We had Dr. Mark Gordon on the LLA show a few days ago (the episode will be out soon so make to subscribe to the show on Apple podcast or Sticher) to discuss the possible efficacy of the plant compounds quercetin and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) to fight Covid 19 as both similar to the malaria drug chloroquine you hear about in the news every day are ionophores for zinc. Essentially driving zinc past the cell membranes to increase intracellular levels of zinc which in turn offers protection against viruses and viral replication. Without adequate protection, the virus will take hold and replicate with potentially serious consequences. In addition to offering benefits for protection against Covid 19, if this mechanism of action is accurate, zinc ionophores may offer protection against any virus such as influenza A and the common cold.
While chloroquine, quercetin, and EGCG are ionophores for zinc, unlike chloroquine quercetin and EGCG are natural plant compounds that don’t require a prescription and neither have been shown to have the many side effects that chloroquine has such as headaches, diarrhea, stomach upset, mood changes, hair loss, and even vision loss when used long term. However, I would be cautious with EGCG as there is some evidence that it may cause liver issues something supplement researcher Jerry Brainum discussed when he was on the LLA show a few years ago. Given the information available, quercetin is a much safer bet and the one I have added to my regimen. Also, keep in mind that drinking high-quality green tea does not have the same issues as EGCG supplementation as it has much lower concentrations of EGCG than a standardized nutraceutical.
Back to chloroquine for a second, it is salient to know people using chloroquine under medical supervision to battle Covid-19 are generally only on it for five to seven days to drive down the viral load so if I had the serious symptoms associated with Covid-19, I wouldn’t be too concerned about the side effects as you will only be on the drug for a relatively short time frame. In fact, in a recent French study by Professor Dider Raoult shows the number of people who test positive for Covid-19 drops from 100 percent to 30 percent within six days! For those who didn’t take the drug, the number was more than 80% after six days. While the studies on chloroquine are promising, chloroquine is not something you should try to buy from an international pharmacy online and take without medical supervision. This is a decision you need to make with your physician as any underlying health issues you have needs to be taken into consideration to weigh the pros and cons.
If there are natural options that offer the same benefits with minimal to no side effects I rather choose those protocols. Moreover, most doctors are not going to prescribe chloroquine for you to take as a preventative measure and given the long list of side effects, it is not a good idea to take it for longer than a week anyway. It makes much more sense to take a natural alternative such as quercetin which can be taken for long periods of time without any issues.
If the notion of adding yet another supplement to your regimen is not appealing keep in mind that many foods contain quercetin such as black beans, onions, apples, grapes, berries, broccoli, citrus fruits, cherries, and tea. If you consume a large number of fruits and veggies daily you may be getting adequate levels of quercetin as well as zinc assuming your gut health is optimal as well as the quality of the food sources. Regardless, I rather not leave things to chance and think it is worth getting on a high-quality quercetin supplement.
Even if quercetin turns out to be ineffective for offering any protection from Covid-19, there are many other benefits associated with it such as boosting immunity, mitigating inflammation, fighting allergies, improving exercise performance, improving insulin sensitivity, improving hearth health, and enhancing fat loss. Quercetin may also be a potent anti-estrogenic nutrient and may help with lowering excess cortisol levels as well.
You may be wondering if you should add a zinc supplement as well. While zinc is abundant in many foods such as hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, and legumes, to provide more certainty adding a high-quality zinc supplement is a prudent course of action. According to Dr. Gordon, “the three types of zinc supplements most easily absorbed by the body are zinc picolinate, zinc acetate, and zinc citrate.” While too much zinc supplementation can be problematic (over 100mg taken for long periods of time) 30mg per day is a good overall general recommendation. If you have poor gut health, which far too many do, your ability to absorb zinc will be compromised and a transdermal option may be warranted. Many take magnesium oil to increase intracellular levels of magnesium so it may just be that taking transdermal zinc
increases intercellular levels as well. My Aggressive Strength Recovery Oil contains both.
Dr. Gordon’s recommended dosage for quercetin is 500mg two times per day on an empty stomach (an hour before meals or two hours after). The enzyme bromelain and Vitamin C both increase absorption of quercetin and many supplement companies stack quercetin with bromelain. Choose a reputable brand such as NOW, Life Extension, Doctor’s Best, or Source Naturals. You may have a hard time finding quercetin as most brands are sold out at Amazon, Vitacost, iherb, and the Vitamin Shoppe. A coincidence? I doubt it. More and more articles are coming out about quercetin as a possible preventative measure and treatment for Covid-19 and with most stuck at home, or out on the streets getting into fistfights for toilet paper, many are researching options and taking action. One such article by Dr. Centeno is available at Can quercetin help fight Covid-19. Also, check out this article which covers the research of the very well respected medical researcher Dr. Chrétien According to Dr. Chrétien quercetin is a “broad-spectrum antiviral” that has been shown in studies to be effective against such formidable diseases as SARS, the Ebola virus, and the Zika virus.”
One crucial lesson you should learn from times like this is the necessity of being well informed as well as taking your health seriously. Don’t leave it up to Dr. Oz to tell you what you should be doing or watching moronic TV shows like “The Doctors.” You need to do the research and be in the know so you can take the best actions based on the information available. Failure to do so is at your own peril and given how contagious Covid-19 is the detriment of others as well.
