Natural Alternatives to Hydroxychloroquine Article

{note: You can get EGCG (a.k.a. Green Tea Extract) online or at most local stores in the vitamin aisle. Quercetin is available online or at some (not very many) stores in vitamin aisle. Neither is hard to find and both are inexpensive.} Recommended is to use them together as a combination i.p.o. Hydroxychloroquine. Read the article and make your own choices.

"Quercetins are naturally occurring flavonoids. These flavonoids are found in a variety of foods, including vegetables such as onions, garlic, brassica, mustard greens, and ginger; fruit such as apples, berries, and grapes; and many seeds, nuts, flowers bark and tea leaves. I have personally been using quercetin for years with my patients in my functional medicine program that suffer from allergies, mitochondrial disease and for cardioprotective reasons.

Quercetin is a zinc ionophore. A 2015 study found that that Quercetin shows inhibitory activity in the early stages of a wide range of influenza viruses, including H1N1 and H5N1. Although influenza is not in the same family of viruses as the coronavirus, it’s plausible that a similar mechanism could apply here. There is actually some evidence that Quercetin has already proven effective at treating Ebola and Zika viruses.

Quercetin Dosage

Studies are currently being done to determine effective doses. At this time, I recommend 400mg up to twice per day.

EGCG is a catechin found primarily in green tea and touted as the most effective chemopreventive polyphenol. A recent study found EGCG amplified the effectiveness of Quercetin as a zinc ionophore. This suggests that ECGC and Quercetin provide a synergistic effect with enhanced bioavailability. EGCG Dosage

There are no studies to evaluate effective doses. Until there are, I recommend 200mg to 400mg 2x/day taken with Quercetin.

A common question, “Will drinking green tea provide enough ECGC?” No, you cannot get enough only from drinking green tea. Get your hands on the standardized supplement form.

Zinc

This trace element is essential to cell function and involved in over 100 enzymes. Zinc has long been tauted for it’s potential to support the immune system, but also plays an important role in wound healing, fertility, preventing and treating pneumonia and preserving community between neurons (memory). Zinc Format and Dosage

I recommend the zinc salt of gluconic acid in combination with the above zinc ionophores, however supply is currently limited. Other formats include glycinate and picolinate. Most people do not lack an intake of zinc, but in this case I tend to error on the side of caution and ensure and adequate supply with supplementation. I recommend 15-25mg 2x/day. This should not be taken long term without evaluation your zinc/copper ratios.