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Notes: A List Of Functional Medicine To Approach COVID-19 Virus-Specific Nutraceutical & Botanical Agents
* Curcumin has been shown to modulate the NLRP3 inflammasome, and a preprint suggests that curcumin can target the COVID-19 main protease to reduce viral replication.
* Resveratrol, a naturally occurring polyphenol, has been shown to modulate the NLRP3 inflammasome. In addition, resveratrol was shown to have in vitro activity against MERS-CoV
* Activated vitamin D,1,25(OH) D, a steroid hormone, is an immune system modulator that reduces the expression of inflammatory cytokines and increases macrophage function. Vitamin D also stimulates the expression of potent antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), which exist in neutrophils, monocytes, natural killer cells, and epithelial cells of the respiratory tract. Vitamin D increases anti-pathogen peptides through defensins and has a dual effect due to suppressing superinfection. Evidence suggests vitamin D supplementation may prevent upper respiratory infections.
* Melatonin has been shown to have an inhibitory effect on the NLRP3 inflammasome. This has not gone unnoticed by the COVID-19 research community, with two recently published papers proposing the use of melatonin as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of patients with COVID-19.
*Vitamin A is a micronutrient that is crucial for maintaining vision, promoting growth and development, and protecting epithelium and mucus integrity in the body. Vitamin A is known as an anti-inflammation vitamin because of its critical role in enhancing immune function. Vitamin A is involved in the development of the immune system and plays regulatory roles in cellular immune responses and humoral immune processes through the modulation of T helper cells, sIgA, and cytokine production. Vitamin A has demonstrated a therapeutic effect in the treatment of various infectious diseases.
*Vitamin C contributes to immune defence by supporting various cellular functions of both the innate and adaptive immune system. Vitamin C accumulates in phagocytic cells, such as neutrophils, and can enhance chemotaxis, phagocytosis, generation of reactive oxygen species, and ultimately microbial killing. Supplementation with vitamin C appears to be able to both prevent and treat respiratory and systemic infections. Vitamin C has been used in hospital ICUs to treat COVID-19 infection.
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About Dr. Heidi
Heidi has a Master’s degree in Homeopathy and at 35 she developed an early, aggressive form of breast cancer. She declined a lumpectomy and prophylactic chemo and instead chose a double mastectomy to buy herself time to understand why she had developed breast cancer. On her journey, she discovered integrative medicine, functional medicine, and nutrigenomics. Heidi studied a post-grad course in genetic counselling at UCT and is currently completing her Functional Medicine Practitioner’s certification through the Institute for Functional Medicine. She believes that many lifestyle-related chronic diseases come from a gene-environment interaction and that many can be prevented or improved by making more personalized nutrition, environment, and lifestyle choices. Heidi now helps people create personalized health action plans for optimal wellbeing based on their nutrigenomic DNA and real-time biochemistry test results. Heidi is a Certified Food and Spirit Practitioner (CFSP) and advocates the benefit of including a rainbow of phytonutrient in one’s diet daily.
