From eNewsletter 9/9/2020
DID YOU KNOW that in a new study from last week's issue of JAMA Network Open, University of Chicago researchers unequivocally stated that vitamin D deficiency was associated with increased risk of severe COVID-19?
Along with Northwestern, who published a study saying the same thing a few months ago, the top two institutions in the Chicagoland area state the need for vitamin D status to be part of COVID-19 risk protocols. On top of that, two studies from last week's Journal of the American College of Nutrition implored public health officials to take vitamin D status seriously for the pandemic and future infectious outbreaks. Yet, this still falls on deaf ears!
If the CDC, NIH, and FDA don't want to listen to frumpy human researchers, maybe they'll listen to artificial intelligence? A study published last week in eLife explained how one of the fastest supercomputers in the world analyzed thousands of COVID-19 samples, which took over a week, an eternity for a supercomputer, and what was one of its conclusions? Vitamin D may be one of the safest, cheapest, and most effective ways to reduce the severity of COVID-19.
Another project called Biovista Project Prodigy AI analyzed and matched all known available agents as potential treatments for COVID-19. They found six. What was one of the six? Vitamin D3 of course.
STEVE'S COVID-19 MONOGRAPH POSTED ON ANA'S WEBSITE! American Nutrition Association (ANA), the most prestigious nutrition organization in the United States because you need a minimum of a masters degree to be a certified nutrition specialist (CNS), posted Steve's COVID-19 Condition Monograph this week at this ANA Community Resources link. Congrats Steve!
COVID-19 Prevention and Treatment Continue with extra immune support until summer of 2021. SARS-CoV-2 is not going away anytime soon. 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. Prevent and Fight Coronavirus 2.0 is our must-read protocol. For detailed advice about conventional, as well as integrative treatments, read Steve Minsky's COVID-19 Condition Monograph.
INTERMITTENT FASTING UPDATE
Steve and Bonnie: An eating style we have opined about the last few years is Intermittent Fasting, also referred to as Time-Restricted Feeding, a term we like better. For those who are not familiar, there are numerous iterations of this eating style, but the crux of it is that you eat your food within a finite period of time, allowing your body to fast the rest of the time. Three new positive studies add to the burgeoning evidence. Cognition A study in this month's Nutrients examined the effects of Intermittent Fasting (IF) on cognitive function among elderly individuals who have mild cognitive impairment (MCI). They were divided into three groups, comprising those who were regularly practicing IF, irregularly practicing IF, and non-fasters.
After 36 months of follow-up, more MCI subjects in the regularly practicing IF group reverted to successful aging with no cognitive impairment and diseases (24.3%) compared to those in irregularly IF (14.2%) and non-IF groups (3.7%). The regularly practicing IF group's subjects exhibited significant increases in antioxidant activity and reduction in body weight, levels of insulin, fasting blood glucose, C-reactive protein, and DNA damage. Body Weight Reduction University of Illinois at Chicago researchers compared a 4-hour time-restricted feeding diet and a 6-hour time restricted feeding diet, and after 10 weeks, found that both were effective for weight loss compared to a control group. Participants in the 4-hour time-restricted feeding diet group were asked to eat only between the hours of 1PM and 5PM. Participants in the 6-hour time-restricted feeding diet group were asked to eat only between the hours of 1PM and 7PM. During the fasting hours, participants were directed to only drink water. The participants were followed for 10 weeks. The study, published in Cell Metabolism, found that participants in both daily fasting groups reduced calorie intake by about 550 calories each day simply by adhering to the schedule and lost about 3% of their body weight. The researchers also found that insulin resistance and oxidative stress levels were reduced compared with the control group. There was no significant difference in weight loss or cardiometabolic risk factors between the 4-hour and 6-hour diet groups. Type 2 Diabetes As we have stated incessantly when referring to time-restricted feeding, we do not recommend adhering to this eating style when you have certain blood sugar disorders, such as type 2 diabetes. A recent study in JAMA confirms this. Things such as low blood pressure, weakness, headaches, and dizziness are considerations, with hypoglycemia being the the big issue. So instead of going long periods of time without eating, the authors of this study suggest caloric restriction as a better choice for blood sugar disorders. This simply means eating less at your scheduled meals.
WHY A COVID VACCINE WILL NOT BE LONG LASTING
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