SUBJ: Summary of NIH Report on supplements to boost resistance to COVID
SUBtitle: Foods to make you look younger
See past newsletters here See why we age and how to slow processes here.
SHORT NOTES: Excess Fructose May Fuel Obesity, Colorectal Cancer Growth; These Foods Make You Look Older; foods that make you look younger! After age 60, you need fewer calories; Long report on NIH report on supplements for immune system health incl vitamin C, D, &E, fish oil, quercetin, probiotics, melatonin, ETC. [see Roc’s supplement choices], Reader comment: you’ve got me confused about vitamin B3 and NAD-ROC says: Research indicates that Vitamin B3 is great as a supplement, NAD hazardous; Dietary supplements consisting of beta-carotene (precursor to vitamin A), vitamins C and E and the mineral magnesium (ACEMg) can be beneficial for reducing hearing loss; Dangerous foods – cherry pits, apple seeds, too much nutmeg, star fruit if your kidneys are poor, mango skin; Church of Perpetual Life in Florida, devoted to prolonging life. www.ChurchOfPerpetualLife.org; Olive oil effective in neuroprotection; Olive polyphenols and bioavailable glutathione: Promising results in patients diagnosed with mild Alzheimer’s disease
LONG NOTES:
NIH headline: Excess Fructose May Fuel Obesity, Colorectal Cancer Growth
MedMD: These Foods Make You Look Older -margarine, soda, frozen dinners; then Best foods as you age, then foods that make you look younger!Fiber, whole grains, nuts, water, fish, etc.
AARP: After age 60, you need fewer calories. Your metabolism slows about 7% by age 70. About140 fewer calories needed from your food each day.
NIH report on supplements for immune system health – The innate immune system includes physical barriers, such as the skin and gut epithelium, that help prevent pathogen entry. It also includes leukocytes (white blood cells)—such as neutrophils, macrophages (which release cytokines), and natural killer cells—that attempt to identify and eliminate foreign pathogens. However, these components are nonspecific, meaning that unlike the adaptive immune system, they do not recognize and respond to specific pathogens [13,14].
The adaptive immune system consists of B lymphocytes (B cells) that secrete antibodies into the blood and tissues (a process known as humoral immunity) and T lymphocytes (T cells; a process known as cell-mediated immunity), both of which are pathogen specific [15]. The adaptive response takes several days or weeks to develop, but it generates immunological “memory”;
Andrographis – Studies conducted before the emergence of COVID-19 suggest that andrographis supplementation might reduce the severity of respiratory tract infections
Echinacea- Several studies suggest that echinacea offers limited benefits for preventing the common cold [48,49], so some researchers have suggested that echinacea might have similar effects on COVID-19. Coughing, muscle pain, and shortness of breath were alleviated in 91 to 98% of individuals who received the combination of echinacea, ginger, and hydroxychloroquine, whereas only 69 to 79% of individuals who received hydroxychloroquine alone experienced these benefits. However, the combination treatment did not reduce severity of fever or sore throat or the rate of hospitalization for COVID-19.
Elderberry (European Elder) Elderberry contains many compounds— including anthocyanins, flavonols, and phenolic acids—that might have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antimicrobial, and immune-stimulating effects. Elderberry’s effects on the common cold and influenza have been examined in a few small clinical trials with promising results
Ginseng-Several clinical trials have examined whether ginseng helps prevent upper respiratory tract infections, such as the common cold and flu, but results have been mixed
Magnesium- many people do not consume recommended amounts of magnesium [88,97]. Low magnesium status is associated with decreased immune cell activity, increased oxidative stress, and increased inflammation
Melatonin- No evidence shows that melatonin helps prevent or treat COVID-19. However, some researchers recommend studying melatonin’s effects on COVID-19 because of its reported anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immune-enhancing properties
N-acetylcysteine-It is an antioxidant and increases glutathione levels in the body [135,136]. NAC has mucolytic activity, so it helps reduce respiratory mucus levels. The results from two studies suggest that NAC might benefit patients with COVID-19.
Omega-3 fatty acids-Adequate Intake (AI; intake assumed to ensure nutritional adequacy) for omega-3s that ranges from 0.5 to 1.6 g per day for infants and children, depending on age, and from 1.1 to 1.6 g per day for adults. Whether higher intakes or blood levels of omega-3s reduce the risk or severity of COVID-19 is not known. However, self-reported use of omega-3 supplements (dose not reported) more than three times per week for at least 3 months among 372,720 U.K. residents aged 16 to 90 years was associated with a 12% lower risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection after adjustment for potential confounders
Probiotics-Probiotics act mainly in the gastrointestinal tract [17]. They might improve immune function in several ways, including enhancing gut barrier function, increasing immunoglobulin production, inhibiting viral replication, and enhancing the phagocytic activity of white blood cells. Probiotics improve outcomes in patients who have ventilator-associated pneumonia and other infections
Quercetin-quercetin might have antioxidant, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. Individuals receiving quercetin supplements were significantly less likely to require hospitalization than those who did not receive quercetin supplements. Among patients who required hospitalization, stays were shorter if they received the quercetin supplements.
Selenium-Selenium helps support both the innate and adaptive immune systems through its role in T-cell maturation and function and in natural killer cell activity. Up to 45 to 400 mcg/day selenium from foods and dietary supplements is safe for infants and children, depending on age, and up to 400 mcg/day is safe for adults
Vitamin C-Vitamin C plays an important role in both innate and adaptive immunity, probably because of its antioxidant effects, antimicrobial and antiviral actions, and effects on immune system modulators. Many researchers recommend studying vitamin C as an adjuvant therapy for COVID-19, including its possible ability to reduce inflammation and vascular injury
Vitamin D- vitamin D plays a role in immunity [268]. Vitamin D appears to lower viral replication rates, suppress inflammation, and increase levels of T-regulatory cells and their activity [123,251,269-273]. In addition, immune cells (e.g., B lymphocytes and T lymphocytes) express the vitamin D receptor and some immune cells (e.g., macrophages and dendritic cells) can convert 25(OH)D into the active 1,25(OH)2D. This ability suggests that vitamin D might modulate both innate and adaptive immune responses. Vitamin D supplementation helps prevent respiratory tract infections, particularly in people with 25(OH)D levels less than 25 nmol/L (10 ng/mL) [278]. Scientists are therefore actively studying whether vitamin D might also be helpful for preventing or treating COVID-19.
Vitamin E- Vitamin E is an antioxidant that plays an important role in immune function by helping to maintain cell membrane integrity and by enhancing antibody production, lymphocyte proliferation, and natural killer cell activity [100,223,268,332,333]. Vitamin E has also been shown to limit inflammation by inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. 90 mg (200 IU) vitamin E supplements (as DL-alpha-tocopherol) daily for 1 year reduced the risk of upper respiratory tract infections by 16%, particularly the common cold, in 617 adults aged 65 or older but not lower respiratory tract infections [340]. Supplementation with 50 mg/day vitamin E (as DL-alpha tocopheryl acetate) for 5–8 years also reduced the risk of pneumonia by 69% in 2,216 men aged 50–69 years who smoked 5–19 cigarettes per day and exercised
Zinc-A wide variety of foods contain zinc, an essential nutrient. These foods include oysters, crab, lobster, beef, pork, poultry, beans, nuts, whole grains, and dairy products. Zinc is involved in numerous aspects of cellular metabolism. Zinc is necessary for the catalytic activity of approximately 100 enzymes, and it plays a role in many body processes, including both the innate and adaptive immune systems [14,347-350]. Zinc also has antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties, and it helps maintain the integrity of tissue barriers. Zinc’s role in the immune system and in maintaining epithelial integrity, its antiviral activities, and its anti-inflammatory effects, some researchers believe that adequate zinc intakes might reduce the risk of COVID-19 and its severity [90,100,123,135,160,227,251,351,358-360]. Evidence that zinc lozenges might help shorten the duration of the common cold [361] has also spurred interest in zinc supplementation to help treat COVID-19.
Reader comment: you’ve got me confused. Last time you reported NAD boosted cancer rates and in this newsletter it’s shown to be beneficial. How should I interpret that? Also you mention Niacin/B3 on the short notes but not the longer notes. Can you expand on that? I was taking it daily and stopped after the earlier newsletter. ROC says: The newsletter said taking NAD may boost cancer rates. In the short notes I added that taking vitamin B3/niacin is fine. I still take it. In the Gerontology Research Group, many advocate taking NAD, but I continue to argue that while vitamin B3 is important, NAD as a supplement is expensive and not useful, and the latest research indicates NAD supplements may be harmful. Research indicates that Vitamin B3 is great as a supplement, NAD hazardous.
Dietary supplements consisting of beta-carotene (precursor to vitamin A), vitamins C and E and the mineral magnesium (ACEMg) can be beneficial for reducing hearing loss due to aminoglycosides and overstimulation. This regimen also slowed progression of deafness for a boy with GJB2 (CONNEXIN 26) mutations. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4786814/
Easier to read https://labblog.uofmhealth.org/lab-report/can-nutritional-supplements-impact-genetic-hearing-loss-children
I hope this helps. It does not say how much. AREDS II should cover getting enough C and E. beta-carotene could just be carrots daily. The recommended dietary allowance for magnesium for adult men is 400-420 mg per day. Nuts are one of the most magnesium rich foods. Brazil nuts are the most mineral-dense, with 350 mg of magnesium per 100 g serving. Other good choices include cashews (250 mg), peanuts (160 mg), walnuts (150 mg) and hazelnuts (160 mg). I eat a handful of nuts or more every night as a bedtime snack. Eating a handful daily is proven to extend healthspan substantially.
Dangerous foods – cherry pits, apple seeds, too much nutmeg, star fruit if your kidneys are poor, mango skin.
Link to Church of Perpetual Life in Florida, with speech by Aubrey de Grey about prolonging life. www.ChurchOfPerpetualLife.org
Link to website on Metformin, a drug that has been shown to extend healthspan substantially.
Olive oil effective in neuroprotection.
Olive polyphenols and bioavailable glutathione: Promising results in patients diagnosed with mild Alzheimer’s disease
