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1 Which of the following has consistently been found to reduce the risk of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection, lower illness severity and need for hospitalization and ICU admission, and reduce the risk of death from COVID-19?
Vitamin D has consistently been found to reduce the risk of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection, lower illness severity and need for hospitalization and ICU admission, and reduce the risk of death from COVID-19. Learn more.
2 Which of the following countries did not follow the global pandemic advice to shut down businesses, implement strict stay-at-home and social distancing rules or mask mandates?
Sweden did not follow the global pandemic advice to shut down businesses, implement strict stay-at-home and social distancing rules or mask mandates. As a result, Sweden now appears to have reached the herd immunity threshold. Learn more.
3 An estimated 80% of all active drug ingredients are manufactured in which of the following countries?
An estimated 80% of all active drug ingredients are manufactured in China and India, and overseas plants are rarely inspected by U.S. authorities. Learn more.
4 Sweden's refusal to enact strict lockdowns to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in:
Sweden's refusal to enact strict lockdowns to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in one of the lowest infection rates in Europe as of mid-September 2020. Sweden has also largely escaped the financial ruin and skyrocketing mental health problems experienced in areas where strict lockdown measures have been in place. Learn more.
5 Aside from vitamins C and D, which of the following play an important role in the regulation of your immune function, and may help minimize your risk of COVID-19 related cytokine storm?
Based on B vitamins effects on your immune system, red blood cells and proinflammatory cytokine levels, supplementation may be a useful adjunct to other prevention and treatment strategies for COVID-19. Learn more.
6 Which of the following substances has been shown to lower IQ in children?
Animal and human studies have linked fluoride exposure to the disruption of brain function and reduction of intelligence. One 2020 Canadian study found children who were bottle-fed in fluoridated communities lost up to 9 IQ points compared to those in nonfluoridated communities. Learn more.
7 There are five primary parameters of metabolic health: waist circumference, insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, and triglyceride and HDL levels. How many abnormal parameters must you have to be diagnosed with metabolic syndrome?
Having three or more abnormal parameters is indicative of metabolic syndrome. Learn more.
Olives have been widely enjoyed for centuries. Homer called olive oil “liquid gold” and it is closely associated with all past and present civilizations near the Mediterranean Sea.1 Wild olive trees were likely first domesticated from those growing in the Mediterranean basin; some historians believe it was the olive that made the plant attractive enough to do so. But the deliberate act of making olive oil happened about 2500 BC.2
The olive tree also has deep cultural symbolism, often representing peace and health. For instance, the official emblem of the World Health Organization is surrounded by olive tree branches.3 The symbolic use of the branches and leaves may have originated from the traditional use of the leaves in folk medicine.
Olives are too bitter to be eaten directly, so they must be cured first.4 The polyphenol responsible for the bitterness is oleuropein.5 The fruit is rich in phytonutrients, which may explain the health benefits attributed to them. These include a positive impact on the respiratory system, musculoskeletal system, digestive system, cardiovascular system and immune system.
In the current market, testing has revealed food fraud when it comes to properly identifying extra virgin olive oil, which some estimate affects 50% of the olive oil sold in the U.S. Up to 80% of the oil may not meet the legal standard for extra virgin olive oil.6
Both the olives and the extract from olive leaves are beneficial to your health. Mounting evidence demonstrates beneficial effects of olive derivatives such as olive leaf extract (OLE) may be strongly linked to the polyphenols found in the plant and plant products. OLE contains a higher quantity of polyphenols and greater variety than those found in extra virgin olive oil.
Interestingly, the polyphenols between the leaves and the fruit have structural differences that researchers believe may improve the capacity of OLE to affect health. The most studied antioxidant phytonutrient in the plant is oleuropein, which is found exclusively in olives.7 Oleuropein is the most prevalent found in the leaves, pulp, seed and peel of olives.8
Evidence shows that the phytonutrient exerts an antioxidant effect through different pathways and it helps counteract oxidative stress in a similar fashion to that of vitamin C and vitamin E. The phytochemical also has an anti-inflammatory effect through the inhibition of proinflammatory cytokines.
Oleuropein has been shown to reduce interleukin-1 beta and nitric oxide in an inflammatory response. Evidence suggests the compound has an anti-atherosclerotic effect and could decrease lipid levels. In this way, researchers believe it reduces atherosclerosis and suppresses inflammatory factors.
The leaves of the plant have also been traditionally used as a mouth cleanser and to treat intestinal discomfort, diarrhea and urinary tract infections.9 Oleuropein administered to liver damaged mice demonstrated protective effects by reducing hepatic steatosis and the progression to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.
The plant uses the phytochemical as a natural resistance to microbial attack, which lab evidence demonstrates is active against Gram negative and positive bacteria. Oleuropein additionally has antimycoplasmal activity against antibiotic-resistant strains. Antiviral activity is demonstrated against hepatitis B and HIV.
Mitochondrial DNA damage from oxidative stress can lead to neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Some data reveal that oleuropein has a potential neuroprotective effect, particularly in animal studies involving aged rats. The treated animals demonstrated that administration of oleuropein protects against neuronal loss.
A traditional Mediterranean diet has long been linked with a lower prevalence of cancer and cardiovascular disease. One of the main components of the diet is olive oil, which has demonstrated an anti-inflammatory and protective effect against free radicals. The effects of bioactive components in OLE and olive oil may be a result of the phytoestrogen action.10
The similar structure has been hypothesized to reduce the progression and problems of hormone-related cancers.11 Some of the most prevalent types include breast cancer, uterine and colorectal in women, and prostate and colorectal cancer in men, as well as melanoma.12
Researchers hypothesize that as people live longer, the prevalence of cancer is likely to continue to rise.13 Making strong lifestyle choices, such as eating foods to reduce the inflammatory response, may play a pivotal role in lowering diseases such as cancer that are associated with age.
Olive tree leaves have been widely used in traditional medicine in the Mediterranean region. Research into the effects of extra virgin olive oil is abundant, yet evidence suggests that the bioactive components in OLE offer greater and possibly more potent results.
Olive trees produce large amounts of polyphenols to combat pathogens and insect attack. The concentration and variety are influenced by the age of the tree, geographical location and cultivar. However, it should be noted, while there are thousands of phytochemicals within the leaf, they are not present as independent compounds.
The combination of these compounds may be what confers the health benefits. There is evidence OLE and other polyphenols have the ability to scavenge the overabundant production of reactive oxygen species and nitrogen species responsible for damaging DNA and playing an important role in aging and pathology.
The antioxidant properties of polyphenols are widely accepted as the pathway for health benefits. In past research, polyphenols found in olive leaf extract have inhibited the growth of pancreatic, breast, prostate and colorectal cancer cell lines. Scientists conducting a literature review on the effects of OLE concluded:14
“There is strong evidence from cell models which demonstrates that olive polyphenols, and specifically the combination found in olive leaf, are able to modulate and interact with molecular pathways and in doing so may inhibit the progression and development of cancer.”
Evidence also shows the antiviral components of olive leaf extract can shorten an upper respiratory illness. In one study, 32 high school athletes were engaged in a randomized control trial using either a placebo or olive leaf extract equivalent to 100 milligrams (mg) of oleuropein.15
The athletes took the supplement for nine weeks during competition while the researchers measured their training load and respiratory illness symptoms twice a week. They found that taking the olive leaf extract did not reduce the incidence of an upper respiratory infection, but it did cause a 28% reduction in the number of sick days the athletes required to recover.
Oleuropein found in olive tree extract also has environmental uses. The antiviral properties have demonstrated the ability to reduce infectivity from viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV).16 This is a highly contagious and fatal disease in fish that can affect both fresh and marine species.
It is found in farmed fish and wild marine fish. First reported in the Great Lakes region in 2005, VHSV is known to infect 40 different species from salmon, trout and yellow perch, to walleye, northern pike and minnows.17
High blood pressure can damage your heart and blood vessels by making them work harder and less efficiently. Overtime, high blood pressure damages the inner lining of the arteries. It is often called “the silent killer” since symptoms are not usually noticeable. You'll only know if your blood pressure is high by having it measured.18
With the new definition of high blood pressure in 2017,19 the prevalence of the condition changed. In 2015 to 2016, the prevalence was 29% in all adults in the U.S.20 After the upper limit for high blood pressure was reduced from 140/90 to 130/80, the prevalence rose to 45%.21 Nearly half of all adults in the U.S. now have high blood pressure.
Treatment often includes lifestyle changes first, and pharmacological treatment second. In one study researchers tested olive leaf extract as a food supplement in a group of 40 identical twins who had borderline high blood pressure.22 Twin studies are an important means of testing interventions while controlling for genetic differences.23
One twin in each pair received olive leaf extract for eight weeks or advice on changing lifestyle factors that impact blood pressure. Every two weeks, the researchers measured the group's body weight, blood pressure, heart rate, glucose and lipids. In those who received the olive leaf extract, the dose was 500 or 1000 mg per day.
The researchers found there was a change in blood pressure that appeared to be dependent on the dose. In those receiving 500 mg, the systolic (top number) went down 6 mmHg more than the control group, or down 13 mmHg in those taking 1,000 mg versus 500 mg.
After eight weeks, the average blood pressures were nearly identical to baseline in the control group, but they were significantly reduced in the group taking 1,000 mg. Researchers also found there were differences in LDL cholesterol measurements. They concluded that OLE can lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
Olive leaf extract comes in capsules and in liquid form. As demonstrated in the video above, the liquid can be added to a smoothie. Women who are pregnant or nursing should avoid OLE, however. Since it can lower your blood pressure, people on blood pressure medication should consult with their physician if they choose to use it.
There are topical uses for OLE, including those related to hair care. In one animal study, researchers showed that topical administration could induce hair growth.24 While mice are often used to study skin diseases, further testing is needed to determine the potential to promote hair growth in humans.
OLE is also a traditional remedy for high blood sugar. In an animal study and a human trial, OLE lowered blood sugar. Scientists studied 79 people with Type 2 diabetes and gave them either a placebo or 500 mg of OLE each day. Over the course of 14 weeks, the people taking the OLE had significantly lower hemoglobin A1C and fasting plasma insulin levels.25
People taking medication to control their blood sugar should consult with their physician before trying to supplement with OLE, because doing both can result in a dangerously low or even lethally low blood sugar level.
Aside from insulin resistance, discussed in “The Real Pandemic Is Insulin Resistance,” mounting research reveals vitamin D deficiency is one of the primary risk factors for severe COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, complications and death.
Vitamin D can strengthen your immune system in a matter of a few weeks, and according to recent research, correcting vitamin D deficiency could save thousands of lives in Great Britain alone. As reported by conservative member of the British Parliament David Davis and writer Matt Ridley in a September 26, 2020, article in The Telegraph:1
“As we face six tough months of curfews, isolation and economic misery, with vaccines a distant hope, testing struggling to control the virus, and the hospitalization rate once again rising, it’s surely time to try anything reasonable to slow the pandemic down.
There is one chemical that is known to be safe, known to be needed by many people anyway, known to have a clinically proven track record of helping people fight off respiratory diseases, and is so cheap no big firm is pushing it: vitamin D. It is not a silver bullet, but growing evidence suggests that it might help prevent COVID turning serious in some people.”
As reported by The Telegraph, while initial support for vitamin D relied on data showing correlations between vitamin D levels and infection rates and COVID-19 outcomes, we now have a randomized, controlled trial backing it up.
The study,2,3,4,5 published online August 29, 2020, found hospitalized COVID-19 patients who received supplemental calcifediol (a vitamin D3 analog also known as 25-hydroxycholecalciferol or 25-hydroxyvitamin D) in addition to standard of care — which included the use of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin — had significantly lower intensive care unit admissions. It also eliminated deaths.
Patients in the vitamin D arm (50 out of 76 enrolled patients) received 532 micrograms of calcifediol on the day of admission (equivalent to 106,400 IUs of vitamin D6) followed by 266 mcg on Days 3 and 7 (equivalent to 53,200 IUs7). After that, they received 266 mcg once a week until discharge, ICU admission or death.
Of those receiving calcifediol, only 2% required ICU admission, compared to 50% of those who did not get calcifediol. In other words, the addition of vitamin D reduced a patient’s risk of needing intensive care 25-fold.8
What’s more, none of those in the vitamin D arm died, compared to 7.6% in the standard care group. The graph below, created by GrassrootsHealth,9 illustrates the difference in ICU admissions and deaths between the two trial groups.
As noted by Davis and Ridley:10
“While the sample is too small to conclude that vitamin D abolishes the risk of death in COVID patients, it is nonetheless an astonishing result, and corresponds with Prof Backman’s assertion that correcting vitamin deficiency might cut mortality by half. The Government should now act on this latest evidence.
Vitamin D supplementation is cheap — it costs less than a penny a pill — and readily available. If you allocated this to the identified comorbidity risk group it would cost £45 million: to these, plus to every ethnic minority citizen, about £200 million, to every obese person somewhat more. These costs are trivial rounding errors by comparison with the costs of lockdown.
With hospitals already facing pressures from influenza during the winter months, any way of reducing this strain should be taken up. This will no doubt save thousands of lives in any second wave. There is now no reason not to act.”
Another study,11,12,13 published online September 25, 2020, in PLOS ONE, found COVID-19 patients with a vitamin D level of at least 30 ng/mL had a significantly lower risk of adverse clinical outcomes, including a 51.5% lower risk of dying.
Hospital data of 235 COVID-19-positive patients were analyzed for this study. Of those, 74% had severe symptoms and 32.8% were vitamin D deficient. As reported by the authors:14
“After adjusting for confounding factors, there was a significant association between vitamin D sufficiency and reduction in clinical severity, inpatient mortality serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and an increase in lymphocyte percentage.
Only 9.7% of patients older than 40 years who were vitamin D sufficient succumbed to the infection compared to 20% who had a circulating level of 25(OH)D< 30 ng/ml.
The significant reduction in serum CRP, an inflammatory marker, along with increased lymphocytes percentage suggest that vitamin D sufficiency also may help modulate the immune response possibly by reducing risk for cytokine storm in response to this viral infection.
Therefore, it is recommended that improving vitamin D status in the general population and in particular hospitalized patients has a potential benefit in reducing the severity of morbidities and mortality associated with acquiring COVID-19.”
One of the co-authors of this study was Dr. Michael Holick, a professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics and molecular medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. Holick is also on GrassrootsHealth’s vitamin D expert panel,15 and is widely recognized as one of the leading vitamin D experts in the world.
In a September 17, 2020, paper,16 Holick and his team also reported findings showing that people with lower vitamin D levels in their blood had a significantly higher risk of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2.
Analysis of vitamin D results from the preceding 12 months and SARS-CoV-2 test data from mid-March through mid-June 2020 from 191,779 patients revealed the higher the vitamin D level the lower the risk of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2.
People with a vitamin D level of at least 55 ng/mL (138 nmol/L) had a 47% lower SARS-CoV-2 positivity rate compared to those with a level below 20 ng/mL (50 nmol/L).17
Even after adjustment for gender, age, ethnicity and latitude, the risk of having a positive test result was 43% lower among those with a vitamin D level of 55 ng/mL compared to those with a level of 20 ng/mL.
Granted, there are many reasons to be suspicious of COVID-19 tests. They may well be worthless, considering the high rate of false positives. Still, at present, it’s the only metric we have to assess the potential value of any given intervention.
In the video above, Holick, along with Rufus Greenbaum, a citizen scientist in the U.K., physicist Gareth Davies, Ph.D., and Drs. William Grant and David Grimes present important new information about vitamin D as it relates to COVID-19:
• Holick discusses his two studies summarized above. He also reviews:
◦ The importance of vitamin D for healthy immune function and how it affects cytokine production and cytokine storms
◦ Minimum and ideal vitamin D levels
◦ Suggested minimum dosages and evidence showing vitamin D is nontoxic even at doses of 20,000 IUs a day
◦ How to calculate your vitamin D production from sun exposure using the D-Minder app,18 which he helped develop
• Grant provides an overview of more than 15 vitamin D trials published around the world, showing:
◦ Vitamin D lowers your risk of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 and/or being diagnosed with COVID-19
◦ Reduces your risk of severe infection
◦ Improves clinical outcomes in hospitalized COVID-19 patients and reduces need for intensive care and/or mechanical ventilation
◦ Increases survival in COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory failure
◦ Lowers COVID-19 related fatality rates, and more
• Davies explains how his team used artificial intelligence and causal interference to demonstrate the influence of vitamin D deficiency on COVID-19 outbreaks and illness severity around the world.
According to Davies, the data unequivocally proves vitamin D deficiency worsens COVID-19 outcomes, and the biological mechanisms behind these effects — including vitamin D’s effect on your innate immune system, adaptive immune system, ACE2 receptors and renin-angiotensin system — are well-documented
• Grimes reviews and explains how various studies showing a correlation between vitamin D levels and COVID-19 risks end up fulfilling Bradford Hill’s criteria for causation.
As explained by Grimes, “proof” is “the fulfilment of predetermined criteria.” Proof is never absolute. Bradford Hill criteria are used in medical science when trying to establish an argument for causation. These criteria, which are explained in further detail by Grimes, include the following.19
|
Strength of association |
Consistency |
Specificity |
|
Temporality/temporal sequence |
Plausibility |
Biologic rationale |
|
Coherence |
Experimental evidence |
Analogous evidence |
If these criteria are satisfactorily fulfilled, you have pragmatic proof of causation — in this case that vitamin D deficiency has a direct impact on COVID-19. According to Grimes:
“The evidence for vitamin D is overwhelming, so my conclusion is that during a pandemic, all people should take a vitamin D supplement.”
• Lastly, Greenbaum reviews U.K. data showing the level of vitamin D deficiency at various times of year, and lays out a plan of action moving forward
As noted by Greenbaum, the information presented is aimed at everyone, including national and local health policy experts, politicians, health care professionals, insurance companies and laypersons.
Additional information can be found on vitaminduk.com. There, you can also download each expert’s presentation. For clarity, the U.S. and Europe use different units of measure for vitamin D. The U.S. uses ng/mL and Europe, including the U.K. use nmol/L. You can easily translate ng/mL into nmol/L by multiplying the ng/mL measurement by 2.5.
For reference, GrassrootsHealth experts (which include Holick) recommend a vitamin D level between 40 ng/mL and 60 ng/mL (100 nmol/L to 150 nmol/L) for optimal health and disease prevention.
For bone health, a level of 30 ng/mL (75 nmol/L) is recommended. In the U.S., a vitamin D level below 20 ng/mL (50 nmol/L) is considered deficient, whereas the U.K. department of health defines deficiency as a level below 10 ng/mL (25 ng/mL).
According to Greenbaum’s data, many Britons are so deficient in vitamin D that to achieve a target level of 100 nmol/L or higher, they need to increase their blood levels of vitamin D by four to six times.
As we move into fall in the Western Hemisphere, now’s the time to start optimizing your vitamin D level. Experts are already warning that SARS-CoV-2 may reemerge in the fall when temperatures and humidity levels drop, thereby increasing the virus’ transmissibility. Optimizing your vitamin D is particularly important if you are elderly or have darker skin. To make sure your immune system has a chance to work optimally, follow these three steps.
1. Measure your vitamin D — First, find out what your baseline vitamin D level is. This is done with a simple blood test. An easy and cost-effective way of doing this is to order GrassrootsHealth’s vitamin D testing kit.
Once you know what your blood level is, you can assess the dose needed to maintain or improve your level. Again, the ideal level you’re looking for is above 40 ng/mL, and ideally between 60 ng/mL and 80 ng/mL (European measurement: 100 nmol/L or, ideally, 150 nmol/L to 200 nmol/L).
2. Assess your individualized vitamin D3 dosage — The following chart can provide you with a basic starting point:
You can fine-tune your dosage further by taking into account your baseline vitamin D level. To do that, you can either use the chart below, or use GrassrootsHealth’s Vitamin D*calculator. (To convert ng/mL into nmol/L, simply multiply the ng/mL measurement by 2.5.)
3. Retest — Lastly, you’ll need to remeasure your vitamin D level in three to six months, to evaluate how your sun exposure and/or supplement dose is working for you.
For more details about how vitamin D can help prevent and combat COVID-19, see my special report, available for free download on StopCOVIDcold.com (no opt-in required). There, you can also find a two-minute COVID risk quiz to assess your personal risk for developing COVID-19.
