The Viral Defense Formula
Vitamin D
The Importance of Vitamin D Optimization
Solar ultraviolet-B radiation and supplemental vitamin D have been shown to reduce pandemic
fatality rates, which makes sense considering how important vitamin D is for controlling infections and lowering your risk for influenza and the common cold.
Research shows high-dose vitamin D supplementation lowers the risk of respiratory illnesses and lung infections in the elderly by 40%. As noted by an author of that study, “Vitamin D can improve the immune system’s ability to fight infections because it bolsters the first line of defense of the immune system.”
Vitamin D upregulates production of human cathelicidin, LL-37, which has both antimicrobial and antiendotoxin activities.
Vitamin D also reduces the production of proinflammatory cytokines, which could also
explain some of the benefit of vitamin D since H1N1 infection gives rise to a cytokine storm.”
As a general guideline, get your vitamin D level tested twice a year, in the winter and summer, to make sure you’re in a healthy range of 60 ng/mL to 8ng/mL year-round. (A compelling body of research suggests 40 ng/mL is the cutoff for sufficiency.)
An Overview of Recent Evidence
Vitamin C
L-ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) is one of the well-known anti-viral agents, especially to influenza virus.
Vitamin C is known as an essential anti-oxidant and enzymatic co-factor for physiological reactions such as hormone production, collagen synthesis and immune potentiation. Naturally, an insufficiency of Vitamin C leads to severe injuries to multiple organs, especially to the heart and brain.
Vitamin C plays a critical role in vivo anti-viral immune responses against influenza virus through the increase of IFN-IL-1α/β production. Therefore, it might be possible that by maintaining sufficient levels of Vitamin C in the plasma by the continuous uptake through the diet or supplementation, one could effectively prevent in vivo pathogenesis of influenza type virus’s at the initial stage of viral infection.
Zinc
Those who swear by zinc as a cold remedy know to take it when they first start to feel a “scratchy throat”. You may even have heard from Dr. Mom that Zinc was good for fighting colds. I’m sure that you won’t be surprised to know she was right!
Numerous peer-reviewed studies have shown that zinc and some zinc-dependent proteins are involved in anti-viral defense and immune regulation in the respiratory tract. It seems that zinc can also reduce the viral titer following an influenza infection. Zinc may also reduce RSV burden in the lungs as well as the duration of viral pneumonia symptoms and zinc has a positive effect in preventing ARDS and ventilator-induced lung damage as well.
On a cellular level, Zinc kills the microscopic invaders that are there to kill you and if you combine it with an Ionophore, a fat soluble delivery system, it can cross cellular walls and track down the invaders pretty much wherever they go. Zinc is found and operates in every cell of the body, but it's a non-fat-soluble
mineral that can't move through the fat-based cell membranes. Therefore, if it is to be mobile and move to the spot of a microbial infection rapidly and in
sufficient strength to neutralize the invaders, it needs help to cross the cell membrane from a fat soluble transport system, a zinc Inonophore like … Quercetin.
Quercetin
When I was young there was a common saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” In other words you stay healthy and don’t need one. Well apples are rich in
Quercetin, that might explain it, oh and Onions are too, they would also keep your doctor and others at a distance.
Quercetin, is a flavonoid, and it's found in many plants and foods, such as red wine, onions, green tea, apples, and berries etc.
Quercetin has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that might help reduce swelling, control blood sugar and help prevent heart disease. As just stated, Flavonoids, such as Quercetin, are antioxidants. They scavenge particles in the body known as free radicals which damage cell membranes, tamper with DNA, and even cause cell death. Antioxidants can neutralize free radicals. They may
reduce or even help prevent some of the damage free radicals cause. Quercetin can also help stabilize the cells that release histamine in the body and thereby have an anti inflammatory and antihistamine effect and relief for Allergies, asthma, hay fever and hives. If you notice these other bonus effects all seem to be actions that would also help prevent or at least mitigate a Cytokine Storm. If this is true it is also a life saver!
These are some great “Side Effects” for a Zinc Delivery System to have.
It appears that Quercetin is not only an outstanding Zinc Inopohore but that it also has some other great bonus effects for your Viral Defense Shield!
Early treatment with virus’s can be a life saver. Better yet keep your “Shields Up” and use Viral Defense Shield daily as a preventive.
