From eNewsletter 10/14/2020
DID YOU KNOW that according to a recent survey of 1,000 Americans who were asked about the most stressful events in their life, researchers say moving was selected most often by respondents (45%)?
Following close behind is getting divorced or going through a breakup (44%). Other top stressors include getting married (33%), having children (31%), starting one's first ever job (28%), and switching careers (27%). Rounding out the top ten: sending a child to college (26%), starting college themselves (22%), dating someone new (10%), and getting a pet (7%).
So, if moving is so stressful, why do people still pack up and uproot their lives? Many (19%) did so for a new job, while others (16%) had to for a job relocation. Another 13% say they were motivated to move so they would be closer to their family.
COVID-19 Condition Monograph Update
For those interested in getting into the "nitty gritty" of COVID-19, Steve has updated his COVID-19 Condition Monograph. Updates include research on risk for pregnant and nursing women, new inflammatory hypotheses, whey protein, and myriad new references (197 and counting) for the nutrients you know and love!
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.
Have a happy, healthy day! Steve and Bonnie
COVID-19 UPDATE
Steve and Bonnie: New research that you need to be aware of!
Zinc Deficiency New research presented at the 2020 ESCMID Conference on Coronavirus Disease suggests that lower levels of plasma zinc are associated with poorer survival outcomes in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Having a plasma zinc level lower than 50mcg/dl at admission was associated with a 2.3 times increased risk of in-hospital death compared with the patients with a plasma zinc level of 50mcg/dl or higher. Higher zinc levels were associated with lower maximum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), an inflammatory cytokine, during the period of active infection. New Developments at the CDC Last week, the CDC stated that people who are merely overweight, not just obese, may be at high risk of serious disease from the coronavirus infection. After adding and removing the statement several times, the CDC stated that people with COVID-19 may infect others who are more than 6 feet away through what's called airborne transmission, small droplets and particles that can linger in the air for minutes to hours. This is why indoor or enclosed spaces have such a higher rate of transmission. Low LDL Cholesterol and Mortality Risk A new study in Medrxiv found that those hospitalized with the lowest levels of LDL cholesterol had a higher risk of death due to increased inflammation. While this seems counterintuitive, metabolically it makes sense. We have said for a while now that very low cholesterol opens one up more to infection. This is why one must be careful with how much statin one is taking, so one's LDL does not get too low. Vitamin D's Effect on COVID Explained After another positive study about vitamin D appeared last week in Medrxiv, especially for certain minorities, we thought we would share an explanation from famous researcher, Dr. Gareth Davies of Imperial College in London: "If vitamin D levels are high, the innate immune system is strong. This is the first line of defense the body employs when a pathogen first invades. In many cases, the innate immune response can entirely deal with an invasion before it takes hold. It's also involved a health adaptive immune response. This is a slower response where the body begins to make antibodies that specifically target the invading pathogen if it fails to control it via innate immune response. Vitamin D helps something called the renin-angiotensin system or RAS, which regulates blood pressure and inflammatory response. To use a metaphor, it's like an engine with an accelerator and a brake. To tackle an infection the accelerator is pressed to ramp up inflammatory response to deal with the invading pathogen, but the brake also is depressed to keep things under control. When the invasion is dealt with, the accelerator comes down and the brake brings everything down to an idling state again. The ACE2 protein is the brake, but ACE2 is depleted as the virus replicates which effectively breaks the brake. With only an accelerator, the RAS quickly runs out of control leading to cytokine storm, out-of-control inflammation and the lungs fill up causing pneumonia. This is what kills people. Vitamin D helps here by keeping the accelerator under control by suppressing a mechanism further upstream that activates it." Hand Hygiene If you needed a refresher on why hand washing and keeping your hands away from your face is still important, a new study from Clinical Infectious Diseases states that SARS-CoV-2 can survive on human skin for up to nine hours if left to its own devices. Researchers also found that in a lab setting, SARS-CoV-2 may live on certain surfaces for up to 28 days if not sanitized. Masks and Carbon Dioxide Overload A new study from Annals of the American Thoracic Society shows that deleterious effects from wearing masks are minimal at most, even in people with very severe lung impairment. As for the feeling of breathlessness that some healthy people may experience, the lead researcher explained: "Dyspnea, the feeling of shortness of breath, felt with masks by some is not synonymous of alterations in gas exchange. It likely occurs from restriction of air flow with the mask in particular when higher ventilation is needed (on exertion). If you're walking briskly up an incline, for example, you may experience feelings of breathlessness. An overly tight mask may also increase the feeling of breathlessness. The solution is simply to slow down or remove the mask if you are at a safe distance from other people." Air Purifiers A study from Medrxiv purports that, staying for two hours in a closed room with a super infective COVID-19 person, the inhaled dose of infection is reduced by a factor of six when using air purifiers. Immune Functions of Micronutrients against SARS-CoV-2 A new study in Nutrients lists the following micronutrients as most effective: vitamins A, B, C, D, and E, as well as minerals: iron, zinc, and selenium. Do not take any of these unless you speak with a licensed health professional first. Whey Protein According to results of a Biorxiv study, whey protein, whether from human, goat, and cow's milk, sufficiently killed off most coronavirus strains the researchers tested. The milk was collected in 2017 so there was no specific antibodies for SARS-CoV-2. This is not the first study we have shared connecting whey to immune health. Indoor Safety Guideline MIT came up with a wonderful indoor safety guideline that appeals to just about anyone for their home or business.
BETTER SLEEP UPDATE
This article is reserved for NCI Well Connect Members. You can get this article by signing up here. You can get our free eNewsletter by signing up at the top of our website.
Comments