COVID Advisor

The nutritional supplement N-acetylcysteine is like the Swiss Army knife of supplements. It’s used to treat a wide range of health conditions, including allergies, Alzheimer disease, bipolar disorder, bronchitis, chronic kidney disease, cirrhosis, heart disease, hepatitis, infertility, schizophrenia, and upper respiratory infections.  The nutritional supplement N-acetylcysteine is used to treat a wide range of health conditions. Then again, many dietary supplements are believed to have a variety of uses. The big question is whether they actually work. To answer that question, here’s some of the research that supports a few of the many uses of N-acetylcysteine. What is N-acetylcysteine? N-acetylcysteine is a precursor of the amino acid cysteine, which bonds with two other amino acids in the body—glutamate and glycine—to form the powerful antioxidant glutathione.  Glutathione is found in high concentrations in most cells of the body. It regulates a range of cellular functions and immune

Approximately 10% of people who’ve had COVID-19 experience prolonged symptoms — that is, longer than the typical two weeks. In some cases, weeks and months longer. There are people who experience relapses after they’ve appeared to make a full recovery. Long Haulers Symptoms Their typical symptoms can include:  Cognitive issues Erratic heartbeat Fatigue Gastrointestinal issues Intolerance to physical or mental activity Low-grade fever Muscle and joint pain Shortness of breath NB: A syndrome is not a disease. It’s a group of signs and symptoms that may accompany more than one specific disease. In this case, the syndrome affects some people who have contracted the virus that causes COVID-19 and can mimic the symptoms of other, seemingly unrelated diseases. COVID-19 long haulers report that these symptoms flare up unpredictably. They are often in different combinations and can be debilitating for days and

The claim: Melatonin, aspirin, vitamins, zinc and quercetin can prevent or treat COVID-19? Since the early stages of the pandemic, people have claimed supplements like quercetin, zinc, vitamin D and melatonin can help treat and prevent COVID-19. But public health organizations and experts say there is little evidence these products are effective at treating or preventing COVID-19? Most of the studies on supplements are small and are of low quality? We shall wait for bigger and better quality evidence before we can make formal recommendations? Science requires questioning and testing. Trusting science without questioning is not science. The world does not exist in a 'black or white' manner and most of the time, things do fall into the 'gray' area. Medical science is dynamic and evidence development is constantly in a continuous work-in-progress mode. If a supplement has been shown to work in a small study, would you wait for a bigger study or should you just take it afte

Zinc  provides immune support amongst other functions. However, for zinc to work effectively in the body to boost immune system function, zinc has to be pushed into the cells which would require an ionophore. An ionophore is a substance that transports particles across the cell wall barrier into the center of the cell. Ionophores are fat-soluble molecules that bind to ions to help move them across cell membranes. Without the right ionophore, elemental zinc is poorly absorbed and will remain stuck in the bloodstream where it cannot be used by the body’s cells.  Many substances can act as ionophores for zinc, one being the antioxidant quercetin. Thus, taking quercetin along with zinc may provide additional benefits to an immune-boosting protocol. Therefore, zinc ionophores (e.g. Quercetin) can likely be used with zinc supplement to act as antiviral against many RNA viruses including influenza and COVID-19. In short, the major benefit of taking quercetin with zinc is that quercetin will

The Substack Modern Discontent recently posted an anthology series on the benefits of quercetin, 1   including the finding that it works like hydroxychloroquine, a drug found to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 when used early enough. Part 1 2  begins with a brief overview of what quercetin is and its basic mechanisms of action. Quercetin is a flavonoid found in a variety of fruits and vegetables, such as onions and shallots, apples, broccoli, asparagus, green peppers, tomatoes, red leaf lettuce, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, black currants and green tea. The quercetin content in any given food is largely dependent on light exposure, though, so depending on the country you’re in, different foods will top the list of most quercetin-rich. General mechanisms of action of this nutrient include: 3 Antioxidant activity — Antio