Prelude: Treat the “Root Cause”

The target of the coronavirus is a marker in the body that indicates systemic inflammation and chronic tissue damage.

If we can reduce the expression of that marker, we may be able to make ourselves more resilient against this particular virus.

Bonus: once this particular virus pandemic is gone — and I do believe we will get through this — addressing, and reversing, the root cause of severe COVID-19 cases #today will help us all be more #resilient to future viruses, as well as reducing the economic burden of chronic disease.

What is COVID-19?

COVID-19 is an envelope virus. Essentially, a strand of RNA inside a lipid envelope (i.e. a “fat bubble” with bits of protein sticking out of it).

What “kills” COVID-19?

• Surfactants (i.e. SOAP) obliterate the envelope, thus “killing” the virus.

• Heat melts fat, so use warm-to-hot water (+ SOAP) to wash hands.

• It is also susceptible to alcohols and chlorines.

How does COVID-19 make us sick?

Virus RNA, once squirted into our cell, creates dysfunction in our RNA code and essentially hijacks our replication machinery. It gets our cells to make more copies of itself, killing our cells in the process.

How does COVID-19 get into our cells?

COVID-19 targets the ACE-2 receptor.

ACE-2 is found in many body cells — including the lungs, cardiovascular system, gut, kidneys, central nervous system, and adipose tissue.

Why do some people get more severe COVID-19 symptoms?

Some people express (i.e. have) more ACE-2 receptors.

The more ACE-2 receptors you have, the more “entrances” you have for COVID-19 to enter your body. The easier it is for COVID-19 to get into your cells, the faster (think exponentially) they will be able to reproduce, and repeat, these steps.

IMPORTANT: New evidence shows that, while ACE-2 is normally cardio-protective, that protection is lost once COVID-19 binds to it and takes it inside the cell via endocytosis.

Why would someone have more ACE-2?

Because they have chronic, systemic inflammation.

ACE-2 is a marker of inflammation.

WHAT?!

If ACE-2 is normally cardio-protective, how can it be a marker of systemic inflammation?

SHORT explanation:

ACE-2’s job is to “turn off” ACE.

ACE’s job is to help your body heal from tissue damage.

The more inflammation, the more tissue damage you have.

The more damage, the more ACE your body expresses to heal it.

The more ACE expressed, the more ACE-2 you need to turn it off.

Like most processes in nature, it’s a delicate balancing act.

Story-based explanation:

Let’s say you cut your finger chopping vegetables. Your body would activate ACE to turn on a cascade of steps (detailed explanation skipped for clarity) that lead to tissue remodeling and, ultimately, fibrosis (i.e. scar tissue). Tissue remodeling allows cells on either side of the laceration to grow back together and become “good as new.”

But ACE is like a cancer; it doesn’t know when to turn off.

Without ACE-2, ACE would just keep rebuilding and rebuilding — eventually resulting in abnormal tissue growth, scar tissue, and loss of function.

This is why we need ACE-2.

ACE-2’s job is to “turn off” ACE.

The main point

Chronic, systemic inflammation makes us more susceptible to COVID-19 and more likely to experience severe symptoms when infected.

If we can reduce chronic, systemic inflammation, we can become more resilient against the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

How can I reduce inflammation?

— by choosing an anti-inflammatory eating pattern and working with an integrative and functional practitioner to any heal gastrointestinal leakage and gut dysbiosis —

Get started today!