Dawn

Dawn

Saturday, May 16, 2020

Thoughts from Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain: 16.5.20

Night’s candles are burnt out, and jocund day
Stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops.

Spanish life is not always likeable but it is compellingly loveable.  
- Christopher Howse: 'A Pilgrim in Spain'*

The Bloody Virus
  • Here's an interesting counter-blast to conventional thinking.
  • Below are a couple of commentaries on the value of zinc in the battle against Covid-19.
Life in Spain in the Time of Something Like Cholera
  • From today - and until the ‘State of Alarm’ is lifted -  everyone arriving in Spain will need to self-quarantine for 2 weeks. And, if you then return to the UK, you'll face the same imposition there. More on this here. Should keep numbers down.
  • In contrast, in town yesterday, the numbers on the street were about the same as usual and there were tapas bars getting ready to open for the weekend. 
  • It's generally believed that, while you can only walk for exercise during the relevant time spots, you're free to perambulate at any time of the day en route to where you're meeting up to 9 other friends for a coffee or whatever. Which makes policing the exercise rule impossible in towns, I guess.You'd have to be dressed in sports gear to run the risk of being stopped while just walking. 
  • Driving down to the riverside yesterday at the time of my permitted slot, I was stopped by a Guardia Civil officer, who merely looked into the car and waved me on. I don't know what he was checking. Was I a drug-dealing gypsy? Did I have people hiding in the back? Or was I just the wrong age to be out at that time? Ni puta idea.
  • Another day, another stat. . . 4 out of 5 folk - 80% - on O Burgo bridge not wearing a mask yesterday.
  • María's Come Back Diary Day 5.
  • Finally, a heart-warming report.
Real Life in Spain 
  • Talking of rules . . . None of the cars passing me on the edge of Pontevedra's old quarter yesterday were close to obeying the 10kph speed limit there. Perhaps they've suspended it during the lockdown.
Germany and The Germans
The EU
  • More on the impact of that German Constitutional Court's decision about the legality of ECB measures. An overstatement? - No one could over-estimate the importance of this ruling. It means that some of the largest economies in the world will be in a funding crisis any moment now. When this happens, the shockwave felt across the globe will dwarf that caused by Lehman Brothers going bust. Or will the EU, as ever, just muddle through, applying much fudge as they go, while kicking cans down the road?
The USA
  • Obamacare?: Your choice is to read Perry's comments on yesterday's post or to click here.
Finally . . .
  • Well, the visit to the shop for the replacement mica plate was not entirely successful. I'll have to make a 2nd visit to pick up a plate cut to size from a larger one, once they've determined the correct dimensions. Having to make a return visit to a shop seems to be a regular occurrence in Spain, in my experience. Possibly to do with low levels of stockholding. Or just-in-time. But not the customer's.
ZINC

1. per Dr Pascal Sacré 

Our best ally against any aggressive pathogen, or any infection, is our immune system. It is not the masks, the physical distance, nor the vaccines, but our immune system in perfect good working order that will protect us.  Zinc, vitamin D, vitamin C are all three essential elements of our immune defense system. Most populations are deficient in these elements.

For Zinc in particular, this deficiency affects populations precisely at risk of developing a serious form of COVID-19 (leading to intensive care, and death): the obese, diabetics and the elderly.In addition, intense and prolonged confinement resulted in under-exposure to the sun and lack of sunlight is aggravating the deficit of vitamin D. What is more, such an excessive and prolonged lock-down has brought about a drop in physical activity and phenomenal level of stress, thus further diminishing the effectiveness of our immune systems, even more than it was before.

Findings from research provide solid grounds for giving supplements of these 3 elements to help the immune system fight coronavirus infections. Side effects from these 3 time-tested nutrients are rare, and are easy for GPs to control.

The Role of Zinc in Antiviral Immunity:

The role of zinc as an antiviral can be separated into 2 categories:
1) zinc supplementation implemented to improve the antiviral response and systemic immunity in patients with zinc deficiency, and
2) zinc treatment performed to specifically inhibit viral replication or infection-related symptoms.

Zinc is essential for the immune system, and zinc deficiency affects multiple aspects of innate and adaptive immunity. Many studies confirm a decline of zinc levels with age. Even marginal zinc deprivation can affect immune function. So, oral zinc supplementation demonstrates the potential to improve immunity and efficiently down-regulates chronic inflammatory responses in the elderly.

These data indicate that a wide prevalence of marginal zinc deficiency in elderly people may contribute to immuno-senescence.

Zinc and selenium deficits are are linked to eating habits (foods with high caloric density low in micronutrients) and increased needs linked to oxidative stress and inflammation. If the zinc deficit is significant and if the coverage of needs is difficult, the use of oral forms of zinc is sometimes justified.

Zinc deficiency is more frequent in institutionalized people

2. Zinc is an essential trace mineral.

Next to iron, it is the most common mineral in the body and is found in every cell. It plays an important role in the immune system, reproduction, growth, taste, vision, and smell, blood clotting, and proper insulin and thyroid function. Zinc also has antioxidant properties, so helps protect cells in the body from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals may contribute to the ageing process, as well as the development of a number of health problems, including heart disease and cancer.

Your body doesn't need a large amount of zinc. The recommended daily allowance for adults is 8 - 11mg. Taking a multivitamin, plus eating a healthy diet, should give you all the zinc you need. High doses of zinc can cause a copper deficiency. So, many doctors recommend that you take 2 mg of copper along with a zinc supplement.

Colds: Many believe that taking zinc lozenges or using zinc nasal spray at first signs of a cold can reduce the duration and severity of symptoms. Not all studies agree, but most suggest that zinc acetate or gluconate lozenges may help you get over a cold faster. But researchers aren’t sure what type of zinc works best for colds and whether flavourings added to the lozenges might affect how they work.

Zinc nasal sprays are controversial. Some studies have found zinc nasal sprays may loss  of sense of smell. To be safe, talk to your doctor before using. There is some evidence that zinc supplements (not lozenges) may help lower the risk of getting a cold in the first place. More and better studies are needed on which kinds of zinc may be effective and against which kinds of cold viruses.

Your body absorbs 20 - 40% of the zinc present in food. Zinc from animal foods like red meat, fish, and poultry is more readily absorbed by the body than zinc from plant foods. Zinc is best absorbed when taken with a meal that contains protein. The best sources of zinc are oysters (richest source), red meats, poultry, cheese (ricotta, Swiss, gouda), shrimp, crab, and other shellfish. Other good, though less easily absorbed, sources of zinc include legumes (especially lima beans, black-eyed peas, pinto beans, soybeans, peanuts), whole grains, miso, tofu, brewer's yeast, cooked greens, mushrooms, green beans, tahini, and pumpkin, and sunflower seeds.


 * A terrible book, by the way. Don't be tempted to buy it, unless you're a very religious Protestant

No comments: