28/11/22, 10:18 Zinc Cuts COVID Death Risk by 40%

El zinc reduce el riesgo de muerte por COVID en un 40 %

Análisis por el Dr. Joseph Mercola
 hecho verificado
28 de noviembre de 2022

HISTORIA DE UN VISTAZO
 Los pacientes que dieron positivo para COVID-19, incluidos 190 pacientes ambulatorios y
280 pacientes hospitalizados, recibieron zinc oral o un placebo dos veces al día durante
15 días.

 Los que tomaban zinc tenían una tasa de muerte y de ingreso en la unidad de cuidados
intensivos (UCI) casi un 40 % más baja

 Los del grupo de zinc tuvieron, en promedio, una estancia hospitalaria 3,5 días más corta,
mientras que sus síntomas se resolvieron 1,9 días antes que los que recibieron un
placebo

 La investigación publicada en 2020 demostró que el zinc es crucial para la función del
sistema inmunitario y su deficiencia puede aumentar el riesgo de enfermedad grave por
COVID-19

 El zinc tiene propiedades antivirales y actúa como inmunomodulador; también inhibe la

síntesis de ARN y la replicación viral, mientras que la deficiencia se asocia con una
función reducida de las células asesinas naturales

Se estima que 1 de cada 3 estadounidenses tiene deficiencia de al menos 10 minerales,

incluido el zinc. 1 Esto no solo los pone en riesgo de enfermedades crónicas como
enfermedades cardíacas y diabetes, 2 sino que también puede aumentar el riesgo de
muerte o de hospitalización por COVID-19 si está infectado. 3

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El zinc ha sido reconocido como un mineral esencial para la salud humana desde la
década de 1970. 4 Es el segundo oligoelemento más abundante que se encuentra en el
cuerpo humano, 5 pero su cuerpo no puede almacenarlo muy bien, por lo que necesita
consumir alimentos con zinc todos los días para satisfacer las necesidades de su
cuerpo. Más de 300 enzimas en su cuerpo requieren zinc para su funcionamiento
normal, 6 y es bien reconocido por su papel en la inmunidad y el desarrollo normal del
sistema inmunitario. 7

Durante la pandemia, el difunto Dr. Vladimir Zelenko trató a miles de pacientes con
COVID-19 usando una combinación de hidroxicloroquina (HCQ), azitromicina y sulfato
de zinc, 8 con gran éxito.

Sin embargo, el uso de zinc para el SARS-CoV-2 era un tema que los verificadores de
datos de COVID señalaban habitualmente como "información errónea", por lo que
realmente no se corrió la voz sobre su potencial como agente anti-COVID. Ahora, la
investigación muestra una vez más la promesa del zinc para mantener a las personas
saludables si contraen COVID.

El zinc dos veces al día trata el COVID-19

Un equipo de investigadores del Hospital Universitario Fattouma Bourguiba en Túnez se

propuso determinar la eficacia del zinc en el tratamiento de adultos con COVID-19. “Al
igual que en muchas otras enfermedades, la regulación de la producción de glóbulos
blancos mediante la inmunonutrición es un concepto novedoso que podría aplicarse a la
COVID-19”, señalaron. “Algunas moléculas y nutrientes como el zinc juegan un papel
central en el mantenimiento de la función y la integridad del sistema inmunológico”. 9

Llevaron a cabo un ensayo aleatorizado, doble ciego, controlado con placebo, durante el
cual los pacientes que dieron positivo en la prueba de COVID-19 (incluidos 190
pacientes ambulatorios y 280 pacientes hospitalizados 10 ) recibieron zinc por vía oral o
un placebo dos veces al día durante 15 días. Los que tomaron zinc tuvieron una tasa de
muerte e ingreso a la unidad de cuidados intensivos (UCI) casi un 40 % más baja.

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También tuvieron estadías más cortas en el hospital y redujeron la cantidad de días

necesarios para que se resolvieran sus síntomas. 11

En concreto, la mortalidad a los 30 días fue del 6,5 % en el grupo de zinc frente al 9,2 %
en el grupo de placebo. La tasa de ingreso en la UCI fue del 5,2 % en el grupo de zinc y
del 11,3 % en el grupo de placebo. Además, los del grupo de zinc tuvieron, en promedio,
una estancia hospitalaria 3,5 días más corta, mientras que sus síntomas se resolvieron
1,9 días antes que los que recibieron un placebo. 12

Los efectos beneficiosos del zinc se observaron incluso en subgrupos de pacientes,

incluidos los menores de 65 años, las personas con comorbilidades y los que
necesitaban oxigenoterapia al comienzo del estudio. No se observaron efectos adversos
graves. De hecho, se produjeron más eventos adversos menores en el grupo de placebo
(7,1 %) que en los que tomaron zinc (3,9 %). 13 Los investigadores concluyeron: 14

“Hasta donde sabemos, este estudio es el primer ensayo clínico bien controlado
con placebo que informa los resultados del zinc para el tratamiento de
pacientes con COVID-19.

Cuando se administró por vía oral a pacientes hospitalizados con COVID-19 sin
insuficiencia orgánica terminal, el zinc demostró su eficacia para prevenir el
ingreso en la UCI y reducir la duración de la estancia hospitalaria; para
pacientes ambulatorios, el zinc redujo la duración de los síntomas. Se debe
considerar el zinc para el tratamiento de pacientes con COVID-19”.

Deficiencia de zinc vinculada a peores resultados de COVID

Research published in 2020 demonstrated that zinc is crucial to immune system

function and deficiency can raise your risk of severe COVID-19 illness.15 “The study data
clearly show that a significant number of COVID-19 patients were zinc deficient,” the
researchers noted. “These zinc deficient patients developed more complications, and
the deficiency was associated with a prolonged hospital stay and increased mortality.”16

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There are a number of reasons why lack of zinc could worsen COVID-19 outcomes, not
the least of which is zinc’s antiviral properties and action as an immunomodulator. Zinc
inhibits RNA synthesis and viral replication, while deficiency is associated with reduced
natural killer cell function.

Zinc supplements have long been used to treat the common cold, which is usually
caused by coronaviruses, and are known to shorten the duration of symptoms and
severity of respiratory infections.17 Writing in the Journal of Infectious Disease,
researchers explained:18

“Interestingly, hydroxychloroquine, a drug used initially in the management of

COVID-19, is an ionophore that transports zinc across the hydrophobic cell
membrane.

Moreover, evidence specifically suggests that zinc supplements with antiviral

drugs containing zinc ionophores precisely target and bind to SARS-CoV-2
preventing its replication within the infected host cells. Intracellularly, zinc binds
with RNA-dependent RNA polymerase causing elongation inhibition and
decreased template binding of the viral mRNA.”

Chances are you’ve heard of HCQ being used for COVID-19, but the real key in early
treatment protocols that used HCQ is the zinc. The primary role of the HCQ is to boost
zinc uptake in the cell.

In similar research, COVID-19 disease severity was associated with low levels of
selenium and mortality was associated with zinc deficiency, particularly in patients with
diabetes. However, the majority of those who died had a combination of selenium and
zinc deficits.19

Micronutrients such as zinc, the researchers explained, “may be of high relevance for
reducing SARS-CoV-2 infection risk, supporting the immune system in combating the
virus, and avoiding long-term adverse health issues from COVID-19.” They added:20

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“There are ... a number of studies and reviews highlighting a potentially

important role of Zn [zinc] supply, Zn status and Zn distribution in COVID-19,
suggesting supplemental Zn as a promising therapeutic adjuvant.

Virus replication is enhanced in Zn deficiency, and supplemental Zn can inhibit

virus spread and proliferation, as shown in preclinical studies and infected
subjects. It is assumed that Zn deficiency predisposes to severe COVID-19, and
accordingly high death rates of COVID-19 patients with Zn deficits have been
observed in clinics.”

How Zinc Influences Immune Function

Zinc’s complex role in immune function continues to be unraveled. Zinc is required for
the development of disease-fighting T cells and for the regeneration of your thymus,
which produces T cells.

Further, a molecule inside your cells called GPR39 acts as a sensor that tracks changes
in external zinc, and when the level rises, GPR39 triggers the release of a key renewal
factor and thymic regeneration. In short, it appears that zinc helps the immune system
to regrow immune cells.21

"What we think is going on is, as you give zinc supplementation, that gets accumulated
within the developing T cells. It gets stored and stored and stored, then the damage
comes along and the zinc is released," Dr. Jarrod Dudakov, an immunologist at Fred
Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, said in a news release.

"Now you have more zinc than you normally would, and it can instigate this regenerative
pathway.”22 Zinc also influences immune function in a number of additional ways,
including:23

People who are deficient in zinc have an increased susceptibility to pathogens, as

zinc helps prevent viruses from entering24 and replicating25 inside your cells.

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Zinc mediates nonspecific immunity, including natural killer cells and neutrophils.

Zinc deficiency prevents the activation of T-lymphocytes, production of Th1 cytokine,

and the ability of B lymphocytes to help. During deficiency, B lymphocyte
development is also compromised.

Deficiency affects the function of macrophage cells, which can trigger cytokine
production26 and dysregulated intracellular death. Thus, with a deficiency in zinc, you
not only get more viral infections, but these trigger an increase in the hyper
inflammatory response.

Zinc is central to DNA replication, RNA transcription and cell activation and division.

Zinc supports growth and function of ciliary hairs in your respiratory system.
Research published in the American Journal of Rhinology and Allergy27 showed zinc
stimulates ciliary beat frequency and may help improve mucociliary clearance, which
is essential for clearing the lungs of mucous. Another group of scientists found that
supplementing animals deficient in zinc affected the length of the cilia and number
of epithelial cells in the bronchus.28

Zinc improves your respiratory epithelial barrier.29,30

Zinc influences interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), which plays a significant role in defending

against intracellular pathogens.31 When there is a reduction in this cytokine, your
immune function will be impaired.

How to Improve Zinc’s Effectiveness

One caveat regarding zinc is that it’s not very bioavailable. To improve its uptake in your
cells, zinc ionophores are useful. These work by shuttling zinc through the cellular
membrane and into the cell, which is crucial for its role in stopping virus replication. In

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addition to HCQ, mentioned earlier, other zinc ionophores include chloroquine, quercetin
and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).32

When HCQ was banned from use for COVID, many wisely turned to quercetin, which is
available over the counter and also has beneficial properties, such as antiviral
activities,33 of its own. A number of studies have shown quercetin, when used early, also
lowers your risk of hospitalization and death from COVID,34 and improves clinical
outcomes.

Signs of Deficiency and Food Sources of Zinc

Common signs35 your body may need more zinc include lack of appetite, mental lethargy,
impaired sense of taste or smell, frequent colds, flu or infections, hair loss36 and poor
neurological function.37 Individuals at higher risk for zinc deficiency include those with
malnutrition, persistent diarrhea,38 the elderly, people with inflammatory or autoimmune
diseases, chronic alcoholics, vegetarians and vegans.

Although it may be necessary to supplement during illness when your body needs more
zinc, I recommend trying to get your zinc from foods. Fortunately, many foods are rich in
zinc, including the following:39,40,41

Alaskan King crab Oysters Almendras Anacardos

Frijoles pollo de pastoreo Cordero garbanzos

Avena Carne de vacuno queso cheddar o Yogur

alimentado a suizo
hierba

Champiñones Espinaca chuletas de cerdo Semillas de

calabaza

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