From eNewsletter 12/8/2021
DID YOU KNOW that a tour de force study from the December issue of American Journal of Epidemiology deduced that habitual, long-term use of melatonin creates a significantly reduced risk of overall mortality? The study exemplifies what every supplement study should be. Researchers tracked over 10,000 men and 10,00 women 35 years of age or older for almost 30 years! Melatonin intake was significantly associated with decreased risks of total mortality and cardiovascular mortality for those taking the highest amount of melatonin intake versus the lowest.
Announcements
Food Intolerance Test Blood Draw Update Options to set up a Biotrition food intolerance test blood draw. By appointment only:
One Saturday per month at Biotrition in Glenview - 1/22/22 and 2/12/2
Tue, Wed, TH 9AM-3PM at NICL Labs in Northbrook
Text, email, or call us to set up your appointment.
Text Us To better serve your needs, we now have the ability to accept text messages. Simply type in (847) 498-3422 and text away!
UPDATE - COVID-19 Vaccine Information We updated this document Monday, December 6th.
Virus Prevention And Treatment Vaccines will minimize COVID-19 related mortality and hospitalizations, but SARS-CoV-2 is not going away, as evidenced by its ever-mutating variants. Moreover, SARS-CoV-2 is not the only virus we fight. There are influenza (flu), norovirus (stomach flu), adenovirus (common cold), and four other coronaviruses (common cold), among others.We highly recommend continuing your immune support. For more information, refer to our Prevent and Fight Viruses 2.0 Protocol.
COVID-19 Condition Monograph For those interested in conventional and integrative treatments for COVID-19 with over 250 references, this is our COVID-19 Condition Monograph.
UPDATE - Post-COVID Syndrome 2.0 (November 2021) The official diagnosis for post-COVID syndrome (PCS) are symptoms that last for 12 weeks or more. If you, a family member, friend, coworker, or neighbor is suffering from PCS, diligently following our Post-COVID Syndrome 2.0 Action Plan for purchase, or free to paid members here, can bring measurable improvement.
Have a happy, healthy day! Steve and Bonnie Minsky
In Today's Issue...
Well Connect Feature: Cancer Updates, Advancements*
COVID-19 Update
December 20% OFF Sale Items
Chiro Corner NEW!
Pure Genomics 2.0
Blog Briefs
Well Connect Member Benefits *Paid Member Access Only
COVID-19 UPDATE
Steve: The specifics of the omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant are still being studied. While it seems omicron may be much more infectious the previous variants, early returns suggest is milder symptomatically. Omicron is exactly the reason why we did not recommend getting a booster, except under specific circumstances. Even though Pfizer did come out today saying a third dose would neutralize omicron, this was based upon lab studies in blood samples, not in human beings. Moreover, if omicron is as mild as it seems, it may be no worse than the common cold, thus rendering boosters moot. Until we know more, optimizing diet, lifestyle, and taking your supplements should be your focus for prevention. Two Studies Confirm Extending Time Between First and Second mRNA Dose If you recall early in the vaccine launch, we urged many of you to extend the period of time between the first and second mRNA dose. Recent data has confirmed our recommendation. According to the first North American study, funded by the government of Canada and appearing in Clinical Infectious Diseases and JAMA, blood test results were taken from a group of paramedics, some of whom were vaccinated within the earlier recommended interval of less than four weeks, and others who received their second doses after six to seven weeks. Researchers found significantly higher levels of antibodies in individuals who had longer vaccine intervals, and this was consistent regardless of which mRNA vaccine was administered. Severity of Reinfection in Those Naturally Infected According to a study from Medrxiv, prior infection-induced immunity is protective against infection when predominantly gamma and delta SARS-CoV-2 circulated. However, while reinfections were somewhat less severe, they were not as mild as the researchers would have hoped. Hybrid Immunity Best for Long-Term Prevention Two new studies, one from Medrxiv and the other from The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, suggest the best form of long-term immunity for COVID-19 is hybrid immunity, which means a mix of natural infection and at least one dose of mRNA vaccine. Bromelain Authors of a study in Nutrients suggest the anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective and anti-coagulatory activity of bromelain, the proteolytic enzyme found in pineapple plants, should become a complementary therapy for COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 patients to prevent escalation and the progression of the COVID-19 disease. Hospitalization After Vaccine Launch A study from The Lancet analyzed the ratio of change to emergency department visits, hospital admissions, and deaths among adults aged 50 years and older during the period Nov 1, 2020, to April 10, 2021. The ratio of relative changes comparing the change in the COVID-19 case incidence ratio over the post-vaccine versus pre-vaccine periods showed decreases of 53% and 62% among adults aged 65 to 74 years and 75 years and older, respectively, compared with those aged 50 to 64 years (who could not get the vaccine yet). They found similar results for emergency department visits, hospital admissions, and deaths. Say what you want about the vaccine, but it did fulfill its original purpose, which was to reduce severe illness and death. Myocarditis Caused by COVID-19 A recent study from Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report stated that during March 2020 - January 2021, patients with COVID-19 infections had nearly 16 times the risk for myocarditis compared with patients who did not have COVID-19 across all age groups. Whereas a new study from Medrxiv states the incidence of myocarditis following Pfizer mRNA vaccines was low, but highest in males 12-17 years and 18-29 years. Another reason why one dose, or spacing out time between doses, is critical. Post-COVID Syndrome A new study from Medrxiv suggests that as of mid-October, more than 100 million people worldwide have experienced lingering health concerns or are still reporting problems following a COVID infection. Another study in Medrxiv analyzed how vaccines prior to and after infection could affect post-COVID symptoms. Those who received at least one vaccine dose prior to their diagnosis with COVID-19 were 7-10 times less likely to report two or more long-COVID symptoms compared to unvaccinated patients. Furthermore, unvaccinated patients who received their first COVID-19 vaccination within four weeks of SARS-CoV-2 infection were 4-6 times less likely to report multiple long-COVID symptoms, and those who received their first dose 4-8 weeks after diagnosis were 3 times less likely to report multiple long-COVID symptoms compared to those who remained unvaccinated. Finally, another study from Medrxiv concludes that severe COVID-19 in those under 65 years of age induces molecular signatures of aging in the human brain and the authors emphasize the value of neurological follow-up in recovered individuals. COVID-19 Pill Remember Merck's COVID-19 pill that drew worldwide attention when it was touted as having 50% efficacy in reducing hospitalizations and deaths? One month later Merck revised their data to show it was only 30% effective. All you need to know is the FDA advisory panel narrowly voted 13 to 10 to recommend it for emergency use authorization. Many of the experts said the modest benefits didn't outweigh all the potential safety issues. Stay away from this pill! Another Reason to Avoid COVID-19 Hospitalization According to data in JAMA Network Open, 72% of major insurance providers ended their COVID-19 hospitalization waivers by August of 2021, claiming that it is justified to charge patients for COVID-19 hospitalizations now that COVID-19 vaccines are widely available.