–74. doi:10.4110/in.2013.13.2.70 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3659258/
  6. Xue J, Moyer A, Peng B, Wu J, Hannafon BN, Ding W-Q (2014) Chloroquine Is a Zinc Ionophore. PLoS ONE 9(10): e109180. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0109180 https://journals.plos.org/plosone/articleid=10.1371/journal.pone.0109180
  7. Eva Schrezenmeier, Thomas Dörner, Mechanisms of action of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine: implications for rheumatology. Nat Rev Rheumatol 16, 155–166 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41584-020-0372-x https://www.nature.com/articles/s41584-020-0372-x
  8. Wang T1, Men R1, Hu M, et al., Protective effects of Punica granatum (pomegranate) peel extract on concanavalin A-induced autoimmune hepatitis in mice. Biomed Pharmacother. 2018 Apr;100:213-220. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2017.12.110. Epub 2018 Feb 9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29428670
  9. Hou L, Huang H. Immune suppressive properties of artemisinin family drugs. Pharmacol Ther. 2016;166:123–127. doi:10.1016/j.pharmthera.2016.07.002 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5035609/
  10. Anne Flaherty, Sophie Tatum, Man dies after ingesting aquarium product containing chloroquine: Hospital network. March 23, 2020, abcnews.go.com, https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/man-dies-ingesting-chloroquine-prevent-coronavirus-banner-health/story?id=69759570