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Anemia of Inflammation, IL-6, Hepcidin, Iron and Vitamin C.

During bacterial infections iron is shifted out of hemoglobin production and into ferritin and intracellular storage. (Iron and Anemia of Chronic Inflammation, post) If amounts of the free iron overloads the cell capacity and antioxidant capacity then cell death may result and other damage. The shift of iron involves an increase in the inflammatory cytokine IL-6 (Interleucon-6) which causes an increase in hepcidin, which causes the removal of iron from hemoglobin. (5)

Having extra antioxidants in the diet can help the body cope with the sudden increase in free iron – think of rust – iron oxidizes and the body doesn’t want rust anymore than you want it on your car. Antioxidants like vitamin A and C and bioflavonoids can all help stabilize the chemically active iron. The anti-malarial herbal extract called artemisinin may help by binding some of the excess free iron stores. (4) *addition – quercetin, EGCG, resveratrol, turmeric are also iron chelators and lactoferrin is a milk based iron chelator that has not been found an allergy risk for people with a milk-based allergy.

ACE2 receptors are likely more prevalent in the lung cells of smokers (1) and COPD patients, (3), and people living in air pollution because it has a protective effect against lung injury. It helps decrease levels of the inflammatory cytokine IL-6. (2) Which suggests that extra vitamin C and bioflavonoids, and other nutrients may also help reduce the risk of anemia of chronic inflammation and other lung and heart risks from chronic hypoxia (low oxygen levels in the blood).

The COVID-19 illness may have a risk of sudden death due to cardiovascular problems upon relapse/reinfection (6) because of the shift in iron and resulting risk of cell death due to excess free iron. The use of iron chelators or artemisinin and continuing the use of extra antioxidants such as vitamin C and bioflavonoids might help prevent excess coagulation and reverse the shift of iron atoms from hemoglobin molecules to ferritin and free iron within cells. Infectious microbes need iron too so it is a self defense strategy that may become excessive in the case of severe COVID-19 illness.

There is more about bioflavonoids, vitamin C, and coagulation risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection in this post: Bitter Taste Receptors in the Lungs – Hesperidin’s Decongestant Properties.

Reference List

  1. SJ Brake, K Barnsley, Wenying Lu, et al., Smoking Upregulates Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme-2 Receptor: A Potential Adhesion Site for Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19). J. Clin. Med.2020, 9(3), 841; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm9030841 https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/9/3/841/htm
  2. Lin CI, Tsai CH, Sun YL, Hsieh WY, Lin YC, Chen CY, Lin CS. Instillation of particulate matter 2.5 induced acute lung injury and attenuated the injury recovery in ACE2 knockout mice. Int J Biol Sci 2018; 14(3):253-265. doi:10.7150/ijbs.23489. Available from http://www.ijbs.com/v14p0253.htm air pollution studies – ACE2 would be protective against ACE->IL-6 “Increased ACE levels cause the activation of AT1R by Ang II, consequently inducing the expression of the inflammatory cytokines IL-6, TNF-α and TGF-β1 [17]. ACE2 counter-regulates the effects produced by Ang II by converting Ang II to Ang-(1-7), activates Mas to repress the signaling pathways of STAT3 and extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) [18], and acts as an anti-inflammatory factor [19]. “
  3. ACE-2 Expression in the Small Airway Epithelia of Smokers and COPD Patients: Implications for COVID-19. https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2020/03/26/13993003.00688-2020
  4. Inhibitory effect of novel iron chelator, 1-(N-acetyl-6-aminohexyl)-3-hydroxy-2-methylpyridin-4-one (CM1) and green tea extract on growth of Plasmodium falciparum https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4590262/ “Artemisinin found in the Chinese medicinal plant (Artemisia annua) binds iron to form ferric-dihydroartemisinin complex, resulting in reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated potent anti-malarial activity against ring and late stage of CQ-resistant P. falciparum malaria parasites [5]. “
  5. Covid-19 – Liver – iron overload – lung cascade – coagulation a forum topic on peakprosperity.com with links to research, excerpts and discussion re COVID-19 – Liver – iron overload – lung cascade – coagulation. https://www.peakprosperity.com/forum-topic/covid-19-liver-iron-overload-lung-cascade-coagulation/
  6. Jules Quartly, Exclusive: Chinese doctors say Wuhan coronavirus reinfection even deadlier. Feb 14, 2020, TaiwanNews.com, https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3876197
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Phytonutrients that may help against SARS-CoV-2.

  • Anthemis hyalina, a medicinal daisy like herb, carvocrol and alpha-pinene were main components. It was most potent at preventing coronavirus replication in a cell based study compared with Nigella sativa oil and citrus peel extract, however citrus peel is easier to find at the grocery store. (1, 2)
  • Citrus peel (peel of Citrus sinensis – standard oranges) contains potent phytonutrients with antiviral & decongestant properties. (1, post)
  • Nigella sativa/Black Seed Oil/Black Cumin Seed, (1), contains “thymoquinone (TQ) (30- 48%), flavonoids, anthocyanins, alkaloids and essential fatty acids, particularly linoleic and oleic acid.” Thymoquinone/Nigella sativa oil has been found to promote the beneficial Nrf2 pathway and inhibits the inflammatory NfKb pathway in addition to acting as an antioxidant. It also has been found to help protect liver and kidney health in the presence of a variety of chemical and pathogenic toxins. (3)

Citrus peel, Black Seed oil, and a medicinal daisy are fairly specific foods or herbal supplements however there are ten other phytonutrients found in many different foods, that are also suspected of having antiviral benefits against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Computer modeling of the chemical shapes of the nutrients and the virus was used to estimate potential bond strength of the Spike portion of the virus and the phytonutrients and the medication hydroxychloroquine. The phytonutrients were estimated to be more effective at bonding with and inhibiting the virus at the Spike protein compared to the medication hydroxychloroquine, (a lower number – more negative in this case- indicates a stronger bond energy):

“Among these phytochemicals, flavonoids and non-flavonoids have been found to be the active source of different anti-microbial agents. Recently, studies have shown that these phytochemicals have essential anti-viral activities.”

“Kamferol, curcumin, pterostilbene, and HCQ [hydroxychloroquine] interact with the C-terminal of S1 domain with binding energies of -7.4, -7.1, -6.7 and -5.6 Kcal/mol, respectively.”

“Fisetin, quercetin, isorhamnetin, genistein, luteolin, resveratrol and apigenin on the other hand, interact with the S2 domain of spike protein with the binding energies of -8.5, -8.5, -8.3, -8.2, -8.2, -7.9, -7.7 Kcal/mol, respectively.”

*The lower the number, the stronger the molecular bonding is estimated to be – energy required to break the molecular bond between phytonutrient or medication and the viral protein – the C-terminal of the S1 domain of the Spike protein on the SARS-CoV-2 virus or the S2 domain. Note that the binding energy of hydroxychloroquine is the weakest (closest to zero).

(Rane et al., 2020)(4)

The phytonutrients are found in wide range of foods, some in many foods, and others may be found in a few specific foods – the variety may be adding up to health. These nutrients and others in whole foods can help reduce the risk of Metabolic Syndrome or improve it. Having Metabolic Syndrome, obesity, and/or Type 2 diabetes has been associated with greater risk of more severe symptoms if sick with COVID19. (20)

“Given the speed at which health markers for metabolic disease improve from dietary interventions, an equally strong if not more significant population health message should now be to “eat real food, protect the NHS and save lives.””

Covid 19 and the Elephant in the Room, (20).

Phytonutrients that may inhibit the Spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and block entry into cells.

“Quercetin, a plant pigment is a potent antioxidant flavonoid and more specifically a flavonol, found mostly in onions, grapes, berries, cherries, broccoli, and citrus fruits.” (26)

  • Quercetin – is in onions, garlic, green leafy veg, citrus peel, figs, and is a focus of several recent posts: Citrus Fig jam: (14), Hesperidin & quercetin content in citrus peel: (15), Decongestant properties of hesperidin/citrus peel: (16). Quercetin represents a large group of similar chemicals and is fairly common in small amounts in many fruits, vegetables and leafy herbs. It is found primarily in the leaves or edible peels. It has anti-viral ability as a zinc ionophore – carrying zinc into iron rich cells where it disrupts protein replication. In normal health zinc and iron is kept out of cells in quantity. Iron rich cells tend to be infected or cancerous. See my COVID19 page for more information.
  • Kamferol – is a flavonoid found in similar green veggies as quercetin, including kale, leeks, onions, broccoli, and also is in blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, and other fruits and berries, (myintakepro), and cinnamon. (23) (The camphor in cough drops that helps as a decongestant is different, it is a terpene, and is extracted from a couple tree species. It is also found in the herb rosemary. (wikipedia.org/Camphor)
  • Curcumin is an extract of turmeric root which is used in curry spice mixes. It is a vitamin D analog, and active hormone D is essential for a healthy immune response, some is essential but too much D can also be harmful.
    • Curcumin and catechins have been found to be active at the coronavirus Spike protein and human ACE2 receptor where the virus enters cells. (7)
  • EGCG and other Catechins are also flavonoids, and are found in green & black tea, apples, blackberries, dark chocolate, red wine, cherries, guava, pears, sweet potatoes & purple potatoes. (8, 7) Pomegranate fruit, juice and peel (G13.Pomegranate), is also a good source of EGCG and other catechins and ellagitannins. (24) EGCG may be protective as a preventive or treatment for Covid19. EGCG, a Green Tea Catechin, as a Potential Therapeutic Agent for Symptomatic and Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection (25)
  • Pterostilbene is found in almonds & Vaccinium berries – blueberries, cranberries, also in grape leaves/grapes but doesn’t last through the wine making process. It is chemically similar to resveratrol which can be found in grapes & wine. (9)
  • Resveratrol is found in grapes/grape skins/wine, and in “peanuts, pistachios, grapes…wine, blueberries, cranberries…dark chocolate.” (10)
    It is an estrogen receptor modulator/analog & estrogen can have anti-inflammatory effects for health. (11)
  • Genistein is found in soybeans, soy products like tofu, tempeh & miso, also is in chickpeas/other legumes, in smaller amounts. It is an estrogen receptor analog/modulator (like resveratrol) and estrogen can have anti-inflammatory effects. (12)
    • While men tend to have more ACE2 receptors and that is thought a possible reason for a higher rate of mortality for men than women from COVID19, may be estrogen is having a protective effect also.
  • Fisetin– is a “flavonoid found in…(strawberries, apples, mangoes, persimmons, kiwis, & grapes), vegetables (tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers), nuts, & wine that has shown strong anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-tumorigenic, anti-invasive, anti-angiogenic” properties. (13)
  • Isorhamnetin is a flavonol, and a derivative of quercetin. It is found in “parsley, green bell peppers, and dills and in a lower concentration in garden cress, black chokeberries, and honey,” (17), and in cinnamon. (23)
  • Luteolin is a flavonoid “found in celery, thyme, green peppers, and chamomile tea,” (18) and “chrysanthemum flowers, sweet bell [green/red/orange] peppers, carrots, onion leaves, broccoli, and parsley [7 8]. (21)
  • Apigenin is a flavonoid found in “grapefruit, plant-derived beverages and vegetables such as parsley, onions, oranges, tea, chamomile, wheat sprouts and in some seasonings.” (19)
    • Intake of more dietary flavonoids on average was associated with a reduced cancer risk. (19)

“During the past two decades, plant-derived bioactive compounds have been reported as novel health-giving agents for prevention and/or mitigation of different human diseases such as cancer, inflammation, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases [5]. Among these compounds, more than 5000 flavonoids have been identified and are distributed in a wide range of plants. On the basis of their chemical structures, these flavonoids have been grouped into 10 categories, 6 of which including:  flavones, flavanones, anthocyanidins, flavonols, 

isoflavones, and catechins, are commonly present in the human diet.” *

(Imran, et al., 2019) (21) *links are to ScienceDirect topic pages.

Many of these phytonutrients and others found in plant foods help our bodies to have enough of an immune response without having an overactive autoimmune or allergy type of response, acting as immunomodulators. They also help the body switch from inflammatory chemical pathways, that are more typical of daytime hours of our circadian cycle, to anti-inflammatory pathways more typical of sleep hours.

Pitch blackness at night and some full spectrum daylight during wake hours of an individual’s circadian 24 hour day can also help the body to stop the day time stress response inflammatory chemistry and start the nighttime anti-inflammatory healing activity. More on this topic is available in a book that is in very early stages of being written/rewritten from work I’ve completed elsewhere: Tipping the Circadian Clock Towards Health.

Some other tips for lifestyle changes that can help protect health and may even help promote growth of new brain cells in the hippocampus, (the area of the brain that is damaged in Alzheimer’s dementia). 22

Anti-inflammatory Phytonutrients/nutrients from a previous post; promote p53 or inhibit NLRP3:

Addition 12/23/2021: “Here we performed bioinformatic analysis to investigate the interaction of S2 subunit protein of SARS-nCoV-2 of novel coronavirus with tumor suppressor proteins p53 and BRCA-1/2.” (27)

The anti-aging/anti-inflammatory p53 protein seems to be inhibited by the S2 subunit of the spike protein. The p53 protein helps inhibit the cell killing NLRP3 inflammasomes – their mission is to destroy allergens. Cells with spike lodged in a surface receptor would likely be taken as an infected or allergen producing cell that needs to be killed.

There are a variety of phytonutrients that help reduce NLRP3 inflammasome production or promote the p53 protein:

Other phytonutrients including quercetin which is found in citrus peel, also can help inhibit production or activity of the inflammatory NLRP3 inflammasome which has been found to be elevated during more severe COVID19 illness. Sulfarophane (broccoli, etc), resveratrol (grape skins, etc), EGCG (green tea, pomegranate peel), curcumin (turmeric/curry powder), gensenoside (ginseng), emodin (aloe vera gel), mangiferin (mango) and genipin (from a fruit used as a Traditional Chinese Medicinal) are also phytonutrients that may reduce activity or production of NLRP3 inflammasomes. (17*) **

Increasing activity of a protein called p53 seems to help inhibit the production or activity of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Phytonutrients and nutrients that may promote p53 activity also include zinc, artemisinin (wormwood herb), goldenseal (berberine, also found in a few other herbs), Black seed oil (Nigella sativa), ginger (6-gingerol), feverfew, chamomile, and cordyceps mushrooms. (18*)** Replication of human coronaviruses and the SARS-CoV-1,(2003 strain) virus has been found to be inhibited by p53 and have also been found to cause the production of an additional protein that leads to breakdown of the p53 protein which may help explain the dysfunction of immune function in more severe infections. (21*, 22*)**

Inactivating the NLRP3 inflammasome seems to have anti-inflammatory benefits (17) that may help prevent age related changes. It is an area of research being pursued for pharmaceutical development. (11*)** Sleep masks/pitch blackness during sleep, with the alarm clock and light leaking in the window covered, could help your body inactivate the NLRP3 inflammasome on a nightly basis with no ongoing copay. **(See the post Bitter Taste Receptors… for references 11*, 17*, 18*, 21*, 22*)

Options exist and are worth trying in an order of least toxicity risk to greater toxicity risk – foods and herbs and spices or herbal supplements are generally low toxicity and would taste too strong as an indicator of an excess being used. First-aid/self care type of treatments can include the bowl of hot and sour spicy soup or orange with the pith layer left on, or a cup of hot steamy green tea or herbal tea with slippery elm powder, (a mucilaginous/water soluble fiber source, see the post ACE2, Diarrhea… for more food mucilaginous foods and food sources of hydrolyzable tannins, both groups can be beneficial for inflammatory bowel/diarrhea types of conditions or symptoms).

Mix it up – and it may add up to health, have some healthy ingredients along with whatever favorite foods you may also love. Experiment with adding more herbs and spices to favorite foods, gradually, and taste preferences can adapt and new discoveries may become old favorites eventually.

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. Ulasli M, Gurses SA, Bayraktar R, et al. The effects of Nigella sativa (Ns), Anthemis hyalina (Ah) and Citrus sinensis (Cs) extracts on the replication of coronavirus and the expression of TRP genes family. Mol Biol Rep. 2014;41(3):1703–1711. doi:10.1007/s11033-014-3019-7 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3933739/
  2. Abdolhossein Rustaiyan, Shiva Masoudi, Laleh Ezatpour, Elmira Danaii, Mahboubeh Taherkhani & Zahra Aghajani (2011) Composition of the Essential Oils of Anthemis Hyalina DC., Achillea Nobilis L. and Cichorium intybus L. Three Asteraceae Herbs Growing Wild in Iran, Journal of Essential Oil Bearing Plants, 14:4, 472-480, DOI: 10.1080/0972060X.2011.10643603 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0972060X.2011.10643603
  3. Desai S D, Shaik Hussain Saheb, Kusal K Das, Haseena S, Phytochemical Analysis of Nigella sativa and Its Antidiabetic Effect. J. Pharm. Sci. & Res. Vol. 7(8), 2015, 527-532 https://www.jpsr.pharmainfo.in/Documents/Volumes/vol7Issue08/jpsr07081506.pdf
  4. Rane, Jitendra Subhash; Chatterjee, Aroni; Kumar, Abhijeet; Ray, Shashikant (2020): Targeting SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein of COVID-19 with Naturally Occurring Phytochemicals: An in Silco Study for Drug Development. ChemRxiv. Preprint. https://doi.org/10.26434/chemrxiv.12094203.v1 https://chemrxiv.org/articles/Targeting_SARS-CoV-2_Spike_Protein_of_COVID-19_with_Naturally_Occurring_Phytochemicals_An_in_Silco_Study_for_Drug_Development/12094203
  5. Kaempferol Rich Foods, myintakepro.com, https://myintakepro.com/blog/kaempferol-rich-foods/
  6. Camphor, wikipedia.com, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camphor
  7. Atala B. Jena, Namrata Kanungo, Vinayak Nayak et al. Catechin and Curcumin interact with corona (2019-nCoV/SARS-CoV2) viral S protein and ACE2 of human cell membrane: insights from Computational study and implication for intervention, 08 April 2020, PREPRINT (Version 1) available at Research Square https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-22057/v1 https://researchsquare.com/article/rs-22057/v1
  8. 10 Ways to Get Your Catechin Fill, cleaneatingmag.com, https://www.cleaneatingmag.com/clean-diet/10-ways-to-get-your-catechin-fill
  9. What is Pterostilbene?, elysiumhealth.com, https://www.elysiumhealth.com/en-us/science-101/what-is-pterostilbene
  10. Resveratrol Offers Health Boost, health.harvard.edu, https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/diet-rich-resveratrol-offers-health-boost-201405157153
  11. Resveratrol, ScienceDirect.com, https://sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/resveratrol
  12. Sutrisno Sutrisno, Hardianti Aprin, Happy Marthalena Simanungkalit, et al., Genistein modulates the estrogen receptor and suppresses angiogenesis and inflammation in the murine model of peritoneal endometriosis. J Trad & Comp Med, 8;2, April 2018, pp 278-281, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcme.2017.03.002 sciencedirect.com, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2225411017300366
  13. Pal HC, Pearlman RL, Afaq F, et al., Fisetin and Its Role in Chronic Diseases. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2016;928:213-244. https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27671819
  14. Citrus Fig Marmalade Jam, transcendingsquare.com, https://transcendingsquare.com/2020/04/12/citrus-fig-marmalade-jam/
  15. Hesperidin & quercetin content in citrus peel, transcendingsquare.com, https://transcendingsquare.com/2020/04/14/hesperidin-and-quercetin-content-in-citrus-peel/
  16. Bitter Taste Receptors in the Lungs – Hesperidin’s Decongestant properties, transcendingsquare.com, https://transcendingsquare.com/2020/04/07/bitter-taste-receptors-in-the-lungs-hesperidins-decongestant-properties/
  17. Showing Compound Isorhamnetin (FDB000604) foodb.ca https://foodb.ca/compounds/FDB000604
  18. USDA/Agricultural Research Service, Luteolin stars in study of healthful plant compounds. July 16, 2010, ScienceDaily.com, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100708141622.htm
  19. Shukla S, Gupta S. Apigenin: a promising molecule for cancer prevention. Pharm Res. 2010;27(6):962–978. doi:10.1007/s11095-010-0089-7 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2874462/ )
  20. Aseem Malhotra, Covid-19 and the Elephant in the Room, April 16, 2020, europeanscientist.com, https://www.europeanscientist.com/en/article-of-the-week/covid-19-and-the-elephant-in-the-room/
  21. Imran M, Rauf A, Abu-Izneid T, et al., Luteolin, a flavonoid, as an anticancer agent: A review. Biomed Pharmacother. 2019 Apr;112:108612. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2019.108612 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332218367180?via%3Dihub “During the past two decades, plant-derived bioactive compounds have been reported as novel health-giving agents for prevention and/or mitigation of different human diseases such as cancer, inflammation, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases [5]. Among these compounds, more than 5000 flavonoids have been identified and are distributed in a wide range of plants. On the basis of their chemical structures, these flavonoids have been grouped into 10 categories, 6 of which including  flavones, flavanones, anthocyanidins, flavonols, isoflavones, and catechins are commonly present in the human diet.“
  22. Andrea Donsky, You Can Make New Brain Cells and Improve Your Memory, naturallysavvy.com, https://naturallysavvy.com/restore/you-can-make-new-brain-cells-and-improve-your-memory/
  23. Rao PV, Gan SH. Cinnamon: a multifaceted medicinal plant. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014;2014:642942. doi:10.1155/2014/642942 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4003790/
  24. Huertas M. Díaz-Mula, Francisco A. Tomás-Barberán, and Rocío García-Villalba, Pomegranate Fruit and Juice (cv. Mollar), Rich in Ellagitannins and Anthocyanins, Also Provide a Significant Content of a Wide Range of Proanthocyanidins. J Agr and Food Chem 2019 67 (33), 9160-9167 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.8b07155 https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jafc.8b07155
  25. Mukesh Chourasia, Purushotham Reddy Koppula, Aruna Battu, et al., EGCG, a Green Tea Catechin, as a Potential Therapeutic Agent for Symptomatic and Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Molecules 2021, 26(5), 1200; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26051200 https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/5/1200/htm
  26. Anand David AV, Arulmoli R, Parasuraman S. Overviews of Biological Importance of Quercetin: A Bioactive Flavonoid. Pharmacogn Rev. 2016;10(20):84-89. doi:10.4103/0973-7847.194044 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5214562/
  27. Nishant Singh, Anuradha Bharara Singh, S2 subunit of SARS-nCoV-2 interacts with tumor suppressor protein p53 and BRCA: an in silico study. Translational Oncology, Vol 13, Issue 10, 020, 100814, ISSN 1936-5233, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranon.2020.100814. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1936523320303065
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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