Newsletter 17
Summer is now well and truly over, which means less sunshine, and time to boost our immune systems ready for the winter months.
Something to mull over regarding the current situation
Many of you may feel overwhelmed with the public health messages instilling fear and panic, threatening more lockdowns, more mandatory wearing of masks and night curfews, because of “soaring cases”
So what does this mean?
The correct use of the term case, represents someone with severe symptoms, severe enough to be admitted to hospital. However what the media and Government are calling a case, does not equate to the numbers running across the TV screens as it does not fit the proper criteria.
What these figures represent is the result of a positive PCR swab test – irrespective if that person has severe symptoms. It’s important to understand what a PCR test is:
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a technique for copying a piece of DNA (a billion-fold). Once a sample has been collected, in this case by swab, the laboratory extracts nucleic acid “extraction” or “purification” to obtain DNA and RNA. A positive PCR result doesn’t prove that a replicating (also called infectious) virus is present. It proves that its genetic material – the RNA – is present. The PCR result is therefore a surrogate indicator of the presence of the infectious virus – this is important to understand. I’m not saying the test is always invalid, I’m trying to make the point that the narrative we are being given is that cases are escalating, and rapidly. But the narrative is a) not using the correct terminology of a case and b) a positive PCR test doesn’t prove infection, and therefore it is not a diagnosis of a “case” in the true sense of the word (severe enough to be admitted to hospital).
The second thing to be aware of with the PCR test is that there is a plethora of scientific evidence that confirms PCR tests are not meant for diagnostic purposes and cannot isolate a live virus (as above). Dr Kary Mullis who devised the test repeatedly said this. There is a great deal of written and video footage of him talking about his PCR tests. As I have already said the tests cannot isolate a live virus. In addition they can only determine if coronavirus RNA debris is present, the specific COVID-19 virus has never been isolated. Therefore anyone who has had a cold or the flu is testing positive. What is more, the PCR tests can only be deemed as fairly accurate up to thirty five cycles. It is known that the PCR tests are being run at forty cycles and above which directly cause an increased number of false positive tests.
The increase in testing and false positive tests are what are driving the soring numbers scrolling across your TV screens.
There are many aspects of this situation that need more insight for example Chief Scientific Officer, Patrick Vallance has £600,000 of shares in GSK a pharmaceutical company producing a vaccine which the government has placed an order with. Isn’t there something of a conflict of interest here? There are experts, authoritative virologists, biomedical scientists and doctors who do not agree with Witty and Vallance, who do not have such conflicts of interests. We aren’t talking about one or two eccentrics.
Why aren’t Boris and Hancock open to listening to them too?
Stress
So stress is a big player in affecting your immune system and with the public health messages instilling fear and creating a stress response this in turn undermines your immune system and downregulates/ suppresses the innate immune system – your immunity is compromised- A LOT!
So what can you do to support yourself at this time as we enter normal flu/ viral season with Sars-Covid 19 added into the mix? There’s actually a lot you can do.
Please look at previous newsletters for tips and information regarding improving your wellbeing i.e. improving sleep and reducing stress etc. In this newsletter I’m focusing on a key nutrient which you may have heard incorrect information about recently.
Since the Covid-19 epidemic started multiple studies have repeatedly shown a link to Vitamin D deficiency, yet when Matt Hancock was asked about it he inaccurately said a British study had found the opposite. He is either ignorant or incompetent, probably both!
Vitamin D is a lifesaving immune supporter which strengthens the body against ALL viral illness.
I would like to acknowledge the Vlogger Ivor Cummins and refer people to his YouTube video found here. The video discusses the study, which you are unlikely to see on BBC News showing that those who’s Vitamin D levels were below 10ng/ml were 10.1 x more likely to die from the virus than those whose blood level were about 30ng/ml. (note: ng/ml – nanograms per millimeter of blood. In the UK its measured in nmol/L instead, which can be a bit confusing as this gives a figure which at first glance looks 2.5 x higher than ng/ml).
What’s interesting is that even this study misses an important point. The optimal level is not 30ng/ml. I feel that is the minimum acceptable level. The optimal level is about 60ng/ml. How do we know this?
We know this because when we manage to get as much coverage of our bodies in the sun regularly (without burning), and the sun is at an angle of above a minimum of 30 degrees to the earth (in the UK we have this for 8 months of the year), but only for a brief period of the day during the transition months of October and March, and 40 degrees for dark skinned people, we get up to 60-80ng within a couple of weeks. It never goes much above or below that no matter how much time we spend in the sun. Had the study been based on the optimal amount, not the minimum amount, one can assume it would not be a 10.1 x higher risk for death. The difference would be far more impressive!
A new study just published by Prof. Michael Holick at Boston University, puts another nail in the coffin confirming the critical importance of Vitamin D in protecting from testing positive to this current virus. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32941512/
Take a look at the graphs from the study of test results on over 190,000 people
The closer your blood value of Vitamin D to 50ng/ml, or above, the lower your risk of testing positive for the virus
And this held true (higher Vit. D = lower risk of infection) whether you are white, black, hispanic, male, female, or living in Northern or Southern climates = meaning this is true for everyone.
And in a study of 780 confirmed positive Sars-Cov2 cases, death was directly associated with Vitamin D levels, again.
https://emerginnova.com/patterns-of-covid19-mortality-and-vitamin-d-an-indonesian-study/
This is a reason why I believe it is an important protective marker and therefore needs to be checked for immune protection. This can be done by your GP or you can order a simple finger-prick test for vitamin D from the office (just email Nicki) that can be completed at home. The cost of this is £35.00.
Vitamin D Supplements
I am of the opinion, if you can’t get in the sun, then you should supplement with Vitamin D, every day that you don’t get in the sun. It is also important to include Vitamin K2, both for its enhanced safety and for its cardiovascular benefits. Both D and K are very important to your health.
We stock several vitamin D and K supplements, If it is not currently on your protocol as I generally add it in in October, and if I’m not due to consult with you for a few weeks please contact the office and ask regarding dose and most appropriate product for yourself .
I am not suggesting that Vitamin D is a guaranteed answers to anything. No one product is a guaranteed cure for anything by itself. But I am 100% sure that it is supportive, protective and will help your wellbeing balance at this time alongside your personal daily lifestyle improvers that you are aware off.
We have a great many things that we can do to support our immune systems, and has said previously please look back at earlier newsletters and blogs.
Continue to take excellent care of yourselves mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually and if you have any questions please either contact the office or chat with me about it in our next consult.