Test for Vaccine Efficacy | Avocado and the Gut
From eNewsletter 7/7/2021
DID YOU KNOW that a recent study in The Journal of Nutrition states that avocado consumption has a positive effect on our gut microbiome? Subjects consuming a little over one cup of mashed avocado daily for twelve weeks showed marked improvement in six fecal assessments indicating better microbial diversity and enriched intestinal strains that have a positive effect on gut integrity.
Announcements 2021 Bonnie C. Minsky Award Recipient Once per year, Bonnie gives a scholarship to one graduate student at University of Illinois-Chicago School of Public Health. The 2021 recipient of the Bonnie C. Minsky Award is Amanda Montgomery. Amanda is a Registered Dietitian and first-year MPH Student in the Community Health Sciences. She is a member of Radical Public Health and a Research Assistant with the Greater Lawndale Healthy Work Committee. She has worked as a Community Dietitian for five years and is currently the Community Health Education Manager at Heartland Health Centers. She is passionate about food justice, compassion-based nutrition and reducing anti-fat bias within public health and health care systems. She is so proud to have been selected as the recipient of the Bonnie C. Minsky Award. As a Registered Dietitian, she is passionate about nutrition and has spent her entire career working to increase health equity. She believes that every person deserves access to resources that support health including affordable, culturally relevant foods, accessible health care and safe play spaces. She hopes to work for a social justice focused health care organization, impacting both communities and the health care system. She wants to work in partnership with communities to create relevant, sustainable solutions to health inequities, and to support them in creating systems of food and eating that allow them to connect to their culture and fill them with joy.
Food Intolerance Test Blood Draw Dates for August & September Saturday blood draw dates for the food intolerance test are August 14th and September 18th. First come, first serve.
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UPDATE - COVID-19 Vaccine Information We updated this document Monday, July 5th.
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.
Post-COVID Syndrome 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 Action Plan for purchase, or free to paid members here, can bring measurable improvement.
COVID-19 UPDATE Steve and Bonnie: Here are latest studies most relevant for you.
Vitamin D
A large study of Israeli citizens in Medrxiv states that among hospitalized COVID-19 patients, pre-infection deficiency of vitamin D was associated with increased disease severity and mortality.
Green Tea
A new study from Medrxiv demonstrates the green tea catechin, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), has broad spectrum antiviral activity against mouse and human coronavirus infection and should be investigated further as a preventive against future pandemics.
Ivermectin
Following up from our recent post on Ivermectin, Oxford researchers are now testing the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin as a possible treatment for COVID-19, as part of a British government-backed study that aims to aid recoveries in non-hospital settings. Ivermectin resulted in a reduction of virus replication in laboratory studies, the university said, adding that a small pilot showed giving the drug early could reduce viral load and the duration of symptoms in some patients with mild COVID-19. read more.
Vitamin B12
Researchers publishing last week in Medrxiv states that vitamin B12 deserves consideration as a SARS-CoV-2 antiviral, particularly given its extended use and lack of toxicity in humans, and its availability and affordability.
One Shot in Those Who Had COVID-19 Infection?
A new study in ACS Nano shows patients who recover from a coronavirus infection only need one vaccine dose to achieve full protection during the pandemic. The study adds to previous research which finds COVID patients have already started building up an immune defense against the virus. In those reports, scientists discovered that coronavirus patients start producing their own antibodies to fight the infection and also create memory cells, which retain a record of old illnesses so the immune system knows how to fight them in the future.
Testing for Vaccine Effectiveness
If you're in the rare position of needing to know for certain if your vaccine actually worked, scientists say the only way to find out is through a specific kind of test that's given at just the right time.
A specific lab test known as an Elisa test at least two weeks after receiving the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine or four weeks after receiving the Johnson & Johnson shot can offer a better look at the spike protein antibodies generated by the doses. This is because traditional antibody tests are not designed to check for the types of markers that the vaccine has taken to your immune system. Even the Elisa test will not give you the total picture, because it cannot tell you the response of your B and T cells.