Posted on 03/10/2024 9:42:24 AM PDT by ConservativeMind
Problems with iron levels in the blood and the body's ability to regulate this important nutrient as a result of SARS-CoV-2 infection could be a key trigger for long COVID, research has discovered.
Researchers analyzed blood samples from 214 individuals. Approximately 45% of those questioned about their recovery reported symptoms of long COVID between three and ten months later.
The team discovered that ongoing inflammation—a natural part of the immune response to infection—and low iron levels in blood, contributing to anemia and disrupting healthy red blood cell production, could be seen as early as two weeks post COVID-19 in those individuals reporting long COVID many months later.
Professor Hal Drakesmith said iron dysregulation is a common consequence of inflammation and is a natural response to infection.
"However, if this goes on for a long time, there is less iron for red blood cells, so oxygen is transported less efficiently affecting metabolism and energy production, and for white blood cells, which need iron to work properly. The protective mechanism ends up becoming a problem."
The findings may help explain why symptoms such as fatigue and exercise intolerance are common in long COVID, as well as in several other post-viral syndromes with lasting symptoms.
One approach might be controlling the extreme inflammation as early as possible, before it impacts on iron regulation. Another approach might involve iron supplementation; however, as Dr. Hanson pointed out, this may not be straightforward.
"It isn't necessarily the case that individuals don't have enough iron in their body, it's just that it's trapped in the wrong place," she said. "What we need is a way to remobilize the iron and pull it back into the bloodstream, where it becomes more useful to the red blood cells."
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
interesting- it’s an easy fix if true-
Anti-inflammatory supplements like curcumin (turmeric) would prevent this iron sequestration.
BS! Rona is nothing but a cold virus they rebranded as something dreadful and the masses fell for it. CDC never tracked cold deaths. There are two different cold viruses. Corona and Rhino. They renamed the Corona virus as Covid and scared everybody. Just go to TCS and get some cattle Ivermectin and get over those nasty colds and stop quaking in your boots.
“Long covid” = continuing scare tactics for a story or selling of medicine.
I’m sensing a theme of different articles expressing different underlying deficiencies as allowing Covid to do more serious harm.
Keeping oneself overall healthy and eating a well balanced diet with daily chewable vitamins with iron, plus exercise and plenty of fresh air and sunlight would seem a good defence against it.
A year ago I suffered 3 1/2 months of Long Something as did my partner. He made the mistake of babysitting his sick grandson and bringing home the bugs for us to suffer. Symptoms were mostly severe coughing that went on and on. Probably not Covid, but perhaps RSV. THe previous fall I had gained weight from nervous nibbling and worry about 3 loved ones dealing with cancer. My 2022 Dec. annual physical showed my Vitamin D had dropped from optimum to insufficient. Later that week I read an article posted by CMind to the effect that if your BMI is above 25, your Vitamin D moves into your fat rather than circulating in the blood where it can help the immune system. Perhaps this happens with iron as well. My BMI was now 27.5 and then my partner brought home The Bug, and our illness commenced.
I immediately increased my Vitamin C intake to every few hours, more zinc, and especially more Vitamin D. Reflecting on that period and months afterward, I now remember buying more red meat, as opposed to my eating mostly chicken and seafood for my protein. Of course this may just have been a result of going on a strict low carb diet and upping my protein intake. The result is when I had my annual physical this January, my weight was down 25 lbs., my BP was 120 over 65, my heart and lungs were very good, but my blood Vitamin D level had moved above the optimum range. So I immediately cut back on my Vitamin D from 10,000 IU to 5,000 IU. Also my partner had promised to not babysit his grandson again if the child was sick. Now my energy is back and I am getting caught up on neglected important tasks.
As a young woman (I am now 85), I was frequently anemic and the doctor recommended Iron which did not seem to help much. Then I read in an Adelle Davis book that Vitamin E can increase the life span of red blood cells from 85 days to 115 days. I had just started taking Vitamin E for my post pregnancy varicose vein problem development, and soon my anemia issue was gone, and has never returned. I do take a number of different supplements, and have added some as I have developed helth issues, and always been helped by the ones I selected after research. So far the conditions I have helped (which my parents experienced as health problems), have included that varicose vein issue, frequent respiratory infections, back pain, cataracts, and Vitamin D deficiency.
Regarding my Long whatever-it-was last winter, my partner’s grandson had tested negative for Covid when he was sick. I also was taking quercetin and zinc, 500 and 50 mg. doses most day while ill. During the second month of illness I suddenly stopped being able to smell, not even very pungent tea tree oil. I increased my zinc to 150 mg. a day and in 5 days my sense of smell returned, that tea tree oil is really strong. I also take curcurmin regularly, mostly for muscle and joint discomfort.
Eat more meat. Problem solved.
Thanks.
BFL
Tell that to Victor Davis Hanson
Long Covid .... getting the Covid shot(s), getting Covid once or repeatedly, and getting Long Covid forever.
I’m starting my 3rd week of COVID. I take an Iron and B12 supplement every night because I donate Power Reds. Before I got it, I was walking my dog a 1 and a 1/2 and another 2 and 1/2 miles on my treadmill. Took my dog for a walk and when I would walk a hill, I’m losing my breath and my heart rate goes through the roof. This is my 3rd COVID infection & its kicking my ass. I could sleep 18 hours a day.
I visited my doctor where CBC/electrolytes and retest of ALP/GGT was ordered. Surprise! RBC and WBC levels are halfway between zero the the lowest "OK" range. Hemoglobin at 8.4. Ferritin at 15. Stage 3 iron deficiency anemia. I dumped a large volume of blood in my stool on Jan 15.
Immediately on reading the lab reports I scheduled a liver ultrasound, then an MRCP (MRI) to check my liver and ceased all blood thinning supplements/meds (ibuprofen, turmeric, serrapeptase, nattokinase, bromelain, asperin). I've been off them for 3 weeks. I'm taking a heme-iron based supplement to rebuild my iron levels. A re-test of my CBC/ferritin shows my RBC back in normal range. Ferritin and hemoglobin are just short of the bottom of normal range. Stopping the blood loss and adding heme based iron supplements has turned the corner on the the blood lab results. Still waiting for the outward symptoms (lower leg edema) to improve. A colonoscopy/endoscopy is happening on Thursday to search for any other sources of bleeding. The MRI (MRCP) pulled more skeletons from the closet. A "juxtapleural node" on my right lung (CT recommended) and a need for ultrasound on the endoscopy to decide if the gallbladder needs to go.
All the above is a mix of post COVID and supplement impacts. You can't fix what you are measuring. The CBC/ferretin gave me a reference and plan of action. The iron deficiency anemia is resolving. The liver problems and plan of action are still being evaluated.
Incorrect. Turmeric will cause blood thinning and sequesters iron in the gut. Calcium also competes for iron absorption. If you take turmeric or consume calcium containing foods, do it away from your iron containing foods.
If you want ridiculous amounts of energy... eat roasted or pickled beets, or borscht. Helps with iron, too.
I am sorry you are having this complex of problems. I hope you will read my Comment #8 where I discuss how I have dealt with various health issues using nutrition over the years. You do not mention if you are taking Vitamin C or E.
Vitamin C can help any inflammatory problem. I have allergies to house dust, cool weather mold, ragweed and cigarette smoke. I started taking Vitamin E (400 IU) daily, and Vitamin C (around 4 to 7 grams a day) divided into 4 times daily around 50 years ago and have taken them almost daily for all those years. Vitamin C also helps raise WBCs to better levels. I recently added several new herbs and Supplements to my morning and evening handfuls and cut back on the E to once every 2 or 3 days. I have never taken more than 81 mg aspirin tablets, 1 daily. I also have had little experience with the supplements you have stopped taking.
You have not mentioned your current weight and height, so I have no idea what might be suitable amounts of Supplements to take. My preferred weight is around 130 lbs at 5’3”. Feel free to Private Message me if you wish to compare notes.
I had symptoms which suggested calcium deficiency, so have long taken calcium and magnesium in the recommended 2 to 1 ratio. Around age 60, my back pain was recurring, I read about boron and calcium utilization and added 3 mg a day with quick success. At age 75 the back pain was back again, so I added 3 mg. boron at night as well. Back is fine again. You might find Omega 3 oils good for your dry itchy skin, and also the right amount of Vitamin E could help the edema as well as increase the life span of RBCs. Since I don’t know your weight I cannot suggest a possible E amount, but if you take it be careful. It can lower blood pressure to the point of fainting as it relaxes blood vessels. My 200 lb. 5’11” husband was taking 800 IU for years. It is recommended to build up to the appropriate by first buying 100 IU Capsules, take 100 daily for 4 or 5 days, then 200 for 4 or 5 days, etc. until reaching the appropriate dosage. Then you can buy 400 or 800 IU capsules to continue. He died of Alzheimers at 75, but everything else was fine.
Good luck with your colonoscopy. In 1991 3 loved ones were dealing with cancer and I discovered some really interesting things that can help. My brother was shrinking his liver cancer using what I recommended and the doctors even spoke of removing some of the cancerous tissues. Then he had his 4th Covid vax, before I had a chance to tell him some of the scary things I had read recently. Within 2 weeks his cancer was much worse, he was taking much stronger, nastier chemo, and now he is dying.
Old age mental lapse. Three cancers in 2021, not in 1991.
Some people say Ivermectin is very helpful if you can get it along with zinc, Vitamin D and Vitamin C. Since I can’t get Ivermectin or HCQ, I use quercetin or CGCG along with zinc as they help get the Zinc into the virus infected cells to stop those bugs from reproducting. PM me if you want to discuss details. Cheers
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