Shortening Long Covid

By Raffaella Quieti Cartledge

Patrick Holford Author, speaker, researcher and  founder of the Institute
for Optimum Nutrition

Patrick believes that as important as good nutrition, exercise, reducing stress, not smoking and creating a toxin-free environment are – our state of mind and spirit also have an enormous effect on our ability to be healthy and recover health, and this should not be underestimated. He teaches that we are physical, emotional, sensual, intellectual and spiritual beings living on the Earth in a human society, and understanding this connectedness is vital to feel fully alive, awake, connected on all levels and living a purposeful life. He has written and taught extensively about Long Covid

Dr Holford, what is the aftermath of the Covid pandemic?

The aftermath of the Covid pandemic has left 1.2 million people with symptoms of ‘Long Covid’ the main ones being shortness of breath, severe fatigue, brain fog, and heart and lung conditions. According to a Lancet report there is an extended list of 200 symptoms including visual hallucinations, tremors, itchy skin, changes to the menstrual cycle, sexual dysfunction, memory loss, diarrhoea and tinnitus.

Problems with balance can include generalized dizziness (some report feeling “drunk or tipsy” but without having any alcohol), lightheadedness or a floating feeling, vertigo or a spinning sensation, particularly when looking up or down, or lying on your side, a sensation of swaying or rocking when sitting or lying, or after a quick motion, poor balance when standing or changing positions, problems walking in a straight line or in busy areas such as a shopping mall, brain fog and issues with vision such as blurring, doubling, trouble viewing screens or issues with fast moving or busy scenes.

Much like chronic fatigue syndrome this multi-system disorder is not responding to any particular drug and is very unlikely to. However, the world of systems-based nutritional therapy is coming up trumps in many respects.

What are the most important supplements to fight Long Covid ?

The obvious place to start are nutrients that, if optimally supplied, speed up recovery and reduce the chances of ever developing Long Covid in the first place.

Vitamin C’s main functions are: strengthening the immune system,  fighting infections, making collagen, keeping bones, skin and joints firm and strong. An antioxidant, vit. C also helps detoxifying pollutants and protecting again oxidation.
In high oral doses or given intravenously, Vitamin C has a long history of reducing fatigue. A dozen studies in a variety of
non-covid conditions and many cases of people with Long Covid, either having a course of intravenous vitamin C or taking oral vitamin C up to ‘bowel tolerance’ – the level that induces excessively loose bowels – report recovery. Doses were from 6 to 10 grams a day.

Vitamin C’s other critical role in the body is making collagen needed to keep the skin intact, but especially the very thin endothelium, the membrane that separates blood in the arteries and air in the lungs from your insides. Since a persistent viral infection depletes vitamin C this effectively leads towards scurvy if levels become too low for several weeks. As vitamin C makes collagen, the inter cellular ‘glue’, a chronic lack causes breakdown in these tissues, as well as muscles, leading to shortness of breath, loss of stamina and arterial damage, all of which are being reported in those with long Covid.

Vit C is a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants are substances that protect cells within the body from damage caused by free radicals. They help to strengthen the body’s ability to fight infections. They also have anti-inflammatory, endothelial-restoring, and immune modulating effects, yet the medical profession’s general bias against vitamins means this option is rarely considered.

Vitamin D has anti-viral and anti-inflammatory effects. It also helps maintain strong and healthy bones by retaining calcium. Deficiency signs include joint pain or stiffness, backache, tooth decay, muscle cramps and hair loss.
While it is not exactly clear how Vitamin D helps, getting blood levels up to 100 nmol/l with 3,000 iu a day (or 21,000 iu per week) is associated with less risk of infection, and severe infection. I have not, however, found any compelling evidence yet that it shortens Long Covid.

A component of over 200 enzymes in the body, Zinc is essential for growth, important for healing, controls hormones and aids ability to cope with stress.
Another excellent reducer of inflammation in the lungs is quercetin, the phytonutrient red onions are rich in.
Like vitamin C, it has many beneficial effects relevant to Covid. However, both vitamin C and quercetin have another role to play which may be significant, not only for Long Covid, but also to help modulate adverse post-vaccination effects, mainly reducing the consequences of clotting. Both Covid infection and especially mRNA vaccines may induce increased clotting. This is why the anti-clotting agent heparin is sometimes given to critical Covid patients and why some doctors recommend taking a low dose aspirin in the weeks following vaccination, as well as loading up on both vitamin C and D. Both vitamin C and quercetin inhibit abnormal clotting. Vitamin C also helps to recycle quercetin so they are synergistic in relation to Covid and should be used together.
Linus Pauling’s last contribution to science was to show that, when vitamin C levels drop, a process that leads to the thickening of the arteries to protect against endothelial degeneration occurs. This is measured by an increase in lipoproteins.

Blood clots contain regular proteins, while both viruses and vaccinations may increase the presence of spike proteins. Breaking these down is a major target for helping those suffering from Long Covid. A theory that’s gaining ground, proposes that the virus causes release of micro clots which block access of blood to cells leading to oxygen shortage. One medical approach that’s being trialled is ‘washing the blood’ to remove clots.
What nutrients help fight Long Covid and why ?

While vitamin C and quercetin undoubtedly help, the most interesting remedies are digestive enzymes.
Bromelain is found in pineapple and papain in papaya. Bromelain binds to both spike proteins and helps break them down. It also inhibits the virus from attaching to ACE-2 receptors.

The study  “Evaluation of the Effect of Zinc, Quercetin, Bromelain and Vitamin C on COVID-19 Patients”, sponsored by the Saudi Ministry of Health, concludes that quercetin (800 mg), bromelain (165 mg), zinc acetate (50 mg) and ascorbic acid (1 g) once daily were safe for patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 and may prevent poor prognosis.

Another critical factor in many with Long Covid could be faulty methylation (involved in genetic expression).

Homocysteine is an amino acid found in the blood. Elevated levels of homocysteine have been associated with narrowing and hardening of the arteries.

A faulty methylation is indicated by high plasma homocysteine levels, often driven by poor B12 absorption or folate deficiency (think greens and beans). Many of the symptoms being reported also occur in those deficient in vitamin B12. Raised homocysteine directly correlates with a degree of lung damage. Therefore, testing a person’s homocysteine and B12 status is a must for anyone with long Covid but it is rarely done. I would, however, start with the basics – vitamins C, D, zinc, quercetin and bromelain and move onto homocysteine and B12 testing if this doesn’t provide significant improvement within a week.

Improvement can be spectacular and quick, as one of my patients  case illustrates: Karen described her physical fitness as less than 50% post-Covid, and had to stop every 50 metres when walking to catch her breath. She took a double dose (x6) of a supplement containing quercetin, bromelain and vitamin C, with additional high dose vitamin C and zinc to bowel tolerance, plus 21,000iu of vitamin D. “Two days later I did a one-hour hill work achieving 95% of my usual fitness.”

However, if considerable lung damage has occurred it can take a month or two to see big improvements as lung and muscle tissue takes time to repair.

The spike protein is a glycoprotein that protrudes from the envelope of some viruses (such as coronavirus) and facilitates entry into a host cell by binding to a receptor on the surface of a host cell followed by fusion of the viral and host cell membranes. Like a key in a lock, these spike proteins fuse to receptors on the surface of cells, allowing the virus’s genetic code to invade the host cell, take over its machinery and replicate.