Can Zinc inhibit Coronaviruses?
Can Zinc inhibit Coronaviruses?
Following on from my post yesterday about the overwhelming evidence of vitamin D reducing the severity of Covid. Today I thought that I could briefly explain how zinc has also been shown to be extremely effective.
It’s interesting that the U.K government says that they are following the science, when they seem to be cherry picking the science, aka Covid-19 “a la carte”.
Zinc may be a less familiar mineral than iron, calcium or magnesium, but it’s still extremely important to consume in small amounts every day as this will support metabolism and maintain your health.
It has a variety of important functions such as improved immune, hormone and regeneration capabilities. Deficiency can cause an array of symptoms such as loss of taste or appetite, impaired vision to a lack of energy and inability for wounds to heal.
Zinc also helps to inhibit a variety of both RNA and DNA viruses, such as retroviruses, rotaviruses, adenoviruses herpesviruses, polyomaviruses, and papillomaviruses. Its bioavailability depends on the composition of your diet, non-digestible plant ligands such as phytate, some dietary fibres, iron and calcium can inhibit zinc absorption.
Zinc is present in many food groups and its concentration and bioavailability varies considerably. Foods with the highest zinc concentration include red meat, some shellfish, and legumes.
Beware of any zinc fortified cereals or grains, as unfortunately they also contain high levels of phytates, which are considered to be “anti-nutrients” as they bind to minerals stopping them from being absorbed.
The good news is that zinc can be supplemented. Most dosages range from 10 – 50mg per day and the best forms of supplements are zinc gluconate or zinc picolinate.
The information below is taken from a study which looks at the effects of zinc to inhibit various RNA viruses and provides the basis for a new antipicornavirus mechanism.
Zn2+ Inhibits Coronavirus and Arterivirus RNA Polymerase Activity In Vitro and Zinc Ionophores Block the Replication of these Viruses in Cell Culture.
“Interestingly, in cell culture studies, high Zn2+ concentrations and the addition of compounds that stimulate cellular import of Zn2+, such as hinokitol (HK), pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) and zinc pyrithione (PT), were found to inhibit the replication of various RNA viruses, including influenza virus, , respiratory syncytial virus and several picornaviruses”
>> https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1001176 <<
For zinc to be effective though it has to be invited into the cell (a bit like a vampire). This can be achieved when combined with other compounds called ionophores, which help transport ions across the lipid or cell membrane, such as EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) which is polyphenol found in green tea and has been shown to transport zinc across the plasma membrane.
Quercetin is another ionophore and the most abundant flavonoid in our diets, which is found in various foods such as raw onions, celery, green tea, peppers and apples and has been shown the block the entry point of the SAR-Cov 1 virus
When we combine zinc with a zinc ionophore, this can potentially be extremely effective at inhibiting viruses such as Sars-cov 1. It has also shown to have useful anti-inflammatory benefits and reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, which has already been shown to heavily effect the lungs of Covid-19 patients.
There are a whole variety of vitamins and minerals that we could all actively be taking each day that will considerably improve our immune strength. I have previously mentioned selenium and vitamin D this week, and next week I will follow on with omega 3 and vitamin A.
If you have any questions then please do get in touch and email me at [email protected] or visit Muhdo.com.