Immune Competence and Minimizing Susceptibility to COVID-19 and Other Immune System Threats.

Exposure to viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens is unavoidable. Yet, the mere presence of these threats is not enough to automatically predispose to illness. The susceptibility of an individual to viral or bacterial infections is dependent upon immune competence. Many factors can interfere with the functioning of the immune system. Epigenetic alterations in the form of lifestyle or environmental factors can lead to impaired immunity. For example, exposure to air pollution can increase the risk of complications and mortality from COVID-19. Obesity can also exacerbate the damaging effects of air pollution on the lungs and may enhance the association between air pollution and increased COVID-19 severity. Poor sleep is another factor leading to impaired immunity, likely due to the coinciding melatonin depletion. Melatonin has been found to have antiviral and immune-enhancing effects, and it has been proposed that this hormone may be beneficial in COVID-19 patients. Zinc and vitamins D and C have also been well studied for their ability to shorten the duration of upper respiratory infections, and vitamin D has been found to reduce mortality in COVID-19 patients. Cannabidiol can both directly and indirectly improve immunity by enhancing natural killer cell activity, reducing inflammation, and relieving stress. Other dietary supplements backed by solid scientific evidence to show they act as immune enhancers are astragalus, a yeast fermentate (EpiCor®), olive leaf extract, berberine, N-acetyl cysteine, and garlic.

Alkyl-Acylglycerols and the Important Clinical Ramifications of Raising Plasmalogens in Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease.

A critical factor involved in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias is the decline of plasmalogens, a key glycerophospholipid required for normal neuron function. An accumulating body of evidence correlates low blood and brain plasmalogens with higher levels of AD pathology and lower cognition scores and indicates that declines in these phospholipids begin years before clinical symptoms develop. Furthermore, it has been recently reported that high blood plasmalogen levels neutralize the increased risk of dementia in persons who carry the APOE epsilon 4 allele, the most significant genetic risk factor for AD. There are over 30 common species of plasmalogens in the human body with different plasmalogen species playing different roles, depending on the organ and cell type. Accordingly, there is great interest in understanding how to selectively target plasmalogen augmentation for specific health needs. For example, brain white matter is comprised of plasmalogens containing monounsaturated fatty acids, whereas gray matter is comprised of plasmalogens containing polyunsaturated fatty acids. Fortunately, the structure-activity and biochemistry of plasmalogen augmentation has been extensively studied in cell and animal models. Restoring and augmenting levels of selective plasmalogens can be achieved with dietary supplementation of 1-O-alkyl-2-acyl glycerol oils containing the desired fatty acid type at the 2-acyl position. Neuron-targeted 1-O-alkyl-2-acyl glycerol containing DHA has been shown to be neuroprotective and neuroactive in animal models of neurodegeneration. This review will discuss the mechanisms by which plasmalogen deficiency leads to Alzheimer's and/or dementia and the critical role that 1-O-alkyl-2-acyl glycerol oils can play in patients with those disorders.