New Theory: COVID-19 in the 30-50” North Parallels

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One of the questions that I’m frequently asked about COVID-19 is related to temperature: do I think that the virus will fade as the temperature gets warmer in the Northern hemisphere? My answer is still I don’t know. However, after Paula gave me an article to read, and then I read the scientific paper behind the news article, I’m going to change my answer to maybe, and here’s why.

Several virus researchers tracked the path of the virus as it has spread. They focused on a specific weather path within the northern parallels at 30-50 N”—the lime green path in the graphic that shows weather from November 2018 to March 2019 (assuming the weather has been similar this year). When you look at the clusters of cases within specific temperatures (41°F to 52°F) and humidity percentages (47% to 79%), it seems reasonable. It was interesting to me that it’s not a straight line around the earth; as the temperature and humidity vary slightly from location to location, so do the clusters. That doesn’t mean there are no cases outside of that area, but they may have been carried from the clusters out, called community spread, which is unpredictable.

The researchers have also predicted, based on weather projections, where the next clusters may occur as spring proceeds. They caution that this is an examination with just two variables: cases of the COVID-19 virus infections and weather factors. They include a chart where the weather conditions will be right in the coming weeks. That doesn’t mean it will happen; just that it’s possible.

Does that actually answer the question I’ve been asked? No, but it gives us a direction to look. We’ll know more as we move toward summer. Until then, keep washing those hands, taking your supplements, and disinfecting surfaces you and others touch all the time. I’m going to go sanitize the refrigerator handle!

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: https://bit.ly/3cMhQ43

An Update on Taurine Supplementation

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Case studies serve a purpose in nutrition and medical research because looking at individuals or small groups of people may provide a direction that research can take. I recently read a research paper that examined two children from a Middle Eastern family that shared three symptoms: rapidly progressive childhood retinal degeneration, cardiomyopathy, and almost undetectable blood taurine levels. Logically, the first step would be to see if supplementing with taurine would help the affected family members, and it did.

But they also examined whether there were any processes that did not work properly. In this case, they identified a defect in a gene that processed taurine; that explained the low taurine levels. After supplementing 100 mg per kilogram of bodyweight per day, the children’s taurine levels returned to normal. With permission of the Human Subjects Review Board, they continued the supplementation for two years. The cardiomyopathy was eliminated after supplementation. Unfortunately, one of the siblings remained blind because deterioration had progressed too far.

Where does that leave us? While the testing for the genetic mutation may not be practical, it may be that taurine supplementation could be tested for deteriorating vision and cardiomyopathy. That’s the benefit of case studies: they give us direction.

Nutrition in the 21st Century in Atlanta

There are still seats left for the Dr. Chet Seminar in Atlanta. If you can make it to Atlanta, I’d love to see you there. Those three hours will be over before you know it, and what you’ll learn you’ll be able to use for a lifetime. Check it out today. And if you’re planning to attend this or any other meeting, start supplementing to boost your immune system now.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: Hum Mol Genet. 2019 Dec 31. pii: ddz303. doi: 10.1093/hmg/ddz303.

COVID-19 and Social Media

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A long-time friend and Insider asked if the following were true. I’m going to use excerpts because I don’t want someone to mistakenly think I endorse what’s being said. I don’t, and this Memo is going to point out where the lies exist. I can’t think of a nicer way of saying it because the people who write this stuff are not concerned about your health in the least. Maybe it’s just a bid for attention, I don’t know.

“The Self Test”

From the first social media post (Paula asked me to tell you the copy from social media hasn’t been edited; her appraisal is “Yikes.”):

“The new NCP coronavirus may not show sign of infection for many day. By the time they have fever and/or cough and goes to the hospital, the lungs is usually 50 % Fibrosis and it’s too late! Taiwan experts provide a simple self-check that we can do every morning: Take a deep breath and hold your breath for more than 10 seconds. If you complete it successfully without coughing, without discomfort, stuffiness or tightness, etc., it proves there’s no fibrosis in the lungs, basically indicating no infection.”

The problem with many of these hoaxes is they contain at least one element of truth. COVID-19 may take a few days, maybe up to a week, to begin to show symptoms, generally a fever. The issue is that unless someone already has a fever, the infection would not have spread to the lungs.

There is no self-test that I could find. If it were true, wouldn’t everyone know it by now? (And that’s always a good question when you see health news that’s too good to be true.) More than that, fibrosis doesn’t seem to be the result of getting COVID-19.

“Serious Excellent Advice”

SERIOUS EXCELLENT ADVICE by Japanese doctors treating COVID-19 cases. Everyone should ensure your mouth & throat is moist, never DRY. Take a few sips of water every 15 mins at least. WHY? Even if the virus gets into your mouth…drinking water or other liquids will WASH them down through your oesophagus and into the stomach. Once there in tummy…your stomach ACID will kill all the virus. If you don’t drink enough water more regularly…the virus can enter your windpipes and into the LUNGS. That’s very dangerous.

Drinking fluids is important to your immune system, but there’s no relationship between your ability to drink every 15 minutes and killing the virus with stomach acid. Stop and think: this virus causes problems in the upper and especially the lower respiratory system. If water helps kill it, there are few places in the body more moist than the respiratory system.

“Spread the Word”

Pls send and share with family, friends and everyone about this ! Take care everyone n may the world recovers from corona virus soon. May all be well n happy.

There is always an appeal to share the posts, no matter which form of social media. I would recommend you not do that. These posts are misleading, and if your friends and family follow the advice and get sick… well. You get the point.

The Bottom Line

The medical news during a crisis is difficult enough to follow. Promoting people who post such nonsense slows down the process of educating people on what they really should do to protect themselves and reduce the risk of getting COVID-19. Part of helping others is not passing along incorrect information.

One More Thing

Dr. Chet’s seminar Nutrition for the 21st Century in Atlanta is in just two weeks! Reserve your spot today—when will you get another chance to hear me teach, live and in person? Check it out in the Dr. Chet store. Keep taking your vitamins and probiotics to keep your immune system strong, and I hope to see you there!

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

There’s More to Know About COVID-19

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Someone just sneezed in an enclosed area such as an office or a plane. We know the potential for any virus to be in a droplet, especially if someone is sick. How many individual viruses do you have to inhale to get sick? In theory, just one will do it. After reading more details, it’s likely to take more than that, depending on the virus and with COVID-19, we just don’t know yet.

Are we toast? No, because it gets complicated. It depends on the strength of your immune system, and that includes whether you’ve had a coronavirus from a regular cold that was similar enough to have made antibodies to it. Then the virus has to penetrate cells to replicate; they can’t replicate by themselves. How many cells get infected will, in part, determine whether you get sick or not after exposure. Once the infection begins, your body will produce mucus to try to expel the virus, and thus the potential for infecting others continues, whether you get symptoms or not.

What’s the best thing to do? Keep your immune system strong. Take the supplements you typically use to boost your immune system, and don’t forget the probiotics (check out Immune Boost 1-2-3 on my Health Info page). Get enough sleep. Try to get your stress under control—like that’s easy—but most of us can find at least one stressor to eliminate or postpone, especially now when we have the perfect excuse to cancel. Slow and easy exercise. If you’re starting to feel sick, stay home if you can. If you’re sick and you must leave the house, that’s the time to wear a mask—to protect others. And for goodness sake, wash your hands with soap thoroughly and frequently. That seems to be the universal advice.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

P.S. This is the last week to get 20% off on The Optimal Performance CD Set and Workbook, so check it out now.

How Many Viruses in a Single Droplet?

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All news sources are reporting on the COVID-19 virus. We’ve had the first six deaths in the U.S. and people are concerned. I understand; as someone who travels for a living and meets with groups of people locally and around the country, the thought crosses my mind. Of all the things we can do, the most important is to try to limit the spread of the virus person to person. That’s not going to be easy.

In doing some research for an Insiders Conference Call, I wanted to know how many viruses could be in a single droplet expelled from a cough or a sneeze. With viruses being so small, even in relation to bacteria, I knew it had to be a lot, and it is.

In one droplet expelled by a cough, there may be 3,000 or so droplets. In a sneeze, the droplets could be as many as 40,000 or so. That’s a lot, but that isn’t the whole story. The question was how many viruses could be in a single droplet. For someone is symptomatic and infectious, there could be as many as 200 million viruses in a single droplet. So 40,000 x 200,000,000; you can do the math from there. It’s a lot of viruses if you happen to have droplets lodge in your sinus cavity or in your mouth.

But wait! There’s more—and I’ll tell you that on Thursday.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Lots of Updates at DrChet.com

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Thank you for reading what I write. Paula and I also want to thank you again for all your prayers, kind words, and best wishes during her recent Adventure. They mean a lot. As we ramp up and return to full speed, I want to give you an update on the status of projects I committed to before life happened.

For Everyone, Reader or Not

The Nutrition for the 21st Century seminar in Massachusetts was great. People commented that they learned a lot about diet and supplementation.

Everyone in the Atlanta area—and by that I mean within a few hours drive—can go to the next seminar in Atlanta. If you don’t live in that area but have family or business partners that do live there, they can check it out at this link.

One of the things that I didn’t do on the DrChet.com survey in November was request contact information (that was intentional). But it also means I can’t directly contact those of you who live in an area. So if you’re eager to see me in a region of the country, let me know where.

A new Basic Health Info has been posted that explains the change in units for dietary supplements. I mentioned it in a Memo, but this will give you the tools to calculate the amounts yourself.

Members

Two Straight Talk On Health audios have been posted for you to listen to. One covers in more detail the studies I’ve mentioned in Memos on vitamin C and mortality, and vitamin D, calcium, and fractures. The other is about omega-3s as anti-inflammatories, and caffeine and memory. There will be more posted every month so be sure to check. Both Members and Insiders get these audios free; be sure to log in first.

Insiders

The January conference call has been posted on the Insiders page; that’s the page that greets you when you log in as an Insider. You may ask “What conference call?” Due to our unusual circumstances, I recorded the conference call based on questions I’ve gotten from you since the last call plus info on preservatives used in skin and haircare products.

The February conference call will also be recorded and will be posted next week. February topics will be an update on the coronavirus (COVID-19) as well as the best form of zinc and a few of your questions. Soon I’ll be sending out the Insiders Newsletter with the dates of our conference calls through June. They will be live again!

Next week will also be the first of the Do Your Job audios. There will be one posted every week for 26 weeks to help you achieve your health goals. This is free and exclusive to Insiders. If you want to work on both the mental as well as mechanics of losing weight, getting fitter, lowering BP or bloodsugar, and any other health goal, you’ll want to listen to these audios.

Members: You can upgrade to being an Insider by logging in at DrChet.com and going to Membership on the Store page; your cost will be automatically prorated (let me know if it isn’t).

Memo Readers: This is your chance to take advantage of all the benefits of being an Insider as well changing your body as well. Check it out.

The first lifestyle and supplement recommendations for conditions will be added to the Insider benefits within 10 days. I’ll be adding more every month. Yet another reason to be an Insider!

Whether you’re a Memo reader, a Member, or an Insider, thank you for trusting me to give you the most current health information based on research and science. I look forward to serving you in 2020 and beyond.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

2020 Supplement Facts Labels

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Supplement Facts labels can be confusing to say the least. How much of each substance is in a product? Is the source of the supplement natural or synthetic? And what exactly is an International Unit (IU) anyway? I’ve noticed that supplement labels have eliminated IUs and replaced them with weights in milligrams (mg) and micrograms (mcg). What’s going on?

In 2016, the FDA modified the rules for indicating label amounts and gave companies until January 1, 2020, to comply. The RDAs were changing and they wanted to standardize the units of measurement. The IU represented the biological activity of the vitamin, but the source of the vitamin could impact the actual amount of the vitamin in the supplement and thus, the biological activity.

For example, if a product contains natural vitamin E, to find out the mg, the IU would be multiplied by 0.67; but if it was synthetic vitamin E, it would be multiplied by 0.45. That means that a label that indicated 100 IU would now say 67 mg if it were natural vitamin E but 45 mg if it were synthetic. The label would also have to give the form of the vitamin.

The changes impact most of the fat-soluble vitamins and phytonutrients. It’s going to take time to get used to it and understand it, but I see it as a positive move that will help us all understand supplements better.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: http://bit.ly/2HSQ1Jm

Vitamin C and the Coronavirus

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A long-time reader and Insider asked me to check out an article titled “Vitamin C Protects Against Coronavirus.” It was sourced from the Orthomolecular Medicine News Service. I read it, and I read some of the other blog posts from their website on vitamin C and the coronavirus. They claim to have inside information about how vitamin C is being used via infusion in studies that are starting in China.

The article talked about vitamin C in general and how research shows it can be beneficial against viral infections. There’s some truth to that. However, vitamin C in supplement or IV form has not been proved to be effective against any form of the coronavirus. The article was misleading and was contradicted by the “insider information” because those studies in China have not begun.

I’m sorry to say this is the worst form of scientific misinformation that gets passed around the Internet—no evidence of any kind, just irresponsible suggestions that give people false hope. It doesn’t mean that boosting the immune system isn’t a good idea, but to say that it will prevent or cure the coronavirus just isn’t true.

If you want to boost your immune system, go to the Health Info page at drchet.com and check out “Flu Season: Reducing Your Risk” in the Basic Health Info section. No cures. Just the best science has to say right now.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

You’re Invited to a Live Dr. Chet Seminar in Atlanta!

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The next stop on the Dr. Chet tour is going to be in Atlanta, GA, to talk about Nutrition for the 21st Century.

I’ll start with the most important question: what’s the best diet? The keto craze is in full swing, with Paleo right behind. The opposite side is going vegan, an all plant-based diet. What’s best for weight loss? For more energy? For weight maintenance? I’ll let you know the pros and cons of each approach so you can make the right choice for you.

Second, no matter which diet you choose to follow, will you get adequate nutrients? No matter how healthy the diet, there will always be gaps because of the way our food is grown and processed. This time around, it’s not just getting the right nutrients for your body but also your microbiome, the microbes in your digestive system that are critical to your immune system. They require healthier choices as well. I’ll cover the basic nutritional supplements for adults and children to lay a good foundation.

How do you decide on a quality manufacturer? There are new companies being started every day, and I’ll give you specific criteria you can use to evaluate supplement manufacturers. If you’re going to put supplements in your body, you want to be certain they’re safe and effective. I’ll let you know how to do that.

Next, there are some conditions that may be the result of a lack of adequate nutrients. Supplements don’t cure diseases, but the right nutrition may help your body help itself. I’ll cover some common conditions.

I’ll also have time to answer your questions. The goal is to provide you with enough information for you to make healthy choices every day. Please join me to get the latest information to do exactly that.

Who should attend? People who find themselves confused by the nutrition information available; one day something’s good, the next day it’s bad. I’ll clarify that for you. If you’re concerned about your personal health or that of your family, or you’re a business owner who wants to understand supplementation and diet better, you should be there. Everyone will walk away with something that will help them make healthier choices.

Nutrition for the 21st Century
March 22, 2020, 2 – 5 p.m.
Dunwoody Country Club
1600 Dunwoody Drive
Atlanta GA 30350

$29.95

Important note: Country club rules say you can’t buy tickets at the door, but you can buy them on your smartphone in the hallway or on your way there by going to drchet.com; please complete your purchase by 1:45. Your name will be added electronically to the list.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Paula’s Adventure: What Happened and What Can We Learn?

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Before we explore the cause and what lessons we can learn, Paula and I want to thank you for your support and prayers for us. I know that some of you were very concerned, especially because of the way I presented it one piece at a time. I’m sorry. It just seemed logical to me to keep each piece contained and keep the reading to less than two minutes for the Tuesday and Thursday Memos. Next time, and I really hope there’s no next time, I’ll let you know the outcome and then tell you the story.

What Caused the Sodium to Drop to Dangerous Levels?

The physician in charge thought the cause was a diuretic Paula had been taking for edema (fluid retention) since her 20s. He concluded that she became over-sensitive to it and it began to eliminate too much sodium. That leads to hyponatremia, low sodium levels. That happens to runners when they drink only water while training in hot weather; that’s why sports drinks have electrolytes, and why sports drinks (or Pedialyte for kids) are a good addition to your diet when you’re very ill and vomiting or not eating.

I can’t say for certain—it’s not my area—but I think factors involved with that chronic cough, the OTC drugs we used, and not eating and not drinking enough contributed to the problem. The altering of our taste buds happened to both Paula and me; nothing tasted normal, let alone good. Lower intake of fluids and food also lowered sodium intake. As for the OTC drugs, guaifenesin found in Mucinex helps reduce coughing, but it can also contribute to dizziness and drowsiness. Then we add the benzocaine and menthol in the throat lozenges and the acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, and doxylamine succinate in Nyquil, and who knows what all that adds up to when combined with everyday meds? While the primary cause was the diuretic, the other factors probably helped bring it to crisis level.

What Can We Learn From Paula’s Adventure?

The Rule and Some Additions
You’ve heard me say, “When in doubt, check it out!” Do it immediately if you think it’s related to your heart, or after two weeks if it’s a chronic condition that doesn’t go away. Paula saw the doctor after 10 days, and I happened to have my physical about the same time.

Here’s the addition: do what Paula did. Write out every symptom that you noticed since it began, plus the medications you take, the OTC medications you may have added, and any supplements you take. If you’re experiencing anything, write it down. If Paula hadn’t written about her blurry vision and hearing sounds that weren’t there, they may not have sent her to the ER. She could have had something more serious happen such as a seizure. Write everything down and call the doctor’s office!

Review All Medications and Supplements at Your Annual Physical
Once every year or so, you should review your medications with your physician to see if there are any known interactions. Maybe a symptom is related to too much or too little of something you’re taking. That’s why a yearly physical with a thorough blood test is important for everyone, but especially as we get older. Another factor we discovered from Paula’s many blood tests was that her thyroid medication was working too well, so the doctor reduced her dosage.

It may be that you should consult a pharmacist. They deal with a wider variety of drugs, and they hear first about whether there are known interactions. Remember, there’s no research on interactions between medications or supplements. Physicians and pharmacists report it to the adverse effects hotline and it gets added to the list, but I’m not sure how widely that info is spread.

The Bottom Line

Paula wants to say how grateful she is for the exceptional care she received at Blodgett Hospital; we feel very fortunate to have excellent medical care here in West Michigan. She’s still recovering, and her energy levels are lower than normal.

I hope her adventure helps you understand that our bodies are complicated. Under stress such as that severe cough and cold, our bodies may respond differently than we expect. Take what we’ve learned and apply it to your life. That would make the experience worth it.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

P.S. The next Dr. Chet Nutrition in the 21st Century is going to be in Atlanta on March 22. More details tomorrow.