Tag: niacin

bookmark_borderCOVID-19 Delta Variant and Vaccines

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COVID
By Daniel Brouse

What do we know about the Delta variant and vaccines?

OVERVIEW
The efficacy of mRna vaccines is about 79% against contracting the Delta variant. Non-mRna vaccines are between 40-60% effective against Delta. Vaccines lose efficacy at about 3%/month after six months of being fully vaccinated. Vaccines appear to help contain the Delta variant to the nasal passage. You are less likely to develop the epigenetic changes to your genes (long-COVID). Previous infection of COVID offers no protection to the Delta variant. Get vaccinated.

THE BAD NEWS
The delta variant is much more contagious than any other COVID strain. Vaccines also appear to be less effective at preventing infection from the Delta variant. On July 30, 2021, the Delta variant was much more predominant in Louisiana than in Pennsylvania. In Louisiana, 15% of the deaths were in vaccinated individuals. In Pennsylvania, 1% of the deaths were in vaccinated individuals.

Recent studies also revealed that vaccinated people can transmit the virus both asymptomatically and symptomatically.

THE GOOD NEWS
The vaccines are still tremendously effective at preventing infection, hospitalization and death from Delta.

Vaccinated individuals that get infected with Delta overwhelmingly stop the virus in their nasal passage. The virus never infects the lungs nor spreads to other systems causing blood clots or other life threatening conditions.

Since Delta never reaches the lungs and other organs, vaccinated people that test positive for COVID are unlikely to develop long-COVID (Long Haulers Syndrome). Long-COVID is caused by the coronavirus making epigenetic and genetic changes to your genes. COVID partially disables the immune system. Some of the dismantling is temporary lasting only a few days. Some of the dismantling is chronic and may last a lifetime.

The most common long term side-effect from COVID-19 are:
* the disruption of the body’s ability to produce and retain NAD+. Without NAD+ your immune system can not metabolize most vitamins, can not regulate body temperature, nor properly activate an immune response. Lack of NAD+ will cause your body to hi-jack tryptophan and cause all sorts-of mental and neurological disorders. Lack of NAD+ has been associated with over one hundred post-COVID ailments.
* upregulation of Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO). “IDO is an immune checkpoint molecule in the sense that it is an immunomodulatory enzyme produced by alternatively activated macrophages and other immunoregulatory cells. IDO is known to suppress T and NK cells, generate Tregs and myeloid-derived suppressor cells, and also supports angiogenesis.’

In the vast majority of cases, vaccinated individuals do not suffer from alterations to the genes. Vaccination almost always prevents Delta from developing into long-COVID’s Long Haulers Syndrome.

PROTECT YOUR GENES FROM THE VIRUS
GET VACCINATED
WEAR A MEDICAL GRADE MASK (to prevent the virus from getting in your nasal passage in the first place)
TAKE A NIACIN SUPPLEMENT
AVOID ANTI-VAXXERS LIKE THE PLAGUE

MORE ON COVID: COVID-19 / SARS-CoV-2 / Novel Coronavirus

bookmark_borderLong-COVID and Environmental Aggravators

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by Daniel Brouse
help@membrane.com

Exercise aggravates long-COVID symptoms. COVID causes changes to your genes making it harder to create NAD+ and quicker to consume NAD+. Normally, exercise helps boost your NAD+. Not with long-COVID. The inflammation caused by exercise, anxiety, or exertion causes a rapid depletion of NAD+ aggravating long-COVID symptoms and perpetuating the downward cycle in NAD+ levels. So, Long Haulers should limit their activity until their NAD+ deficiency is under control.

What other factors can impact the severity of your long-COVID symptoms? We know anything that depletes NAD+ will cause problems. Aging, Hypertension, Obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, and other ailments result in suboptimal NAD+. But, what about your environment?

We know long term exposure to air pollution increases the risk of death from COVID-19 by 20 times. Another reason why wearing a mask in the out-of-doors is a good idea. Completely avoid outside exposure on air quality alert days.

I have been conducting research and development on two other environmental factors — elevation and temperature.

ELEVATION I — Change in Atmospheric Pressure
Elevation is the number of feet above sea level on which you stand. The bio-hacker experiment I’ve been conducting takes me from 400 feet above sea level to 1,400 feet above sea level. The more rapid the change from higher elevations to lower elevation, then the worse my long-COVID symptoms. All systems feel an impact; however, the middle ear takes the brunt of the punishment. Brain fog, dizziness, tinnitus, ear aches, vertigo, and pressure in the ears are all amplified in their severity. I just did a 24 hour experiment and am beginning to think it has to do with pressure. Perhaps O2 (oxygen in the blood) as well, but more to do with “atmospheric pressure and sea level.” The symptoms seem to lag behind the increase in pressure.

Dr. Ade Wentzel said, “The epigenetic upregulation of IDO will determine the amount of quinolinic acid. Quinolinic acid comes from the kynurenine pathway. If the viscosity of the whole middle ear is increased then the ability to equalize will be less… same as having a cold. So, the ear isn’t equalizing correctly on increasing pressure. The same as when you land in a plane. If the viscosity in the semicircular canals is increased, the otoliths may well be lagging causing the vertigo. The otoliths usually “Float” in the semicircular canal and trigger tiny sensory hairs that allow you to detect position.”

“IDO (Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase) is an immune checkpoint molecule in the sense that it is an immunomodulatory enzyme produced by alternatively activated macrophages and other immunoregulatory cells. IDO is known to suppress T and NK cells, generate Tregs and myeloid-derived suppressor cells, and also supports angiogenesis.’ (Wikipedia)

It is possible that changes in the weather that cause changes in atmospheric pressure (Lows and Highs) may result in the same problems. This happened to me with weather systems over the weekend (August 22, 2021.) A very low pressure system (hurricane Henri) passed by followed by a high pressure system. The following 2 days I suffered from brain fog, dizziness, tinnitus, ear aches, vertigo, and pressure in the ears.

ELEVATION II — Oxygen Desaturation
People that go to higher elevations — above 4,900 feet — start to have more problems with High Altitude Oxygenation. “High altitudes can cause low oxygen saturation levels or desaturation of an individual’s blood.” Changing elevations at higher than 4,900 feet might cause both oxygen desaturation and atmospheric pressure problems.

COVID causes a decrease in the “rate of oxygen uptake into the lung to the oxygen gradient between the capillary blood and the alveoli.” Dr. Ade Wentzel said, “We know that the Lung Diffusion co-efficient is increased [by optimizing NAD+ levels].”

TEMPERATURE
The sweet spot is between 50-70 degrees Fahrenheit. The further below 50 degrees the more severe the symptoms. Lower temperatures appear to be a linear relationship. On the other hand, temperatures above 70 degrees appear to have an exponential relationship. That is to say, if 80 degrees causes symptoms to be twice as bad, 90 degrees causes symptoms to be four times as severe.

CONCLUSION
Mountain hiking in 90 degree temperatures (exercise at higher elevations in the heat) causes unnecessary stress on your system and dramatically increases your chances of a negative outcome.

MORE ON COVID: COVID-19 / SARS-CoV-2 / Novel Coronavirus

bookmark_borderOmnivores: About Your Immune System and COVID

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By Daniel Brouse

Humans are omnivores. A human’s immune system is dependent on eating an omnivore’s diet. Your immune system is really a collaboration between many of your body’s systems, such as, neurological, respiratory, cardiovascular, and circulatory systems. The “health” of your immune system is dependent on your overall status, but more importantly, the ability of your immune system to respond to any given battle at a particular time.

COVID can cause damage to your organs directly during the fight. COVID can also cause damage to all your body’s systems. Post-COVID chronic ailments comprise both categories. Many COVID cases result in damage to the lungs, heart, kidneys, and brain. Many COVID cases also cause damage to your immune system. (eg Long Haulers Syndrome)

Diet and lifestyle choices are detrimental in both the immune system’s ability to fight individual battles, as well as, your immune system’s ability to survive the war.

THE BATTLE
When an infection starts attacking your body, your immune system starts a process involving most of your body’s systems including neurological, respiratory, cardiovascular, and circulatory systems. Your brain connects with command centers throughout your body. The power supply for these command centers is called NAD+

The timing and locations of the battles are crucial for victory. Your command centers deploy Trojan horses to the nearest fight. The Trojan horses come in a variety of different breeds but are commonly called interferons. The interferons are unique antiviral proteins. They are part of the process that invades the infection, gets inside, steals the memory. Then, the interferon creates more protein. The proteins prevent the virus from multiplying. To help you win the war, the memory of the virus is then transferred to your central intelligence agency and used in your antibody production including T-cells and B-cells.

Your immunity factory needs a bunch of supplies to metabolize in order to win. It is critical that your body make and distribute the supplies to the immune factory assembly line. Supplements may be substituted in an emergency, but supplements can not replace your assembly line. You need to consume plants, animals, O2, H20, and sunlight. Time is of the essence.

WINNING THE BATTLE AGAINST COVID
The simplest strategy to defeat COVID is to consume Niacin (B3) and photosynthesized Vitamin D (sunlight).

Niacin is crucial for the production of your command centers — Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)

Sunlight is crucial for the production of your interferons. The photosynthesis of Vitamin D produces the Vitamin D you need, but more important for this battle is the timing of the unique photoproducts that are also created in the photosynthesis process — interferons. The interferons need to be deployed rapidly to the exact location of the intruder. In the end, interferons are meat proteins consumed by your immune system. The role of eating meat in your diet is not yet clearly known; however, animal proteins and amino acids obtained through eating meat likely play an important role. We do know that bacterium found in ruminant cattle (meat and milk) is essential for humans to make Vitamin D.

CONCLUSION
To help prevent catching COVID, to help fight COVID, and/or to recover from post-COVID, Niacin and the photosynthesis of Vitamin D are the simplest protocol.

bookmark_borderCOVID-19 Testimonial

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COVID=19
By Daniel Brouse
help@membrane.com

I’ve been reluctant to talk about my COVID experience for several reasons, but have decided — if my testimony can convince just 1 person to avoid contracting or spreading the disease, it will be worth it.

I had COVID back at the end of January and the first weeks of February and conducted a study of people that got infected along with me. The sample size of infected individuals in my study sample is 6.
Ages 30-80
16.7% died
33.3% had severe symptoms
33.3% had moderate symptoms
16.7% were asymptomatic
Age and blood type appear to be the dominant factors.

I’ve been working with my doctor for a couple months. In May, he first told me not to bother with the antibody test. That my symptoms were most certainly COVID. Insurance only covers the antibody test if you have previously tested positive, and getting tested doesn’t tell you anything, anyway. (eg inaccurate test results, inability of tests to determine the amount of antibodies and T cells, etc.) He believes I’ll have immunity until around December.

Now, here’s the interesting part…
I’ve been questioning whether recovered patients have immunity and how some people have appeared to be reinfected? Over the last 2 weeks, I’ve been working with my doctor about recurring symptoms. It turns out I have “long haulers” syndrome. Every couple of weeks I go through a wave of symptoms. Though not as severe as the original experience, it is still not pleasant. The symptoms don’t come on all at the same time, rather they cycle through over two weeks (not necessarily in the same order.) I’m not infected again, nor am I contagious. Exercise or anything that causes inflammation aggravates my symptoms. The symptoms include:

* difficulty breathing (feeling like you’re not taking in enough oxygen)
* congestion / mild cough
* stomach issues / diarrhea
* loss of taste, smell, and appetite
* temperature regulation / night sweats
* nightmares / vivid dreams
* dizziness / the spins / foggy thinking
* headaches / body aches / soreness
* fatigue
* ear aches
* peripheral neuropathy (tingling of the hands and feet)

There is currently no treatment or cure for long haul syndrome.

IMPORTANT UPDATE (November 2020)
A treatment has been found for long haulers syndrome. After 8 long, long, brutal months of long haulers, I am back to better than I was before. I am a scientist living in Pennsylvania (USA). In August of 2020, I joined a COVID survivors group. There I met Dr. Ade Wentzel from Port Elizabeth (South Africa). Ade and his colleagues, Robert Miller (Cape Town) and Guy Richards (Johannesburg), developed a diet based protocol based on their research COVID-19: NAD+ deficiency may predispose the aged, obese and type2 diabetics to mortality through its effect on SIRT1 activity.

Long haulers syndrome is the depletion of NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide). NAD+ is involved in cell creation, maintenance, metabolism, and regulating cell processes. COVID both increases the breakdown of NAD+ and decreases the production of NAD+. The result is the same as the disease pellagra. A niacin deficiency results in pellagra. Long haulers syndrome is COVID-19 Induced Secondary Pellagra (CISP).

Once I started the protocol, my symptoms diminished and then disappeared completely. In fact three weeks later, my quality of life improved back to when I was 20 years younger. Obviously, I was NAD+ deficient prior to contracting the virus, and COVID depleted my NAD+ even further (bringing me close to death.)

THE PROTOCOL is:
Niacin B3, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Quercetin, Zinc, and Selenium

Here’s what I’m doing:
Vitamin C, Quercetin and Selenium you can get from your diet. Careful not too much Selenium. I eat 1 Brazil nut a day. The Vitamin D is best gotten from 15 minutes a day in the sun. You can take 1000iu, too. A 15mg zinc/day supplement. The niacin is the trickiest and most important part. You need to make sure you get the right kind. Non-flush is no good. You can start with 35mg/day, but it will depend on your deficiency. I take 50-75mg with each meal. Here’s the walk through on getting the niacin right. It is recommended I stay on the protocol for 6 months. This is how Ade and Rob walk me through getting the correct Niacin B3.

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