Covid-19 Update: How Are We to Live in a Climate of Fear? Seek the Truth if Possible.

RVAchironeuro • February 19, 2021

Hello again :

Recently, an article appeared in an online mainstream medical journal with the following title:

“ From A to Z, Supplements Fail for COVID-19: Neither vitamin C (a.k.a. ascorbic acid) nor zinc pan out in randomized trial” (1)

Here is what the report says: “High-dose zinc and vitamin C (ascorbic acid) had no impact on the course of symptoms in patients with mild COVID-19, a randomized trial found.

With 50% reduction in symptoms as the primary endpoint, there was no difference in the number of days to reach it whether patients received zinc gluconate, ascorbic acid, both supplements, or neither, reported Milind Desai, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic, and colleagues. All patients also received usual outpatient care.

“Based on the current study, these supplements cannot be recommended to reduce symptom morbidity” in patients with mild COVID-19, Desai and colleagues concluded.”

However, the article also stated the following interesting contradictory data:

“Patients who received only usual care achieved the primary outcome at a mean of 6.7 days versus 5.5 days for patients in the ascorbic acid group, 5.9 days in the zinc gluconate group and 5.5 days in the both treatment group. Number of hospitalizations and deaths did not vary significantly among treatment groups.”

It appears from their data that if there is an 18% improvement (people with the supplements improved to 50% better in 1.2 days faster than usual care alone) then to them it means the supplements failed, had no impact and made no difference. Does that make sense to you? How does an 18% improvement turn into ‘fail’, ‘no impact’, ‘no difference’ or failed to ‘reduce symptom morbidity’? Also, the improvement noted using zinc and vitamin C is almost exactly the same as the approved antiviral medication Tamiflu. What is up with the intention behind such an article?

Furthermore, the author of the article commenting on the study pointed out:
“Limitations to the data included there was no placebo group and the trial was open-label, and stratification of symptoms by age, sex, race, or duration of symptoms prior to testing was not taken into account during the analysis. Some potential confounders, such as vitamin D levels, were also not examined.”

Interestingly, they stopped the study too early to tell if the long-term outcome was different than with just the usual care alone…in other words, it may or may not have reduced the number or severity of Covid ‘Long-Haulers’, yet we will never know. Also, nowhere is it mentioned whether or not any of these patients had any comorbidities, how many were elderly, if they were tested to see if they were actually low in vitamin C or zinc, what they were eating, etc., which is another way of saying that the limitations of the study and their conclusions need to be met with significant skepticism.

Consider this: supplements do not work in isolation like prescription medications do as supplements effects are synergistic and should not be compared to prescription medicines; supplements are considered adjunctive care and not primary care; supplements are not meant to replace standard medical care (including vaccines) and yet are necessary for optimal health and function and would be needed in any illness to support maximal recovery. So, if taking vitamin C and zinc reduced the time to 50% recovery by 1.2 days, consider what might be possible with a more comprehensive protocol. Do you think that this study contributed to improving public health? I hope that some well-designed studies are forthcoming to evaluate the possibility that more comprehensive supportive protocols may be helpful.

Bottom Line: While front line physicians are working extremely hard and have come up with better and better treatments for Covid-19 illness, it would be very helpful to have access to data that is empowering and that having some knowledge about what to do to improve outcomes can go a long way to reducing uncertainty and fear. We simply need to use all of the tools in the health toolbox, from vitamins to vaccines, and they need to be honestly evaluated and put to good and proper use. Thus, we need to be careful and discerning about what we read and perhaps a bit of skepticism can be helpful as we seek transparency and a way out of this pandemic. This article, in my opinion, is poor science that was reported by an associate editor that is stated as having ‘a passion for evidence, data and public health.’  What are your thoughts?

 

 

 

Health News Update: Trying to Lose Weight?

By Mark Smith • August 10, 2026
This is a subtitle for your new post

Health News Update: Eat Right or Suffer

By Mark Smith • August 3, 2026
This is a subtitle for your new post

Life Expectancy & Food Choices

By Mark Smith • July 27, 2026
This is a subtitle for your new post

Human & Planetary Health through Food Choices

By Mark Smith • July 20, 2026
This is a subtitle for your new post

Simple diet shift to eat smarter without deprivation

By Mark Smith • July 13, 2026
This is a subtitle for your new post

Prevent or Ease Chronic Conditions with Food

By Mark Smith • July 6, 2026
This is a subtitle for your new post

Health News Update: Pesticides, Cancer & Why Go Organic

By Mark Smith • June 29, 2026
Health News Update: Pesticides, Cancer & Why Go Organic 6.29.26 Hello everyone: Slowly but surely, despite the health and food industries downplaying the risks, evidence is emerging that the long-term consumption of trace amounts of toxic chemicals can add up to some serious health consequences. “Our process-based model, encompassing 31 key pesticide active ingredients, together with an innovative stratification of cancer cases by developmental lineage, reveals a robust spatial association between environmental pesticide exposure risk and cancer incidence. In pesticide-associated cancer hotspots, exposomic profiling of liver tissue—a primary target of chemical carcinogens—uncovers a distinct transcriptomic signature of pesticide exposure, implicating a non-genotoxic mode of action that disrupts core regulatory circuitries sustaining cell identity. Collectively, these findings strongly support a mechanistic link between pesticide exposure and cancer, challenging assumptions of human non-carcinogenicity derived from reductionist experimental models. This study redefines the exposome as a lineage-conditioned, mechanistically tractable framework and shows how complex pesticide mixtures can contribute to carcinogenic trajectories, with profound and far-reaching implications for global health policy and socio-ecological equity.” https://www.nature.com/articles/s44360-026-00087-0 pesticide exposure & cancer risks Bottom Line: Whenever possible, purchase your food from organic sources including local farmers that use regenerative and organic practices. Not all foods need to be organic, and to decide which ones absolutely need to be, you can access the Environmental Working Group’s yearly list of the Dirty Dozen foods that are the highest in pesticide residues. This will also include the Clean 15 foods that do not need to be organic as they are usually grown without or with very low pesticide levels. https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php dirty dozen food guide Additionally, high quality nutrients support the natural detox processes our bodies use to get rid of any and all toxins. When we consume the Standard American Diet or Westernized Diet, we are low in the nutrients and co-factors needed to support optimal detox cleansing. So always start with food upgrades as they will carry your upgrade the farthest. Remember that most chronic health conditions start 20 years before you even notice them creeping up or becoming diagnosed. What you do now is creating your future. It used to be said that you are what you eat. Another way to say that is we become what we eat…so please take good care and make sure you always put high grade fuel into your Temple.

Health news Update: High Fat Diets Promote Inflammation and Illness

By Mark Smith • June 22, 2026
Health news Update: High Fat Diets Promote Inflammation and Illness 6.22.26 Hello again: This news has been slow to surface with the popularity of keto and paleo dietary trends, but the following information is what is known about the typical Standard American Diet, also known as the Western Diet. “Conclusion : HFD-associated low-grade inflammation results from overlapping effects of dysbiosis and high fat intake, with crosstalk between microbiota and fat-driven inflammatory processes independent of gut flora involving multiple mechanisms. For this reason, it is difficult to determine what occurs first, thus, HFD-driven dysbiosis and HFD-related inflammation should be considered partially independent but closely correlated mechanisms.” https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8619527/ High fat promotes inflammation Bottom Line: As you all know by now, inflammation will cause, perpetuate, and/or aggravate every known illness or condition, including aging. The next logical question is what to eat? The answer is the Green Mediterranean food plan…which essentially going vegan but allowing some animal-based foods no more than 3 times per week. This takes some planning but is most easily achieved by using a ‘crowding out’ method. This is simply accomplished by including more and more unprocessed, whole plant-based foods in place of processed or fatty foods and naturally reducing those less than healthy items. Below is some more information to help you make the switch…knowing that you can improve your day-to-day nutrition by making small consistent upgraded choices is critical. Upgrades to improve your health path do not usually arise from one big resolution but from those small individual choices made every day…and these add up to some major improvements over several months and longer. “The gut microbiota is responsible for recovering energy from food, providing hosts with vitamins, and providing a barrier function against exogenous pathogens. In addition, it is involved in maintaining the integrity of the intestinal epithelial barrier, crucial for the functional maturation of the gut immune system. The Western diet (WD)—an unhealthy diet with high consumption of fats—can be broadly characterized by overeating, frequent snacking, and a prolonged postprandial state. The term WD is commonly known and intuitively understood. However, the strict digital expression of nutrient ratios is not precisely defined. Based on the US data for 1908–1989, the calory intake available from fats increased from 32% to 45%. Besides the metabolic aspects (hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, sympathetic nervous system and renin-angiotensin system overstimulation, and oxidative stress), the consequences of excessive fat consumption (high-fat diet—HFD) comprise dysbiosis, gut barrier dysfunction, increased intestinal permeability, and leakage of toxic bacterial metabolites into the circulation. These can strongly contribute to the development of low-grade systemic inflammation.”

Health News Update: Meal Timing Makes a Significant Difference

By Mark Smith • June 15, 2026
Health News Update: Meal Timing Makes a Significant Difference 6.15.26 Hey there everyone: There are more and more papers coming out about meal timing and they pretty much all point to the same conclusion: “These study results are observational, so not proof of causation, but it fits broader chrononutrition science showing that aligning meals with daytime circadian biology supports metabolic and overall health.” — Monique Richard, MS, RDN, LDN https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/eating-breakfast-late-linked-biological-aging-depression-oral-health?utm_source=Sailthru%20Email&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=sundaysupplement&utm_content=2025-09-14&apid=32362300&rvid=24561ae4b347411c6ae1874dad579a0aedec4a5e471e9b3b5a21dc0826faa6b9#Eating-breakfast-later-in-the-day-linked-to-several-health-issues eating breakfast important for long term health Bottom Line: To achieve a meal timing pattern that is in harmony with your circadian clock, consider what the authors provided: Anchor the Day Early: Aim to eat breakfast within one to two hours of waking, most days. A simple pattern like breakfast: 7–8 a.m., lunch: noon–1 p.m., dinner: 5–7 p.m. works for many families and individuals, allowing for possible snacks as necessary, keeping a consistent window of sleep and fasting open ~10–12 hours, and try to avoid snacking two to three hours before bed. Front-Load Protein: Target ~25–30 g protein at breakfast (e.g., Greek yogurt + nuts + berries ; eggs + beans + veg; protein-fortified oatmeal ). Distributing protein across meals supports muscle function, brain health, satiation, and numerous other functions. Eat Early and Evenly: A protein-strong breakfast, a steady midday meal, and a light, timely dinner, hydration in between, coupled with laughter and loved ones. This schedule pretty much is defined as eTRF, or early Time Restricted Feeding, which is known to have multiple benefits including weight loss and management, blood sugar balancing, improving sleep, and more.

Health News Update: How to Use Red Light Therapy to Heal/Recover

By Mark Smith • June 8, 2026
Health News Update: How to Use Red Light Therapy to Heal/Recover 6.8.26 Hello everyone: Recently I was able to use red-light therapy to overcome some chronic pain issues that were not responding to nutritional support, anti-inflammatory supplements, massage therapy, acupuncture, and chiropractic treatments. What actually turned the corner for me what something that I learned while researching red-light therapy that no one has ever mentioned before…and it is not included anywhere that I can find on the sales information for any red-light device. The answer to make red light optimally effective is simply to use it every other day. So, what’s up with that? Some basics: Red- light therapy is also called, Low Level Light Therapy (LLLT), or Photobiomodulation. It has been well established that certain frequencies in the infra-red spectrum can stimulate biological mechanisms that promote increased cellular function and thus push forward a healing response. The most effective researched wavelengths are 660 nm. and 850 nm. and used together can be a powerful way to advance repair and reduce pain. Most devices that are currently available on the internet have those frequencies, a built-in timer, and intensity controls. They come in all shapes and sizes, from ones that fit shoulders, hands, feet, the face, the back, the entire body, hips, knees, and even the head/skull. It has even been used for dry eyes, but in that application, I recommend that you consult an eye specialist. These units vary in price from a reasonable amount, depending on the size of the array, to a ridiculous amount. As far as I can tell, if they have the right wavelengths and adequate power (which is in Watts, such as 12 Watts), most of the mid-range priced ones can be reasonably assumed to be adequate. And what could you consider the use of red-light therapy for: · Joint pain · Lower inflammation · Enhance immune functions · Headaches · Arthritis · Strain/sprain injury recovery · Acne · Wrinkles · Scars · Hair loss · Eczema · Psoriasis · Wound recovery · Chronic pain · Improve energy Bottom Line: There is considerably more to the science that I am not covering, but one thing about the science that is critical to know is that in order to get the best results there is something called the bi-phasic response. It goes something like this: low levels of light stimulation enhances physiologic healing and cellular function(s), while higher or excessive dosages can inhibit healing and cellular functions. This biological response is called the Arndt-Schultz law…which is also known as a ‘hormetic’ response. The best way to take advantage of this science is to just use any red-light therapy device every other day. You could, for example use LLLT on your left knee and shoulder today, and tomorrow on another body part but not the same area 2 days in a row. This has proved rather miraculous for me, and I wanted to pass this along. One last tidbit: keep the red-light source close to or on bare skin, not more than an inch away. It can takes weeks to months to reach full benefit, so don’t give up too early. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12967-025-07466-3 Using light to heal.
More Posts