Nutrition | Clinical Study: Probiotics Reduce COVID-19 Symptoms & Prevent Severe Illness

Probiotics are well known as an immune defense booster. A clinical study in Italy finally showed probiotics helped reduce COVID-19 symptoms in 7 days and also avoid severe illness that might require intensive care.

The study enrolled 70 COVID-19 patients, hospitalized between March 9 and April 4, 2020 at Sapienza University of Rome. These patients had a fever and required non-invasive oxygen therapy. 42 of them received hydroxychloroquine, antibiotics and tocilizumab, alone or in combination. The other group of 28 patients received the same therapy added with an oral probiotic supplement called SivoMixx, a mixture of different species of lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria at a concentration of 800 billion CFU (Colony Forming Unit) per sachet, administered in three equal doses a day.

Around 90% of 28 patients in the “probiotic” group actually showed remission of symptoms, including diarrhea, in 3 days. The percentage reached 100% on the seventh day while the one in the control group was lower than 50%.

The estimated risk of developing respiratory failure in patients treated with the oral probiotic supplement was eight times lower than those in the control group, according to the odds ratio statistics. The prevalence of ICU usage and mortality were both higher among patients who were not treated with the probiotic formula.

Dr. Giancarlo Ceccarelli, a specialist in infectious diseases at the university, told Nutraingredients.com that “Our preliminary results evidenced on improved survival rate and a lower risk of transfer to an intensive resuscitation for patients supplemented with the probiotic compared with those on standard treatment only.”

It is worth to notice that the dosage, 2400 billion CFU a day, of probiotics used in the clinical study was extremely high. When it comes to regular immune support, the daily dosage is usually up to 150 billion CFU only. A randomized controlled trial of 152 subjects infected with rhinovirus in 2017 even showed those who took probiotic supplement at a daily dosage of 2 billion CFU for 28 days had a better immune response and the dosage was good enough to lower virus levels in the nasal mucus.

A 2017 animal study publish on Science reminded that, with help from good bacteria in the gut, plant flavonoids could be converted to a substance called DAT, which can activate antiviral response to significantly help mice reduce the incidence of flu.

Researchers therefore suggested that it is a great immune support plan to get more plant flavonoids from vegetables, berries, tea and chocolates, and also eat cheese, yogurt, miso, sauerkraut and kimchee or take probiotic supplements to foster good bacteria in the gut.

Previous researches actually showed that intestinal metabolites significantly affect not only local intestinal immunity but also other organs through the lymphatic and circulatory system. For example, the Italian researchers highlighted in their report that short chain fatty acids (SCFA), produced primarily by bacterial fermentation of dietary fiber, act in the lungs as signaling to attenuate inflammatory and allergic responses. The immune support plan, mentioned above, with probiotics and vegetables is therefore even more convincing because vegetables provide lots of dietary fiber.

So, what about making a salad with greens, berries and using yogurt as its dressing?

References

Frontiers in Medicine: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2020.00389/full

Beneficial Microbes: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5797652/

Science: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/357/6350/498.full

Mucosal Immunology: https://www.nature.com/articles/mi201775

To Taiwan | 台灣大可開展更恢弘的全球戰疫作為

標題為「台灣大可開展更恢弘的全球戰疫作為」的評析文章，台灣時間7月14日獲刊於《上報》：
https://www.upmedia.mg/news_info.php?SerialNo=91433

To the world | Only Sustainable Measures Can Curb COVID-19

An analysis article titled "Lessons from Taiwan: Only Sustainable Measures Can Curb COVID-19" published in The Pacific Island Times on July 11, 2020 (Guam time).
https://www.pacificislandtimes.com/amp/2020/07/11/lessons-from-taiwan-only-sustainable-measures-can-curb-covid-19

To Guam | Don't Let Negative Result Bring Fake Relief

An analysis article titled "Don't Let Negative Result Bring Fake Relief" published in Pacific Daily News on July 2, 2020 (Guam time).

https://www.guampdn.com/opinion/letter-don-t-let-the-negative-result-bring-you-fake-relief-from-coronavirus-prevention/article_436e68af-46e9-513a-9ce2-aad1c0a49ed9.html

To the world | Taiwan, Sweden showing the world

An analysis article titled "Taiwan, Sweden showing the world" published in Taipei Times on May 21, 2020 (Taipei time).
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2020/05/21/2003736770

Nutrition | What Foods Help You Stay Away From Virus' Harm?

When the coronavirus is spreading, you may find that it's difficult to get a bottle of vitamin C pills and there is nothing in the orange juice area at the supermarket. While you are loading up vitamin C, you had better think of probiotic and garlic as well if what you really want is “prevention”.

Take probiotics & eat vegetables

You have probably heard that probiotics foster good bacteria in the gut and support immune defense. There is actually science behind what you heard. A randomized controlled trial of 152 subjects infected with rhinovirus showed those who took probiotic supplement for 28 days had a better immune response and lower virus levels in the nasal mucus.

A 2017 animal study publish on Science reminded that, with help from good bacteria in the gut, plant flavonoids could be converted to a substance called DAT, which can activate antiviral response to significantly help mice reduce the incidence of flu.

Researchers therefore suggest that it is a great immune support plan to get more plant flavonoids from vegetables, berries, tea and chocolates, and also eat cheese, yogurt, miso, sauerkraut and kimchee or take probiotic supplements to foster good bacteria in the gut.

Garlic

Garlic is one of members in the allium family. Nutrition experts usually suggest should eat every member of this family, including onions and leeks, to help build up immunity in order to fight off common cold during fall and winter. A trial randomly assigned 146 participants to either a garlic supplement (with 180 mg of allicin) or a placebo for 12 weeks. The trial reported 24 occurrences of common cold in the garlic intervention group compared with 65 in the placebo group.

Other nutritional solutions

There are scientific researches on vitamin C, zinc and echinacea as well. The only thing is their results usually showed benefits of reducing symptoms of upper respiratory infections and shortening the duration of colds, instead of prevention.

To make the duration of colds shorter, nutrition experts also recommend chicken soup. It is good for avoiding dehydration. In addition, its amino acids is essential for supporting immune system. When you cook chicken soup, it is absolutely a good idea to add mushroom, carrot and celery.

To the US | Study Germany’s and Taiwan’s Success to Form a Reopening Strategy

Why does Germany close dining and entertainment businesses only while France, Italy and Spain enforce nationwide lockdowns? Why are people in Taipei keeping daily life while Singapore closes schools and businesses and asks citizens to stay home till June 1?

The most important lesson we should learn from Germany is to stop being worried about the number of confirmed cases. Due to the coronavirus’ highly contagious nature and the country’s massive testing policy, Germany is certainly finding a lot of COVID-19 cases. The focus therefore ought to be mild cases’ quarantine and severe cases’ medical treatment. Germany did it right, so their domestic patients got well treated and they have been taking care of patients flown in from other European Union member countries.

While many countries have been calling for flattening the epidemic curve, as of April 13, Taiwan, with a population of 23 million citizens, reported 6 deaths from COVID-19 and only 273 patients who are still hospitalized. Taiwanese have been promptly wearing a mask since the middle of January even though many experts did not agree it could help at that time. Taiwanese government also coordinated mask manufacturers to increase productivity to meet people’s demands of purchasing masks. In contrast, most of western countries did not add wearing a mask into COVID-19 control guidelines until April.

It definitely makes a lot of sense that the governors who want to lift the restrictions do their researches on the experiences of those countries that have never place any restriction order during the pandemic to form a relevant and sustainable exit strategy. I am glad to see Mr. Governor Gavin Newsom tweeted California’s “flatten the curve” graph on April 11, which showed California has used “hospitalization rate” to replace “infection rate”, or confirmed cases, to monitor the epidemic curve. I would like to acknowledge California for its action of bringing COVID-19 control to a right track and to carefully thinking of its reopening plan.

Our organization, HSVG Mission, also want to remind that it is better to still suggest the elderly should spent most of time at home during the early stage of the reopening. People with underlying medical conditions, who have a relatively higher risk of developing severe illness once contracting the virus, should be told to thoroughly practice good hygiene and to pay more attention to having their chronic diseases under control.

Data showed more than 22 million Americans have filed for unemployment since state-mandated lockdowns have been enforced. The spike in new jobless claims is believed to result from the lockdowns that have kept Americans from their workplaces and forced many companies to shutter or to lay off employees. With wearing a mask in public as a careful precaution measure, healthy young and middle-aged adults should be allowed to resume daily routines as soon as possible to avoid households’ miserable financial consequences of workplace shutdown. Probably it’s time for some states to ease lockdowns or any other similar restrictions with a carefully-formed exit strategy.