Prof. Camillo Ricordi’s protocol to keep healthy during the pandemic and beyond
by Raffaella Quieti Cartledge
Prof. Camillo Ricordi is a diabetes researcher based in Miami, FL. Director of the Diabetes Research Institute since 1996, he is the Chief Academic Officer of the Diabetes Research Institute of the University of Miami and is the Director of the DRI’s Cell Transplant Centre. He is currently directing stem cells research projects on Alzheimer’s and Covid-19.
Prof. Ricordi, you have historically been diabetes’ #1 global enemy. But now you have declared war on chronic conditions such as cardiovascular, neurodegenerative diseases, autoimmunity and cancer. How you plan to address such a vast array of pathologies ?
Years ago we assembled an unprecedented international effort to define diets that could prevent several chronic disease conditions. It was surprising to many of us doctors that similar guidelines and recommendations were appropriate to prevent not only diabetes, but also cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative diseases, autoimmunity, or cancer.
I believe we are now in a very similar condition when addressing strategies that could prevent severe complications of viral infections, autoimmunity, allergies and age-related diseases.
Type 1 Diabetes is just the tip of the iceberg of the Autoimmune Disease Epidemic, that with approximately 100 disease conditions is now affecting almost 20% of the population in the USA.
We are also facing an increased incidence of chronic diseases, with over 90% of over-65 Americans, affected by at least one chronic degenerative conditions, and over 75% of them carrying 2 co-morbidities. It is now evident that these increased co-morbidities, together with advanced age, are formidable risk factors for developing deadly complications of Coronavirus infections, such as COVID-19.
What is the common denominator of these conditions ?
Diet-induced chronic inflammation is emerging as a significant factor that can affect the incidence and progression of many degenerative conditions, including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular, osteo-articular, neurodegenerative, autoimmune diseases and cancer, to name a few. Lifespan has been increasing in recent decades, but not necessarily healthy lifespan (Healthspan).
The protocol described below is not a medical prescription, nor does it represent a consensus from medical experts. Years of rigorous randomized controlled trials will be necessary to determine if my assumptions are correct, but I don’t have the luxury to wait for the results of these trials. Besides working every day to find a cure for diabetes, I am also on the frontline of the battle against Covid-19, I am exposed to the risk of viral transmission every day when I go to my hospital, and I have to confess that I am over 60 years old.
Therefore, since I would like to see my grandchildren graduate from college, while remaining relatively healthy for as long as possible, I will share what I do and what protective substances I take every day, with the important warning that this may not work for you and that you should always consult your own physician.
Based on what you have learned what do you take and what do you recommend to your family and friends ?
Recent data indicate how appropriate nutrition and selected protective substances could be of assistance to prepare our body to better resist viral infections such as COVID19, and in case of infection how to decrease the risk of severe disease progression.
Together with other doctors and researchers, I have launched the Fit4Pandemic initiative, with the objective of helping to strengthen our immune defences, while modulating exaggerated inflammatory and immune reactions. These can lead to a series of problems, from autoimmunity to allergies, and the hyper-inflammatory and hyper-immune reactions present in severe COVID-19.
Waiting for rigorous scientific validation through RCTs (Randomized Controlled Trials) and in consideration of the safety of the molecules described, several subjects at risk of contagion and front-line health care workers are following these common sense suggestions, to keep our immune system “fit” even if under no circumstance they can be considered therapeutic interventions.
In addition to having a healthy diet based on fresh vegetables and fruits, wholefoods, the correct amount of healthy proteins, no refined foods and trans-fats, I take the following supplements :
VITAMIN D3
Low Vitamin D levels have been associated with severe Type 1 Diabetes at onset, with all-cause mortality in Diabetes and with severity of COVID19 progression.
7,000 UI a day, or 50,000 UI once a week (e.g., DIBASE in Italy or equivalent products Worldwide). My target range for 25 OH Vitamin D in the blood is 40-70 ng/ml (immunomodulatory effects starts above 40 ng/ml but most nutrition experts would want their patients to reach 80 ng/ml).
VITAMIN C
1 gram a day (I take liposomal Vitamin C from HMS Nutrition, for better absorption, but there are a lot of other similar products). Nutrition experts tend to give higher doses.
ZINC
15 mg a day (10 mg are already included in the supplement SIRT500 Plus which I recommend below).
OMEGA3 Fatty Acids (EPA+DHA)
I take 6 grams Omega3 a day and I prefer the liquid form that I keep in the freezer. It is important to make sure the Omega 3 is highly purified because coming from fish it can contain heavy metals and other dangerous contaminants. I take ZoneRx Omega3 in the US or where available. The target level for AA/EPA ratio (surrogate marker for Omega6/Omega3 ratio) is 1.5-3.0. In diabetes this ratio is often above 25 and in severe Covid-19 cases it can skyrocket over 45. The higher the ratio, the higher is the inflammation level in your blood.
PTEROSTILBENE, POLYTADIN and HONOKIOL
The recently developed SIRT500 Plus (www.SIRT500.it) is a powerful combination of sirtuin activator molecules, analogues and precursors of resveratrol, combined with other protective molecules. These plant-derived, natural molecules were initially considered only in the anti-aging field, but surprisingly are now under study for some additional functions, as they have been shown to enhance insulin secretion, neurodifferentiation and also offers protection against some viral infections.
The research on sirtuins began in 1991 with Leonard Guarente at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). More recently, David Sinclair began studying sirtuins as possible new molecules with anti-aging effects. These proteins begin to decrease after 35 of age, and after 60 years of age they are produced by the human body only in small quantities. The progressive decrease of sirtuins leads to a series of overall inefficiencies in the human body, contributing to the loss of personal autonomy, with deterioration and shortening of healthy lifespan.
Sirtuins can be activated by calorie restriction, resulting in increased lifespan in preclinical model systems. However, sirtuins can also be activated by plant-derived natural compounds; that can mainly be found in Asia, such as Pterostilbene, Polydatin and Honokiol.
These natural plant-based supplements could help decrease the massive daily intake of fruit and vegetables containing natural activators of sirtuins, that would be necessary to be consumed to benefit from a similar amount of purified protective factors, while eliminating the extra calories consumed.
Recent research findings from the University of Rome Tor Vergata, and from the La Sapienza University, have shown how these supplements are able to inhibit the replication of the flu virus, and studies are underway to determine their effect on SARS-CoV-2 replication.
The results of these studies (unpublished, manuscript in preparation) demonstrated how an increase in sirtuins can also improve and modulate the responses of the immune system, and could represent not only an anti-aging remedy, but could also be of assistance to help our immune system respond adequately and effectively to viral infections.
If someone becomes positive for SARS-CoV-2 or is at high risk for COVID-19 I also suggest to consider the use of quercetin, melatonin, lactoferrin, glutathione and fisetin.
DISCLAIMER: What Prof. Camillo Ricordi presented is just the protocol he is following, what he is taking and what he has recommended to his family and friends. It is in no way to be considered medical advice for the public, without consultation with your own doctor. He has an interest in nutrition and in the possible effects of protective substances on disease prevention, mitigation of progression, or therapy, to promote healthy lifespan (healthspan). Prof. Ricordi has waived any royalty from the sale of any product he is supporting, and has encouraged companies to make donations to The Cure Alliance or to the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation, also encouraging them to offer discounts to patients, followers and friends. He is a scientific advisor to the Zone Labs, with no royalties and no equity, and an unpaid scientific advisor of SIRT500 Sagl and he does not receive any royalty, but he holds some equity in the company. What he offers are only suggestions to maintain health, that will need to be validated by rigorous scientific studies that will require years. While hoping that his suggestions may be of assistance to prevent diseases, or to mitigate disease progression, he recommends you always consult your doctor before considering any protective substance or product. There are many alternatives and similar supplements on the market, that may even be more cost effective. Just keep an eye on the disclosed potency (e.g., how many milligrams of active substance there are for every gram of product sold) and purity (e.g., how many contaminants like heavy metals and PCBs, in the case of Omega3). Also check if the products offered are obtained following CGMP (current good manufacturing guidelines).
Recommended readings :
Lifespan: Why We Age–And Why We Don’t Have to. By David A Sinclair, PhD
The Resolution Zone : the science of the resolution response. By Barry Sears, PhD