I sat with an old friend recently.  Not that they're old, we've just been friends a long time. So, we're getting there, but not "old" yet.  I realized as we sat, for the first time in a long time, that we'd met just before Halloween, sixteen years ago. It was my first fall in the far western Colorado city I'd moved to over the holidays and New Years 2004.  

Back then, we were out listening to the most popular local band at that time, at a popular club at the time, a great combination for "boomers".  They mostly had bands play who played blues and popular rock cover tunes.  Many people were in costumes, as it was the Friday of Halloween weekend. Nobody was concerned about catching anything from anybody, not at least there at the club, afterwards perhaps, if people went on from there to having intimate encounters. 

Today the baby boomers are a mass of concerned citizens trying to navigate the coronavirus era.  Hopefully everyone is, no matter their age.  Zinc is a four letter word, in a good way!   

We clinked our glasses, simultaneously saying "Prost" and "Skol" to that, as we did so many times over the years. I'd picked up "Skol" from my father's side of the family, his cousin Helen was a big influence on me after my mother died as I was a young to middle aged "tween".   Now, here I am, with my cohorts, a "tween" of middle to older, or elder.  Elderly.  It's hard to believe! But we are!

Then we settled in to catch up about our lives recently, though we had limited time as I had to get somewhere before the business closed, which that is earlier than in the past -- due to "the virus".  The virus that is going to do more good for most than harm, in the long run -- at least in terms of health awareness and proactivity. Particularly if it helps get zinc deficiencies filled in.  

"Wow, Mardy, there ..... you've just said zinc again."  ....

And I saw my friend "tune in".  "Covid" has made people more aware of many things, and so, while it is devastating us in many ways, largely because of the way it's being used as a political ploy in addition to how seriously it can affect some people, it is helping people get serious about things they were aware of and not tending to before.  Or, for some, it maybe is helping them become aware of things they didn't yet have in their field of view before. "Yet" being the key word. 

I got into zinc long ago, and provided some topics on Lumigrate about it, prior to a new appreciation for it which came via learning "German auricular medicine model" basics from my mentoring MD in Germany (who connected via Facebook and Messenger).  While I was "on the hook" to learn from him in 2015, which had everything to do with a big black and white dog I'd just started taking care of at the time his similar dog died, I only got seriously underway in 2017, which had to do with needing to get funds and time, and perhaps the mental energy. 

I'd come to name the dog, for my purposes using him as a teaching tool, "O'Rio Grande" -- of the big river.  A river runs through Grand Junction, Colorado and on through Utah and Arizona and California.  The Grand Canyon in Arizona, for instance.  The Colorado River was called the Grand, before people changed the name.  I knew from the first morning I woke up in his then-owner's home, caretaking it and him, that we had connected for me to learn something.

I began to feel that whatever happened, I needed to be with him for the rest of his life.  Once his life came to an end, on the first day of autumn about four weeks ago, it became clear to me why that was.  He taught me, literally from what would be the bed he died on 10 hours later via a beautifully done euthanization by his most recent veterinarian and technician, more about zinc. 

So I'm more tuned in than ever to zinc, and while I've provided other topics about Covid since July 2020, this topic is about zinc more generally, yet I hope it will be found by seekers of information concerned about getting influenza, coronovirus, and other acute, serious issues.  

I became a fan of Dr. John Campbell's YouTube channel about six months ago.  Every evening when I went to bed I'd check to see what he had posted that day.  He seemed to be a very solid source, biased perhaps by having steeped in mainstream education for so long, but at least he wasn't being financially supported by anyone with vested interests.  I never saw him asking for financial assistance, I got the sense he was retired and had his financial needs met. 

Initially when I started Lumigrate I did not ask for people to give if they felt they were receiving from Lumigrate, but I exhausted my savings and went to a model of asking people to give and charging a reasonable fee for 1 on 1 guidance.  I ask for people who have an interest in a particular aspect to donate for more content on that subject, etc.  I'm going to start this topic and get it so at least people know of the video, and then see how it goes for funding my time to do an overview / transcribe (generally) and give the times along the way for others in the future to have a more thorough learning experience.  

So here's what you do: (There are various routes to the same place).  

Go to YouTube, search on Dr. John Campell, zinc. The date is October 15, but you should be able to find it easily.  Start watching! 

or this is the link I found by searching on his name with the key terms (zinc)

www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3894207/posts

where you'll right away find the link to the zinc video he posted at YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch

And if you want to contribute funds for my time ($50 will do it, and $5 is 10% of that, so no amount is too little .... it all adds up!) go to the About tab and the instructions are there. (Lumigrate.com takes you to the landing page and just click on the About tab.) 

You can learn more about O'Rio Grande at the Blog tab, under the pinned one at the top, the topic is about transitions and also has the info on how to get supportive funds if you can and want to be a contributor to what Lumigrate provides to seekers of information.  

And I'll be back here..... to add and make this a robust new topic thread.  

In the mean time, think zinc and talk zinc!  I'm not saying to take zinc, you have to decide that for yourself.  Just learn, and do your part if you will, to encourage others to as well (such as sharing links or telling people how to find information YOU can contribute to being available here at Lumigrate!).  Thank you very much!  ~ Mardy

If you take the aforementioned link to freerepublic.com, you will find great comments following an overview of what he covers at the video.  This is how it looks, to get your "interests picqued", I hope.  

inc [Dr. John Campbell - COVID Related]
Dr. Campbell's Youtube Channel ^ | 15 Oct 2020 | Dr. John Campbell

Posted on 10/15/2020, 5:38:38 PM by amorphous

President Trump taking zinc (WSJ).   https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-ta...

Low zinc levels at clinical admission associates with poor outcomes in COVID-19, (11th October). https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.11...

Zinc balances immune responses, and also has a proven direct antiviral action against some viruses.

Zinc deficiency (ZD) is a common condition in elderly and individuals with chronic diseases.

Increased intracellular zinc concentrations efficiently impair replication, resulting in a lower number of viruses. 

.....

  Many more details at the source, so please go, if interesting and you have time because there's a lot more to it than the highlights I'm massaging to bring here -- WITH CREDIT and a link and encouragement to take the link -- Mardy)

.....

Higher zinc levels, associated with lower maximum levels of interleukin-6 during the period of active infection.

Zinc level lower than 50 μg/dl at admission, 2.3 times increased risk of in-hospital death; compared with those of 50 μg/dl or higher.

Lower zinc levels at admission correlate with higher inflammation in the course of infection and poorer outcome.  Low plasma zinc levels at admission are associated with mortality in COVID-19 in the study.

Further studies are needed to assess the therapeutic impact of this association.

COVID-19: Poor outcomes in patients with zinc deficiency (International Journal of Infectious Diseases, November 2020)

Chennai, India. Prospective study of fasting zinc levels in COVID-19 patients at the time of hospitalization.Healthy controls median 105.8 μg/dl 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science...  Zinc is a trace element with potent immunoregulatory and antiviral properties. Zinc is utilized in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Patients with serious COVID-19 had significantly low zinc levels in comparison to healthy controls. Zinc deficient COVID patients developed more complications. (Zinc deficient patients developed complications at rate of 70.4%. Non zinc deficient patients developed complications 30%. (p = 0.009).)

Acute respiratory distress syndrome. More need of steroids. Increased mortality. Zinc deficient COVID patients had a prolonged hospital stay. (Zinc deficient patients, 7.9 days. Non-zinc deficient patients, 5.7 days, (p = 0.048).)

In vitro studies: Reduced zinc levels increase SARS-CoV-2 virus receptor interactions. Increased zinc levels inhibit ACE2 expression. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zin...

What zinc does:

Catalytic activity of approximately 100 enzymes. Plays a role in immune function. Protein synthesis.

Wound healing. DNA synthesis. Cell division. Normal growth and development, pregnancy, childhood, adolescence. Required for sense of taste and smell.

Zinc and immunity

Severe zinc deficiency depresses immune function. 

Even mild to moderate degrees of zinc deficiency can impair macrophage and neutrophil functions, natural killer cell activity, and complement activity.

The body requires zinc to develop and activate T-lymphocytes; Low zinc levels have shown reduced lymphocyte proliferation, which can be corrected by zinc supplementation (and diet, I'd suggest adding -- Mardy.  See below for types of foods containing more significant amounts of zinc).

Low zinc status has been associated with increased susceptibility to pneumonia and other infections in children in developing countries and the elderly

Foods: oysters, seafood, beef, pork, baked beans, fortified cereals, pumpkin seeds, yogurt, cashew and almond nuts, chickpeas/ garbanzo beans, oats. 

Vitamin D and zinc can be manufactured at extremely low cost. 

An article I saw, shared on Facebook by a Lumigrate content provider (German energy medicine specialist Claus-Peter Kessler) is a very good resource, too.  I'm providing the summary and conclusion in order to give the overview of what you will find if you take the time to take the link to the BMJ website. From their About tab: 

About

Aims and scope

BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health aims to present the best available evidence of the impact of nutrition and lifestyle factors on the health of individuals and populations. The journal will present robust research on the key determinants of health including the social, economic, and physical environment, as well as lifestyle and behaviour. It will explore dietary factors, exercise and healthcare interventions and technologies, which aim to maintain and improve health and wellbeing and to prevent illness and injury.

This open-access journal is published by BMJ in association with the NNEdPro Global Centre for Nutrition and Health (Cambridge).

Link to the article I'm suggesting you go to, with summary and conclusion from it, below:

nutrition.bmj.com/content/3/1/111

Summary and conclusion

Epidemiological research and observational studies provide indications for zinc depletion in high–risk groups for COVID–19. Various widely used hypotensive drugs and statins can affect zinc balance, worsening zinc homeostasis in already mild zinc–deficient individuals. As disturbed zinc homeostasis results in compromised immune functions, it is hypothesised to increase susceptibility for COVID–19.

Therefore, correcting low zinc status in risk groups could play a pivotal role in preventing and controlling COVID–19 disease. Studies have shown that zinc depletion in hypertension can be corrected by dietary adjustments or zinc supplementation,43 44 with the added benefit of improving glycaemic regulation and reducing inflammation.6 43 44

In conclusion, there is an urgent need to implement dietary recommendations for all populations at risk of zinc depletion. In addition, prompt implementation of zinc supplementation should be considered in high–risk groups for zinc deficiency.

These preventive and nutritional intervention measures have the potential to improve antiviral immune response for COVID–19 as well as for any future viral outbreaks. Large–scale studies are urgently needed to investigate the role of micronutrients in antiviral immunity, particularly drug–micronutrient immunity interaction.