Hundreds of functions in the human body require zinc. This same mineral has shown impressive results in recent studies of people hospitalized with coronavirus.
COVID-19 Severity Predictor
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/can-zinc-levels-predict-covid-19-severity A recent study conducted in Spain showed coronavirus patients with high levels of zinc exhibited fewer severe symptoms, left the hospital earlier, and had a lower mortality rate. The results were published in the journal Nutrients.
Zinc is a trace element. Between ten to fifteen percent of Americans are deficient. However, older adults might approach forty to fifty percent deficiency. Protein and DNA synthesis, cell division, immune function, wound healing, and other biological processes require zinc.
The Study
https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/2/562 Twenty-one percent mortality was observed in low-zinc patients compared to five percent in patients with healthy levels. Similarly, patients with higher levels of zinc recovered three times quicker than those with low zinc levels.
Laboratory studies showed that healthy concentrations of zinc decreased viral replication of SARS-CoV-2 in cell cultures. The hospital and laboratory studies were not conducted as clinical trials that typically include randomized controlled and placebo testing. The results were observational only.
Between March 9, 2020, and April 1, 2020, data from 249 adults with a median age of 65 were analyzed for zinc levels. Approximately one out of four were zinc deficient.
Zinc
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/zinc/ Our bodies require very little zinc. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for adult men is 11 mg a day and 8 mg for women. Good natural sources of zinc are meats, poultry, seafood, and some legumes and whole grains.
Conclusion
Healthy bodies do well when infected with the COVID-19 virus when they have adequate zinc levels. Can this predict an outcome? Probably, but many scientists will argue that full-blown clinical tests cannot support observational results.
An exciting factor associated with zinc and COVID-19 is that of smell and taste. Zinc is needed for smelling and tasting, and some COVID-19 patients temporarily lost these two senses. I wonder if they were deficient in zinc.
Live Longer & Enjoy Life! – Red O’Laughlin – RedOLaughlin.com
