BREAKING! COVID-19 Supplements: Study Shows That Zinc Could Help In Fight Against COVID-19 Despite Earlier Reports By ‘Experts’ Saying That Such News Was Misinformation

COVID-19 Supplements: It seems that certain doctors, (those unethical ones getting commissions from Pharma giants), fact checkers (those buffoons who failed in their careers and work as fact checkers for garbage companies like Facebook) and certain corrupted  government authorities tend to have an affinity for always discounting the fact that vitamins, supplements and herbs could help in certain medical conditions despite supporting scientific evidence.


 
Some even have the audacity to say that simply eating the right foods can furnish you with the right chemicals required! This is totally a fallacy as in certain cases you might have to consume loads of a food product just to get the right dosage of an active ingredient in a supplement and while certain individuals might have a weak digestive and absorption system, hence they are unable to benefit from even having a well-balanced and health diet. People should also remember that most drugs, pharmaceuticals and APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredient) have their origins from phytochemicals found in plants.
 
In the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, certain buffoons claiming to be ‘experts’ came out publicly to say that Zinc could not help in any way with COVID-19 and also the same with regards to various other supplements and herbs without themselves being able to prove that it could not do so scientifically.
 
While we do agree there are a lot of scammers out there peddling phony supplements and concoctions and making false claims (like in Thailand we have a group of dirty rich Thais selling a concoction made from Longans and claiming that it can prevent and treat COVID-19 by using using aging beauty queens, filthy businessmen and corrupted politicians to endorse their brands to the majority of the intelllectually challenged locals who worship celebrities...all these done on Facebook!) there are many cases in which extensive scientific research by actually done to show the merits of taking some of these supplements but was yet discounted by these ignorant individuals.
 
Now medical researchers from Sechenov University in collaboration with colleagues from Germany, Greece and Russia did  a detailed meta-analysis and reviewed scientific articles on the role of zinc in the prevention and treatment of viral infections and pneumonia, with projections on those caused by SARS-CoV-2.
 
Zinc is known to modulate antiviral and antibacterial immunity and regulate inflammatory response. Despite the lack of clinical data, certain indications suggest that modulation of zinc status may be beneficial in COVID‑19.
 
In past vitro experiments it was demonstrated that Zn2+ possesses antiviral activity through inhibition of SARS‑CoV RNA polymerase.
 
Indirect evidence also indicates that Zn2+ may decrease the activity of angiotensin‑converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), known to be the receptor for SARS‑CoV‑2. Improved antiviral immunity by zinc may also occur through up‑regulation of interferon α production and increasing its antiviral activity.
 
Zinc possesses anti‑inflammatory activity by inhibiting NF‑κB signaling and modulation of regulatory T‑cell functions that may limit the cytokine storm in COVID‑19. Improved Zn status may also reduce the risk of bacterial co‑infection by improving m ucociliary clearance and barrier function of the respiratory epithelium, as well as direct antibacterial effects against S. pneumoniae.
 
Zinc status is also tightly associated with risk factors for severe COVID‑19 including ageing, immune deficiency, obesity, diabetes, and atherosclerosis, since these are known risk groups for zinc deficiency. Therefore, Zn may possess protective effect as preventive and adjuvant therapy of COVID‑19 through reducing inflammation, improvement of mucociliary clearance, prevention of ventilator‑induced lung injury, modulation of antiviral and antibacterial immunity.
 
(Please refer to detailed study in the link below to cross refer to various published scientific studies to proving all these claims.)
 
Their research findings which have been peer-reviewed are published in the International Journal of Molecular Medicine. https://www.spandidos-publications.com/10.3892/ijmm.2020.4575#b39-ijmm-46-01-0017
 
Typically zinc is necessary for normal metabolism and functioning of the reproductive, cardiovascular and nervous systems, but it is also important for the immune system, in particular for the proliferation and maturation of white blood cells (some of them are able to capture and digest microorganisms, and others - to produce antibodies). In addition, zinc is involved in the regulation of inflammation. Thus, normal levels of zinc support human resistance to inflammatory and infectious diseases.
 
Professor Dr Anatoly Skalny, Research Leader, Head of the Laboratory of Molecular Dietetics at Sechenov University-Moscow told Thailand Medical News, “Based on current estimates, the risk of zinc deficiency is observed in more than 1.5 billion people in the world. In Russia, deficiency of this element occurs in 20-40% of the population; in some regions it reaches 60%. Given the crucial role of zinc in regulation of immunity, one can propose that its insufficiency may be considered as a risk factor for infectious diseases."
 
The medical scientists reviewed the results of studies on the use of zinc-containing drugs for increasing immunity and preventing viral infections, including SARS-CoV-2 that caused COVID-19 outbreak this year. Previous studies showed that zinc and its binding substances can slow down the work of RNA polymerase (an enzyme that synthesizes viral RNA molecules) of coronaviruses and suppress their spread in the body. One of the substances that stimulate the cellular zinc uptake, chloroquine, has already been tested on patients with SARS-CoV-2, but its strong and lethal side effects made it necessary to look for other compounds with a similar effect or use zinc separately. However, both options have not been sufficiently studied or tested yet.
 
Previous observations of the development of other viruses, such as rhinoviruses (this family includes pathogens of acute respiratory diseases), show that an increase in the level of zinc in cells suppresses replication (reproduction) of the virus and stimulates production of interferon alpha, which has an antiviral activity.
 
Furthermore, zinc deficiency is considered as one of the risk factors for the development of pneumonia: it increases the susceptibility to infectious agents and the disease duration. Several studies show the effectiveness of zinc-containing drugs in decreasing severity and duration of symptoms and reducing the prevalence of pneumonia. However, in general, data on the use of zinc as a therapy, rather than prevention, are contradictory.
 
Significantly, another possible application of zinc is modulation of inflammation. Existing data show that zinc ions have an anti-inflammatory effect, reducing damage to lung tissue in pneumonia. Zinc also helps the body resist bacteria, and bacterial pneumonia frequently occurs in patients with secondary viral infections.
 
Dr Alexey Tinkov, coauthor of the article, a leading researcher at the Laboratory of Molecular Dietetics at Sechenov University said,”A recent study conducted by scientists from the USA confirmed our assumptions, demonstrating the effect of zinc intake on the risk of a severe course and the need for artificial ventilation in patients with COVID-19.”
 
Therefore, according to current research, adequate zinc status can bring down the likelihood of infectious respiratory diseases, pneumonia and its complications. There are also indirect indications that zinc intake may be effective in the fight against coronavirus disease (COVID-19), but there is still insufficient data for recommendations.
 
The research data demonstrate that adequate zinc status of the individual increases immune reactivity. Correspondingly, inadequate zinc supply may predispose to infectious diseases of upper and lower respiratory tract. Although the therapeutic effects of Zn are considered as inconsistent, the existing evidence-based data indicate efficiency of Zn supplementation and improvement of Zn status in prevention of pneumonia and its complications due to anti-inflammatory effect of zinc.
 
Certain indirect indications of the potential antiviral effect of Zn against nCoV-2019 exist, although their biomedical relevance is yet to be studied. In view of recent data on clinical course of the disease, it appears that adequate Zn status may possess protective effect as adjuvant therapy of COVID-19 through reducing lung inflammation, improvement of mucociliary clearance, prevention of ventilator-induced lung injury, modulation of antibacterial and antiviral immunity especially in elderly.
 
Further clinical and experimental studies are strongly required to elucidate the potential role of Zn deficiency in COVID-19 susceptibility, as well as effects of Zn supplementation, and the underlying mechanisms.
 
For more on COVID-19 Supplements, keep to logging to Thailand Medical News.