An international science team from the University of Surrey in England has found a link between low selenium levels in the soil and the risk od COVID-19 infections becoming lethal. Professor Margaret Rayman, who headed the study, has spent decades studying the global lack of selenium that is known to impair the ability of the immune system to tackle virus infections and new epidemics. The farmlands in large parts of the world, including Europe and China, are low in selenium, and it is vital to have more focus on this essential nutrient.

Australian scientists are about to initiate the first clinical trial of intravenous zinc therapy for COVID-19 patients. Zinc is important for our immune capacity but it also helps counteract organ damage caused by an impaired oxygen supply to the cells and hyperinflammation. Zinc deficiencies are common, especially among older people, chronically ill, and other exposed groups.

Lack of vitamin D is rather common and taking large quantities of the nutrient can not only protect against virus infections like COVID-19 but even counteract the life-threatening complications in those affected with the disease, according to a new, comprehensive, Irish report (TILDA) from Trinity College Dublin (University of Dublin in Ireland). The TILDA report supports many other published studies showing that the immune system is unable to function without vitamin D. The main focus in the battle against COVID-19 is hygiene, isolation, and delayed immunization with vaccines. However, it is also essential to bolster the immune defense, as this determines the difference between being able to ward off the infection, suffer mild symptoms only, or succumb. The scientists recommend that all adults take a high-dosed vitamin D supplement, especially older people, nursing home residents, chronically ill people, hospital patients, health professionals and other exposed groups. That way, we are better protected against future epidemics.

Sleep removes toxic waste products from the brain and lack of deep sleep increases the risk of poor well-being, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and a host of other diseases. According to the American sleep researcher, Dr. Stasha Gominak, poor sleep quality is often linked to vitamin D deficiency. First of all, we need vitamin D to synthesize acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that is necessary for reaching the deep sleep stage. Secondly, certain gut bacteria need vitamin D in order to produce vitamin B5 and other B vitamins that are necessary for proper sleep. On the other hand, taking high-dosed supplements with vitamin B5 and B12 may in some cases make it difficult to fall asleep. A healthy sleep pattern requires both vitamin D and B vitamins in the exact right amounts.

- that you can correct with diet changes and supplements

PCOS – or polycystic ovary syndrome – is a problem that occurs in 5-10 percent of women of childbearing age. It is the most common cause of involuntary infertility. Related symptoms include tiredness, hirsutism (male hair growth), acne, and irregular menstrual periods. PCOS is often linked to instable blood sugar, increased risk of insulin resistance, overweight, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis that causes slow metabolism. Diet and exercise mean a lot in terms of prevention and treatment. The same is the case with different vitamins and minerals. We will be looking closer at B vitamins, vitamin D, vitamin E, and coenzyme Q10, plus magnesium, zinc, selenium, chromium, iodine, and fish oil. We will also be looking at how relevant supplements, according to science, can help control blood sugar levels and the hormone balance.

- intake that also reduces their need for medicine

An estimated 334 million people worldwide suffer from asthma, which is associated with chronic inflammation. Increased intake of omega-3 fatty acids may help prevent the disease and improve therapies by reducing inflammation in the upper respiratory tract. Also, omega-3 reduces the need for corticosteroids and other types of asthma medicine. In fact, the diet plays a vital role in the development of asthma, and overweight individuals seem to benefit particularly much from an increased omega-3 intake, according to a study that is published in Nutrients. But how much omega-3 does it take to inhibit inflammation, and why are oily fish and fish oil supplements better sources?

There is a clear link between magnesium intake and the risk of heart diseases and sudden cardiac death in postmenopausal women, according to a study that is published in Journal of Women’s Health. Unfortunately, many women are not diagnosed with heart disease at a sufficiently early stage. It is also a fact that many postmenopausal women take calcium supplements for bone health. However, if they also lack magnesium, which is responsible for the calcium distribution in the body, the calcium supplements may instead increase the risk of coronary atherosclerosis. According to new and earlier research, we must focus a lot more on telling women how important it is to get enough magnesium at all stages of life – not least after menopause.

Chronic heart failure is a potentially life-threatening condition that affects millions of people worldwide. A group of scientists recently looked at the relation between chronic heart failure and zinc deficiency and how zinc supplementation can improve heart health by various accounts. The scientists also investigated why zinc deficiencies are so common. Their study is published in the Journal of Cardiac Failure.

Many young men have poor sperm quality and the underlying cause is often unknown. The health of sperm cells depends a lot on omega-3 but a large number of men lack these essential fatty acids. Fish oil supplements have been shown to improve several sperm parameters, according to a large Danish study that is published in JAMA. The scientists behind the study suggest that men may benefit from taking fish oil supplements to improve their fertility and increase the odds of successful conception. However, they also point out that it typically takes one to two months for the optimal effect to show, and you must continue taking the fish oil supplement to maintain the results.

Atrial fibrillation is a rhythm disturbance in the electrical system of the heart. It is also one of the most common heart disorders and can be both harmless and potentially life-threatening. Lack of vitamin D increases the risk of normal atrial fibrillation and postoperative atrial fibrillation, according to a meta-analysis that is published in the scientific journal Nutrition. Vitamin D deficiencies are rather common so it is important to make sure to get enough of the nutrient for preventing and treating this disorder.

- which many people lack

It is not the actual COVID-19 virus that can become lethal. It is the immune system’s overreaction with hyperinflammation and a storm of cytokines that destroys healthy tissue in the lungs, the cardiovascular system, and other places in the body, according to a new article that is published in The Lancet. The capacity of the immune system determines if an infection like COVID-19 is either harmless or life-threatening. For that reason, hygienic measures, masks, isolation, and delayed vaccines are not sufficient. We also need to bolster our immune system against COVID-19 and other pandemics that may occur in the future. Let’s look closer at vitamin C, vitamin D, selenium and zinc, all of which are essential for preventing a well-functioning immune system from going off its rails. What is also worth mentioning is that many people lack these nutrients, especially older people and other exposed groups.

- for pregnant women and others

Folic acid supplements are typically recommended to people with anemia and to expecting mothers. However, folic acid supplements can also be important for the cardiovascular system, the brain and memory, and for preventing stroke. The widespread lack of this nutrient is a result of poor diets, pregnancy, ageing, alcohol abuse, and the consumption of birth control pills and various types of medicine.