Homemade roasted Brussel sprouts with salt and pepper. (AdobeStock)
For many people, Christmas dinner is not complete without a side helping of brussels sprouts. Indeed, they are Britain’s favourite Christmas dinner vegetable. But if you’re not a convert, perhaps these health benefits will convince you to give them a second chance.
Sprouts belong to the wholesome family of cruciferous or brassica vegetables, including cabbage, kale and broccoli. As with all brassica, brussels sprouts are packed with fibre, which is good for keeping the beneficial bacteria in your gut happy.
They also provide essential minerals, such as potassium and calcium, to keep your muscle and bones healthy. They are rich in vitamins K and C, supporting a healthy immune system and bones.
Pound for pound, you’ll get more vitamin C from them when eaten raw than from oranges. Cooked brussels sprouts still contain vitamin C, though – about the same pound for pound as you’d get from orange juice and raw oranges.
Sprouts and their brassica kin. (Cat Rooney/The Epoch Times)
The Bitter, the Better
Most importantly, brussels sprouts are rich in a wide range of natural chemicals, such as carotenoids and polyphenols, that have been linked to good health. They are particularly abundant in sulphur-containing compounds called glucosinolates.
Think back to when you last cooked brussels sprouts, cabbage or cauliflower. Have you stopped and wondered what that pungent smell is? That is the sulphur compounds in the sprouts being broken down. They are also what gives brussels sprouts that characteristic bitter taste. So to get your fill of these beneficial chemicals, the bitter, the better.
So you may wonder why these chemicals are so special. Several scientific studies have shown that these sulphurous compounds are potent antioxidants that can promote health by preventing cell damage.
Several studies have also shown that consuming more of these glucosinolates from cruciferous vegetables, including brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale and cabbage, are associated with a reduced risk of developing a wide range of cancers. Research continues collecting more evidence of their benefits, but the best advice to keep in mind is to try to consume roughly five portions of brassica vegetables weekly and to vary the options.
The bitter sulphurous compounds are part of a brussels sprouts’ sophisticated defence system, known as the mustard oil bomb, that repels insects from biting them but attracts those insects that allow pollination.
And because plants are clever, about 200 different glucosinolates exist in brassica vegetables, and each of these vegetables has different combinations, giving them their characteristic flavour. This is why the following vegetables, which belong to the brassica family, have different tastes: broccoli, cabbage, kale, swede, wasabi, horseradish, turnip, rocket, watercress, cauliflower and mustard.
How to Cook Them
For convenience, brussels sprouts are often boiled. But if you boil them for too long, not only will they lose their nutritional value (some of the glucosinolates will be destroyed by heat and lost into the water), but it will also give sprouts an unpleasant smell and taste.
So what are the other options?
You could simply fry sprouts in a pan with some olive oil or butter and a smidgen of garlic and herbs. An alternative would be to steam them or microwave them. But make sure they keep their crunch.
Or why not try being adventurous and trying something new by having them raw, cut into small pieces, and adding sprouts to a salad?
Next time you pass along the supermarket’s fruit and vegetable section, don’t forget to give brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage a try. Brassicas like brussels sprouts are for life, not just for Christmas.
Recent concerns about immune health have prompted many people to want to know how to boost their immune systems in the best ways possible. One of those ways is with good bacteria, or probiotics—but not just any probiotics. The big questions are: How effective are probiotics for immune health, and how can you be sure to get the most bang for your buck when taking beneficial bacteria supplements?
Probiotics can boost immune function if you find quality sources and don’t let them spoil.
What Are Probiotics?
Probiotics are also commonly referred to as good or beneficial bacteria, but the term also includes some beneficial yeasts as well. These substances are called “good” and “beneficial” because they play a vital role in keeping your gut and entire body healthy. That’s because you’re a vessel of both good and not-so-good bacteria that are associated with disease and other health hazards. Taking probiotic supplements and eating foods rich in beneficial bacteria can help you keep the balance of bacteria in the healthy zone.
Probiotics fall into two general categories:
Lactobacillus, which is found in some yogurts, kefir, and other fermented foods. Dozens of strains of this bacteria can assist with digestion, diarrhea, and immune health.
Bifidobacterium, which is common in dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese. This genus of bacteria can help with irritable bowel syndrome and other conditions, as well as help with immune system function.
In the yeast category, we have Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii, which may help with diarrhea and other issues associated with digestion.
What Are Probiotics Good For?
Probiotics have a number of health advantages. For example, you might try probiotics for problems affecting your digestive tract, such as irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea, urinary tract infection, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Numerous studies have also found that probiotics can be helpful in supporting immune health functions and issues.
Probiotics and Immune System Function
Dozens of studies have demonstrated that various probiotics have the ability to boost immune functions or reduce symptoms associated with immune-related conditions. Here are a few highlighted examples.
In a 2017 study, investigators reported that “there is high-quality evidence the probiotics are effective for acute infectious diarrhea, antibiotic-associated diarrhea, Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, functional gastrointestinal disorders.”
Which Probiotics Are the Most Effective?
If you want to get the most from your probiotic supplement, then you need to choose ones that meet certain criteria. Taking the wrong probiotic is like flour through a sieve: It’s going to pass on through and leave little to nothing behind.
Your probiotic should be refrigerated. All probiotic strains are susceptible to heat, especially those in the genus Bifidobacterium. According to Consumer Labs, and independent test lab, “Many probiotic bacteria are naturally sensitive to heat and moisture. Heat can kill organisms and moisture can activate them within pills, only to die due to lack of nutrients and a proper environment.” Therefore, be sure to put your probiotic supplement in your fridge.
An enemy of all probiotics is stomach acid (aka, gastric acid). The job of this acid is to break down food, but it also destroys bacteria, both good and bad. To protect against the destruction of your supplement, be sure to buy those that have an enteric coating. The probiotic supplement should have been tested to guarantee the beneficial bacteria capsules will survive and make their way to your intestinal tract, where they can release their contents and aid the healing process.
Bottom Line
Probiotics can be a potent management and treatment tool when you want to support and enhance your immune system function. Be sure to choose a probiotic supplement that will provide the most benefit for the buck.
Exercise is the most potent way to preserve and heal your body—but how much is enough?
Physical activity is vital to our health and well-being, and most of us would benefit from more of it. (Ground Picture/Shutterstock)
Getting regular exercise is one of the most important things we can do to lower disease risk, manage weight, lift our moods, and promote mental clarity. Its impact on health and well-being is so beneficial that there’s really nothing else—no supplement, drug, diet, or device—that can replace it.
Even something as simple as a brisk walk on a regular basis has profound benefits. But the answer to the question “How much exercise do I need?” can be confusing.
The standard minimum recommendation of 30 minutes per day, five days per week may seem overwhelming for someone who gets no exercise, but too little for someone else with specific weight loss or fitness goals. Physical activity is good for everyone, but what form it takes can vary widely depending on age, fitness level, health, and personal goals. Are you training for a marathon, or just trying to maintain (or lose) weight and boost energy?
Don’t let questions about the details keep you from doing what you can right now. Even small changes, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or adding a quick walk to your lunch break, helps. According to Mayo Clinic, regular exercise plays a major role in disease prevention and management, significantly lowering the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, stroke, metabolic syndrome, cancer, arthritis, and more. It’s also very beneficial for mental and emotional health; reducing anxiety, stress, and depression; and increasing feelings of well-being. It can even help you live a longer life, and to live life with more energy and vitality. Those are no small rewards.
In spite of this knowledge, most of us don’t move enough, and fitness levels have declined so dramatically in recent decades that, according to the World Health Organization, physical inactivity is now a leading cause of death around the world. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, only about a quarter of U.S. adults regularly met the levels of exercise recommended by the Centers for Disease Control in 2020.
Minutes of Movement
So how much should we really be moving? The updated “Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans” offers recommendations. Preschool-aged children (below 5 years old) should be given plenty of opportunity to be physically active throughout the day (something that happens naturally when screens are turned off), while children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 need at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day.
Adults should do between 150 and 300 minutes of moderate activity, or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity, each day, as well as some muscle-strengthening activities at least twice per week. Older adults should follow these guidelines and also include some balance training in their fitness routine. Moderate activity can be defined as anything that raises the heart rate and gets you breathing harder, but not so hard that you can’t carry on a conversation.
Fitness guidelines provide a useful benchmark to give us some idea of what a healthy fitness level is for the majority of people. But individual circumstances do differ. Those suffering from chronic conditions that make vigorous exercise difficult or impossible will need to modify their fitness routine according to their abilities.
It’s important to note that, according to the Mayo Clinic, even in the case of chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, or arthritis, exercise is still a very important component of health and may actually help in the management of those conditions.
Individuals with underlying conditions should consult with a healthcare provider before starting an exercise routine to be sure that it’s safe and effective for them.
Certified exercise physiologist Heather Hart says, “The standard exercise recommendations are based on current evidence and research, and are suggested physical activity minimums to aim for in order to help support optimum health. But like anything in life, we have to meet ourselves where we are right now, rather than expect to be perfect right from the start.
“For a sedentary, non-exerciser, I highly suggest taking on the mindset of ‘some is better than none.’ If you are just starting, even a five-minute walk around the neighborhood is better than nothing at all. Each day, aim for a little bit more, even if it’s five more minutes, or walking one house further than last time. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week recommendation, make that your long-term, big picture goal, and work up to it.”
Small Steps Add Up
Robert Herbst, a 19-time world champion powerlifter, says, “Many sedentary people are turned off by the way exercise is portrayed. Exercise is sold with a no pain no gain attitude with instructors with bare midriffs and spandex urging them on. The deconditioned cannot cope with that because that type of exercise is uncomfortable and they are not good at it.
“Instead, people should look for physical activity with the attitude that any movement is good, whether it’s walking the dog, gardening, or taking out the garbage. Also, the amount of activity is additive. Five minutes here and there adds up and you do not have to kill yourself at the gym to meet the CDC guidelines.
“They just have to move more in their daily life. As they get fitter and activity becomes easier, they can add more until they are able to take on something more challenging.”
The word “exercise” often conjures up thoughts of sweat-drenched workouts in crowded gyms, but it’s time to rethink that notion and realize that, as the American Heart Association puts it, any activity that “moves your body and burns calories” is beneficial and counts toward fitness goals. Brisk walking, dancing, gardening, bike riding, and many other activities count as moderate-intensity exercise.
The Motivation Factor
Even though consistency is important, we all sometimes feel a serious lack of motivation to get up and get moving, despite our best efforts starting out. At those times, it’s important to remind ourselves that our bodies and minds are worth taking care of.
Planning ahead of time when you’ll exercise and finding a partner to exercise with can both help us follow through with a commitment to exercise. Listening to a podcast or watching a show can make the time spent exercising more enjoyable. Many people use fitness trackers to monitor activity and feel a sense of accomplishment when a goal is met.
And sometimes, it’s important to listen to our bodies and take a break if needed. Hart shares her personal approach: “I always make a deal with myself: If I start a workout, and still lack motivation, I can quit after 10 minutes. Ninety-five percent of the time, after 10 minutes of increasing my heart rate and getting the blood flowing to my muscles, the motivation appears and I follow through with the rest of my workout.
“The other 5 percent of the time, if I’m still not feeling like working out after 10 minutes, I give myself permission to take a day off (or, I’ll try something less intense, like walking at a brisk pace on the treadmill while watching TV). Exercise and living an active lifestyle requires balance. Some days, our bodies and minds need rest, and it’s OK to take that rest. In my experience, giving myself the space and grace to recognize that not every day will be perfect, helps me stay motivated, and prevent burnout from exercise in the big picture.”
Physical activity is vital to our health and well-being, and most of us would benefit from more of it. Finding enjoyable ways to sit less and move more—whether “more” means walking around the block, trying out the weight room, or a new YouTube dance workout—is one of the best investments each of us can make in our own health.
James Cameron commissioned a study to prove that his characters’ tragic ending was inevitable
For 25 years, skeptics have been insisting that Jack and Rose could have both survived on their makeshift raft.
Spoiler alert: Titanicdoesn’t have a happy ending.
James Cameron’s 1997 film follows Jack and Rose, portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, respectively. They’re both passengers aboard the Titanic, but they’re from vastly different worlds, separated by class. Of course, they fall in love anyway. And when the Titanichits an iceberg and sinks to the bottom of the ocean, Jack performs one final act of love: He helps Rose onto a floating wooden board—and remains in the freezing water beside her. Rose makes it. Jack doesn’t.
Over the past 25 years, the gesture has racked up a whole lot of skepticism. Did Jack really need to sacrifice his own life for Rose to survive? Couldn’t he have shared that piece of wood with her?
But Cameron, who has always maintained that the script calls for Jack to die, is determined to put an end to these questions. “We have done a scientific study to put this whole thing to rest and drive a stake through its heart once and for all,” he tells the Toronto Sun’s Mark Daniell.
The study consisted of “a thorough forensic analysis with a hypothermia expert who reproduced the raft from the movie” as well as “two stunt people who were the same body mass of Kate and Leo,” Cameron continues. “We put sensors all over them and inside them and we put them in ice water and we tested to see whether they could have survived through a variety of methods. And the answer was, there was no way they both could have survived. Only one could survive.”
It’s not the first time Titanic’s tragic endinghas been put to the test. Jack and Rose’s raft was the subject of a 2012 episode of “MythBusters,” which came to the conclusion that Jack and Rose could have shared the board and made it out alive—if they secured Rose’s life jacket underneath.
“I think you guys are missing the point here,” Cameron said in the episode. “The script said Jack dies. He has to die. So maybe we screwed up and the board should have been a little tiny bit smaller, but the dude’s going down.”
Besides, the hosts of “MythBusters” didn’t account for how the water’s temperature would have affected their proposed plan of action, Cameron told the Daily Beast’s Marlow Stern in 2017. “You’re underwater tying this thing on in 28-degree water, and that’s going to take you five to ten minutes, so by the time you come back up you’re already dead,” he said.
The findings of Cameron’s study will be explained in a National Geographic special in February 2023. Around the same time, a remastered version of Titanic will hit theaters in honor of the film’s 25th anniversary.
With his special, Cameron hopes the skeptics will finally leave him alone. “Maybe … maybe … after 25 years, I won’t have to deal with this anymore,” he tells the Toronto Sun.
Sarah Purkey, an oceanographer at the University of California at San Diego, tells the Washington Post’s Praveena Somasundaram that any answers will come down to buoyancy and gravity: The buoyancy of the wooden board must be greater than or equal to the gravity from Jack and Rose. “That’s how boats float, and that’s how a piece of driftwood floats,” she says. “And it’s going to sink if gravity is more than its buoyancy.”
But either way, she adds, if the study gets people thinking about physics, “then it’s great.”
Manage your metabolism by feeding your liver what it needs to do its work—without waking you up
Over the counter melatonin may not be what you should reach for first if you are looking to get better sleep. (Tero Vesalaine/Shutterstock)
There is a frustrating and all-too-common phenomenon that plagues many a sleeper. It goes something like this: Falling asleep is no problem, but in the early morning hours, one wakes up agitated and restless. This can last up to an hour or two before finally falling back asleep. Upon rising is the feeling of being unrested, what we call “non-restorative sleep” in integrative medicine.
If this describes your sleep cycle, here are two related explanations that directly lead to actionable strategies to help you sleep through the night. The first is the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory that posits that the body’s vital energy peaks in two-hour timeframes as it circulates through the body. Between 1 and 3 a.m. is when Liver function is most active. This concurs with Western biomedical physiology that understands that the body performs much of its repair and detoxification while asleep.
This brings up an important distinction that must be made at this juncture. TCM capitalizes an organ name when we’re referring to it in Eastern medicine. This delineates the TCM organ and its holistic relationship with body, mind, emotions, and spirit. Thus, lowercase “liver” is the organ as we think of it in Western terms and our understanding of its physiology. There is overlap between the two medical paradigms. Both recognize the liver’s capacity to cleanse the body of toxicants, but the Eastern model upholds that the Liver is also responsible for cleansing our system of toxic thoughts and emotions.
Waking around 3 a.m., at the end of Liver time, suggests that the body has worked hard processing environmental and emotional stressors. Dreams are more pronounced during the early morning hours as unresolved issues from the days and weeks prior play out in bizarre and disturbing dreamscapes. This alone can wake us up with a racing heart and mind, but a Western understanding of liver function grants another perspective to connect the dots.
The liver stores glycogen as a quick fuel source to tide metabolism over in between meals. This will provide about 12 hours of accessible glucose (sugar) after which the body breaks down adipose tissue (body fat) and liberates ketones for fuel. With a healthy and flexible metabolism, this shift is seamless, and fasting for several hours is uneventful. If metabolism depends on sugar for fuel, the transition elicits a stress response by the body whereby the adrenal glands release the hormone cortisol to raise blood sugar.
A drop in blood sugar is a root cause of waking in the night, stemming from Liver’s increased need for energy to metabolize life in the form of dreams as well as the liver’s demand for fuel to detoxify pollutants. Whether the stress is physiological or emotional, metabolism is taxed and waking ensues as the elevation of cortisol from the adrenals is accompanied by a release of catecholamine hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine. These potent stimulating hormones will assuredly wake even the most sound sleeper. Of course, these hormones need not be tapped if blood sugar is balanced. Becoming metabolically flexible is the key to staying asleep.
There’s a simple way to see if unbalanced blood sugar is at the root of sleep disturbance. Eat an early dinner and don’t snack until bedtime, when you will consume one of the following: a teaspoon of raw honey, a slice of lunch meat turkey, or a tablespoon of coconut oil. Try each separately and see which (if any) prevent waking at night. Which one(s) work is a clue to how efficient your metabolism is at burning fats for fuel instead of depending on sugar.
If metabolically inflexible, the raw honey will likely be the only thing that works. If metabolically efficient, ketones from the coconut oil will work best. A protein such as a slice of turkey burns slower than the quick sugar of raw honey, but ultimately can be converted into sugar by the liver in a process called gluconeogenesis. Some people do best with a higher protein diet, and a slice of turkey will maintain their metabolic needs while providing a rich source of tryptophan, the precursor amino acid to melatonin.
This nightly dietary experiment can aid sleep in the short term, and clue you into the resilience of your metabolism, but the long-term goal is to not need a snack before bed every night. The solution is twofold: mitigating stress to prevent a nightly cortisol spike and shifting one’s metabolism toward proteins and fats to become fat-adapted. The former strategy can be achieved by journaling before bed to vent the day’s frustrations. The latter can be realized over time by having a regular diet of lower carb foods and practicing intermittent fasting or time-restricted eating to strengthen one’s metabolism.
With both influences in place, stress hormones remain in check and sound sleep is restored. Understanding the different cultural interpretations of Liver/liver function is key to holistically addressing sleep as a metabolic disorder. Leverage the best of East and West and be rewarded with deep, restorative sleep.
An overwhelming volume of research makes it clear that this hormone produced in our skin can save lives
Vitamin D can help your body control inflammation and prevent “cytokine storms” that are believed to be an important contributor to COVID-19 deaths. (puhhha/Shutterstock)
Do you know your vitamin D level? If not, getting your blood tested—and optimizing your levels—is one of the simplest and most straightforward steps you can take to improve your health, including in relation to COVID-19. Vitamin D, as an immunomodulator, is a perfect candidate for countering the immune dysregulation that’s common with COVID-19.
As early as November 2020, it was known that there were striking differences in vitamin D status among people who had asymptomatic COVID-19 and those who became severely ill and required intensive care unit (ICU) care. In one study, 32.96 percent of those with asymptomatic cases were vitamin D deficient, compared to 96.82 percent of those who were admitted to the ICU for a severe case.
Vitamin D Therapy Reduces COVID’s Inflammatory Storm
Vitamin D has multiple actions on the immune system, including enhancing the production of antimicrobial peptides by immune cells, reducing damaging pro-inflammatory cytokines, and promoting the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines. Cytokines are a group of proteins that your body uses to control inflammation.
If you have an infection, your body will release cytokines to help combat inflammation, but sometimes, it releases more than it should. If the cytokine release spirals out of control, the resulting “cytokine storm” becomes dangerous and is closely tied to sepsis, which may be an important contributor to the death of COVID-19 patients.
Many COVID-19 therapeutics are focused on viral elimination instead of modulating the hyperinflammation often seen in the disease. In fact, uncontrolled immune response has been suggested as a factor in disease severity, making immunomodulation “an attractive potential treatment strategy,” wrote researchers from Singapore in a study published in Nutrition.
In one study published in Scientific Reports in May, researchers investigated the effects of Pulse D therapy—daily high-dose supplementation (60,000 IUs) of vitamin D—for eight to 10 days, in addition to standard therapy, for COVID-19 patients deficient in vitamin D. Vitamin D levels increased significantly in the vitamin D group—from 16 ng/ml to 89 ng/ml—while inflammatory markers significantly decreased, without any side effects.
“Vit.D acts as a smart switch to decrease the Th1 response and pro-inflammatory cytokines while enhancing the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines in cases of immune dysregulation. It is pertinent to note that SARS-CoV-2 virus activates Th1 response and suppresses Th2 response,” they wrote.
They concluded that Pulse D therapy could be safely added to COVID-19 treatment protocols for improved outcomes.
Another group of researchers in Spain gave vitamin D3 (calcifediol) to patients admitted to the COVID-19 wards of Barcelona’s Hospital del Mar. About half the patients received vitamin D3 in the amount of 21,280 IU on day one plus 10,640 IU on days 3, 7, 15, and 30. Those that received vitamin D fared significantly better, with only 4.5 percent requiring ICU admission compared to 21 percent in the no-vitamin D group.
Vitamin D treatment also significantly reduced mortality, with 4.7 percent of the vitamin D group dying at admission, compared to 15.9 percent in the non-vitamin D group.
“This is a very important study on vitamin D and Covid-19. Its findings are incredibly clear. An 80 percent reduction in need for ICU and a 60 percent reduction in deaths, simply by giving a very cheap and very safe therapy – calcifediol, or activated vitamin D … The findings of this large and well-conducted study should result in this therapy being administered to every COVID patient in every hospital in the temperate latitudes.”
At one point, the United Kingdom’s National Health Service was offering free vitamin D supplements to people at high risk from COVID-19, but they also state, like the U.S. NIH, “there is currently not enough evidence to support taking vitamin D to prevent or treat COVID-19.”
While their guidance does urge Britons to take a vitamin D supplement between October and March “to keep your bones and muscles healthy,” it only recommends a dose of 400 IUs a day, which is easily 20 times lower than what most people require for general health and optimal immune function.
Dose matters when it comes to COVID-19 recovery. In a randomized clinical trial in Saudi Arabia, researchers compared daily supplementation with either 5,000 IUs or 1,000 IUs oral vitamin D3 among patients with suboptimal vitamin D levels hospitalized for mild to moderate COVID-19. Those in the 5,000 IUs group had a significantly shorter time to recovery for cough and loss of the sense of taste compared to the 1,000 IUs group.
According to the researchers, “The use of 5000 IU vitamin D3 as an adjuvant therapy for COVID-19 patients with suboptimal vitamin D status, even for a short duration, is recommended.”
Hospitalized With COVID-19? Ask for Vitamin D
The evidence continues to grow that treatment with vitamin D leads to significantly better outcomes for people hospitalized with COVID-19. In another example from Spain, hospitalized COVID-19 patients who received vitamin D3 had a mortality rate of 5 percent, compared to 20 percent for those who did not. The researchers explained:
“The protective effect of calcifediol [activated vitamin D] remained significant after adjustment for multiple confounder factors related to severity disease even after selecting those subjects who were older (≥65 years) and had worse oxygen saturation levels at admission (<96 percent).”
Similarly, 76 consecutive patients hospitalized with COVID-19 at Reina Sofia University Hospital in Córdoba, Spain, were randomized to receive either standard care or standard care plus vitamin D3 to rapidly increase vitamin D levels.
Of 50 treated with vitamin D, only one person was admitted to the ICU. Of 26 who were not treated with vitamin D, 13 (50 percent) required admission to the hospital. Researchers noted, “Calcifediol seems to be able to reduce the severity of the disease.”
Further: “Of the patients treated with calcifediol, none died, and all were discharged, without complications. The 13 patients not treated with calcifediol, who were not admitted to the ICU, were discharged. Of the 13 patients admitted to the ICU, two died and the remaining 11 were discharged.”
“Based on many preclinical studies and observational data in humans, ARDS may be aggravated by vitamin D deficiency and tapered down by activation of the vitamin D receptor,” they wrote in a study published in The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology “Based on a pilot study, oral calcifediol may be the most promising approach.”
Even regular“booster” doses of vitamin D, regardless of baseline levels, appear to be effective in reducing the risk of mortality in people admitted to the hospital with COVID-19, particularly for the elderly.
“This inexpensive and widely available treatment could have positive implications for the management of COVID-19 worldwide, particularly in developing nations,” researchers from the United Kingdom noted.
Low Vitamin D Levels May Increase Death Risk
A systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Journal of Endocrinological Investigation included 13 studies involving 2,933 COVID-19 patients. Vitamin D was a clear winner, with use in COVID-19 patients significantly associated with reduced ICU admission and mortality, along with a reduced risk of adverse outcomes, particularly when given after COVID-19 diagnosis.
When it comes to data to support the use of vitamin D for COVID-19, 87 studies have been performed by 784 scientists. The results show:
53 percent improvement in 28 treatment trials
56 percent improvement in 59 sufficiency studies
63 percent improvement in 16 treatment mortality results
A number of clinical trials are also underway, looking further into the use of vitamin D for COVID-19, including one by Harvard Medical School researchers investigating whether taking daily vitamin D reduces COVID-19 disease severity in those newly diagnosed as well as reducing the risk of infection in household contacts.
‘A Simple and Inexpensive Measure’
Some positive advances have already occurred that could make this potentially lifesaving strategy more widely used. The French National Academy of Medicine issued a statement in May 2020, referring to the use of vitamin D as a “simple and inexpensive measure that is reimbursed by the French National Health Insurance” and detailing the importance of vitamin D for COVID-19.
For COVID-19 patients over 60, they recommend vitamin D testing and if deficiency is found, a bolus dose of 50,000 to 100,000 IU. For anyone under the age of 60 who receives a positive COVID-19 test, they advise taking 800 IUs to 1,000 IUs of vitamin D per day. A vitamin D review paper published in the journal Nutrients in April 2020 recommends higher amounts, however, stating:
“To reduce the risk of infection, it is recommended that people at risk of influenza and/or COVID-19 consider taking 10,000 IU/d of vitamin D3 for a few weeks to rapidly raise 25(OH)D concentrations, followed by 5000 IU/d.
“The goal should be to raise 25(OH)D concentrations above 40-60 ng/mL (100-150 nmol/L). For treatment of people who become infected with COVID-19, higher vitamin D3 doses might be useful.”
The best way to know how much vitamin D you need is to have your levels tested. Data from GrassrootsHealth’s D*Action studies suggest the optimal level for health and disease prevention is between 60 ng/mL and 80 ng/mL, while the cutoff for sufficiency appears to be around 40 ng/mL. In Europe, the measurements you’re looking for are 150 to 200 nmol/L and 100 nmol/L, respectively.
Once considered impossible, brain recovery is now a well-studied phenomenon
Keeping active, physically and mentally, is key to keeping your brain running at speed as you age. (By Andrus Ciprian/Shutterstock)
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Have you ever wished you could regenerate those brain cells you sacrificed in college? Do you fear that your aging brain is in a perpetual state of decline? Medical science is being rewritten to show that we can repair our brain and it’s something anyone can do.
It’s a commonly held misconception that the brain is beyond repair. Even the medical establishment has asserted that once we kill brain cells, they are gone forever. The fact is, the brain can repair itself, and as science is now proving, there is a real benefit to simple practices that can help keep our brains sharp and elastic throughout our lifetime.
Rewriting the Story of Brain Health
The field of cognitive neuroscience is relatively new—only around 100 years old—so it’s no surprise that we are constantly arriving at a newer and better understanding of how the neural circuitry of the human brain supports overall brain functioning.
For most of those 100 years, it was believed that once damaged, the brain couldn’t regenerate. Brain cells were finite, and any loss or injury would be suffered as a deficiency for the rest of that person’s life. This created a false belief that the brain is essentially in a perpetual state of decline.
Although compelling evidence to the contrary was presented as early as 1960, the medical dogma was (and is) slow to change. It wasn’t until the 1980s when Fernando Nottebohm’s research at Rockefeller University clearly indicated that neurogenesis—production of new nerve cells, aka neurons—was taking place in the adult vertebrate brain.
The next big step in this scientific evolution would take more than 30 years. However, the pace of our understanding of how the brain is wired was about to take a quantum leap.
Our Elastic Brain
The growth of new neurons in an adult, mammalian brain was first seen in 1992, when scientists isolated neural stem cells from mice in a Petri dish. This regeneration was then replicated thousands of times in a variety of published studies over the next 25 years.
It’s now accepted in the medical scientific community that the adult brain is capable of growing new neurons and glial cells, something previously disbelieved by the medical establishment. The brain is now considered to be resilient, pliable—plastic.
The term neuroplasticity refers to the ability of the brain to “rewire” itself through the practice of the desired skill. It’s the combination of new cells and new learning that creates this magic. When fresh nerve cells are well-stimulated (i.e., trained through specific learning exercises), they make new connections. In other words, they become healthy brain cells that contribute to learning and the development of new skills.
Just like the muscles of the body, when the brain is well-nourished and stimulated through proper exercise, it heals and grows. And with proper care and feeding, this amazing brain regeneration can occur throughout life.
To help make this a “no-brainer,” GreenMedInfo has compiled a simple list of ways you can safeguard brain health, stimulate new brain cell growth, and even heal the brain.
Get Lots of Physical Exercise
When you hear the phrase “train your brain,” you probably don’t think of lifting weights. Turns out, physical exercise is one of the best things you can do for your body and your brain.
The brain benefits of exercise are two-fold. First, the brain is a voracious consumer of glucose and oxygen, with no ability to store excess for later use. A continual supply of these nutrients is needed to maintain optimal functioning.
Physical exercise increases the blood flow to the brain, delivering a boost of fresh oxygen and glucose to hungry brain cells. A 2014 study showed that just 30 minutes of moderate cardio was enough to boost cognitive functioning in adult brains of all ages.
But the benefits don’t stop there. Exercise is believed to stimulate hippocampal neurogenesis: new cell growth in the region of the brain associated with long-term memory and emotions. Healthy cell growth in this region is important to the aging brain and believed to help prevent cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Use Stress Reduction Techniques
Our modern world runs on stress, so the need to unwind is easy to understand. What you might not be aware of, is just how damaging continual immersion in the fight-or-flight hormones of stress can be to your brain.
Stress is one of the top factors in age-related cognitive decline. This makes engaging in regularly scheduled leisure activities not just a fun thing to do, but an important step toward ensuring optimal brain health.
You don’t need to look far to find ways to de-stress. Let your interests guide you. The key to picking brain-healthy pastimes is to avoid passive activities such as watching TV and instead choose stimulating hobbies that engage the brain through patterns, puzzles, and problem-solving.
A 2011 study published in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry found that activities such as playing games, reading books, and crafts like quilting and knitting reduced rates of cognitive impairment by up to 50 percent.
Engaging with art also ranks high on the list of brain-healthy hobbies. Studies prove that once again, it isn’t enough to be a passive observer. To get the brain boost, we must engage.
In a German study reported in the journal PLOS One, researchers studied two groups: a group that observed art, and a group that produced art. The study concluded that compared to those who observed art, the art producers demonstrated increased interactivity between the frontal and parietal cortices of the brain. This increased brain connectivity translates to enhanced psychological resilience in the group of art producers. In other words, their ability to resist the negative effects of stress improved.
Looking for a more low-key way to unwind? How about playing beautiful music or sitting in quiet contemplation? Meditation has been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation, and even build resistance to feelings of anxiety and depression. And while listening to music may seem like a passive activity, research suggests that the act of listening to musical patterns facilitates brain neurogenesis.
Both meditation and listening to music affect the secretion of key hormones that enhance brain plasticity, thus changing the very way we respond to stress. Talk about good medicine!
Take Strategic Supplements
Turmeric
You probably know at least one person who raves about the health benefits of turmeric. This deep-orange root has been used as a panacea for everything from soothing joint pain and calming inflammation, to lowering the risk of heart disease. And our awareness of the benefits of this ancient medicinal herb continues to grow.
Turmeric is an example of a remyelinating compound, which denotes a substance with proven nerve-regenerative effects.
Remyelinating compounds work to repair the protective sheath around the nerve bundle known as myelin, an area often damaged in autoimmune and vaccine-induced disorders. Research shows that even small doses of these restorative substances can produce significant nerve regeneration.
The Western model of pharmaceutical intervention has created a culture that seeks to identify and isolate the “active ingredient” of an organic substance. What this fails to account for is that organic compounds often work in concert: isolates by themselves may lack a critical key that another plant element provides.
Curcumin is the isolated active ingredient in turmeric, however, new research shows that another element found in turmeric has magical properties of its own.
In an exciting study published in the journal Stem Cell Research & Therapy, researchers found that a little-known component within turmeric, Ar-turmerone, may make “a promising candidate to support regeneration in neurologic disease.”
The study found that when brain cells were exposed to ar-turmerone, neural stem cells increased in number and complexity, indicating a healing effect was taking place. This effect was replicated in rats, who when exposed to ar-turmerone saw increased neural stem cell production and the generation of healthy new brain cells.
Green Tea
A 2014 paper studying the active compounds in green tea (known as catechins, a main class of micronutrient), determined that green tea catechins aren’t only antioxidant and neuroprotective, they actually stimulate the brain to produce more neurons.
Because of this therapeutic effect on damaged regions of the brain, green tea has been shown to have exciting implications in the treatment of “incurable” neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s disease. This prompted researchers to declare green tea catechins “a highly useful complementary approach” in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
Further investigation of green tea examined a combination of blueberry, green tea, and carnosine, and found it to promote the growth of new neurons and brain stem cells, in an animal model of neurodegenerative disease.
Ginkgo Biloba
Ginkgo biloba is considered a powerhouse in the herbal medicine pharmacopeia, and its implications for brain health are equally potent. Ginkgo has demonstrated at least 50 distinct health benefits, and its medicinal value is documented in the treatment of more than 100 different diseases.
There are numerous studies on ginkgo’s ability to stimulate levels of a critical brain protein called BDNF: brain-derived neurotrophic factor. This protein affects healing in damaged regions of the brain and is essential in the regulation, growth, and survival of brain cells, making it especially important for long-term memory.
Ginkgo is so effective that a 2006 paper published in the European Journal of Neurology found it to be as useful in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease as the blockbuster drug Donepezil.
Recently, a new mechanism behind ginkgo biloba’s brain healing properties came to light with the publication of an article in Cell and Molecular Neurobiology. Researchers determined that ginkgo is effective, in part, due to its ability to modulate neural stem cells (NSCs) into the type of cell that is necessary for the specific region of the brain where the BDNF proteins are active.
NSC’s are multipotent cells; they have the amazing ability to shape-shift into any of the many different phenotypes of cells that make up the brain. Ginkgo stimulates the growth of the right cell phenotype for the affected region of the brain, giving our brain exactly what’s needed, where it’s needed. Now that’s intelligent medicine!
Eat Your Veggies
Want to stimulate brain cell regrowth while you’re having lunch? Add some freshly steamed broccoli to your plate!
Science has added a substance called sulforaphane, found in sulfur-rich vegetables such as broccoli, to the growing list of neuritogenic substances that have been documented to stimulate nerve growth in the brain.
The study, published in the journal Genesis, reveals that sulforaphane, in addition to stimulating new nerve growth, has demonstrated significant healing properties as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, as well as preventing disease and death of healthy neurons.
Adding to the excitement surrounding these findings, researchers observed the beneficial effect on neural stem cells that results in their differentiation to specific, useful types of neurons, lending powerful support to the hypothesis that sulforaphane stimulates brain repair.
Vegetables containing sulforaphane include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, mustard leaves, radish, turnips, watercress, and bok choy. For therapeutic benefit, try to consume at least 3 cups per day, raw or cooked.
Employ Continuous Learning
Aging is often associated with cognitive decline, both in research and anecdotal evidence. However, a growing body of literature shows that retaining a sharp, lucid brain means never retiring our critical thinking skills.
The need to continually challenge and expand our thinking was demonstrated in the aforementioned 2011 study published in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry. In this study, the leisure time activities of a group of older adults (ages 70 to 89) were monitored for effect on mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
The study determined that the level of complexity of the activity was key to its effectiveness at preventing MCI. Working with computers, reading books, and activities associated with patterns and problem-solving contributed to a significant decrease in the odds of developing MCI. Less stimulating activities showed no statistical effect. This stresses the importance of feeling challenged and stimulated by the activities we pursue as we age.
These findings were reinforced by a 2014 study of nearly 3,000 volunteers, spanning more than a decade. This study examined the potential long-term benefit of cognitive training in older adults. Results showed that participants demonstrated enhanced brain processing speed and reasoning skills for up to 10 years after the training was completed.
These tangible brain benefits spilled over into daily life and were measured in the participant’s ability to complete normal daily tasks, such as personal finances, meal preparation, and personal care routines. The study revealed that stimulating environments help increase the complexity of the brain.
A nurse prepares the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in a file image. (Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images)
The messenger RNA (mRNA) from Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is able to enter human liver cells and is converted into DNA, according to Swedish researchers at Lund University.
The researchers found that when the mRNA vaccine enters the human liver cells, it triggers the cell’s DNA, which is inside the nucleus, to increase the production of the LINE-1 gene expression to make mRNA.
The mRNA then leaves the nucleus and enters the cell’s cytoplasm, where it translates into LINE-1 protein. A segment of the protein called the open reading frame-1, or ORF-1, then goes back into the nucleus, where it attaches to the vaccine’s mRNA and reverse transcribes into spike DNA.
Reverse transcription is when DNA is made from RNA, whereas the normal transcription process involves a portion of the DNA serving as a template to make an mRNA molecule inside the nucleus.
“In this study we present evidence that COVID-19 mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 is able to enter the human liver cell line Huh7 in vitro,” the researchers wrote in the study, published in Current Issues of Molecular Biology. “BNT162b2 mRNA is reverse transcribed intracellularly into DNA as fast as 6 [hours] after BNT162b2 exposure.”
BNT162b2 is another name for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine that is marketed under the brand name Comirnaty.
The whole process occurred rapidly within six hours. The vaccine’s mRNA converting into DNA and being found inside the cell’s nucleus is something that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said would not happen.
“The genetic material delivered by mRNA vaccines never enters the nucleus of your cells,” the CDC said on its web page titled “Myths and Facts about COVID-19 Vaccines.”
This is the first time that researchers have shown in vitro or inside a petri dish how an mRNA vaccine is converted into DNA on a human liver cell line, and is what health experts and fact-checkers said for over a year couldn’t occur.
The CDC says that the “COVID-19 vaccines do not change or interact with your DNA in any way,” claiming that all of the ingredients in both mRNA and viral vector COVID-19 vaccines (administered in the United States) are discarded from the body once antibodies are produced. These vaccines deliver genetic material that instructs cells to begin making spike proteins found on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 to produce an immune response.
Pfizer didn’t comment on the findings of the Swedish study and said only that its mRNA vaccine does not alter the human genome.
“Our COVID-19 vaccine does not alter the DNA sequence of a human cell,” a Pfizer spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email. “It only presents the body with the instructions to build immunity.”
More than 215 million or 64.9 percent of Americans are fully vaccinated as of Feb. 28, with 94 million having received a booster dose.
A 3D print of a spike protein of SARS-CoV-2—the virus that causes COVID-19—in front of a 3D print of a SARS-CoV-2 virus particle. (Courtesy of NIAID/RML)
Autoimmune Disorders
The Swedish study also found spike proteins expressed on the surface of the liver cells that researchers say may be targeted by the immune system and possibly cause autoimmune hepatitis, as “there [have] been case reports on individuals who developed autoimmune hepatitis after BNT162b2 vaccination.”
The authors of the first reported case of a healthy 35-year-old female who developed autoimmune hepatitis a week after her first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine said that there is a possibility that “spike-directed antibodies induced by vaccination may also trigger autoimmune conditions in predisposed individuals” as it has been shown that “severe cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection are characterized by an autoinflammatory dysregulation that contributes to tissue damage,” which the virus’s spike protein appears to be responsible for.
Spike proteins may circulate in the body after an infection or injection with a COVID-19 vaccine. It was assumed that the vaccine’s spike protein would remain mostly at the injection site and last up to several weeks like other proteins produced in the body. But studies are showing that is not the case.
The Japanese regulatory agency’s biodistribution study (pdf) of the Pfizer vaccine showed that some of the mRNAs moved from the injection site and through the bloodstream, and were found in various organs such as the liver, spleen, adrenal glands, and ovaries of rats 48 hours following injection.
In a different study, the spike proteins made in the body after receiving a Pfizer COVID-19 shot have been found on tiny membrane vesicles called exosomes—that mediate cell-to-cell communication by transferring genetic materials to other cells—for at least four months after the second vaccine dose.
The persistence of the spike protein in the body “raises the prospect of sustained inflammation within and damage to organs which express the spike protein,” according to experts at Doctors for COVID Ethics, an organization consisting of physicians and scientists “seeking to uphold medical ethics, patient safety, and human rights in response to COVID-19.”
“As long as the spike protein can be detected on cell-derived membrane vesicles, the immune system will be attacking the cells that release these vesicles,” they said.
Dr. Peter McCullough, an internist, cardiologist, and epidemiologist, wrote on Twitter that the Swedish study’s findings have “enormous implications of permanent chromosomal change and long-term constitutive spike synthesis driving the pathogenesis of a whole new genre of chronic disease.”
Whether the findings of the study will occur in living organisms or if the DNA converted from the vaccine’s mRNA will integrate with the cell’s genome is unknown. The authors said more investigations are needed, including in whole living organisms such as animals, to better understand the potential effects of the mRNA vaccine.
“At this stage, we do not know if DNA reverse transcribed from BNT162b2 is integrated into the cell genome. Further studies are needed to demonstrate the effect of BNT162b2 on genomic integrity, including whole genome sequencing of cells exposed to BNT162b2, as well as tissues from human subjects who received BNT162b2 vaccination,” the authors said.
A healthcare worker holds a bottle of ivermectin in Colombia on July 21, 2020. (Luis Robayo/AFP via Getty Images)
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Ivermectin has been hailed as a “wonder drug” and, according to the UNESCO World Science Report, a critical component of “one of the most triumphant public health campaigns ever waged in the developing world.”
However, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and affiliated health authorities have vociferously recommended against ivermectin as a potential treatment for the virus.
In a social media message that has gone viral, the FDA labeled it as a drug for horses and not fit for human consumption: “You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y’all. Stop it.”
The post made headlines and was one of the FDA’s most successful social media campaigns. Yet, research findings seem to contradict the public health organization’s recommendations.
A growing body of research shows that ivermectin is an essential treatment for COVID-19. Many doctors have praised the drug for its broad yet effective antiparasitic, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and autophagic properties.
Ivermectin: Antiparasitic Beginnings
Ivermectin made its name through its significant benefits in treating parasitic infections.
In 1973, Satoshi Omura and William C. Campbell, working with the Kitasato Institute in Tokyo, found an unusual type of Streptomyces bacteria in Japanese soil near a golf course.
In laboratory studies, Omura and Campbell discovered that this Streptomyces bacteria could cure mice infected with the roundworm Heligmosomoides polygyrus. Campbell isolated the bacteria’s active compounds, naming them avermectins, and the bacteria was thus called S. avermitilis.
Despite decades of searching worldwide, researchers have yet to find another microorganism that can produce avermectin.
It was changing one of the bonds of avermectin through a chemical process that produced ivermectin, which was proven successful in treating onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis, both of which are debilitating diseases common in the developing world.
A portrait of William Campbell and an illustration describing his work displayed on a screen during a press conference of the 2015 Nobel Medicine Prize. William Campbell and Satoshi Omura won the Nobel Medicine Prize for their discoveries of treatments against parasites—Avermectin, which was modified to Ivermectin. (JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty Images)
Though its broad antiparasitic functions are not well understood, it is known that ivermectin penetrates parasites’ nervous systems, turning off their neurons’ actions, possibly deactivating and killing them.
As part of a donation campaign launched in 1988 by Merck & Co., Inc., the manufacturer of ivermectin, the drug was used in Africa to treat river blindness. Also called onchocerciasis, river blindness is a tropical disease caused by Onchocerca volvulus worms. It is the second-most common cause worldwide of infectious blindness.
The Onchocerca worms mature in the skin of an infected individual (“the host”). After mating, female worms can release into the host’s skin up to 1,000 microfilariae a day; the female worms live for 10 to 14 years. The presence of these worms can lead to scarring in the tissues and, when microfilariae invade the eye, can cause visual impairment or complete loss of vision.
When Merck distributed ivermectin in areas hardest hit by the disease, treatment benefited the residents’ overall health and led to economic recovery. Ivermectin replaced previous drugs that had devastating side effects.
Ivermectin has also proven effective against lymphatic filariasis, known as elephantiasis. Parasitic worms transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito can grow and develop in lymphatic vessels, which regulate the body’s water balance. When certain vessels are blocked, the areas—typically the legs and genitals—can swell, with the legs enlarging to elephant-like stumps.
The World Health Organization listed ivermectin as an essential drug and has advised many countries to run annual campaigns to rid people of these parasites. Such recommendations are a solid testament to ivermectin’s safety.
For their work, including the discovery of avermectin, in 2015, Omura and Campbell were among three recipients of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
It is an indispensable drug for the underdeveloped world, with about 3.7 billion doses administered as part of global campaigns during the past 30 years. To this day, ivermectin remains a staple drug of tropical areas and an essential drug in treating onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, strongyloidiasis, and scabies.
Ivermectin and COVID-19
Analyses of studies on ivermectin have found it effective as a prevention, a treatment for acute COVID-19, and in advanced stages of infection by the virus.
1. Ivermectin as a Prophylaxis
Prophylaxis intervenes in the first phases of COVID-19 infection, which is mainly asymptomatic, when the virus replicates to increase its viral load—symptom onset occurs after the viral load peaks.
Ivermectin can be effective in the early stages of infection. Outside the cells, ivermectin can attach to parts of the virus, immobilizing it and preventing it from entering and infecting human cells.
Ivermectin can also enter the cell to prevent the virus from replicating. SARS-CoV-2 needs cell replication machinery to make more of the virus; ivermectin attaches and blocks a protein critical to this process, preventing viral production.
Additionally, ivermectin can be absorbed from the skin and stored in fat cells for a long time.
“Because it’s lipid soluble, it is stored and slowly released, [so] once you’ve taken a prophylactic dose, and I think it’s like the cumulative dose of about 400mg, that your risk of getting COVID is close to zero and you can actually stop it for a while,” said Dr. Paul Marik, a widely published critical care specialist with 500 peer-reviewed papers to his name, in an interview with The Epoch Times.
Dr. Paul Marik in Kissimmee, Fla. on Oct. 14, 2022. (The Epoch Times)
Marik co-founded the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC), a group of physicians formed in the early days of the pandemic and dedicated to treating COVID-19. According to interviews, many of the group’s doctors have successfully treated COVID-19 with ivermectin. The organization’s other co-founder, Dr. Pierre Kory, has written a book about ivermectin’s use and controversy during the pandemic.
Dr. Sabine Hazan, a gastroenterologist with 22 years of experience in clinical research, told The Epoch Times that she would advise ivermectin use for only a short time in critical patients rather than recommending the use of it as a prophylaxis.
Continuous use of ivermectin—as with all drugs—can make the body dependent on the drug rather than working to fix itself.
2. Ivermectin for Early and Acute COVID
Many peer-reviewed studies have found that ivermectin, when used by itself or in conjunction with other therapies in symptomatic patients, reduces ventilation time, time for recovery, and the risk of progressing to severe disease. (pdf 1, pdf 2, pdf 3)
This is likely due to ivermectin’s anti-inflammatory role in multiple pathways, achieved by clearing out the viral particles by immobilizing them, reducing inflammation, and improving mitochondrial action.
Suppose the early viral replication is not controlled and cleared out soon enough by the body’s immune system. In that case, the infection can become severe or even hyperinflammatory, possibly leading to systemic organ failures.
Ivermectin can also directly interact with immune pathways, suppressing inflammation and reducing the chances of developing a cytokine storm. A cytokine storm occurs when the immune system is hyperactive and hyperinflammatory. Though ivermectin can help to clear out the virus and its particles, the inflammatory state of the tissues and the organs can often cause more damage than the virus itself.
Ivermectin also likely improves gut health, which plays an essential role in immunity by preventing bacteria and viruses from infecting people via the gut.
In a published study, Hazan hypothesized that ivermectin helps COVID-19 patients by increasing the levels of Bifidobacteria—a beneficial bacteria—in the gut.
As the CEO and founder of her own genetic sequencing research laboratory, ProgenaBiome, Hazan noticed that the Bifidobacteria levels in her stools would increase after she took ivermectin. Critical COVID patients would have “zero Bifidobacteria,” which can often be a sign of poor health.
In her peer-reviewed study on hypoxic patients, she observed that COVID patients with low oxygen levels from the cytokine storms in their lungs would improve within hours of administering ivermectin.
“When people die of COVID, they die from the cytokines—they couldn’t breathe anymore. It’s almost like an anaphylactic reaction. So when you give them ivermectin at the moment they’re about to crash, you’re boosting the Bifidobacteria [and increasing their oxygen],” Hazan said.
She explained that ivermectin is a fermented product of Streptomyces bacteria. Streptomyces are within the same group Bifidobacteria are from, which may explain why ivermectin temporarily boosts Bifidobacteria.
Ivermectin also helps with mitochondrial function. During severe COVID-19, patients often experience pulmonary dysfunctions due to lung inflammation, reducing oxygen flow. This can cause stress to the mitochondria, leading to fatigue, and, when severe, may cause cell and tissue death. Ivermectin has been shown to increase energy production, indicating that it is beneficial to the mitochondria.
Furthermore, ivermectin can bind to the spike protein—a distinctive structural feature of the COVID virus which has a crucial role in its pathogenesis. In systemic disease, the spike protein can enter the bloodstream and bind to red blood cells to form blood clots. Ivermectin can prevent blood clots from forming in the body.
3. Ivermectin for Long COVID and Post-Vaccine Symptoms
The number of studies supporting ivermectin to treat long COVID and post-COVID-19 vaccine symptoms is limited. However, doctors treating these conditions have observed successful results with ivermectin.
Researchers found that in patients reporting long COVID symptoms—including coughing, brain fog, headaches, and fatigue—ivermectin alleviated their symptoms.
Mechanistically, ivermectin can improve autophagy. This process is usually switched off during COVID-19 infections. By switching autophagy back on, ivermectin can help cells clear remnant viral proteins out, returning stability to the cell.
Like acute and severe COVID-19, chronic spike protein triggers inflammation, and ivermectin can reduce such responses by suppressing inflammatory pathways and lessening the damage to tissues and blood vessels.
The Changing Public Health Messaging on Ivermectin
The NIH’s stance on ivermectin has changed several times.
Early in the pandemic, there was little information on ivermectin as a potential treatment for the virus.
The first study that mentioned ivermectin as a potential COVID-19 treatment came from Australia in April 2020. Researchers administered ivermectin to SARS-CoV-2-infected monkey kidney cells in the laboratory and found the drug beneficial in very high doses. However, the researchers concluded that further study was needed. Many health agencies, including the NIH, the CDC, and other global health regulators concluded that ivermectin could kill the virus only at toxic levels.
Even now, NIH’s statement on ivermectin for COVID-19 reads: “Ivermectin has been shown to inhibit replication of SARS-CoV-2 in cell cultures. However, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies suggest that achieving the plasma concentrations necessary for the antiviral efficacy detected in vitro would require administration of doses up to 100-fold higher than those approved for use in humans.”
The study’s lead author, Dr. Jean-Jacques Rajter, is a critical care doctor specializing in pulmonary medicine.
Rajter gave a testimony (pdf) of his findings to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs in December 2020.
The day after he saw the Australian study, one of his COVID patients dramatically deteriorated from breathing normally at room oxygen levels to requiring intubation. The patient’s son pleaded with Rajter to save his mother using whatever options available. Rajter recognized that hydroxychloroquine would be ineffective in the advanced stages of COVID. After much deliberation, he tried ivermectin.
“The patient deteriorated as expected for about 12 more hours but stabilized by 24 hours and improved by 48 hours. After this, two more patients had similar issues and were treated with the ivermectin-based protocol. Based on experience, these patients should have done poorly, yet they all survived,” the testimony read.
More clinical studies were published, showing the benefits of ivermectin as a prophylactic treatment. (pdf 1, pdf 2).
The findings encouraged the use of ivermectin among doctors desperate to find a cure.
Meanwhile, by October 2020, research into COVID-19 vaccines and the use of remdesivir to treat the virus was already in full swing.
According to the FDA, specific criteria should be met for the EUA (Emergency Use Authorization) to be granted for vaccines and medications, including that there are “no adequate, approved, and available alternatives.”
Some doctors say that if ivermectin’s use for COVID had been approved, it would have made the EUAs for vaccines and remdesivir null and void.
Following the Australian study, the FDA published a statement, “FAQ: COVID-19 and Ivermectin Intended for Animals,” highlighting the use of ivermectin in animals and advising against the use of ivermectin for COVID-19.
The NIH also discouraged the use of ivermectin, albeit briefly. On Jan. 14, 2021, the NIH changed its statement, writing that there was no evidence to recommend or disapprove the use of ivermectin. However, in April 2022, the statement changed to strongly disapproving of using ivermectin.
“We [Marik, Kory, and Dr. Andrew Hill, a virologist and consultant to the WHO] had a conference with NIH in January of 2021. We presented our data, and Andrew Hill presented the data he had done…there were a number of studies at that point, which were very positive,” said Marik.
Health Authority Overreach
Despite the NIH’s neutral statement on ivermectin for most of 2021, the FDA actively campaigned against using ivermectin in COVID-19 patients. On Aug. 26, 2021, the CDC sent an emergency warning against using ivermectin; a few weeks later, the American Medical Association and affiliated associations called for an end to ivermectin use.
Yet using the FDA’s statement against ivermectin to ban its use in COVID-19 cases would be considered an overreach. Since the FDA approved ivermectin in 1996, this made the drug acceptable for off-label use.
“The fact that it’s not FDA approved for COVID is irrelevant because the FDA endorses the use of off-label drugs at the clinician’s discretion,” said Marik.
As an ironic side effect of the messaging on ivermectin, people suddenly found themselves unable to access ivermectin, and some turned to veterinary-grade ivermectin.
Though veterinary ivermectin is the same product as medicinal ivermectin, the manufacturing standard is not the same as it is for human-grade pharmaceuticals.
Contradictory Research and Campaigns
Though the initial research in 2020 showed promising results for ivermectin, published studies reported conflicting findings by the following year.
The NIH has funded many studies on the effectiveness of ivermectin, the most recent being ACTIV-6.
Individuals can participate in the study once they develop COVID by selecting ivermectin from four other drugs. The drug was sent to them via mail. This method means that some people in the study could have recovered by the time they received the ivermectin.
There are some controversies regarding this study.
The first is that the authors changed the primary endpoints during the study, which is heavily frowned upon as it can affect the validity and reliability of the outcome.
Initially, the primary endpoint was the number of deaths, hospitalizations, and symptoms reported at day 14.
This was changed to the number of deaths, hospitalizations, and symptoms by day 28. In the actual published study, there was another change, with the endpoint being duration of COVID-19 symptoms.
A rapid review published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) implied that the endpoints were changed because, by the time the study commenced, there were far fewer events of death and hospitalizations; as a result, there would not be enough data for a reliable comparison.
Indeed, the data at the ACTIV-6 livestream showed that the ivermectin group reported only one death; this death would not be considered relevant to the research because the patient was hospitalized and died before he took ivermectin.
There were also further implementations in the study that could impact the observed effectiveness of the drug.
On average, this study’s participants received treatment six days after first reporting symptoms. Patients needed to report eligible symptoms and test positive for COVID-19 before receiving drugs. Due to this added time, about seven percent of the participants had no symptoms by the time ivermectin arrived.
Despite these negative findings for ivermectin, there is still some evidence that may demonstrate that ivermectin can be useful in treating COVID-19.
In the abstract, the authors concluded that taking ivermectin had “a posterior probability of benefit of .91,” this is another way of writing that ivermectin had a 91 percent probability of being more beneficial than placebo.
The percent of probability is below 95 percent, making the benefit of ivermectin insignificant.
Slides from the ACTIV-6 presentation on a statistically significant secondary endpoint findings.
Another secondary endpoint showed that by day 14, ivermectin already had a statistically significant 27 percent benefit with 98 percent probability of efficacy.
The FDA and NIH did not respond for comments by press time.
Repairing your gut is one of the most important steps to take in your autoimmune journey. It will not only improve your ability to absorb nutrients, it will also support your inflammatory response and immune system. By replacing toxic and inflammatory foods with nutrient-rich options that help proper digestion and absorption, you can drastically improve your nutrient intake and take back control of your health.
There are plenty of gut-repairing foods that you can incorporate into your diet in fun and delicious ways. My cookbook, “The Autoimmune Solution Cookbook,” features recipes that include a number of these gut-friendly foods, and there are tons of diet-friendly recipes on my blog that are free for you to enjoy.
Let’s take a look at some of the best foods that you should be eating to help repair your gut.
1. Bone Broth
Bone broth is at the top of my list as one of the most important foods to repair your gut. Bone broth contains gelatin and collagen, two superstars for supporting a healthy mucosal lining, proper digestion, and intestinal function. Glucosamine in bone broth assists in repairing a leaky gut by supporting a healthy inflammatory response and stimulating the growth of new gut cells.1 Bone broth contains amino acids like glycine and glutamine that aid digestion and promotes gut health.
Bone broth from leftover beef bones or chicken bones is easy to make in a slow cooker or on the stovetop. Many companies produce ready-made bone broth. These are perfect when you don’t have the time to whip up your own batch. Drink bone broth for a simple way to reap many health benefits.
2. Coconut
Coconut products of all kinds, including oil, cream, and yogurt, are antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiviral, which makes them extremely helpful when dealing with SIBO, Candida overgrowth and parasites. Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) in coconut aid in nutrient absorption. They’ve also been shown to be particularly beneficial for managing gastrointestinal disorders. Coconut yogurt comes with the added bonus of probiotics to encourage the growth of good bacteria in your gut.
3. Peppermint
Mint has been used medicinally for thousands of years, since the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans. Peppermint is a hybrid of water mint and spearmint. It has antispasmodic properties that make it ideal for relievingirritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other GI discomforts. The cooling menthol in peppermint relaxes the intestinal tract, reducing the pain, gas, and constipation associated with IBS just as effectively as prescription antispasmodics.
I like to use mint in smoothies and tea for a bright, refreshing, and nutritional burst of flavor. It’s also tasty in leafy green summer salads.
4. Raspberries
Fiber is essential for digestive health. Getting enough fiber in your diet helps prevent gut-related maladies, including constipation and diverticulosis. Recent studies have also shown the power of dietary fiber to reduce systemic inflammation and support a healthy immune response. However, most Americans fall short of the recommended daily amount of fiber intake of 25g for women and 38g for men.
That’s why raspberries earn a place on my list of the most important foods to repair your gut. A single cup of raspberries contains 8g of fiber—roughly a quarter of your daily fiber needs. Research has found that eating raspberries with a meal improves insulin sensitivity and satiety, and increases the amount of a certain type of good bacteria in your gut that is often depleted by conditions such as IBD.
Raspberries make a great addition to smoothies and desserts. You can also try homemade gummy fruit snacks made with raspberry puree and gelatin.
5. Salmon
Wild, fatty fish such as salmon are an excellent source of Omega 3’s and Vitamin D. Omega 3’s reduce inflammation and increase healthy gut bacteria. They may also play an important role in reversing chronic gut-related illnesses, including metabolic disorder, obesity, and colorectal cancer. Meanwhile, low levels of Vitamin D have been associated with IBD and colon cancer. Increasing Vitamin D intake dramatically lowers inflammation and promotes the activity of friendly bacteria in your gut. This helps defend against infections such as Salmonella.
When you can, opt-in for wild-caught fish rather than farm-raised fish, and inquire about the source of the fish variety that you purchase. Fish caught from fresh, clean waters is always the best option for your optimal health. To learn more, check out this article for an in-depth comparison between wild-caught and farm-raised fish.
6. Lemon
Lemon is high in Vitamin C, an antioxidant that suppresses inflammation and boosts the immune system. It’s also antimicrobial and supports a healthy bacterial balance in your microbiome. Vitamin C also plays a role in the formation of collagen, which is necessary for optimal gut barrier function.
Lemons are naturally detoxifying and help stimulate bile production to aid in digestion. Low bile acid is a risk factor for developing gastrointestinal issues such as SIBO. Lemons also contain pectin, a type of prebiotic fiber. Pectin feeds your good bacteria and decreases the number of bad bacteria in your gut. To get the most benefits from lemon, don’t just squeeze out the juice. Try blending whole, peeled lemons and stirring the puree into your water. Or, toss lemon wedges right into your smoothie!
The humble ginger root is an age-old remedy for digestive complaints. Ginger is known for its ability to ease nausea and can help relieve symptoms associated with IBS. This includes stomach cramps, gas, bloating, constipation, and diarrhea. It can also prevent heartburn by keeping acid from regurgitating back into the esophagus. Finally, it may kill harmful bacteria linked to acid reflux.
What’s more, ginger can help with nutrient absorption, which is often compromised when you are dealing with a gut infection.17
One of my absolute favorite ways to use ginger is in my YUMMY Gingerbread Cake, featured in “The Autoimmune Solution Cookbook!” Ginger is also a key ingredient in my gut-friendly Golden Milk recipe.
8. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar (or “ACV”) is a natural antimicrobial. It can inhibit the growth of a certain type of bacteria that is high in lipopolysaccharides (LPS). These are endotoxins that increase intestinal permeability and cause leaky gut. ACV also helps your body create hydrochloric acid (HCL). Contrary to what you might think, people dealing with GI issues such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or acid reflux are actually low in stomach acid. Use ACV to naturally increase your body’s level of HCL to aid in digestion and nutrient absorption, as well as support a healthy immune response.
Providing your gut with the essential nutrients it needs to repair itself is the first step in restoring your health, and incorporating these foods into your diet is a great place to start. However, the unfortunate truth is that our nutrient-depleted soil, high-stress lifestyles, and toxic environments make it difficult to get all of our gut-healing nutrients from food alone.
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