What I’m Reading This Month: Immune Response and the Brain, IV Vitamin C and Cytokines, Junk Food and COVID-19 Deaths, The Pandemic and Air Pollution, and Zinc and Immune Response

What I’m Reading This Month: Immune Response and the Brain, IV Vitamin C and Cytokines, Junk Food and COVID-19 Deaths, The Pandemic and Air Pollution, and Zinc and Immune Response

The sheer volume of health, wellness, and medical news and commentary available on the internet can be overwhelming. Every month, get a taste of what integrative medicine leader Dr. John Gannage finds interesting (and digestible) on the web.

How could COVID-19 and the body’s immune response affect the brain?

The complex nature of the COVID-19, the microbiome, the immune system, and the central nervous system is multifactorial.

“Given the wide range of outcomes seen among coronavirus patients, [researchers determine] whether microbiome composition may play a role in addition to factors such as age or underlying health conditions. If that turns out to be the case, then tweaking the microbiome, perhaps with diet or probiotics, could improve outcomes.”

There’s a suspected role of infectious disease with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and other forms of dementia. Investigators want to extend their research to this Coronavirus in pregnant mothers and the risk of autism in offspring.

Intravenous vitamin C for reductions of cytokines storm in acute respiratory distress syndrome

If you’re looking for the scientific evidence backing IV Vitamin C and an understanding of why it is effective, here is your well-referenced article!

“IV Vitamin C and other antioxidants are extremely good agents for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. These can be applied clinically. Importantly, high dose IV Vit-C is safe and effective. “

The efficacy of high dose vitamin C as a possible treatment for infectious disease has gained more momentum. Many viral infections, much like COVID-19, generate free radicals and cytokine storms that lead to oxidative stress throughout the body. High dose IV vitamin C is showing promise in its ability to combat this activity. 

What does junk food have to do with COVID-19 deaths?

“One key truth: The quality of our food is essential to the quality of our health.”

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined half of those who are hospitalized with COVID-19 are obese. This poses a higher risk for these individuals to become severely ill.

Our food quality, access, and choices matter more now than ever!

The pandemic has lead to a huge, global drop in air pollution

“Reductions in traffic and industry have lowered nitrogen dioxide levels—offering an accidental glimpse into what a low-carbon future might look like.”

In a world where we are forced to slow down, there is a world-wide trend in reduced air pollution. We should consider this an opportunity to change working practices and lifestyles to protect our earth! 

Zinc helps against infection by tapping breaks in immune response

“The benefit to health is explicit: Zinc is beneficial because it stops the action of a protein, ultimately preventing excess inflammation.”

This study finds the availability of Zinc to be imperative to our immune system. Without sufficient concentrations, we may be at risk of causing an elevated immune response. 

Still hungry for information? Find previous month’s picks here.

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