common cold Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Countering Stress-Induced Immune Suppression with Diet

AHA Publisher — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 07:00:48 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – How might we improve immune function in children and adults under physical or psychological stress? “Natural immunomodulators”—compounds that might regulate our immune systems naturally—”are getting more and more popular. The popularity, however, often brings over-optimistic claims and mediocre effects.” Such mythical beasts have been sought after for centuries. The current market is full of all sorts of supplements “promising the golden fleece”—inexpensive and without side effects, yet actively boosting our immune systems. “Many are simply repeating claims with hardly any substantial scientific background” to support them. On the other hand, there’s beta-glucan, which has undergone more than 10,000 scientific studies and clinical trials. Wait, what? If you remember, beta-glucan is the fiber in nutritional yeast I talked about previously in my video Preserving Immune Function in Athletes with Nutritional Yeast, and it is able to decrease episodes of common illnesses in young children. What about in adults? But, first, why can’t researchers just come up with a vaccine against the common cold virus? Because there is no single common cold virus. Hundreds of different viruses are implicated in causing cold-like symptoms, which is why there is so much interest in finding a general, nonspecific immune booster that works across the board, as I discuss in my video Flashback Friday: Best Food to Counter Stress-Induced Immune Suppression. Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is an antibody that plays a crucial role in the immune function of our moist membranes, such as our eyes, nose, and mouth. As you can see at 1:27 in my video, beta-glucan supplementation can increase IgA levels in the saliva within four days at a daily dose of 400mg, but not at 100mg. So, the effective amount is found in about two daily teaspoons of nutritional yeast, but a half teaspoon is ineffective. A single teaspoon’s worth didn’t do much until research participants exercised. As you can see at 1:48 in my video, two hours after a 50–minute bout of strenuous cycling in a hot, humid environment, those who had been on the yeast beta-glucan did get that IgA boost. However, beta-glucans failed to boost the antimicrobial activity of white blood cells of subjects who had been taking about a tablespoon’s worth a day, as you can see at 2:06 in my video. What we care about, though, are clinical outcomes. Do those consuming beta-glucans suffer significantly fewer infections? How about a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled nutritional study to see if yeast beta-glucan can improve our immune defense system? Sounds good! One hundred people were followed for 26 weeks. Fifty subjects got about a tablespoon of nutritional yeast’s worth of beta-glucan a day, and the other half got a placebo. Participants counted how many episodes of the common cold they got, and there was no significant difference. If you look only at the first half of the study duration, during cold season, there did appear to be fewer infections in the beta-glucan group, but going back and looking at your data after the fact is what’s called a post-hoc analysis, which is frowned upon by the scientific community because it increases the likelihood that your findings are due to chance. However, those who did end up getting sick while on the beta-glucan did genuinely appear to suffer milder symptoms, as you can see at 3:09 in my video. A similar, larger study had similar findings. The severity of the colds may have lessened, but, in the main analysis, there was no significant difference in the number of times people got colds in the first place. Indeed, “no significant differences between the treatment and placebo groups in the number of SRI [symptomatic respiratory infection] episodes” were seen in other studies, and there was no significant effect on upper respiratory tract infection outcomes either. So, overall, the results were pretty disappointing. But, wait a second. What about my previous video that I mentioned at the start of this article? The one about preserving immune function in athletes with nutritional yeast. In that video, I had discussed how researchers had found a significant drop in cold symptoms at two weeks and at four weeks after a marathon at doses of one teaspoon of yeast’s worth of beta-glucan a day and also at two teaspoons’ worth. Okay, the subjects had just run a marathon, though…but, wait. Remember the study where the effect only seemed to emerge after strenuous exercise? That’s where beta-glucan seems to shine: counteracting the toll that extreme physical exertion can have on our immune function. In an athlete, that may just mean some lost training or practice days, but for soldiers or firefighters, for example, maintaining one’s health—even in the context of heavy physical stress—could be critical. Yes, but that’s counteracting the effects of physical stress. What about mental stress? Stressful life events can impair our moist membrane defenses, such that “psychological stress [has] been shown to increase susceptibility to the common cold and increased upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) episodes.” So we’re talking stressed-out people getting more colds and worse colds than people under less stress. Can beta-glucan help in any way? Indeed, in a study of healthy women under “moderate levels of psychological stress,” those taking about a teaspoon of nutritional yeast’s worth of beta-glucans every day for 12 weeks were 60 percent less likely to report experiencing symptoms like a sore throat, stuffy or runny nose, or cough. “This strongly suggests that…yeast beta-glucan is able to counteract the negative effects of stress on the immune system,” and, as you can see at 5:24 in my video, the subjects on beta-glucan experienced 41 percent greater vigor, which is a measure that encompasses “physical energy, mental acuity, and emotional well-being.” So, they just felt better, too. When we put all the studies together, yeast beta-glucans do appear to have “an immune strengthening effect,” at least in children and those under physical or mental stress. KEY TAKEAWAYS Beta-glucan, the fiber in nutritional yeast, is able to decrease episodes of common illnesses in young children. The antibody immunoglobulin A (IgA) is important for our moist membranes, including our eyes, nose, and mouth. About two daily teaspoons of nutritional yeast can increase IgA levels in saliva within four days. Yeast beta-glucan intake may improve our immune defense system, able to reduce the severity of colds. Two and four weeks after subjects ran a marathon, researchers found significant drops in cold symptoms at doses of one and two teaspoons of yeast’s worth of beta-glucan a day. Beta-glucan seems to excel at counteracting extreme physical exertion and psychological stress. Overall, yeast beta-glucans appear to have “an immune strengthening effect” in children and those under physical or mental stress. To read the original article click here.

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Pre-Existing Coronavirus Antibodies Could Help Protect Children Against New Pandemic Strain

AHA Publisher — Mon, 09 Nov 2020 08:00:22 +0000

The Francis Crick Institute via EurekAlert – Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and University College London have found that some antibodies, created by the immune system during infection with common cold coronaviruses, can also target SARS-CoV-2 and may confer a degree of protection against the new viral strain. In response to infection with a virus, the immune system creates antibodies to help fight it. These antibodies remain in the blood for a period after infection, and in the case of re-infection, they are able to tackle the virus again. In their paper, published in Science today (Friday 6 November), the scientists found that some people, notably children, have antibodies reactive to SARS-CoV-2 in their blood, despite not ever having being infected with the virus. These antibodies are likely the result of exposure to other coronaviruses, which cause a common cold and which have structural similarities with SARS-CoV-2. The researchers made this discovery while developing highly sensitive antibody tests for COVID-19. To see how well their assay tests were performing, they compared the blood of patients with COVID-19 to patients who had not had the disease. Surprisingly, they found that some people who had not been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 had antibodies in their blood which would recognise the virus. To confirm their findings, they analysed over 300 blood samples collected before the pandemic, between 2011 and 2018. Nearly all samples had antibodies that reacted with common cold coronaviruses, which was expected given how everyone has been exposed to these viruses at some point in their lives. However, a small fraction of adult donors, about 1 in 20, also had antibodies that cross-reacted with SARS-CoV-2, and this was not dependent on recent infection with a common cold coronavirus.* Notably, such cross-reactive antibodies were found much more frequently in blood samples taken from children aged 6 to 16. Kevin Ng, lead author and post-graduate student in the Retroviral Immunology Laboratory at the Crick says: “Our results show that children are much more likely to have these cross-reactive antibodies than adults. More research is needed to understand why this is, but it could be down to children being more regularly exposed to other coronaviruses. “These higher levels we observed in children could also help explain why they are less likely to become severely ill with COVID-19. There is no evidence yet, however, that these antibodies prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection or spread.” In the lab, the researchers tested the antibodies they found in blood from uninfected people to confirm they are able to neutralise SARS-CoV-2. They found the cross-reactive antibodies target the S2 subunit of the spike protein on the surface of the virus. George Kassiotis, senior author and group leader of the Retroviral Immunology Laboratory at the Crick says: “The spike of this coronavirus is made of two parts or subunits, performing different jobs. The S1 subunit allows the virus to latch onto cells and is relatively diverse among coronaviruses, whereas the S2 subunit lets the virus into cells and is more similar among these viruses. Our work shows that the S2 subunit is sufficiently similar between common cold coronaviruses and SARS-CoV-2 for some antibodies to work against both. “It was previously thought that only antibodies to the S1 could block infection, but there is now good evidence that some antibodies to S2 can be just as effective. This is exciting as understanding the basis for this activity could lead to vaccines that work against a range of coronaviruses, including the common cold strains, as well as SARS-CoV-2 and any future pandemic strains. “But it is important to stress that there are still many unknowns which require further research. For example, exactly how is immunity to one coronavirus modified by exposure to another? Or why does this activity decline with age? It is not the case that people who have recently had a cold should think they are immune to COVID-19.” A large study is now underway, in partnership with researchers at Imperial College London and University College London, to uncover the role that different antibodies and other immune defences play in protection against COVID-19 and how severely ill people become. To read the original article click here.

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People May Have a Pre-Existing Immune Response to COVID-19 Thanks to Common Colds

AHA Publisher — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 07:00:35 +0000

Angela Betsaida B. Laguipo, BSN via News-Medical Net – A new study shows that some people have immune responses against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19, thanks to how the body reacted the last time it caught a cold. This means that even if a person has not been exposed to the novel coronavirus, the body has a memory of it and can trigger an immune response to fight the infection. Common Colds The researchers from the La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have found that previous infections with common cold viruses KHU1, OC43, NL63, and 229E can train the immune system to detect and recognize SARS-CoV-2. Published in the journal Science, the study highlights the power of the immune system to protect against infection and illness. The team revealed that immune cells, called T cells, which can spot common cold coronaviruses, can recognize the specific sites on the virus, such as the “spike” protein. This type of protein is used by the virus to bind and invade healthy human cells. The Study To arrive at their findings, the team used human blood samples before SARS-CoV-2 was discovered in December 2019. From there, they mapped 142 T cell epitopes across the SARS-CoV-2 genome to help facilitate precise interrogation of the SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ T cell repertoire. “We demonstrate a range of pre-existing memory CD4+ T cells that are cross-reactive with comparable affinity to SARS-CoV-2 and the common cold coronaviruses HCoV-OC43, HCoV-229E, HCoV-NL63, or HCoV-HKU1. Thus, variegated T cell memory to coronaviruses that cause the common cold may underlie at least some of the extensive heterogeneity observed in COVID-19 disease,” the researchers concluded in the study. The team also found that 40 to 60 percent of people who were never exposed to SARS-CoV-2 had T cells that reacted to the virus. The immune systems of these people recognized fragments of the virus it had never seen before, which may explain why some develop only mild symptoms and why some are asymptomatic. Despite the promising results, the researchers said that further research and data collection are still needed to arrive at a more conclusive result. “We have now proven that, in some people, pre-existing T cell memory against common cold coronaviruses can cross-recognize SARS-CoV-2, down to the exact molecular structures. This could help explain why some people show milder symptoms of the disease while others get severely sick,” Daniela Weiskopf, LJI Research Assistant Professor, said. Meanwhile, Professor Alessandro Sette, study co-author, said that immune reactivity might translate to various levels of protection. In people with a robust T cell response, they have the chance to mount a faster and more robust response against the virus that causes COVID-19. Global Situation of COVID-19 Understanding the mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 can help scientists develop treatments and vaccines against the coronavirus pandemic. These studies can help hasten the discovery of therapeutics to contain the spread of the deadly virus that has killed more than 731,000. The coronavirus pandemic has now reached 188 countries and territories, infecting 19.86 million people. The United States remains as the country with the highest number of confirmed cases, reporting more than 5 million cases and more than 162,000 deaths. Brazil and India report high transmission rates, with more than 3 million and 2.2 million confirmed cases, respectively. Of these, the official tally has confirmed more than 11.96 million recoveries from SARS-CoV-2 infection. The WHO has said that the new epicenter of the pandemic is in the Americas. South America’s Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Chile report the high numbers of confirmed cases. This article has been modified. To read the original article click here.

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Exposure to Common Cold Coronaviruses Can Teach the Immune System to Recognize SARS-CoV-2

AHA Publisher — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 07:00:24 +0000

La Jolla Institute for Immunology via EurekAlert – Your immune system’s “memory” T cells keep track of the viruses they have seen before. This immune cell memory gives the cells a headstart in recognizing and fighting off repeat invaders. Now, a new study led by scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) shows that memory helper T cells that recognize common cold coronaviruses also recognize matching sites on SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The research, published Aug. 4, 2020 in Science, may explain why some people have milder COVID-19 cases than others–though the researchers emphasize that this is speculation and much more data is needed. “We have now proven that, in some people, pre-existing T cell memory against common cold coronaviruses can cross-recognize SARS-CoV-2, down to the exact molecular structures,” says LJI Research Assistant Professor Daniela Weiskopf, Ph.D., who co-led the new study with LJI Professor Alessandro Sette, Dr. Biol. Sci. “This could help explain why some people show milder symptoms of disease while others get severely sick.” “Immune reactivity may translate to different degrees of protection,” adds Sette. “Having a strong T cell response, or a better T cell response may give you the opportunity to mount a much quicker and stronger response.” The new work builds on a recent Cell paper from the Sette Lab and the lab of LJI Professor Shane Crotty, Ph.D., which showed that 40 to 60 percent of people never exposed to SARS-CoV-2 had T cells that reacted to the virus. Their immune systems recognized fragments of the virus it had never seen before. This finding turned out to be a global phenomenon and was reported in people from the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom and Singapore. Scientists wondered if these T cells came from people who had previously been exposed to common cold coronaviruses–what Sette calls SARS-CoV-2’s “less dangerous cousins.” If so, was exposure to these cold viruses leading to immune memory against SARS-CoV-2? For the new study, the researchers relied on a set of samples collected from study participants who had never been exposed to SARS-CoV-2. They defined the exact sites of the virus that are responsible for the cross-reactive T cell response. Their analysis showed that unexposed individuals can produce a range of memory T cells that are equally reactive against SARS-CoV-2 and four types of common cold coronaviruses. This discovery suggests that fighting off a common cold coronavirus can indeed teach the T cell compartment to recognize some parts of SARS-CoV-2 and provides evidence for the hypothesis that common cold viruses can, in fact, induce cross-reactive T cell memory against SARS-CoV-2. “We knew there was pre-existing reactivity, and this study provides very strong direct molecular evidence that memory T cells can ‘see’ sequences that are very similar between common cold coronaviruses and SARS-CoV-2,” says Sette. Looking closer, the researchers found that while some cross-reactive T cells targeted the SARS-CoV-2’s spike protein, the region of the virus that recognizes and binds to human cells, pre-existing immune memory was also directed to other SARS-CoV-2 proteins. This finding is relevant, Sette explains, since most vaccine candidates target mostly the spike protein. These findings suggest the hypothesis that inclusion of additional SARS-CoV-2 targets might enhance the potential to take advantage of this cross reactivity and could further enhance vaccine potency. To read the original article click here.

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Scientists Identify Drug They Hope Can Downgrade COVID-19 to Common Cold Level

AHA Publisher — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 07:00:04 +0000

Israel21c staff via Israel21c – Researchers show the coronavirus causes lungs to accumulate fat, so a cholesterol-lowering drug may help downgrade the virus threat to that of common cold. Could a well-known cholesterol-lowering drug help treat Covid-19? A research team led by Hebrew University of Jerusalem Prof. Yaakov Nahmias says that early research looks promising. Over the last three-months, Nahmias and Dr. Benjamin tenOever at New York’s Mount Sinai Medical Center have focused on the ways in which the SARS-CoV-2 (the coronavirus that’s causing our current pandemic) changes patients’ lungs in order to reproduce itself. Their major finding is that this virus prevents the routine burning of carbohydrates. As a result, large amounts of fat accumulate inside lung cells, and this enables the virus to reproduce. This new understanding of SARS CoV-2 may help explain why patients with high blood sugar and cholesterol levels are often at a particularly high risk to develop Covid-19. With this information in hand, Nahmias and tenOever began to screen FDA-approved medications that interfere with the virus’ ability to reproduce. In lab studies, the cholesterol-lowering drug Fenofibrate (Tricor) showed extremely promising results. By allowing lung cells to burn more fat, fenofibrate broke the virus’ grip on these cells. Within five days of treatment, the virus almost completely disappeared, the researchers report in this week’s Cell Press’ Sneak Peak. “With second-wave infections spiking in countries across the globe, these findings couldn’t come at a better time,” said Nahmias. “If our findings are borne out by clinical studies, this course of treatment could potentially downgrade Covid-19’s severity into nothing worse than a common cold.” To read the original article click here. For more articles from Israel21c click here.

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Oregano Oil Benefits for Infections, Fungus & Even the Common Cold

AHA Publisher — Wed, 20 May 2020 07:00:01 +0000

Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DMN, CNS – Designed specifically for fighting bacterial infections, antibiotics are one of medical doctors’ favorite tools for treating many health issues. But there’s another underutilized natural “medicine” that many doctors don’t tell their patients about: oregano oil (also called oil of oregano). Oregano oil is a powerful, plant-derived essential oil that may rival antibiotics when it comes to treating or preventing various infections. (1a) In fact, it contains properties that are antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal. (1b) And oregano essential oil is unlikely to cause many of the harmful side effects that are commonly attributed to high use of antibiotics — such as increased risk for antibiotic resistance, poor gut health due to destroying beneficial probiotic bacteria, reduced vitamin absorption and leaky gut syndrome due to damage of the GI tract’s lining. Meanwhile, oregano oil benefits extend beyond just controlling infections. What else is oregano essential oil used to treat? Common examples of conditions that oregano oil can help manage include: Athlete’s foot or toenail fungus Common colds Gingivitis Earaches or toothaches Digestive problems such as heartburn and SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth) What Is Oregano Oil? Oregano (Origanum vulgare) is an herb that is a member of the mint family (Labiatae). Oregano has been considered a precious plant commodity for over 2,500 years in folk medicines that originated across the globe. It has a very long use in traditional medicine for treating colds, indigestion and upset stomachs. (2a) You might have some experience cooking with fresh or dried oregano leaves — such as oregano spice, one of the top herbs for healing — but oregano essential oil is far from what you’d put in your pizza sauce. Found in the Mediterranean, throughout many parts of Europe, and in South and Central Asia, medicinal grade oregano is distilled to extract the essential oil from the herb, which is where a high concentration of the herb’s active constituents are found. It takes over 1,000 pounds of wild oregano to produce just one pound of oregano essential oil! The oil’s active ingredients are preserved in alcohol and used in essential oil form both topically (on the skin) and internally. When made into a medicinal supplement or essential oil, oregano is often called “oil of oregano.” As mentioned above, oregano oil is a considered a natural alternative to prescription antibiotics. Oil of oregano contains two powerful compounds called carvacrol and thymol, both of which have been shown in studies to have strong anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Oregano’s oil is primarily made of carvacrol, while the plant’s leaves contain a variety of antioxidant compounds, such as phenols, triterpenes, rosmarinic acid, ursolic acid and oleanolic acid. (2b) 7 Oregano Oil Benefits + Research Studies What can you use oregano essential oil for? The predominant healing compound found in oregano oil, carvacrol, has widespread uses ranging from treating allergies to protecting the skin. According to the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Messina in Italy: Carvacrol, a monoterpenic phenol, has emerged for its wide spectrum activity extended to food spoilage or pathogenic fungi, yeast and bacteria as well as human, animal and plant pathogenic microorganisms including drug-resistant and biofilm forming microorganisms. (3) Carcavol found in oregano essential oil is so potent that it has been been the focus of over 800 studies referenced in PubMed, the world’s No. 1 database for scientific evidence-based literature. To give you a sense of how multi-functional and impressive carvacrol is, it has been shown in studies to help reverse or reduce some of these common health problems: Bacterial infections Fungal infections Parasites Viruses Inflammation Allergies Tumors Indigestion Candida Because it has antimicrobial properties, oregano is also used to preserve food quality during storage 1. Natural Alternative to Antibiotics What’s the problem with frequently using antibiotics? Broad-spectrum antibiotics can be dangerous because they don’t only kill bacteria that are responsible for infections, they also kill good bacteria that we need for optimal health. The Wall Street Journal printed a fantastic article highlighting the dangers that patients may face when they repeatedly use antibiotics. In the author’s words, “Recent studies have shown that doctors are overprescribing broad-spectrum antibiotics, sometimes called the big guns, that kill a wide swath of both good and bad bacteria in the body.” (4) Overuse of antibiotics, and prescribing broad-spectrum drugs when they aren’t needed, can cause a range of problems. It can make the drugs less effective against the bacteria they are intended to treat by fostering the growth of antibiotic-resistant infections. And it can wipe out the body’s good bacteria (probiotics), which help digest food, produce vitamins and protect from infections, among other functions. Unfortunately broad-spectrum antibiotics are very commonly prescribed, and often for conditions in which they have no use, such as viral infections. In one study published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, researchers from the University of Utah and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 60 percent of the time when physicians prescribe antibiotics they choose broad-spectrum types. A similar study of children, published in the journal Pediatrics, found that when antibiotics were prescribed they were broad-spectrum 50 percent of the time, mainly for respiratory conditions. (5) In contrast, what does oil of oregano do for you that makes it so beneficial? Essentially, taking oregano oil is a “broad-spectrum approach” to protecting your health. Its active ingredients help fight multiple types of harmful pathogens, including bacteria, yeast and fungi. As a study in the Journal of Medicinal Food journal stated in 2013, oregano oils “represent an inexpensive source of natural antibacterial substances that exhibited potential for use in pathogenic systems.” (1) 2. Fights Infections & Bacterial Overgrowth Here’s the good news regarding the use of less-than-ideal antibiotics: there’s evidence that oregano essential oil can help to fight at least several strains of bacteria that cause health problems that are commonly treated with antibiotics. Dozens of studies confirm the fact that oregano oil can be used in place of harmful antibiotics for a number of health concerns. In 2011 the Journal of Medicinal Food published a study that evaluated the antibacterial activity of oregano oil against five different types of bad bacteria. After evaluating the anti-bacterial characteristics of oil of oregano it showed significant anti-bacterial properties against all five species. The highest activity was observed against E. Coli, which suggests that oregano oil could potentially be routinely used to promote gastrointestinal health and to prevent deadly food poisoning. (6) A 2013 study published in Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture concluded that “O. vulgare extracts and essential oil from Portuguese origin are strong candidates to replace synthetic chemicals used by the industry.” Researchers from the study found that after studying the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of oregano that Origanum vulgare inhibited the growth of seven tested strains of bacteria that other plant extracts could not. (7) One study involving mice that was published in the journal Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia also found impressive results: in addition to fighting bacteria like Listeria and E. Coli, they also found evidence that oregano oil may have the ability to help pathogenic fungi. (8) Other evidence shows that oregano oil’s active compounds (such as thymol and carvacrol) can help fight toothaches and earaches caused by bacterial infections. A 2005 study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases concluded that “Essential oils or their components placed in the ear canal can provide effective treatment of acute otitis media.” (9) 3. Helps Reduce Side Effects From Medications/Drugs In recent years many studies have found that one of the most promising oregano oil benefits is helping to reduce side effects from medications/drugs. These studies give hope to people who want to find a way to manage the horrible suffering that accompanies drugs and medical interventions, such as chemotherapy or use of drugs for chronic conditions like arthritis. A study published in the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine showed that phenol in oil of oregano can help protect against methotrexate toxicity in mice. (10) Methotrexate (MTX) is a drug commonly used to treat a wide array of issues from cancer to rheumatoid arthritis, but it’s also well-known to have dangerous side effects. After evaluating oil of oregano’s ability to keep these factors at bay, researchers believe its due to oregano’s antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Oregano was shown to work better than drugs that are ineffective at providing full protection against MTX’s adverse effects. By evaluating various markers in the sciatic nerve in mice, it was observed for the first time that carvacrol decreased the pro-inflammatory response in mice being treated by MTX. Being a relatively new concept in the research world, I expect to see more studies testing these results because “groundbreaking” doesn’t even begin to describe the significance of this study. Similarly, research conducted in the Netherlands showed that oregano essential oil can also “prevent bacterial overgrowth and colonization in the large intestine during oral iron therapy.” (11) Used to treat iron deficiency anemia, oral iron therapy is known to cause a series of gastrointestinal issues like nausea, diarrhea, constipation, heartburn and vomiting. It’s believed that carvacrol targets the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria and increases membrane permeability, thereby causing depletion of harmful bacteria. In addition to its antimicrobial properties, carvacrol also interferences with certain pathways for bacterial iron handling which helps to lower side effects of iron therapy. 4. Helps Treat Athlete’s Foot One study found that a combination of heat, salt and use of essential oils (including oregano) had inhibitory effects against mycelia of T. rubrum and conidia of T. mentagrophytes, bacterial strains that commonly cause the fungal infection known as athlete’s foot. The researchers concluded that “Thermotherapy combined with essential oils and salt would be promising to treat tinea pedis in a foot bath.” After testing the fungicidal activity of 11 essential oils against the bacteria known to cause athlete’s foot, oregano oil was found to be the most powerful (followed by thyme, cinnamon bark, lemongrass and clove). (12) 5. Helps Treat Digestive Issues (Including SIBO & Heartburn) Several of the active compounds found in Origanum vulgare can help to aid digestion by relaxing the muscles of the GI tract and also helping to balance the ratio of good-to-bad bacteria in the gut. Thymol, one of oregano’s active compounds, is a similar compound to menthol, which is found in peppermint oil. Like menthol, thymol may help relax the soft tissue of the throat and stomach which can help to decrease GERD, heartburn and discomfort after eating. Because it helps balance bacteria and fights yeast overgrowth, oregano essential oil is also a popular natural treatment for Candida and SIBO, or small intestine bacterial overgrowth. SIBO is a common digestive problem that causes gas, bloating and intolerances to many carbohydrate-containing foods (especially FODMAPs). Origanum vulgare hinders bacterial replication and can be used similarly to antibiotic medications such as rifaximin (Xifaxan) for treating infections that affect digestive health and nutrient absorption. A 2014 study published in Global Advances in Health & Medicine found evidence that use of herbal antimicrobials is just as effective as the antibiotic usually given for the treatment of SIBO. When 104 patients diagnosed with SIBO (via lactulose breath test) were treated either with rifaximin (1,200 milligrams) or herbal antimicrobials over the course of four weeks the results showed that 46 percent of the patients treated with herbal antimicrobials experienced symptom improvements, compared to only 34 percent treated with the antibiotic rifaximin. (13) Additionally, 14 of the 44 patients who still had SIBO after a course of rifaximin were then treated with herbal antimicrobials. Fifty-seven percent responded positively to the herbal treatment even after failing to feel better from the antibiotics! 6. Can Help Treat Parasites One study found that when adults whose stools tested positive for enteric parasites (including Blastocystis hominis which causes digestive distress) supplemented with 600 milligrams of oregano for six weeks many experienced significant gastrointestinal symptoms. There was a “complete disappearance of Entamoeba hartmanni (four cases), Endolimax nana (one case), and Blastocystis...

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COVID-19 Appears Less Severe in Children, Says Review in Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal

AHA Publisher — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 07:00:55 +0000

Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins via Newswise – Like previous epidemic coronaviruses, “SARS-CoV-2 [seems] to cause fewer symptoms and less severe disease in children compared with adults…” Newswise — March 13, 2020 – As outbreaks of COVID-19 disease caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continue worldwide, there’s reassuring evidence that children have fewer symptoms and less severe disease. That’s among the insights provided by an expert review in The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, the official journal of The European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer. Like previous epidemic coronaviruses, “SARS-CoV-2 [seems] to cause fewer symptoms and less severe disease in children compared with adults,” according to the review by Petra Zimmerman, MD, PhD, of the University of Fribourg, Switzerland and Nigel Curtis, FRCPCH, PhD, of University of Melbourne and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Australia. They summarize available evidence on coronavirus infections in children, including COVID-19. “There is some suggestion that children are just as likely as adults to become infected with the virus but are less likely to be unwell or develop severe symptoms,” Drs. Zimmerman and Curtis write. “However, the importance of children in transmitting the virus remains uncertain.” The Evidence on SARS-CoV-2 – Focusing on Risks to Children Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause infection and disease in animals. “Coronaviruses are capable of rapid mutation and recombination, leading to novel coronaviruses that can spread from animals to humans,” Drs. Zimmerman and Curtis write. There are four coronaviruses that circulate in humans, mostly causing respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms – ranging from the common cold to severe disease. Over the past two decades, there have been three major disease outbreaks due to novel coronaviruses: SARS-CoV in 2002, MERS-CoV in 2012, and now SARS-CoV-2 in 2019. Arising in the Chinese city of Wuhan, SARS-Cov-2 spread rapidly around the world and has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. “The term COVID-19 is used for the clinical disease caused by SARS-CoV-2,” according to the authors. Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 appears similar to that of the related SARS and MERS coronaviruses, but with a lower fatality rate. SARS-CoV-2 can still cause serious and life-threatening infections – particularly in older people and those with pre-existing health conditions. What are the risks for children from SARS-CoV-2? It’s a pressing question for pediatric infectious disease specialists and concerned parents alike. Children appear to have milder clinical symptoms than adults and to be at substantially lower risk of severe disease – which was also true in the SARS and MERS epidemics. In Chinese data from February 2020, children and adolescents accounted for only two percent of SARS-CoV-2 hospitalizations, Drs. Zimmerman and Curtis write. However, as children are less frequently symptomatic and have less severe symptoms they are less often tested, which might lead to an underestimate of the true numbers infected. Also, children are less frequently exposed to the main sources of transmission. Again based on Chinese data, “Most infected children recover one to two weeks after the onset of symptoms, and no deaths had been reported by February 2020,” the researchers add. Most reported infections with SARS-CoV-2 have occurred in children with a documented household contact. Children with COVID-19 may be more likely to develop gastrointestinal symptoms. The experts also review the diagnostic findings (laboratory tests and imaging studies) of children with COVID-19 laboratory and imaging findings in children. Whole genome sequencing approaches have enabled rapid development of molecular diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2. For now, treatment is supportive; no specific antiviral medications are available. Several approaches are being considered for development of new drugs and vaccines – some targeting a “spike glycoprotein” involved in interactions between coronaviruses and cells. Until such treatment and preventive measures are available, the researchers emphasize the importance of the full range of strategies for controlling SARS-CoV-2 – as for the “highly effective global public health response” that led to containment of the SARS epidemic. To read the original article click here.

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New Compounds May Help Stop the Spread of the Coronavirus

AHA Publisher — Wed, 04 Mar 2020 08:00:15 +0000

Angela Betsaida B. Laguipo, BSN via News-Medical Net – Amid the global health crisis of the coronavirus (COVID-19), scientists from around the world are racing to find a treatment to stop the deadly virus. The sudden acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread across 46 countries, infecting more than 82,000 and killing more than 2,800 people. However, there is hope as a team of researchers designed compounds that can block the replication of similar coronaviruses, including the SARS-CoV-2, which causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Though the compounds showed promise in the laboratory, human trials have not commenced yet. Share Similar Properties The Wuhan coronavirus, officially called SARS-CoV-2, is a close cousin to the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus (SARS-CoV-1) that caused the SARS outbreak in 2002-2003 and the Middle East respiratory disease virus (MERS-CoV) that emerged in 2012. All of these diseases cause similar symptoms, including flu-like symptoms and pneumonia-like illness. Commonly, the diseases cause fever, dry cough, and shortness of breath, which then gradually worsens and can lead to respiratory distress. However, until now, there are no effective treatments developed to fight the viruses. Mostly, since there is a small number of cases in the past, it did not warrant significant investments by pharmaceutical companies. Now, with the emergence of the novel coronavirus outbreak and its rapid advance to pandemic status, treatment is needed. In a new study published in the ACS’ Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, a team of researchers has proposed a new way to target and kill coronaviruses. The compounds under research can also hinder the spread of other viruses, such as enteroviruses, which cause common colds, the summer flu, and foot and mouth disease. All these pathogens share a similar protein-cutting enzyme, dubbed as the main protease in coronaviruses and the 3C protease in enteroviruses, which are crucial for viral replication. “The main protease of coronaviruses and the 3C protease of enteroviruses share a similar active-site architecture and a unique requirement for glutamine in the P1 position of the substrate. Because of their unique specificity and essential role in viral polyprotein processing, these proteases are suitable targets for the development of antiviral drugs,” the researchers wrote on the paper. A Versatile Inhibitor To test their theory, the researchers studied X-ray crystal structures of the proteases. They created a series of ketoamide compounds they thought could fit perfectly in the enzyme’s active site. This way, it will interfere with their function. In the laboratory, the team tested the molecules in test tubes and human cells. During the experiment, they found a versatile inhibitor, which can block multiple enteroviruses and coronaviruses, including the one that caused the SARS outbreak in 2003. About six crystal structures of protease-inhibitor complexes were identified, and they were tested against the recombinant proteases, viral replicons, and virus-infected cell cultures. Another molecule showed potent activity against the MERS-CoV and moderate activity against the other viruses. The researchers suggest that since the MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-1, and SARS-CoV-2 are similar when it comes to their structures and mechanism of infection, the inhibitors will most likely show good antiviral activity against the dreaded novel coronavirus that is spreading rapidly across the globe. The team plans to conduct animal studies to develop a possible and promising antiviral drug to stem the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak and future bouts of coronavirus outbreaks. The Coronavirus Global Crisis The novel coronavirus, now officially called coronavirus disease (COVID-19), has spread rapidly to 46 countries. Every day, new countries are reporting their first cases of the deadly virus, prompting governments to impose travel restrictions in the bid to contain the virus. The coronavirus causes respiratory distress in the worst cases. Though the death rate of the virus is 2.3 percent to 3.4 percent, there are now a total of 2,801 deaths reported, most of whom were from Hubei province in China, the epicenter of the outbreak. Though the virus has spread across continents, the WHO has not classified it yet as a pandemic. To read the original article click here.

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