If you don't have a daily supplement/vitamin regimen already; now would be a good time to start.

A multivitamin is the first thing in order.

Vitamin d3 is needed in higher doses than you will find in multivitamins. If you haven't been taking any vitamins, I would start on the higher side: around 2,000-4,000 iu a day, for a few days, and then 1,000-2,000 a day. ***see bottom***

Vitamin c should also be taken in higher doses than is found in a multi. I take about 1-3 grams a day.

Most multivitamins will have a sufficient dose of zinc, but having some lozenges on hand in case you start feeling sick, is a good idea. Lozenges may work better than other routes of administration.

Magnesium is also not usually in sufficient quantities in a multivitamin and most people are deficient. Your best source is leafy green vegetables ( ideally grown yourself). This doesn't seem to be related directly to the virus but it is an important nutrient for good health and so, by proxy, indicated.

I also take quercetin. There is only preliminary evidence, but it may be useful in inhibiting the growth of viruses. Glycyrrhizin, a chemical in licorice root, may also have viral attenuating properties. I have surplus of herbal tea that I was using years ago to help with breathing problem ("breath easy" which has licorice root as the first ingredient. Whether or not it helps; it is sweet and tasty (and it isn't sugar).

Any supplement (and anything you consume for that matter) should ideally be sourced from scrupulous vendors. This means that the product is tested by a 3rd party lab and they are willing to share this test with you. At the very least, if you are sourcing something from a grocer, pharmacy, et cetera; you should make sure it is certified by USP or NSF and it isn't expired. Many supplements and vendors do not properly store supplements and many supplements have actually been found to contain much less of the active ingredient, expired ingredients (in some cases, fish oil being an obvious one, this is actually quite dangerous) or nothing at all. Be shrewd. Many places are not accepting returns or exchanges at the moment.

***Some of these compounds, or dosage levels, may be contraindicated in some circumstances and individuals. Circumstances can vary wildly depending on the individual and their is no substitute for advice from a doctor and lab work. If you are able to talk to your doctor please do so. They will, or should be, familiar with finding optimal vitamin and nutrient levels.

Vitamin D, for example, can be toxic in too high of a dose. This can be serious. On the other hand, having a vitamin D deficiency can predispose you to myriad ailments; including respiratory problems and decreased immune system functioning. 2,000 iu seems to be somewhere in the middle, between insufficient and toxic, but the only way to really know is to have bloodwork done. If you are already vitamin d deficient then taking a higher dose for a few days should not be an issue; as your body is looking to replenish its supply.

Quercetin has not had enough research done on it to say with any degree of certainty that it is safe; but it seems to be well tolerated and without much risk. Glycyrrhizin can cause blood pressure issues when used by the wrong people or in the wrong doses.

Aside from all of these things; good sleep ( regular sleep and wake times; not exact of course but within a range) and amount of sleep (7-9 hours a night), a healthy diet, lessening stress, proper hygiene , and being vigilant, especially if you need to be out in the public, are all extremely important. Hygiene, sleep and diet are probably most important; supplements and vitamins just being a subset of diet.

If anyone can help critique this is would be much appreciated.

I am not a doctor and don't pretend to be one. However I have done a fair bit of research so as to to keep myself healthy. None of this is medical advice. Please talk to your doctor.

I have Kambo in a glassed box on the wall with the text: Brake the glass for emergencies.. And so should you haha

Is there evidence that kambo may exhibit anti-viral qualities?

I haven not researched very much and have been very adverse to taking it as there seem to be inherent dangers which, seemingly, cannot be done away with. It's also unclear to me what the benefits of kambo are.

Edit:

I just found a study that may suggest resveratrol to be beneficial too. Again, like with quercetin and licorice root; there is only preliminary evidence at best ( as far as I can tell).

Here's the link. I'll try to update this thread with more, related studies, in regards to the other supplements and vitamins mentioned.

https://bmcinfectdis.bio...0.1186/s12879-017-2253-8

This is my current stack:

After Breakfast
Multivitamin
B complex
Fish oil
Vitamin D3/K2
Quercetin
Zinc citrate
Ascorbic acid
Medicinal Mushroom complex

Before Bed
Magnesium citrate
Peganum harmala extract
Melatonin

Some Relevant Research:
A couple computer modeled simulations suggesting quercetin may help prevent SARS-CoV-2 from entering cells.

Smith, Micholas; Smith, Jeremy C. (2020): Repurposing Therapeutics for COVID-19: Supercomputer-Based Docking to the SARS-CoV-2 Viral Spike Protein and Viral Spike Protein-Human ACE2 Interface. ChemRxiv. Preprint.
https://chemrxiv.org/art...CE2_Interface/11871402/3

Khaerunnisa S, et al. Potential Inhibitor of COVID-19 Main Protease (Mpro) from Several Medicinal Plant Compounds by Molecular Docking Study. Preprints (www.preprints.org).
https://www.preprints.or...anuscript/202003.0226/v1

A couple studies demonstrating the ability of quercetin to prevent SARS-CoV-1 from entering cells.

Yi L, et al. Small Molecules Blocking the Entry of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus into Host Cells. Journal of Virology Sep 2004, 78 (20) 11334-11339; DOI: 10.1128/JVI.78.20.11334-11339.2004
https://jvi.asm.org/content/78/20/11334

Nguyen TTH, Woo HJ, Kang HK, Nguyen VD, Kim YM, Kim DW. et al. Flavonoid-mediated inhibition of SARS coronavirus 3C-like protease expressed in Pichia pastoris. Biotechnol Lett. 2012;34:831-8
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22350287

A clinical Trial using quercetin to treat COVID-19 is currently underway.

Montreal researchers propose a treatment for COVID-19.
https://www.mcgilltribun...ent-for-covid-19-170320/

A few articles specifically exploring melatonin as a potential preventative and treatment for COVID-19.

Tan, Dunxian X., and Ruegiger Hardeland. "Potential utility of melatonin in deadly infectious diseases related to the overreaction of innate immune response and destructive inflammation: focus on COVID-19." Melatonin Research 3.1 (2020): 120-143.
http://www.melatonin-res...x.php/MR/article/view/79

Shneider, Alexander, Aleksandr Kudriavtsev, and Anna Vakhrusheva. "Can Melatonin Reduce the Severity of COVID-19 Pandemic?." (2020).
https://www.preprints.or...anuscript/202004.0122/v2

Zhang, Rui, et al. "COVID-19: Melatonin as a potential adjuvant treatment." Life Sciences (2020): 117583.
https://www.sciencedirec...le/pii/S0024320520303313

Anderson, G., and George Anderson. "Melatonin: Roles in Influenza, CoVid-19 and other Viruses?."
https://www.researchgate...19-and-other-Viruses.pdf

An excellent article exploring the melatonin connection in depth.

COVID-19, PNEUMONIA & INFLAMMASOMES – THE MELATONIN CONNECTION
By Doris Loh
https://www.evolutamente...he-melatonin-connection/

And as a bonus:
A couple articles outlining the efficacy of harmala alkaloids in the inhibition of inflammatory cytokines.

Hamsa, Thayele Purayil, and Girija Kuttan. "Harmine activates intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of apoptosis in B16F-10 melanoma." Chinese Medicine 6.1 (2011): 11.
https://cmjournal.biomed...s/10.1186/1749-8546-6-11’

Liu, Xin, et al. "Harmine is an inflammatory inhibitor through the suppression of NF-κB signaling." Biochemical and biophysical research communications 489.3 (2017): 332-338.
https://www.sciencedirec...bs/pii/S0006291X17310197

I’m also attaching a copy of Stephen Harrod Buhner’s Herbal Antivirals: Natural Remedies for Emerging & Resistant Viral Infections for your consideration.

So we are basically on the same regimen , trading off your harmalas for a couple drinks and the mag citrate for mag oxide ( that's what's at hand). Also; I don't have any plain zinc yet ( just the bit that's in my multi). I have zinc gluconate on the way; so if I feel like I am for sure getting sick I will make a water solution and inhale it intranasally. I may even do small intranasal doses of zinc before and after having to go into any crowded public space. I know it is contraindicated in the long term, but if used at a light dilution, intermittently, I can't see it being any harm.

Thank you for all of these references; very good to have all of this compiled in one place. I can't believe melatonin is being researched (lol that you are the one that finds this) ... I am definitely going to be upping my finger dusting to two heaping finger dustings a night.

I have "real" quercetin en route; right now I'm taking GNC pills which are dubious at best.

I was tested a few days ago and found negative. Would have preferred to have just been positive and been dealing with it well.. But oh well.

These next couple weeks look like they're going to be the roughest yet.. Crossing my fingers that things go as well as possible for all of us.

I don't consider myself as being in the high-risk group; I don't smoke, my blood type is O negative, still relatively young, exercise regularly and no pre-existing health conditions.

I'm currently only taking:
- Lion's mane (used to take a medicinal mushroom mix, but ran out of it, so it's just Lion's mane now)
- Multivitamin + minerals
- fish oil
- Sangre de grado (Croton lechleri) 10 drops
- spending a lot of time in the sun for vit D until my 5000 IU arrives
- ascorbic acid, 1000-1500mg a day

At night I take 50mg harmine sublingually and occasionally 3mg melatonin. It is, however, my understanding that its primary benefit would be reducing the cytokine storm, which happens in the later stages of the disease, so taking it early on or in the absence of symptoms may not be beneficial and may even suppress the immune response when you don't want to suppress it?

In food, I take nigella sativa oil which I dilute with olive oil. I also include onions in most meals for their quercetin content as my quercetin supplement didn't arrive. And drink black tea and rosemary, thyme and oregano from the garden.

Also trying to get enough sleep.

Hey Jagube,

It does sound like you are low risk.. From what I can gather though , this thing has been hitting people sort of randomly, as in, your probability of having a serious reaction is lower if you are not a member of people in x,y, or z group of health ailments, but that it is still hitting some, seemingly healthy, people hard, even if not as often.

The vitamin d, from what I understand, is crucial to respiratory health; however at higher serum levels it is my understanding that it can be detrimental. At much higher levels it is certainly detrimental ( not in regard to just viral infection). Unfortunately we can't have our levels checked with bloodwork right now. Were you taking any vitamin d before? Is there any in your multivitamin? Or have you had your levels checked? I'm just curious as 5,000 iu is heading to the upper tolerable limits for most people, however, if you were not taking any vitamin d at all, then 5,000 iu , for say a week or so, seems like it may be beneficial. Again; I'm not a doctor.

That's 1-1.5 grams vitamin c seems reasonable. I normally take about .5-1 gram day. During these times though I have been taking 2-5grams on average; usually 2-3 grams a day. If I go out into a public space where I am in contact with people to any degree I will take about 1-2 grams vitamin c around that time.

One thing that has been annoying is the mention of elderberry possibly being detrimental in the earlier stages. This was mentioned in another of the covid19 threads. Aside from not being able to find zinc lozenges in general, all of the ones I have found also have elderberry extract. Coldeeze has elderberry but also has glycyrrhizin ( along with zinc) ; it would be nice to have one minus the elderberry. I have pure zinc gluconate en route; when it gets here I may work on making my own lozenges.

I have not had time to look over any of these references; I will; try to find the time today. Has anyone else gone over them?

Edit: I mentioned before that some things are not beneficial in large or continued doses. Licorice root is one of them. It's found in many herbal type foods , teas and supplements etc ( and is fairly sweet and delicious) but if used long term or in high doses or with the wrong other drugs ( harmalas for example) it can be dangerous. Here is a related study:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih...pmc/articles/PMC3498851/

I'm not assuming it can't hit me and am practicing social distancing nonetheless. I wear a mask and only leave home for shopping and bike rides in the wild.

Then, from what appears to be random, patterns may emerge as we learn more (or should I say more patterns, as many have emerged already). For example, maybe those young people who have succumbed to it had a rare gene that we will be able to test for.


Thanks for the heads-up, I was aware of vitamin D toxicity. I haven't had my levels checked. As far as vitamin D supplementation, until now I've only been taking 400 IU / day as part of the multivitamin.

Since vitamin D is fat-soluble and therefore builds up, it doesn't have to be taken everyday; e.g. 5,000 IU every other day should be equivalent to a 2,500 IU / day regimen.

I also have some kambô at home, but it's not clear to me what its benefits are.

Yes melatonin is a promising treatment for those already experiencing cytokine storm and it should certainly be understood and employed in that context. However, what is much more promising here is melatonin as a preventative measure, such that you interrupt the inflammation process before it even gets started by inhibiting these inflammasome pathways before they ever have a chance to trigger the cytokine storm in the first place. Add to this the fact that melatonin is itself antiviral, antioxidant, neuroprotective, neurorepairative, and a powerful immune system booster, and it demonstrates itself to be a very useful tool to have in the arsenal.

Harmalas are also useful in this regard being wide-spectrum inhibitors of these inflammasome pathways with their own antiviral properties.

The most beneficial level for d3-hydroxylase is in the 60-80 ng/ml range. Assuming you are not deficient already, 800-1200 ui a day should be about right for an average adult. It does build up in your system and too much can be detrimental, so you are better off erring on the side of too low than too high.

Zinc is another one to be careful with. To a point you’ll just pee out the excess that your body doesn’t put to use, but if you go really hard you can experience zinc toxicity. The recommended dose on my bulk supplements package is 150 mg and that is what I generally take. If you are symptomatic, you could probably push toward doubling that for a short period till symptoms pass, but I wouldn’t recommend going higher than that or doing so for prolonged periods.

In general, taking the recommended doses of things regularly is the best way to ensure your body has what it needs when it needs to launch an immunological response. Only look at pushing higher doses if you become highly symptomatic and then do so in a measured and evidence-based manner.

Haven't seen this one come by:

Drink chaga tea every day.

Also make chaga tincture & put in a few drops with the tea.

Winter harvested alaskan chaga is the best I've found thusfar...

To my supplement stack I've now added 5000 IU's vitamin D and 1000 mg quercetin twice a week.

Spiralout, this paper suggests higher doses of vitamin D.

French authorities (ANSES - Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety) advise against turmeric / curcumin: https://www.nutraingredi...ffect-on-immune-response

From me, none of this is medical advice.

I drink a few cups of strong teas of mistletoe, Mugwort pine needles, Myrtle, and rockrose (along with various other herbs) that I wild harvest everyday. I eat oatmeal for breakfast which is said to contain beta glucans. I continue my regular ceremonial regimen with Syrian rue. Especially ceremonies done with fire feels to boost my immune system.

Will be looking into wild asparagus root and carobs which are also available in my habitat.

Dreamer have you experienced some side effects of the Melatonin and Harmala combo? Or its working fine?

Very important update on how oxidative stress may play a major role

To my herbal mind, this implies that the classic cardiovascular remedy, hawthorn, would be of great use in limiting severity of COVID19 symptoms.

(Typically, this would be a combined hawthorn [Crataegus] tincture made with fruits, foliage and inflorescences.)

I am drinking tea from fresh hawthorn flowers...

Rockrose is an antioxidant + antiviral king.

Rosehips and pine needles are also up there for antioxidant and immune boosting effects.

With heavy doses there can be some grogginess/hangover feeling when waking up, it generally passes pretty quickly with some movement and light exposure.

The dreaming can also get pretty intense sometimes.

All in all, no negative effects to speak of really, and a plethora of positive benefits.

I was going to actually chime in for you dreamer if you didn't answer. I have also been taking melatonin, more or less regularly, for a couple years now. I have experienced a bit of grogginess upon awakening, when taking higher doses, however this doesn't seem entirely dose dependant and isn't reliable. This grogginess is actually the same way that I would feel after a good, long nights sleep ( a regular, nightly thing for me back then) when I was a kid/teenager/young 20's year old. I imagine it is only possibly detrimental if you live in a very dark place and/or have some kind of depressive symptoms ( there of course maybe some outliers who do have negative responses but this does not seem to be the norm. There is some linkage between longer sleep duration and depression, but whether the link is causitive, correlated, or what, seems to be ambiguous and hard to suss out. From everything I've read, ( and Rhonda verifies this and dreamer has also pored over the literature far more than I have) melatonin, even in high doses, has been rather well assimilated and no, or minimal, detrimental effects have been found.

Given the number of, and degree of, health benefits, from sleep, I would say sleep is the number one thing you can do to guard yourself against this virus (and other viruses). This means, adequate duration of sleep ( 7 at the minimum, but 9, or even a little more, is better), along with a regular sleep schedule. Quality of sleep matters too but this is controlled for by other lifestyle factors such as diet, stress reduction, and exercise. "Social distancing" and/or ppe, hygiene (these are all obvious I hope) and a healthy balanced diet are also on the same level of importance.

Thank you Uni; I will take a watch when I get back from my daily excursion. This guys videos, from what I have seen, have all been very detailed, comprehensive, unbiased, and informative . Definitely a good resource.

I am not a doctor ( obviously; my damn name is SpiralOut) but, from my superficial understanding, antioxidants should be integral to just about any virus defense I would think? My understanding is that, fundamentally viruses attack our rna (and/or dna?) and oxidative stress does so also. I do not understand this stuff enough though.

There was some question recently as to whether hydroxychloroquine (HCC) related compounds may actually increase mortality. There was only a small preprint on this, last I checked, and the N was very low ( they actually stopped due to them thinking it was making peoples outcome worse) . OStensibly the mechanism behind this was the cardiovascular detriments possible with these compounds?

https://jamanetwork.com/...open/fullarticle/2765500


Hope everyone is well