How To Make Your Immune System Fight Viral Infections

As a physician I realize the importance of evidence-based medicine in providing quality care for patients. But also, as a physician I feel compelled to make clinical judgements and recommendations that have the potential for greater good in helping combat something we have not seen in our lifetimes.

Short on time? Watch my 3-in video summarizing this simple fix.

Where Research Is Most Promising in Fighting Viral Infections

The world is looking for any avenue to combat this virus for which we have no immunity.

Of great interest is the use of anti-malarial drugs used to treat patients in the 1912 Spanish Flu.

There is continued reporting abroad and here in the US that this drug is helping in treating the symptoms for infected patients with the virus and saving lives. Of course, more data will need to be gathered and properly evaluated.

In my own research with the International Peptide Society, we’ve been prescribing Angiotensin Blocking receptors for years to optimize our patient’s immune system. Recently, it has been shown that blocking this receptor can be advantageous potentially treating this virus (which is huge). Current clinical trials are evaluating this, and it’s looking promising.

So, let’s look at the proposed mechanism of why these drugs are felt to be effective.

The Science Behind Neutralizing Acidity

If we look at the proposed mechanism of these anti-malarial drugs we focus on the neutralization of intracellular ph (neutralizing the acidity of cells).

The infiltrating virus uses a specific spike protein and host receptor ACE2 to help penetrate the cell.

When a virus penetrates a cell the virus tricks the cell into lowering its pH to a more acidic state that will allow the virus to activate and replicate. Interestingly, only very small changes are required in pH decrease for this to to occur.

Photo is accredited to Researchgate.net

Many mechanisms of viral activation are pH dependent. Also, I’ve frequently researched the up-regulation of Interferons (a group of signaling proteins in your body that are released in response to the presence of virus by heightening their anti-viral defenses) through other mechanisms including T regulatory cell up-regulation. T regulatory cell function helps modulate the immune system, that helps your body prevent autoimmune diseases, and other diseases.

What makes this pH neutralizing compound so interesting is that it follows what I described above in how Interferons also increase pH as one of their antiviral mechanisms. This only a small change, between 0.1-0.5 units of increase in pH to neutralize the virus.

Here is a great resource from the NY Times about how the coronavirus spreads.

What am I leading to is that we cannot ignore a simple step that we can all utilize with no downside to keep our bodies healthy and optimal for our body’s existing anti-viral systems.

Our cells have the intelligence and blueprints to fight this. We just have to help keep it that way.

Here’s What You Can Do Today

You probably already have this hidden in your pantry.

Baking Soda.

Yes, that’s what you can do to reduce your body’s environment for viral infection spreading. No drugs, no toxic chemicals, no prescription required.

History Speaks for Itself

We have a lot of history that cannot be ignored. The Spanish Flu killed over 20 million people in 1918. The US Public Health Service made an observation that people who had been alkalized by Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda) rarely contracted the disease and those who did had mild symptoms.

Recent studies of Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda) and its positive influence on the macrophage (which are specialized cells in your body that help detect and assist in the destruction of bacteria and other harmful organisms) in its activated form support my Baking Soda suggestion as well.

I am urging everyone to take this simple step in utilizing baking soda. You probably have it around the house, and if not it’s incredibly affordable to obtain. No toilet paper hoarding here.

Here’s My Prophylaxis (action to prevent disease) which I Recommend

• Day 1: Start 1/2 teaspoon every 2 hours, 5 – 6 times a day. Mix in large glass warm water. It won’t taste the best but is tolerable. A small price to pay for viral prevention.
• Day 2: 1/2 teaspoon every 2 hours, 4 times a day
• Day 3: 1/2 teaspoon morning, mid-day, and evening. Continue until we are through this!

If you’re experiencing symptoms such as: fever, sore throat, cough, headache, and muscle soreness do this instead:

• Day 1: Start 1/2 teaspoon every 2 hours, 5 – 6 times a day. Mix in large glass warm water.
• Day 2: Same as day 1
• Day 3: Same as day 1

Continue until symptoms lessen then you can decrease down to 3 times a day.

The recommended dosage for using baking soda as an antacid is ½ teaspoon in 4–8oz of water every two hours. Each teaspoon of baking soda contains 41.8mEq of sodium.1 Sodium bicarbonate is generally safe when used appropriately. However, if misused, it has the potential for significant toxicity. Metabolic alkalosis, hypernatremia, hypokalemia, hypochloremia, and hypoxia have been reported by overdoing sodium bicarbonate.

Consult your physician before considering this process. If you have any kidney disease, blood pressure issues, heart disease, or fluid issues make SURE you consult with your doctor beforehand. I am only suggesting this in the short term specific to this critical period of time to help flatten the curve.

Want to dig deeper?

I did a webinar with the International Peptide Society Medical Practitioners that covers all the protocols for giving patients the best chance of flattening the curve.

We’re fighting something that is devastating, so we have to start the discussion now.

ADDITIONAL SOURCES:

Li, W., Moore, M. J., Vasilieva, N., Sui, J., Wong, S. K., Berne, M. A., … Farzan, M. (2003). Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 is a functional receptor for the SARS coronavirus. Nature, 426(6965), 450–454. doi:10.1038/nature02145

Gurwitz, D. (2020). Angiotensin receptor blockers as tentative SARS‐CoV‐2 therapeutics. Drug Development Research. doi:10.1002/ddr.21656

“The Common Cold” Etiology, Prevention and Treatment* VOLNEY S. CHENEY, M. D., FELLOW A. P. H. A. Medical Director, Armour and Co., Chicago, Ill.
bibliotecapleyades.net/archivos_pdf/commoncold_volney.pdf

Maheshwari, R. K., Sidhu, G. S., Bhartiya, D., & Friedman, R. M. (1991). Primary amines enhance the antiviral activity of interferon against a membrane virus: role of intracellular pH. Journal of General Virology, 72(9), 2143–2152. doi:10.1099/0022-1317-72-9-2143

Francica, J. R., Varela-Rohena, A., Medvec, A., Plesa, G., Riley, J. L., & Bates, P. (2010). Steric Shielding of Surface Epitopes and Impaired Immune Recognition Induced by the Ebola Virus Glycoprotein. PLoS Pathogens, 6(9), e1001098. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1001098

Moore, L. L., Bostick, D. A., & Garry, R. F. (1988). Sindbis virus infection decreases intracellular pH: Alkaline medium inhibits processing of sindbis virus polyproteins. Virology, 166(1), 1–9. doi:10.1016/0042-6822(88)90139-0

Ray, S. C., Baban, B., Tucker, M. A., Seaton, A. J., Chang, K. C., Mannon, E. C., … O’Connor, P. M. (2018). Oral NaHCO3Activates a Splenic Anti-Inflammatory Pathway: Evidence That Cholinergic Signals Are Transmitted via Mesothelial Cells. The Journal of Immunology, 200(10), 3568–3586. doi:10.4049/jimmunol.1701605