I have been researching vitamin D3 and other effective natural approaches to dealing with viral infections such as the cold and flu for over 14 years. My intensive interest started back in 2006 timeframe when I read an article (https://www.darkintelligencegroup.com/the-dark-report/clinical-laboratory/doctor-notices-different-vitamin-d-results-over-time/ registration needed) about Dr. John Cannell. He worked in a max security psychiatric prison hospital and in the winter of 2005 during a virulent flu epidemic that hit the prison, only those in his ward, who he had supplemented with D3, avoided catching the flu. All the wards around him shut down, but his ward had zero cases even though they had been exposed. Note: His former non-profit Vitamin D Council (the site is only available through the web archive) is now defunct.
D3 Not a Vitamin – The Dark Report article is where I first learned that “Vitamin D is not a vitamin at all, rather the only known substrate for a potent steroid hormone that regulates 2,000 human genes.” Dr. Cannell went on to state “I came to slowly realize that Vitamin D deficiency is probably involved in most of the diseases of civilization”, a rather strong statement but one also held by Jeff T. Bowles in his best selling book The Miraculous Cure For and Prevention of All Diseases What Doctors Never Learned on Amazon. Bowles’ book documents the discovery of Vitamin D and its early positive effects on the American populous.
Curing the Flu – My wife and I began taking 2000 IUs of D3 a day back in early 2006. My interest in D3 really took off in 2013 when I attended a writer’s group with 10 other aspiring authors run by a very successful writer who tore apart our first 50 pages for four days. When I arrived, the man in front of me signing in, who was the webmaster for the University of Tennessee athletics, looked like death warmed over. He told the woman registering us that he was going to leave. He said the full-blown two week flu was going around where he lived and he had caught it. The man behind me, a family physician from Georgia told him to wait. He didn’t want him to throw away the $2000 he had invested to come, and he reached into his bag and pulled out a bottle D3 50,000 IU capsules. He immediately gave him two to take (100,000 IUs) and told him to wait an hour and if he didn’t feel better to go home. Well, over the next six hours I watched the man remarkably improve. That evening at dinner the physician gave him another 100,000 IUs and at breakfast the next morning another 100,000. Other than a few minor sniffles, the man from Tennessee was effectively cured.
I spent some time talking with the physician from Georgia. He explained that the amount was not excessive but similar to what you would get from several days at the beach. He also told me that for the entirety of its existence, East Germany gave every newborn baby 200,000 IUs of Vitamin D at birth, which they considered essential to the child’s later health. He also told me that this 300,000 IU D3 protocol was his normal treatment for patients who presented with flu symptoms and it always seemed to clear the flu in 18-36 hours. He said the D3 helped the cell resist viral invasion and therefor stopped the viral cascade, allowing your immune system to catch up to the virus as was evidenced by the man from Tennessee’s getting better. I was sold. We keep 50,000 IU capsules in our supply at all times.
Neither myself or my wife have had the flu or a cold in over 13 years. We both take 10,000 IUs of D3 every day. My last serum test was 77 ng/ml.
COVID-19 – When the China flu started to spread, I wasn’t concerned because of my D3 regimen. I also take several other supporting items which I will discuss later. However, I started researching the biggest early concern from COVID, the cytokine storm. I remembered an article from a publication I get by Dr. Russell Blaylock, Stopping the Immune Storm: Save Yourself From Immunity ‘Storm’. It detailed how to stop the cytokine storm caused by virus infections (a friend’s daughter had died from a cytokine storm from mono). In addition to D3 he recommended C, Curcumin, N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine, magnesium, and Omega 3 oils (all of which I was taking). I began sending the article to everyone I knew, even printing it out and passing it out at work. Note: I respectfully disagree with Dr. Blaylock about the dosage of D3. For more info see Jeff Bowles’ book or website.
Then in early April I discovered an April 2, 2020 NIH bulletin (never publicized) about D3 and COVID, Evidence that Vitamin D Supplementation Could Reduce Risk of Influenza and COVID-19 Infections and Deaths. Yes, the article played the should and could game, but here was the money quote. “To reduce the risk of infection, it is recommended that people at risk of influenza and/or COVID-19 consider taking 10,000 IU/d of vitamin D3 for a few weeks to rapidly raise 25(OH)D concentrations, followed by 5000 IU/d. The goal should be to raise 25(OH)D concentrations above 40-60 ng/mL (100-150 nmol/L).” I spread information about this bulletin as fast and far as I could. I had an old friend whose elderly parents both contracted COVID but refused to supplement them with either the 300,000 IU protocol or NIH recommendation remarking it was not proven. They both died. He also got COVID but refused to take more than 1000 IUs, which is what his doctor recommended. He survived but was as sick as you could get without being hospitalized. This resistance to an obvious safe and inexpensive protocol would repeat itself over and over and over again.
I also found a March article on another vector of attack and the importance of hydroxychloroquine and Remdesivir from several Chinese researchers, but it was published in an obscure chemical site, ChemRxiv: The Preprint Server for Chemistry that publishes preliminary reports that have not been peer reviewed. I didn’t care, because their findings were significant. The article, which was revised on July 12, is COVID-19: Attacks the 1-Beta Chain of Hemoglobin and Captures the Porphyrin to Inhibit Human Heme Metabolism. It explained how COVID would slowly bind with hemoglobin and prevent the uptake of oxygen, gradually suffocating you by reducing your blood’s ability to carry oxygen. Hydroxychloroquine was an inexpensive and safe (been used by people suffering from autoimmune disorders for over 60 years) that countered that vector.
So, you have Blaylock’s arguments to prevent the cytokine storm and the Chinese researchers argument to stop the degradation of your hemoglobin. Seems like that was a successful prophylactic approach to preventing and treating COVID. However, these approaches were actively suppressed, especially the hydroxychloroquine.
Protocols – Here are the suggested protocols for the prevention and treatment of COVID. Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and I am not presuming to give official medical advice. I am only presenting evidence I have collected over the years that will assist you in researching what you may want to do in these trying times.
Prevention – Remember avoiding clinical deficiency is the low end of the argument not the solution.
Vitamin D3 – 10,000 IUs a day should guarantee prevention for most people, but the only way to know is with a blood serum test. That will tell you how you need to adjust your supplementation. You want your serum level to be above 60 ng/ml to be sure. Mine is 77 ng/ml. D3 is cheap.
K2 – helps balance any reactions to high D3. Well documented.
Magnesium – high D3 uses up magnesium and it is estimated that over 80% of Americans are deficient. In addition, Magnesium L-threonate passes the blood-brain barrier and aids brain function and enhances sleep.
Vitamin C – Linus Pauling argued that taking anything below 4,000 mg a day was not therapeutic. I take 8,000+ mg a day. Linus took 10-12,000 mg a day until he died at 93. He is the father of genetic chemistry and the only person to be awarded two unshared Nobel Prizes. You can take any form you prefer, but just take it! Bulk ascorbic acid is the cheapest but your bowels react the strongest to it.
Zinc – reduces inflammation and helps balance your immune response especially against viruses. Zinc deficiency is common. It also helps repair the mucosa in the stomach and small intestine and fights leaky gut. I take PepsZin GI since it is a multi-issue solution.
Curcumin – In addition to fighting stress, inflammation, and adverse cytokine reactions, curcumin helps prevent cancer, reverses “zombie cells” which refuse to die (apoptosis) normally creating less efficient organ function causing them revert to normal cell death. It also improves brain function and helps prevent Alzheimer’s. Absorption can be an issue. Here is a highly absorbable bioavailable form.
N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine – protects your liver, kidneys, lungs, and brain. It helps the body build anti-oxidants, especially Glutathione, and repair cell damage and is important in the body’s detoxification process. One successful neurologist argued it is the most important single supplement you can take!
Omega 3 – Your body cannot manufacture omega 3s. They reduce inflammation, reduce liver fat making your liver more effective, helps against asthma and allergies, and helps prevent mental decline. Fish oil or other plant oils work here. Take whatever you decide is best for you.
Treatment – start early, don’t wait. You should add these changes to your Prevention routine and if you aren’t doing the prevention routine, start immediately.
Vitamin D3 – the 300,000 IU protocol discussed above may knock it out within 24 hours (3 X 100,000 IUs 8 hours apart). I have seen it work. Amazon sell 50,000 UI D3 capsules.
Vitamin C – If you are not already taking at least 4 grams (4,000 mg) of Vitamin C you should begin immediately, as Linus Pauling suggested. Take distributed doses of as much as you can. You will know when it is too much because you will get diarrhea. Just cut back the amount then. When I used to get sick I could take over 15 grams a day in distributed doses without getting diarrhea. Bulk ascorbic acid is the cheapest but your bowels react the strongest to it.
Zinc – add lozenges for your upper respiratory and to work with the Quinine below.
Quinine Tonic – Hydroxychloroquine is basically a form of quinine and zinc. Numerous sources have said four cans of tonic water a day with zinc will give you similar results as hydroxychloroquine. Your local super market carries it.
There you have it. So far, I only know of one case of a person testing positive for COVID who was taking at least 10,000 IUs a day of D3. She is very compromised (missing half of her left lung and has COPD and asthma) and she only had a mild fever and congestion over night and that was it. She did the 300,000 IU protocol. I know numerous people taking the prevention protocol who were significantly exposed but never got COVID. Your mileage may vary but the benefits are obvious and D3 is cheap. I haven’t had a cold or the flu for 13 years and counting and I haven’t gotten COVID though I have been exposed several times.
UPDATE: New evidence on medicinal herb that may work against COVID. (https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2021/01/04/artemisinin-from-sweet-wormwood-inhibits-sars-cov-2.aspx)
