Joseph Mercola, DO, is an internationally recognized osteopathic physician specializing in alternative and complementary medicine. Beyond the clinical setting, Dr. Mercola hosts the weekly health and fitness podcast—Take Control of Your Health—and manages a popular wellness website that markets dietary supplements, medical devices, and personal care products. As a New York Times bestselling author, Dr. Mercola aims to transform the modern health paradigm and empower patients through health education.

His latest book, The Truth About COVID-19, was released in April 2021 by Chelsea Green Publishing.

EMFs and Immune System Health

Karina Gordin (KG): 5G infrastructure is still relatively new and long-term safety data are limited, but what does the available research suggest about increased EMF exposure on immune function?

Joseph Mercola (JM): The 2012 BioInitiative Report (BIR) did an excellent job compiling over 3,800 studies that demonstrate a variety of biological effects from radiofrequency radiation (RFR) at levels that were common last century—and the exposure has only increased since their analysis.¹

There is no question that extensive exposure to RF fields is well documented to have adverse biological effects, including impairment of immune function.² This is related to an increased flux of calcium ions into the intracellular matrix that catalyzes an increase in superoxide and nitric oxide that nearly immediately creates a dangerous reactive nitrogen species called peroxynitrite,^3,4 which then goes on to accelerate oxidative stress and damage cell membranes, proteins, DNA, mitochondria, and stem cells.

For additional information, I would strongly encourage anyone that has a deep interest in this topic to review my best-selling book EMF*D, published last year.

KG: In the context of COVID-19, is there an association between prolonged EMF exposure and risk of infection?

JM: Dr. Magda Havas is one of the leading researchers in this area and she published a recent paper on this very topic, in April 2021.⁵ She analyzed COVID-19-attributed case and death rates for the US through May 2020 and found death rates to be statistically significantly higher for states and counties with 5G compared to those without 5G millimeter wave (mmW) technology.

Additionally, while correlation is not causation, a recent Russian study found a strong correlation between a country’s exposure limits for radio frequency radiation and COVID-19 deaths per million and deaths per cases.⁶ Exposure to RFR impairs the immune system, which would contribute to a greater number of people becoming infected and dying from disease.^7,8,9,10

Finally, when discussing EMFs and immune function, it’s important to consider the role of vitamin D. Optimal vitamin D levels in the range of 60-80 ng/ml (100-150 nmol/l) have been well documented to lower risk of COVID-19. That said, wireless radiation lowers vitamin D receptor (VDR) activity by changing the shape of the VDR, thus impairing VDR activity and its ability to bind with vitamin D.¹¹ This is important because when a T-lymphocyte is exposed to a foreign pathogen, it extends a VDR to search for vitamin D, and if there is insufficient vitamin D, T-lymphocytes will not activate to destroy the invading pathogens.¹²

Exposure to radiofrequency radiation at the levels most are exposed to in conventional society, especially with the use of home and office Wi-Fi and personal cell phones, likely contributes to a lowered immune response and increased risk of damage from any infection, including SARS-CoV-2. However, there are other variables, such as vitamin D sufficiency and insulin resistance that may play even more important roles. We simply can’t say for certain at this point as there have never been any interventional trials to prove this.

Immune System Support

KG: What is the role of vitamin D deficiency in unregulated cytokine production and related complications in COVID-19 patients?

JM: Vitamin D deficiency has emerged as one of the most important risk factors for severe COVID-19 infection. Higher vitamin D levels have been shown to decrease risk of testing positive and/or suffering severe side effects from COVID-19. Last year, I published a paper that reviewed the strong evidence for vitamin D deficiency and an increased risk of COVID-19.¹³ Unfortunately, due to personal threats, I was forced to remove all the information regarding vitamin D and COVID on my website at mercola.com, but the peer-reviewed study is available in Nutrients.

As noted in that paper, dark skin color, increased age, pre-existing chronic conditions, and vitamin D deficiency are all features of severe COVID disease and, of these, vitamin D deficiency is the only factor that is readily and easily modifiable. Optimizing your vitamin D can be achieved in just a few weeks, thereby significantly lowering your risk of severe COVID-19. In the paper, we review several of the mechanisms by which vitamin D can reduce your risk of COVID-19 and other respiratory infections, including but not limited to the following:

• Reducing the survival and replication of viruses and inflammatory cytokine production.
• Maintaining endothelial integrity: endothelial dysfunction contributes to vascular inflammation and impaired blood clotting—two hallmarks of severe COVID-19.
• Increasing angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) concentrations, which prevents the virus from entering cells via the ACE2 receptor: ACE2 is downregulated by SARS-CoV-2 infection, and by increasing ACE2, you also avoid excessive accumulation of angiotensin II—a peptide hormone known to increase the severity of COVID-19.

Vitamin D is also an important component of COVID-19 prevention and treatment:

• Boosts your overall immune function by modulating your innate and adaptive immune responses and reduces respiratory distress and improves overall lung function.
• Helps produce surfactants in your lungs that aid in fluid clearance and lowers your risk of comorbidities associated with poor COVID-19 prognosis, including obesity, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

Data from 14 observational studies (summarized in Table 1)¹⁴ suggest that vitamin D blood levels are inversely correlated with the incidence and/or severity of COVID-19, and the evidence currently available generally satisfies Hill’s criteria for causality in a biological system.

There’s also evidence to show high-dose vitamin D loading can improve COVID-19 outcomes even in acute and severe cases. According to a December 2020 randomized, double-blind study in the European Journal of Integrative Medicine, giving critically ill COVID-19 patients high doses of vitamin D significantly reduced the number of days they had to spend in the ICU. They were also less likely to need ventilation.

Our paper also details several features of COVID-19 that suggest vitamin D deficiency is at play in this illness. Firstly, SARS-CoV-2 emerged in the winter in the northern hemisphere, and as we moved into summer, positive tests, hospitalizations, and death rates fell. So, generally, COVID-19 prevalence has been inversely correlated with solar UVB doses and vitamin D production, just like seasonal influenza.

Vitamin D is produced in your skin in response to sun exposure, but the darker your skin, the more sun exposure you need to maintain an optimal vitamin D level. As a result, vitamin D deficiency tends to be far higher among dark-skinned populations. Generally, non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanic or Latino populations are high-risk groups for COVID-19.

As you alluded, one of the lethal hallmarks of COVID-19 is the cytokine storm that can develop in severe cases, which manifests as hyperinflammation and tissue damage. Vitamin D is known to regulate inflammatory cytokine production, thereby lowering this risk. Ultimately, vitamin D is an important regulator of your immune system, and dysregulation of the immune system is a hallmark of severe COVID-19.

Another study, published in November 2020 in the Postgraduate Medical Journal, looked at oral vitamin D supplementation on SARS-CoV-2 viral clearance. This study included only asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals who also had vitamin D deficiency (a vitamin D blood level below 20 ng/mL).

Participants were randomly assigned to receive either 60,000 IUs of oral cholecalciferol (nano-liquid droplets) or a placebo for seven days. The target blood level was 50 ng/mL. Anyone who had not achieved a blood level of 50 ng/mL after the first seven days continued to receive the supplement until they reached the target level.

Periodically, all participants were tested for SARS-CoV-2 as well as inflammatory markers such as fibrinogen, D-dimer, procalcitonin and CRP. The primary outcome measure of the study was the proportion of patients testing negative for COVID-19 before day 21 of the study, as well as changes in inflammatory markers. Research published in the Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism suggests people who have low vitamin D levels are more prone to contracting SARS-CoV-2 infection, and that also makes them more likely to spread the infection to others.

KG: Besides vitamin D, what are your go-to supplements to boost immunity (increase resistance), and reduce the risk of more severe/long-term symptoms, such as long-haulers?

JM: I interviewed Dr. Vladimir Zelenko last year. He was largely responsible for promoting hydroxychloroquine and subsequently ivermectin. He has treated thousands of people with COVID and helped me understand how long-haulers evolve. He was firmly convinced from his clinical experience that the only people who progressed into having chronic symptoms from SARS-CoV-2 infection were those who failed to get an appropriate treatment in the first five days of the illness, as the virus would replicate to very high levels that radically increased the risk of long hauler’s syndrome.

So, besides optimizing vitamin D levels, other important measures to avoiding it is to use nebulized hydrogen peroxide. It also helps if you are metabolically flexible and have the ability to seamlessly transition between using carbs and fat as your primary fuel source. Sadly, over 90% of the population are metabolically inflexible, and this is not something that can be changed acutely, as it typically requires a few weeks minimum, to more than a few months, for most people to make that transition with aggressive dietary interventions.

Optimizing your vitamin D level is the most important nutrient to focus on, but other nutrients such as zinc and vitamins C and B1 (thiamine) may help protect against infectious respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19. Nutrition plays a crucial role in preventing and recovering from most illness, and several nutrients are known for their immune-boosting properties and ability to ward against viral infections such as COVID.

For example,

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) encourages glutathione production, thins mucus, lowers your chances of influenza infection and reduces your risk of developing severe bronchitis;

zinc supports “effective function and proliferation of various immune cells,” lowering mortality in the elderly by 27%;

quercetin is a powerful immune booster and broad-spectrum antiviral. Quercetin was initially found to provide broad-spectrum protection against SARS coronavirus in the aftermath of the 2003 SARS epidemic,^15,16,17 and evidence suggests it may be useful for the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 as well. It can serve as an effective alternative to hydroxychloroquine, as well as serve as a zinc ionophore to drive zinc into the cells to help abort viral replication;

B vitamins can also influence several COVID-19-specific disease processes, including viral replication and invasion, cytokine storm induction, adaptive immunity, and hypercoagulability.¹⁸

KG: In your latest book, The Truth About COVID-19, you examine a variety of interventions, including the Swiss Protocol. Can you highlight a selection of the recommendations?

JM: The Swiss Protocol is a home derivative of the MATH+ Protocol that is used for many septic patients. While they certainly have saved many people’s lives, I believe the protocol could be radically improved with two more interventions: hyperbaric oxygen treatment and nebulized hydrogen peroxide.

While high-dose vitamin C is new for COVID-19 treatment, it’s been used as a treatment for sepsis since about 2017. The vitamin C-based sepsis treatment was developed by Dr. Paul Marik, a critical care doctor at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in East Virginia, which has since adopted it as standard of care for sepsis. The original protocol for COVID-19 is detailed in “COVID-19 Critical Care.” Known as the MATH+ protocol,¹⁹ it involves the use of three key medicines, all of which need to be started within six hours of hospital admission:

• Intravenous methylprednisolone, to suppress the immune system and prevent organ damage from cytokine storms.
• Intravenous ascorbic acid (vitamin C), to control inflammation and prevent the development of leaky blood vessels in the lungs.
• Subcutaneous heparin (enoxaparin), to thin the blood and prevent blood clots.

The initial MATH+ protocol was released in April 2020. In early July and August, it was updated to include quercetin and a number of optional nutrients and drugs, not only for critical care but also for prophylaxis and mild disease being treated at home. For prophylaxis, the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care (FLCCC) Alliance recommends:

• Vitamin C: 500 mg
• Quercetin: 250 mg to 500 mg
• Zinc: 75-100 mg/day (acetate, gluconate or picolinate). Zinc lozenges are preferred. After one month, reduce the dose to 30 mg to 50 mg per day
• Melatonin (slow release): Begin with 0.3 mg and increase as tolerated to 2 mg at night
• Vitamin D3: 1,000 to 4,000 IUs per day

KG: The FLCCC Alliance also advocates in favor of the antiparasitic drug ivermectin—can you speak to the clinical research regarding prevention and early treatment?

JM: Another decades-old antiparasitic drug that may be even more useful than HCQ is ivermectin. Like HCQ, ivermectin is on the World Health Organization’s list of essential drugs, but its benefits are also being ignored by public health officials and buried by mainstream media.

Ivermectin is a heartworm medication that has been shown to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro.²⁰ In the US, the FLCCC Alliance has been calling for widespread adoption of ivermectin, both as a prophylactic and for the treatment of all phases of COVID-19.^21,22

What makes ivermectin particularly useful in COVID-19 is the fact that it works both in the initial viral phase of the illness—when antivirals are required—as well as the inflammatory stage, when the viral load drops off and anti-inflammatories become necessary.

According to Dr. Surya Kant Tripathy, a medical doctor in India who has written a white paper²³ on ivermectin, the drug reduces replication of the SARS-CoV-2 virus by several thousand times.²⁴ Kant’s paper led several Indian provinces to start using ivermectin, both as a prophylactic and as treatment for COVID-19 in the summer of 2020.

Curiously, when the WHO finally updated its guidance on ivermectin at the end of March 2021,^25,26 they gave it a thumbs-down, saying more data are needed. They only recommend it for patients who are enrolled in a clinical trial. Yet, they based their negative recommendation on a review that included just five studies, which ended up showing a 72% reduction in deaths.

In the WHO’s summary of findings, they unexpectedly include data from seven studies, which combined show an 81% reduction in deaths. The confidence interval is also surprisingly high, with a 64% reduction in deaths on the low end, and 91% on the high end. What’s more, their absolute effect estimate for standard of care is 70 deaths per 1,000, compared to just 14 deaths per 1,000 when treating with ivermectin. That’s a reduction in deaths of 56 per 1,000 when using ivermectin. The confidence interval is between 44 and 63 fewer deaths per 1,000.

Despite that, the WHO refuses to recommend this drug for COVID-19. Rabindra Abeyasinghe, a WHO representative to the Philippines, commented that using ivermectin without “strong” evidence is “harmful” because it can give “false confidence” to the public.²⁷

As noted by Daniel Horowitz in an April 1, 2021, article in The Blaze, “That sure sounds a lot like telling people if they wear a mask indoors, they won’t get COVID. Tragically, when they invariably do get the virus, the global health elites have nothing to treat them with.”

April 24 to 25, 2021 Dr. Tess Lawrie, Director of the Evidence-Based Medicine Consultancy Ltd, hosted the first International Ivermectin for COVID Conference online.²⁸ Twelve medical experts from around the world shared their knowledge during this conference, reviewing mechanism of action, protocols for prevention and treatment, including so-called long-hauler syndrome, research findings, and real-world data.

All of the lectures, which were recorded via Zoom, can be viewed on Bird-Group.org. In her closing address, Lawrie stated:²⁹

The story of Ivermectin has highlighted that we are at a remarkable juncture in medical history. The tools that we use to heal and our connection with our patients are being systematically undermined by relentless disinformation stemming from corporate greed. The story of Ivermectin shows that we as a public have misplaced our trust in the authorities and have underestimated the extent to which money and power corrupts.

Had Ivermectin being employed in 2020 when medical colleagues around the world first alerted the authorities to its efficacy, millions of lives could have been saved, and the pandemic with all its associated suffering and loss brought to a rapid and timely end.

Since then, hundreds of millions of people have been involved in the largest medical experiment in human history. Mass vaccination was an unproven novel therapy. Hundreds of billions will be made by Big Pharma and paid for by the public. With politicians and other nonmedical individuals dictating to us what we are allowed to prescribe to the ill, we as doctors, have been put in a position such that our ability to uphold the Hippocratic oath is under attack.

At this fateful juncture, we must therefore choose, will we continue to be held ransom by corrupt organizations, health authorities, Big Pharma, and billionaire sociopaths, or will we do our moral and professional duty to do no harm and always do the best for those in our care? The latter includes urgently reaching out to colleagues around the world to discuss which of our tried and tested safe older medicines can be used against COVID.

During the conference, Lawrie proposed that doctors around the world join together to form a new people-centered World Health Organization. “Never before has our role as doctors been so important because never before have we become complicit in causing so much harm,” she said.

Additional Interventions

KG: Earlier you mentioned nebulized hydrogen peroxide. Can you go into greater detail regarding this intervention in acute viral illnesses like SARS-CoV-2?

JM: While all my content on hydrogen peroxide has been removed from my website, you can still find three videos I created by going to Bitchute and searching for “Mercola and peroxide.”

Nebulized hydrogen peroxide is extremely safe. Dr. David Brownstein has used it for 25 years with no ill effects being found, and he published a case report of over 100 COVID patients successfully treated with it and zero deaths. It’s also incredibly inexpensive, and you can administer it at home, without a prescription. In my view, it is one of the absolute best therapies for viral infections like SARS-CoV-2.

You need to buy a desktop nebulizer (it needs to produce a very fine mist and desktop versions are stronger than handheld battery-operated models). The one I use is the Pari Trek S Compressor Aerosol System. The large battery option is unnecessary as you can simply plug in the device to run it when you need it.

Please understand, though, that the Pari Trek S is designed to treat asthmatics and as such only comes with a mouthpiece. While this would get the peroxide in the lungs where it is needed, it does nothing to reach the sinuses, which are also likely infected. This is why it would be worth picking up some face masks on Amazon to use instead of the mouthpiece as they are only about $10.

It is important to acquire this BEFORE you need it, as the sooner you treat the infection the better your results will be, although the testimonials are unbelievably impressive even in late-stage illness. It is not necessary to treat yourself preventively, but only if you are sick or exposed to someone who is.

While I’ve been using a 0.1% dilution, Brownstein uses an even lower concentration of just 0.04%. Neither Brownstein nor I recommend using commercial 3% hydrogen peroxide found in most grocery stores, however, as it has potentially toxic chemical stabilizers in it. Then take 3-5 ml and put that into the nebulizer and inhale the entire amount. You can do this every hour when you are sick until you start to notice improvement and then back down to every four to six hours and continue until you are over the illness.

Since you are not using full strength 3% peroxide and are diluting it by 30 to 50 times, it is unlikely the stabilizers will present a problem, but to be safe it is best to use FOOD-GRADE peroxide. Also remember not to dilute it with plain water as the lack of electrolytes in the water can damage your lungs if you nebulize that. You will need to use saline or add a small amount of salt to the water to eliminate this risk.

To perform this treatment, you need but two items: a nebulizer such as the Pari Trek S Compressor Aerosol System and a face mask that covers your mouth and nose that emits a fine mist, and food grade hydrogen peroxide. Typically, food grade peroxide comes in concentrations of 12% so you will need to dilute it down to 0.1% to use it as I describe in the video and chart below.

Viruses are not “alive” per se. They need a live host in which they can infect live cells that then replicate the viral DNA and RNA. Once a cell is infected, newly replicated viruses exit the cell and move on to the next cell to duplicate the process. So, when we talk about “killing” a virus, we’re really talking about inactivating them by breaking down their structure. This is why soap works so well. Coronaviruses are held together by a lipid (fatty) coating. Soap, being amphipathic—meaning it can dissolve most molecules—dissolves this fat membrane, causing the virus to fall apart and become harmless.

More specifically, the fat-like substances in soap are structurally similar to the lipids found in the virus membrane, so the soap molecules compete with and replace the fats in the membrane. In so doing, the “fatty glue” holding the virus together dissolves. Hydrogen peroxide works in a similar way. As noted by Dr Thomas Levy, “The way to control any viral infection is not to kill the virus; rather, the infected cells that have been turned into viral factories must be killed.”

Your immune cells actually produce hydrogen peroxide. This is in part how your immune system kills cells that have been infected with a virus. By killing the infected cell, viral reproduction is stopped. So, hydrogen peroxide therapy is in essence only aiding your immune cells to perform their natural function more effectively.

Hydrogen peroxide is also a key redox signaling agent. As explained in the March 30, 2020, review article from my absolute favorite journal Nature Reviews Molecular Biology, “Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) as Pleiotropic Physical Signaling Agents”:

At the low physiological levels in the nanomolar range, H₂O₂ is the major agent signaling through specific protein targets, which engage in metabolic regulation and stress responses to support cellular adaptation to a changing environment and stress … Recent methodological advances permit the assessment of molecular interactions of specific ROS [reactive oxygen species] molecules with specific targets in redox signaling pathways.

Accordingly, major advances have occurred in understanding the role of these oxidants in physiology and disease, including the nervous, cardiovascular and immune systems, skeletal muscle and metabolic regulation as well as ageing and cancer. In the past, unspecific elimination of ROS by use of low molecular mass antioxidant compounds was not successful in counteracting disease initiation and progression in clinical trials. However, controlling specific ROS-mediated signaling pathways by selective targeting offers a perspective for a future of more refined redox medicine.

In short, hydrogen peroxide is a major ROS, but while ROS are typically thought of as “all bad,” this is a gross oversimplification. As noted in this paper, blanket elimination of ROS is inadvisable as they actually serve important signaling functions. The paper, which is behind a paywall, further explains:

Steady-state physiological flux of H₂O₂ to specific protein targets leads to reversible oxidation, thereby altering protein activity, localization and interactions, which contributes to orchestration of various processes in cells and organs, including cell proliferation, differentiation, migration and angiogenesis. This state of low-level H₂O₂ maintenance and its associated physiological redox signaling is called ‘oxidative eustress.’

Contrary to oxidative stress or oxidative distress, oxidative eustress denotes an oxidative challenge that has positive or beneficial effects and is essential in redox signaling.

Hydrogen peroxide has a long history of medical use. As explained in a British Journal of Pharmacology paper published in 2012, which sought to assess the therapeutic potential of hydrogen peroxide in the treatment of ischemic stroke:

…in light of recent findings, [hydrogen peroxide] is being recognized as a ubiquitous endogenous molecule of life as its biological role has been better elucidated. Indeed, increasing evidence suggests that H₂O₂ may act as a second messenger with a pro-survival role in several physiological processes…

The presence of H₂O₂ in living systems was identified in 1856. However, it was only in 1894 that 100% pure H₂O₂ was first extracted … In 1888, the first medical use of H₂O₂ was described by Love as efficacious in treating numerous diseases, including scarlet fever, diphtheria, nasal catarrh, acute coryza, whooping cough, asthma hay fever and tonsillitis.

Similarly, Oliver and collaborators reported that intravenous injection of H₂O₂ was efficacious in treating influenza pneumonia in the epidemic following World War I. Despite its beneficial effects, in the 1940s medical interest in further research on H₂O₂ was slowed down by the emerging development of new prescription medicines…

Notably, Farr is generally considered to be the pioneer of ‘oxidative therapy’ by proposing intravenous infusion of H₂O₂ to treat a wide variety of diseases. Later, Willhelm promoted the therapeutic use of H₂O₂ to treat cancer, skin diseases, polio and bacteria-related mental illness.He defined H₂O₂ as ‘God’s given immune system.’ Another player in the H₂O₂ story was Grotz, who obtained pain relief by testing H₂O₂ on himself to treat his arthritis pain.

As you can see, while Farr has been labeled a quack by some critics, other scientists and researchers are not so quick to dismiss his contributions to medical science.

What do studies say? The most relevant study was one that was done earlier this year in the Journal of Hospital Infection. They studied 0.5% hydrogen peroxide, six times weaker than the 3% typically used, and found that it killed human coronaviruses and SARS coronaviruses and MERS. Studies have also looked into the use of hydrogen peroxide against a variety of pathogens, including a 1994 study in Poultry Science, which found a microaerosolized mist of 5% hydrogen peroxide “completely inactivated infectious laryngotracheitis virus.”

Exposure to the mist also reduced infectivity of Newcastle disease virus, infectious bronchitis virus, and avian influenza virus, but did not completely inactivate them. Use of 10% hydrogen peroxide mist was necessary to render infectious bursal disease virus completely inactive. Another study, published in the American Journal of Infection Control in 2009, assessed the efficacy of vaporized hydrogen peroxide against viruses on various surfaces, finding exposure to hydrogen peroxide vapor at a concentration of 10 parts per million resulted in 99% inactivation after 2.5 minutes.

Similarly, a 2014 study in the Journal of Hospital Infection found hydrogen peroxide vapor eliminated an array of viruses on stainless steel, including human adenovirus 1, transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus of pigs (TGEV, a SARS-CoV surrogate), avian influenza virus, and swine influenza virus. According to the authors, “Hydrogen peroxide vapor was virucidal against feline calicivirus, adenovirus, TGEV and avian influenza virus at the lowest vaporized volume tested (25 mL).” Vaporized hydrogen peroxide was found to completely inactivate a range of exotic animal viruses in a 1997 study as well.

Hydrogen peroxide’s ability to inactivate dangerous infectious viruses has also been highlighted in vaccine science. As noted in a 2016 study in the Vaccine journal, 3% hydrogen peroxide completely and irreversibly inactivated the rabies virus within two hours, thus reducing time and cost of the inactivation process required for the making of a rabies vaccine (which contains inactivated rabies virus).

Why Use a Nebulizer?

The therapy touted by Farr involved administering hydrogen peroxide intravenously. This, however, puts the therapy out of reach for most who want a quick and easy remedy to use at home. A far more inexpensive and convenient alternative is to inhale the hydrogen peroxide mist, using a nebulizer—a small, handheld device that converts liquid into a very fine mist. The microscopic mist, similar to smoke or vapor, can be comfortably inhaled deep into your nostrils, sinuses and lungs. While nebulizers have routinely been used by asthmatics to deliver medication into their lungs, this delivery system affects not only the lungs but your entire body.

As noted in the 2002 review article, “Pulmonary Drug Delivery Systems: Recent Developments and Prospects,” “Targeting drug delivery into the lungs has become one of the most important aspects of systemic … drug delivery systems.” In the case of respiratory infections, the nebulizer has the added advantage of delivering the hydrogen peroxide right to the areas most affected by respiratory viruses—your sinuses, throat, bronchial tract, and lungs.

“Effective hydrogen peroxide nebulization quite literally, ‘chops the head off of the snake,’ and the virus present elsewhere in the body can then readily be mopped up when the new virus influx has been terminated,” Levy says, adding, “It should be kept in mind that hydrogen peroxide kills pathogens very readily upon contact in an open wound. It should, therefore, be understandable why putting a fine mist of hydrogen peroxide in all the areas of maximal viral replication promptly puts the body on a pathway to rapid healing.”

KG: From your observations and clinical experience, can natural interventions help decrease the SARS-CoV-2 affinity to ACE2 receptors?

JM: When the virus uses the ACE2 enzyme, it generates angiotensin II,³⁰ which in turn generates superoxide.³¹ The ROS can be reduced with glutathione peroxidase³² as it oxidizes glutathione in the process of reducing H2O2 to water. A deficiency in glutathione creates a buildup of reactive oxygen species.

Glutathione is created from three amino acids—glutamate, glycine and cysteine—to form the glutathione molecule. One function of glutathione is to recycle other antioxidants. This helps increase the effectiveness and recycle the molecules; and deficiencies in certain vitamins such as C, E, and A can cause a glutathione deficiency.

I am not a major fan of using large doses of selective antioxidants for excess oxidative stress, with the exception of vitamin C acutely—and in that case it is really acting more as an antibiotic and converting to hydrogen peroxide which then is converted to hydroxyl free radical in the presence of iron to destroy pathogens.

I much prefer to use molecular hydrogen (H2) to address the excess oxidative stress. As Tyler LeBaron, scientific researcher and founder of the Molecular Hydrogen Institute, recently explained to me: aside from being a selective antioxidant, H2 acts as a gaseous-signal modulator, and thus is able to influence gene expression and protein phosphorylations cascades involved in signal transduction, all of which help explain its therapeutic effects. One of the primary pathways that H2 activates is the Nrf2 pathway.

The Nrf2 is this protein that’s bound to another protein, Keap1, and when there’s an assault of oxidative stress, those separate. Then the Nrf2 is able to diffuse into the nucleus of the DNA. It binds to the electrophile response or ARE, the antioxidant response element, portion of the DNA. In turn, that ends up leading to the production of a large number of endogenous antioxidants like glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase. When we talk about antioxidation and detoxification, a lot of that is regulated and controlled by Nrf2. That is the master regulator. So, it is a key protein involved in many processes [and] hydrogen gas is able to activate the Nrf2 pathway.

Importantly, though, contrary to other Nrf2 activators, H2 only activates Nfr2 if it’s actually needed. In this way, the risk of it suppressing beneficial free radicals like nitric oxide is minimized. Indeed, H2 appears to be one of the safest therapeutic options available. Its downside potential is almost nonexistent.

It tends to bring things back to homeostasis. The further something is away from homeostasis, the higher the probability that hydrogen gas will be able to help bring that back into homeostasis. If something is already at a perfect level, well, then, you may see that hydrogen gas didn’t do anything.

Again, hydrogen gas has this dual role where it can both protect against the oxidative stress, as well as act as this mild hormetic effector in the mitochondria to increase mild amounts of free radicals, similar to an easy bout of exercise for example, which can then induce these protective effects.

The easiest way to get hydrogen gas into your system is to dissolve a molecular hydrogen tablet in water and drink it. In the interview, LeBaron warns us why we need to be skeptical and cautious about electrolysis machines, as they often don’t produce anywhere near the concentrations required. In clinical studies this is often 1.6 mg/L and above, which at first doesn’t sound like very much, but it is significant.

There are a couple of things to consider when you drink hydrogen gas. 1.6 mg/L as a solubility doesn’t sound like very much but keep in mind that hydrogen gas is the smallest molecule in the universe. Of course, 1.6 mg doesn’t weigh very much because it’s hydrogen gas but it’s actually a lot of molecules. In fact, there are more molecules in 1.6 mg of hydrogen than there are molecules of vitamin C in a 100-mg dose.

Now, when you inhale, say, a 3% hydrogen gas, that’s going to increase the cellular concentration to a certain level. That exact same level—if we can calculate it based on Henry’s law and the dose from drinking hydrogen water—that concentration in the cell can also be reached by just drinking hydrogen water.

Because if you drink all of it at once, it immediately increases the cellular concentration to the same level that you would get if you were inhaling hydrogen gas at 2% or 3% level. You’re also able to enact various second messenger systems that you may not be getting with inhalation.

KG: In terms of additional natural interventions, new research suggests CBD can inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication in human lung cells. Have you observed any benefits of CBD for prevention and treatment of COVID-19?

JM: Although there is nothing in the chemical makeup of CBD to suggest it specifically targets COVID-19, some experts believe the anti-inflammatory properties could present a potential treatment for pulmonary inflammation.

A recent study by scholars from Augusta University in Georgia concluded that CBD had a potential protective role during ARDS, which may make it a valuable part of treatment for COVID-19 “by reducing the cytokine storm, protecting pulmonary tissues, and re-establishing inflammatory homeostasis.”³³

Mechanisms

KG: What is the role of endothelial dysfunction in susceptibility to severe progression of COVID-19 (including lung injury)?

JM: Enzymes catalyze many biological reactions in the body. They regulate the rate of these chemical reactions, speeding them up so necessary functions like digestion, muscle contractions, and other aspects of cellular metabolism can occur. Enzymes are also emerging as key players in COVID-19, as studies suggest damage to the endothelium is contributing to the development of blood clots, or thrombosis, in the blood vessels of severely ill COVID-19 patients, which can extend to the lungs.

Another study looking into the impact of coexisting health conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes on COVID-19 outcomes found they’re linked to “poorer clinical outcomes,” such as admission to an intensive care unit, a need for invasive ventilation, or death. It’s possible that the endothelial damage in all of these conditions plays a role in worsening COVID-19 outcomes, but it’s unclear which comes first—endothelial damage or COVID-19.³⁴

KG: Is there a relationship between altered membrane phospholipid composition (saturated fat, omega-3 to omega-6 ratios) and susceptibility to COVID-19?

JM: This is actually the topic of my next book, which will be out in 2023. This is a great way to end the conversation as I believe this is one of the most seriously overlooked issues in all of natural medicine. While many believe the omega 3-to-6 ratio is key, it is not quite as simple as it would seem. Both of these fats are essential, which means that our body is unable to produce them.

However, if you are eating any food, it is nearly impossible to not get enough omega-6 fats. Whereas this is clearly not the case for omega-3 fats, so making sure you get a base level of high-quality omega-3 fats is important. However, just taking enough omega-3 to counter a high omega-6 intake could actually worsen your oxidative stress and inflammation. It is not so much about the ratio as it is about having a low enough omega-6 and enough omega-3.

Ideally your omega-6 content should be below 5 grams a day. Both of these fats are unsaturated and highly susceptible to oxidative damage, which is why you need to be particularly careful in this matter. I don’t believe you should ever take an omega-6 supplement (typically marketed as an omega 3-6-9 blend), as no one is deficient unless they are on total parenteral nutrition for many months. Although all processed foods need to be avoided—including processed seed oils—they still provide more than enough omega-6 fats to satisfy biological requirements.

Considering omega-6 tends to be stored in body fat for many years, the central challenge is to reduce total levels as low as possible.

The first step is to eliminate all vegetable (a.k.a. seed) oils from your diet as they are very high sources of the omega-6 fat linoleic acid (LA). Over 150 years ago, the average intake of LA was only 1% to 2% of total calorie intake. It has now increased fivefold. While that may not seem like much, it is having profoundly devastating impacts on our health and is likely the reason for the epidemic in virtually all the chronic diseases we have seen since.

Prior to 1866, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and age-related macular degeneration were very rare conditions. While sugar certainly did not help, it likely did not contribute as much to the problem as increased LA intake. Sugar is also rapidly metabolized while LA becomes embedded in cell membranes and takes years to exit your body.

You can visit my website, mercola.com and use our search engine to find additional information.

Resources

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/07/30/cbd-may-help-treat-covid-19.aspx

https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2020/04/16/5g-rollout.aspx