Pandemic Snake Oil

As I was writing this article, intending to focus exclusively on Vitamin D, Forbes posted a similar article. So I decided to widen my view, and ask the following question: Is there anything we can do to change our diet so it helps, fights, or prevents the Covid-19 from infecting us?

With every major crisis, comes great opportunity to bring out our best or to bring out our worst. Day-to-day we see more good than bad, neighbors helping out each other, pooling resources for Costco runs, and people trying to do the right thing. But there is also a large population of people who can only see opportunities to make money by scamming others, and opportunities to score political points over life-safety, as if it is a game.

So on the negative side we are seeing the Government take this opportunity to quietly remove rules and regulations, such as food labels and safety. We are seeing wrong-headed political actions, taken under the guise of supporting the food system, like the decisions to force meat and fowl processing plants to reopen without safety requirements in place. But also, the negative side is allowing some people to make false claims about the “snake oil” they are selling and claiming these are cures.

Wikiepedia writes: Snake oil is a euphemism for deceptive marketing and health care fraud. It refers to the petroleum-based mineral oil or “snake oil” that used to be sold as a cure-all elixir for many kinds of physiological problems.

A Drug to Cure or Prevent Covid-19?

Reports are out there of people who have died, or have been essentially poisoned, while taking the antimalarial drug chloroquine, and studies on this drug have been halted due to high risk to patients‘ health. So Trump‘s much touted preventative, or cure, is neither.

Currently, there are no preventative or curative pills, injections, liquids, creams, or sprays.

Consuming Bleach to Sanitize Our Insides?

OMG, no. Just because Trump says so, does not change the fact that consuming bleach is downright deadly. The Quora writes: If you drink bleach, it oxidizes or burns tissues in your mouth, esophagus, and stomach. According to the NIH (National Institutes of Health), it can cause nausea, chest pain, lowered blood pressure, delirium, coma, and potentially death.

There is no way to sanitize the inside of our bodies. Nor proof that such a concept has any relevance to the pandemic.

What About a God-Approved Cure?

The use of God to sell snake-oil, furthers the viewpoint that “preachers” and “charlatans” just use their followers as ATMs for unproven cures that rely on faith, or fears, to sell either useless or harmful substances.

Cal Thomas writes: TV evangelist Jim Bakker is being sued by the Missouri attorney general for promoting a cure for coronavirus. Bakker calls it “Silver Solution.” The lawsuit seeks to stop Bakker and his company from advertising the product, which he has been selling for $80 per 4-ounce bottle.
The NewYorker indicates Alex Jones has been trying to sell the same cure.

Many have noted that the only thing Colloidal silver will do is turn your skin blue-gray. Rarely, excessive doses of colloidal silver can cause possibly irreversible serious health problems, including kidney damage and neurological problems such as seizures.

Whatever your vision of God, it is unlikely this Great Being would provide a cure of a deadly disease and then limit its availability to only those who can pay for it.

What About Vinegar, Garlic, CBD?

NYT refers to these, and other ideas, in an article titled: Covid-19 Has Closed Stores, but Snake Oil Is Still for Sale Other recommendations for killing the virus, like gargling vinegar, eating garlic, or using a hairdryer to blow hot air into your nose, hurt people by providing a false sense of security. If a person believes that garlic or vinegar prevents infection, they are more likely to take part in risky behavior that may ultimately get them infected with the virus.

A radio station reports: Former NFL player and Provo-native Kyle Turley received a letter from the FDA to cease promoting CBD products as a treatment or cure for COVID-19. According to regulators, there is no scientific evidence that CBD treats or prevents coronavirus, therefore the claims were deemed false.

Remedies or folk cures do not prevent or cure Covid-19.

Then What Works?

The positive side is we do know some things. What makes these options unlikable to many is that 1) they are longer term, 2) they require patience, and 3) they involve us having to take an action and change our habits.

Waiting for drug testing to find those drugs that actually can help us recover, or recover faster from the decease
Waiting for science to develop, test and affirm there is a vaccine to help prevent us from getting sick
Implementing what we know helps limit the disease through wearing masks, washing hands, and being extra careful
Social distancing by avoiding crowds, avoiding enclosed indoor activities with crowds, avoiding getting near people who are sick

Most especially, it is important to avoid fools who flout these recommendations, especially now as some communities start to reopen. It is especially important you continue to take precautions as you participate in the protests happening across the world regarding the murder of George Floyd.

Covid-19 + Vitamin D

The NIH details Vitamin D and provides lots of information about what it is and its uses. What I know is that this vitamin is part of a family of fat soluble compounds that we get from certain foods, that our skin can create from the sun, and that gets processed into usable compounds in our liver or kidneys.

ScienceDaily, and other sites like WebMD, Forbes, HealthLine etc., have written that it is true that VitD is relevant to good health.
ScienceDaily reports, Vitamin D levels appear to play role in COVID-19 mortality rates: Patients with severe deficiency are twice as likely to experience major complications.
Specifically, they note, after analyzing patient data from 10 countries, that there was a correlation between low vitamin D levels and hyperactive immune systems. Vitamin D strengths [sic] innate immunity and prevents overactive immune responses. (Bolded item is mine.)

Please do not run out and buy gobs of VitD supplements, like some did with toilet paper. A “correlation” does not mean ”cure”, ”preventative”, or ”assistive”. It means there appears to be some relationship, yet to be understood. What is also known, is that VitD may assist with certain medical conditions:

Infection of the airways. Research has shown that VitD helps prevent respiratory infections caused by flu, colds, and asthma.
Heart failure. This is one of the symptoms of Covid-19 and some research suggest a correlation between low VitD leads and an increase risk of developing heart failure.
Prevent Heart Attacks. Some research indicate that perhaps after heart failure it may assist in preventing more heart attacks.
Immune: MedicalNewsToday write that VitD supports a healthy immune system. This is very important when we are fighting the flu and its complications.

There are other things VitD can apparently help with, that are very important and speak to the necessity of VitD for a healthy body, that have nothing to do with the pandemic.

Studies show that people who try to avoid the sun, those who use sunscreen a lot, those with darker skin, people with kidney problems, and older folks all have chances of being low on VitD.

Vitamin + Supplements

I generally do not take vitamins or any kind of supplements (unless directed to by a Doctor), because I believe the whole supplement industry is a ”wild west” consisting of false promises, wishful thinking, and capitalistic greed. To me, this unregulated area is rife with problems.

ARSTechnica writes that: There are more than 90,000 vitamin and dietary supplement products sold in the US. They continue, Supplements are a $30 billion industry in the US. Recent surveys suggest that 52 percent of Americans take at least one supplement—and 10 percent take four or more. In general, the supplement market is an unregulated collection of 500 businesses in the USA alone.

There are questions regarding the effectiveness for stated medical issues
Studies exist showing supplements having inconsistent strength or dosage issues
Testing shows possibilities of contamination, and even wrong items are packaged with incorrect labels
Some supplements can make you sick
Governmental agencies document false advertising, as supplement ads offer hope and fantasy of help or cures
News reports on supplements, describe what is a large business, with clear capitalistic goals, that are in effect no different than big pharma (just smaller in volume)

Please do not misunderstand, if recommended, take what your medical advisor suggests, be it supplement, vitamin, or mineral. But you have to do your research, read the labels carefully, and choose brands that have been tested for purity and dosages.

I take vitamin D for a chronic condition of barely measurable vitamin D — I test under the 12 nanograms per milliliter that indicates a deficiency
Many people take vitamin D and calcium, which is a common combination for elderly people, post menopausal women, men or women with thyroid issues or osteoporosis
Strict vegans may need a daily B12 since they do not consume the common foods that contain this vitamin

The point is, if taking supplements or vitamins, pay attention to the manufacturer but do not believe its miracles.

LabDoor claims to rate based on analytical chemistry assays from an FDA-registered lab where analyses include measurements of active ingredients and potential contaminants.
ConsumerReports indicate there are chemicals in some supplements that should always be avoided because they can cause organ damage, cardiac arrest, and cancer
HealthLine recommends a small set of vitamins and supplements, and as you know this is a site I trust.
I only take tested and verified supplements; for a chart on the testing facilities check ConsumerReports

Foods with Vitamin D

There are only two ways to introduce VitD into our systems via food. HealthLine explains, Vitamin D3 is only found in animal-sourced foods, whereas D2 mainly comes from plant sources and fortified foods.

For a USDA sourced food list, see Health.gov. Below are just some of the highlights and items that I cook with.

Egg Yolk: One yolk has 37 IU of vitamin D, or 5% of the DV. Actual, pasture-raised chickens (exposed to sunlight) produce eggs with 3-4 times higher VitD than regular industrial eggs. Another argument for buying eggs from only true pasture-raised chickens.

Mushrooms: The only plant I could find that contains VitD is mushrooms. HealthLine reports that wild mushrooms are excellent sources of vitamin D2. In fact, some varieties pack up to 2,300 IU per 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving — nearly three times the DV. But normal commercially grown mushrooms are generally grown in the dark and contain very little VitD. However, I found out that some mushrooms are treated with UV light and they can provide quite a lot of VitD2.

Raw maitake mushrooms: contain 562 IU per 50 grams (g), or 94% of a person’s RDA.
Dried shiitake mushrooms: contain 77 IU per 50 g, or 12% of a person’s RDA.

Fortified Foods: These days lots of food are fortified with additional vitamins and minerals. I see this mainly in dairy products such as milk and eggs. Now many plant-milks and orange juice are fortifying their food with VitD also, as an alternative source for vegans, vegetarians, and lactose intolerant people.

Fish: The USDA Food Composition Database provides nutritional data, based on a 3.5oz or 100grams serving.

Wild Salmon: contains 988 IU of vitamin D, or 124% of the DV.
Fresh Atlantic Salmon: contains 526 IU of vitamin D, or 66% of the DV.
Canned Tuna: contains 268 IU of vitamin D, or 34% of the DV.
Fresh Atlantic Herring: contains 216 IU of vitamin D, or 27% of the DV.
Canned Sardines: contains 177 IU of vitamin D, or 22% of the DV.
Pickled Herring: contains 112 IU of vitamin D, or 14% of the DV.

HealthLine also recommends Cod Liver Oil that has 448 IU per teaspoon (4.9 ml), for 56% of the DV; this also has lots of VitA and Omega-3 fatty acids. This old-timey remedy has been around for ages, but even so you can over do it, so discuss with your doctor.

Conclusion

There are lots of false and dangerous promises regarding cures for the Covid-19 virus. While we wait for a vaccine, and while VitD is not a cure, it is helpful to overall health and may assist in a better response to the virus should we catch it. Vitamin D can be consumed via the sun’s interaction with our skin, through supplements, and from certain foods.

To sum up, I have modified an Ayurvedic Proverb: “When diet is wrong, medicine may be of no use. When diet is correct, medicine may not be needed”.

—Patty

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Tip: Walmart is aiming to limit the number of people in stores, no more than 5 people per 1k square feet. While waiting to get into the store staff are maintaining a social distancing-friendly line by the entrance. Some stores are adding one-way aisles, and when leavIng, it is through a different door than the entrance. Check to see what your favorite store has set up to enforce safety.

News: The report is that Necco Wafers are returning. This candy was created in 1847, and is known for folks either liking it or not. There seems to be no inbetweener. It is documented that it was a candy carried by Civil War soldiers and issued to WWII GIs — in other words, this chalky candy has been part of American history.

TIp: The El Cerrito Grocery Store has staff outside the entrance limiting peoples entry to keep a person/sq foot calculation, they squirt sanitizer in your hand to wash before entering, or give you food-handler gloves. You cannot enter without a mask, nor take your reuse bags in, you must use theirs. All staff wear masks and gloves. They often have a line, but it moves rather quickly.