Zinc

by DrMelodyDC | Jan 29, 2021 | Supplements

Zinc the Immune booster

Zinc supports many functions in our body, most importantly the immune system and it’s ability to fight off viral infection. It also supports skin and would healing, thyroid function, sense of taste and smell, eyesight, mood, blood clotting, balancing blood sugar, reducing oxidative stress, activating the production of BDNF ( brain’s miracle grow ), decreasing brain
inflammation, cell division and much more. Zinc activates white blood cells
like T cell to kill the pathogens.

Surprisingly, Zinc can not be stored in our body and has to be added to our diet daily either by consuming foods with high amount of zinc or supplementation. Foods such as asparagus, spinach, pumpkin seeds, nuts, sea food and beans. The problem is that not many of us eat enough of these foods daily and unfortunately our zinc level routinely is not checked as well.

Zn is an ion and insoluble therefore, it can not pass through the fatty membrane of our cells. Viral infections happens in intracellular space and that is where we need to have zinc. Zinc by itself can not ward off the viral infection, it needs to have transport molecules called Ionophore. Natural zinc ionophores are green tea extract, curcumin, quercetin and prescription drug chloroquine (HCQ ). Quercetin can be consumed as a supplement or found in foods like green leafy vegetables, onions, berries, raspberries and apples.

Some brief cell biology

Our DNA resides in nucleus of the cell and it carries the genes/blue print/make up ( biological flash drive that passes on the genetic information from one generation to next ) on its polynucleotide double strand spiral chains.

RNA forms in nucleus and then moves out of nucleus to cytoplasm. It is shorter in structure and more unstable by nature, unlike the DNA, RNA is a single strand copied/decoded from DNA. It converts the genetic information in DNA to produce proteins. There are 3 kinds of RNA. Messenger RNA ( mRNA) through process called transcription it copies parts of genetic code then transports it to the cellular factories called ribosomes, producing proteins out of that code. Transfer RNA ( tRNA ) takes the coded instructions given by mRNA and carries amino acids to ribosomes. Ribosomal RNA ( rRNA ) is part of the ribosome factory crucial in production of proteins.

Corona virus has its own genome made out of RNA very similar to the ones in our cytoplasm. When it enters the cells it produces an enzyme that literally forces our RNA to replicate more viruses. What inhibits this replication is the good old zinc. As I mentioned above zinc is not able to cross the cell membrane unless there is an ionophore molecule which can open the gates for zinc entry. When concentration of intracellular zinc increases it is able to stop the virus enzyme and replication of the virus. The reason for chloroquine ( HCQ ) to be helpful in treating Covid patients is, it’s ionophore property. This drug increases the re-uptake of zinc to the inside of the cell preventing the viral replication.

Best zinc supplements are zinc acetate, zinc sulphate, and zinc gluconate. Early in the disease or as a prophylactic intervention we can take quercetin to increase absorption of zinc either through our diet or supplementation.

Studies indicate Covid-19 patients are far more in danger of death when their zinc levels are low. I included few research articles below among many.