Dr. Ryan Cole at Clinical Nutrition Meeting

 Clinical Nutrition Conference

   The International and American Association of Clinical Nutritionists met in Dallas in September with a conference focus on covid, viral infections, and immunization. This newsletter will share a few highlights on nutrients important for immune health and good outcomes from covid infection shared by Dr. Ryan Cole with the attendees.

.Dr. Ryan Cole Lecture on Vitamin D

There is no such thing as ‘flu and cold season”, only low vitamin D season !!!!" Every cell in our body has a vitamin D receptor in the nucleus. Approximately 2,000 genes in our body (5% of our genome) are controlled by vitamin D. Vitamin D is the master key to our immune health! If one has a D level of 50ng/ml (range 20-100) one cannot develop a “cytokine storm” (that which often killed in covid). 

70-80% of All Americans are vitamin D deficient or insufficient. The presence of vitamin D helps shift the body from an inflammatory state to an anti-inflammatory state. Vitamin D deficiency season is October-March in northern latitudes for those who spend time outdoors, and the rest of the year for those who work indoors. Obesity drastically decreases bioavailable vitamin D. Normal vitamin D levels decrease the risk of many cancers. 

Normal D levels decrease COVID symptom severity and risk for hospitalization by up to 80-90%!!!! Normal D levels decrease clotting (covid is a clotting disease). “I take 6,000 per day…” Fauci interview November 2020 and in his FOIA emails.

The Endocrine Society of America states that one can safely take 4,000 IU daily without checking levels. Children age 1-3 no more than 1,000-2,000 IU, children 4-8 no more than 2,000-3,000 IU.

Those at greatest risk of most serious deficiency: the obese, those with dark skin, the elderly. Oral vitamin D dosing does not become active and bioavailable for 10-14 days after supplementing.

 

 Dr. Ryan Cole on Magnesium

 

Up to half of the U.S. population is magnesium deficient. Vitamin D remains stored and inactive if magnesium is deficient. High intake of calcium without sufficient magnesium can lead to calcification of soft tissues. Magnesium deficiency is associated with heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and diabetes. Higher dietary intake of magnesium is associated with decreased severity and symptoms of those in the hospital with covid.

Dr. Ryan Cole on Zinc

 

Up to as many as 40% of the elderly in the U.S. are zinc deficient. A small amount of copper should be supplemented if one is taking a high dose of zinc. This is usually found in a good multiple. Phytate in grains and legumes inhibits zinc absorption. Vitamin D can not penetrate our tissues when we are zinc deficient. The mineral in involved in 300 enzymatic reactions in the body. When zinc intake is above 30 mg a small amount of copper should be added to the supplement program. Zinc decreases inflammatory compounds resulting from immune activity. Patients low in zinc have poor outcomes when they develop covid;

Zinc Taste Test

 I was recently reminded of the zinc taste test by an article in Dr. Ron Overberg's newsletter. You will find a full discussion of this test in my book Your Body's Sign Language at the end of the chapter on "Appetite and Digestion." Zinc has proven to be a very important mineral with the advent of Covid-19. Patients with zinc deficiency have much poorer outcomes from the disease than those with adequate levels of zinc. Complications are much more common and hospital stays are much longer. Zinc reduces viral load and has been recommended as an intervention for Covid-19.

The NeoLife zinc is in the form of a double chelate with the amino acids it works best with in nature. Studies of chelated zinc have shown a fourfold or more improved absorption over other forms of zinc intake. The lining of the intestine has a negative charge while minerals have a positive charge. Chelation removes the charge on the zinc allowing for passage through the intestinal lining rather than a tendency to adhere to the intestinal lining without being absorbed. NeoLife zinc is code number 3425.

The zinc taste test involves refraining from food for an hour then swishing about a teaspoon of a zinc sulfate solution in the mouth for at least ten seconds. The solution can then be swallowed or spit out. If the solution is tasteless or like water or a gradually developing taste like dry, mineral-like, bubbly, furry, or even sweet, possible zinc deficiency is indicated. Zinc adequacy is indicated by a definite taste which gets stronger over time and in cases with fully adequate zinc status the taste may be unpleasant and sometimes metallic. The taste can linger. You can obtain a zinc solution for testing by contacting our office. (530)823-7092.

Certain substances help move zinc into cells where it does its most important work. Nutrients that move zinc into cells include green tea, vitamin C, and flavonoids. Tre, Flavonoid Complex, vitamin C, and NeoLife Tea are all good supplements to take in conjunction with zinc to optimize health benefits of the mineral.

Links

Poor outcomes with zinc deficiency link.

Zinc as an intervention for Covid-19.

Flavonoids increase intercellular zinc activity. (Flavonoids and tea)

Lysine and Virus Infection

 The clinical use of L-lysine, an amino acid, in treatment of the herpes virus first appeared in The Lancet in 1974. The mechanism of action was clarified in 1978 and confirmation was published in 1985. L-lysine supplementation with arginine restriction has become a recognized treatment worldwide for controlling all forms of herpes virus. Arginine is an essential nutrient for viruses and L-lysine interferes with the ability of viruses to incorporate this nutrient into the virus. L-Lysine also has strong anti-inflammatory properties.

In 2016 a report concluded that L-lysine was helpful against MERS-CoV. Christopher Kagan and associates tried L-lysine with a low arginine diet on patients with Covid-19. They summarized their findings as follows: "Approximately 80% of acute stage Covid-19 sufferers given lysine displayed a minimum of 70% reduction in symptoms in the first 48 hours (not including long term symptomatic subjects)." Patients in the hospital were normally discharged after 3 days. Kagan emphasizes that this is a treatment and not a cure and patients who respond should remain on the diet and supplement for 2-3 weeks after symptoms have abated. Doses of lysine ranged from 100 mg to 2500 mg. Kagan warns against higher doses and notes that lysine should not be taken with zinc or calcium.

The Theory of Lysine and Viruses

Preliminary Paper

 Thoughts on Covid

Vitamin D Deficiency and COVID-19

A study conducted at the University of Heidelberg was published near the end of 2020 which reported on the protective effects of vitamin C against serious complications from COVID-19. This study is significant because vaccine manufacturers are not promising that vaccines will prevent infection with the virus, but only that seriousness of the infection will be reduced.

In the Heidelberg study vitamin D deficiency was associated with more than a 6-fold risk of invasive mechanical ventilation and almost a 15-fold increased risk of death. The authors concluded, "Our study demonstrates an association between VitD deficiency and severity/mortality of COVID-19, highlighting the need for interventional studies on VitD supplementation in SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals."

Of the 185 patients treated at the center 22% were vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D deficiency consisted of a blood level of total 25-hydroxyvitamin D level less than 12 ng/mL (<30 nM). Regular or habitual use of vitamin D seems to be preferable in scientific studies.

References:

Article on Vitamin D Deficiency

Habitual use of Vitamin D

Video Discussion by John Campbell, M.D.

Zinc and Viruses

Intracellular zinc inhibits viral replication. The key word here is intracellular. Viruses do their damage within cells. Thus the zinc must get within cells in order to effectively boost immune function against viruses. The focus of pharmaceutical firms is on zinc ionophores. An ionophore is nothing more than a substance that can transport a molecule across a lipid membrane like a cell membrane.

Dr. Arthur Furst was one of the scientific pioneers in mineral biology who realized that absorption of minerals could be hindered if the wrong forms of minerals were used in supplementation. He developed NeoLife's double chelation technology. Chelation of zinc greatly facilitates the transport of zinc within the human body.

Studies have shown that zinc is antiviral if it can be delivered to the proper places in the cell. Many antiviral agents help to deliver zinc to the cells. Some like tea catechins both aid the movement of zinc within cells, but also have antiviral activity of their own.

References:

Article on zinc and Covid-19

Zinc Enhances Antiviral Activity of Hydroxychloroquine

Zinc Inhibits Coronovirus

Risks of Rushed Vaccine

"Telescoping testing timelines and approvals may expose all of us to unnecessary dangers related to the vaccine. While preclinical trials to evaluate the potential safety and efficacy of vaccine candidates are likely to include tens of thousands of patients, it is still unclear whether that number will be large enough and a trial will last long enough to evaluate safety for a drug that would be administered to so many. The US alone plans to vaccinate hundreds of millions of people with the first successful candidate. One serious adverse event per thousand of a vaccine given to 100 million people means harm to 100,000 otherwise healthy people." 

Haseltines warnings in Scientific American have been ignored as a result of "emergency authorization" for the use of vaccines prior to thorough testing. Haseltine has a couple of major concerns:

#1: ADE (antibody dependent enhancement): Worsening the result of infection. This phenomena has been observed in attempts to develop other vaccines for coronoviruses. COVID-19 patients have also evidenced antibodies in the blood characteristic of ADE.

#2: All the vaccines tested up to the time of the publication of this article failed to protect non-human primates from infection of the nasal passages. This is why the focus of vaccines has been on amelioration of the infection rather than prevention of the disease.

Haseltine, Willim A., The Risks of Rushing a COVID-19 Vaccine, Scientific American, June 22, 2020.

Emergency Authorization

Emergency authorization for the use of a treatment for a disease is only permissible if there is no effective treatment for a disease. This is why potential alternative treatments for Covid-19 such as hydroxychloraquine or vitamin D and zinc are attacked and rejected by many in the medical community, especially those who have close ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Click Here for Coming NeoLife Events

Male Issues

       One of th frequent questions athletes and older men have is how to increase testosterone levels naturally. A recent study found that supplementation with 10 mg of magnesium for every 2.2 pounds of body weight increased testosterone levels in men who were both sedentary and exercising. The increases were higher in men who exercised.
      GNLD produces masculine and feminine herbal formulas. These are designed to support optimal hormone production and functioning. Saw Palmetto, found in the masculine herbal formula, has been shown in scientific studies to benefit prostatic hypertrophy. Dr. Jonathan Wright suggests that the benefits result from a number of actions including increasing testosterone and inhibiting the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone which creates problems. The herb also inhibits the growth stimulating effects of estrogen on the prostate. Clinical trials comparing saw palmetto and the drug Proscar found "that both treatments were equally effective in reducing symptoms of BPH."
     There was one difference, however. Proscar-treated men complained substantially more about decreased libido, impotence, and ejaculatory disorders.
References:
Cinar, Vedat, et al., Effects o magnesium supplementation on testosterone levels of athletes and sedentary subjects at rest and after exhaustion, Biological Trace Element Research, April 2011; 140(1): 18-23.
Wright, Jonathan, Maximize Your Vitality & Potency, Petaluma, CA.: Smart Publications, 1999, 180.