With the Ebola virus in the news, I thought it might be time to comment on what steps you can take to prevent becoming ill. Keep in mind that conventional medicine has no effective treatments for the Ebola virus. Due to a slow international response, Ebola has spread rapidly.
It is a scary infection as the death rate is very high—from 50-90%. Initially, the Ebola infection can mimic the symptoms from the flu or other upper respiratory infection. However, as it progresses, it can lead to very severe muscle aches, liver and kidney failure along with bleeding out of various areas of the body. Needless to say, Ebola is something to be taken very seriously.
As I previously stated, there is no conventional treatment for the Ebola virus. That does not mean that you are powerless to do anything to combat it. There are many effective natural anti-viral therapies that may prove effective against Ebola. It would be nice if the Powers-That-Be would begin testing these therapies. But, that would make common sense. Instead the Powers-That-Be are actively discouraging the use of alternative therapies even though they have nothing to offer. It is a sad situation.
Keep in mind that Ebola, like any viral infection, can only be cured by a strong immune system. We are designed with a powerful immune system that should mount a response to an infectious agent. However, the immune system can only mount a vigorous defense if it has the raw materials available to it. For over 20 years, I have been checking every patient for their nutrient status. Unfortunately, most are deficient in the basic raw materials that the immune system needs to function optimally.
I say, if you become ill with a viral illness, do the basics to help optimize your immune system. I will show you the four most important items you can use to aid your immune system to fight any illness.
The most important item is vitamin C. Humans are not able to manufacture vitamin C. Either we get enough vitamin C from our diet or the immune system will not function optimally and we will be more prone to becoming ill with various infections, Ebola included. Throughout the medical literature there are many case histories of vitamin C curing viral and other infectious illnesses. Vitamin C activates the immune system so that it can fight any infection. How much vitamin C should you take? I would suggest taking at least 5,000mg of vitamin C on a daily basis. If you become ill with any infectious agent, take more as the body’s requirements dramatically increase when it is confronted with an infectious agent.
Intravenous vitamin C should be given to all Ebola patients. Though it has not been studied, I have no doubt that IV vitamin C would be a great benefit to any patient suffering not only from Ebola but from any infectious agent. In my practice, I have used IV vitamin C for over 20 years. Anytime the body is stressed, vitamin C requirements are elevated. IV vitamin C achieves a much higher serum level as compared to oral vitamin C. IV vitamin C should be a standard-of-care treatment for all Ebola patients. In fact, it should be standard-of-care for any hospitalized patient.
What else can you take to prevent a viral infection? I would suggest taking vitamin A. Vitamin A is integral for the maintenance and functioning of the immune system. In acute viral illnesses, I have found short courses of vitamin A (not beta carotene) very helpful. From 10-100,000U of vitamin A per day for a few days to a few weeks can stimulate the immune system to fight viral infections.
Vitamin D is also important. Over 80% of patients are deficient in vitamin D. Maintaining adequate vitamin D levels helps lead to a strong immune system. For most patients, I suggest taking 2-6,000U of vitamin D3 per day. In times of acute illnesses, 50,000U of vitamin D3 per day for a few days has proven extremely helpful.
Iodine is essential. No virus, bacteria, or parasite has been shown to be resistant to iodine. Iodine levels have fallen over 50% during the last 40 years. Maintaining iodine sufficiency is one of the most important things you can do to help your immune system. For most patients, I have found 12-50mg/day can supply the body with the correct amount of iodine. More information about this can be found in my book, Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It.
I do not suggest you try taking these large doses of nutrients without seeing a health care provider knowledgeable about natural agents. A competent health care provider can order the appropriate tests and guide you in which therapy is best for you.
There are many other natural therapies that may help fight Ebola and other infections including silver, alpha lipoic acid, medium and short chain fatty acids (found in coconut oil), minerals, and herbal therapies.
I would be remiss if I did not mention four other steps you can do at home which can help improve anyone’s immune system. First, it is important to maintain hydration. Next, eat healthy food. Eating too much sugar ruins the immune system. The ingestion of refined sugar has been shown to slow down the activity of the white blood cells for hours afterwards. Maintaining adequate salt levels is a must. Most people do not ingest enough salt. Unrefined salt should be the salt-of-choice. Infectious agents prefer a low-salt environment–that is why salt is used to preserve food. More information about salt can be found in my book, Salt Your Way To Health. Finally, I cannot stress enough the importance of exercise. Exercise stimulates the immune system.
Ebola should be taken seriously. It would be nice if the Powers-That-Be would investigate the natural therapies that I have outlined here. I have seen them work in many serious illnesses. I have no doubt they would work in a patient suffering from Ebola.
Thank you! Dr. Brownstein, what do you think about these treatment:
http://drsircus.com/medicine/ebola-saving-lives-natural-allopathic-medicine
Luciano,
Dr. Sircus is a very smart man who has good ideas.
DrB
If Vit. C IVs are not available to the public during an Ebola outbreak and an ill patient cannot keep food/drinks down; is it possible to add Vit. C to an enema and administer rectally?
Carolyn,
I am not aware of vitamin C being absorbed rectally. It will have to be taken orally. It is best to keep vitamin C levels high BEFORE becoming ill with any viral infection.
DrB
Hi Dr. B! I’m wondering about the iodine. What kind should I take (lugols, kelp..etc.) and is it safe for my kids (ages 2-5) to take as well? We live only a couple hours from Dallas so I’m hoping to boost our immune systems. Also, how much should we all take?
Thank you!
Bethany,
I recommend taking Lugol’s iodine or tableted Lugol’s iodine. It is safe for children to take as well. But, you should work with an iodine-knowledgeable health care provider.
DrB
You are my go-to expert on all things Iodine, and I knew that iodine would play prominently in any protocol against this current scourge. So happy to learn just now that Optimox is back up and producing more Iodoral for us.
Do you think that proteolytic enzymes would be helpful to destroy the capsid shell of viruses? We’ve always taken some Wobenzym at the onset of a cold.
I’ve seen the value of whey protein in ITP, helping to build up the stem cells and thus the platelets/red cells. Would this apply to Ebola?
Thanks!
Donna,
I do not think proteolytic enzymes would help with Ebola as most viruses, Ebola included, do not contain cell walls. I think the best single treatment will turn out to be vitamin C.
DrB
“. I have no doubt they would work in a patient suffering from Ebola.” You have absolutely no evidence for this. Your blog is a shameless attempt to market your so-called remedies on the back of immense human suffering and fear.
Dr. Thank you for the information on the vitamin c and d. However, I am wondering what you think of Nano Silver as treatment?
Denna,
I am sure that direct application of silver to Ebola would work. I am not sure if taking silver internally would work against it. However, since we have no great treatments, I am all for trying it. I would try vitamin C first.
DrB
Hello, I found your article very interesting! However, would question whether giving such high doses of vitamin A to pregnant women could be harmful to the unborn baby as it is a teratogenic. Would you agree pregnant women should seek advice before commencing such high intake of certain supplements?
Sophie,
Of course ALL patients, pregnant or not, should work with a knowledgeable health care practitioner before taking high doses of supplements.
DrB
Dr. B.,
I was wondering if you had any preferences in which brand of vitamin c to purchase? And from where do you recommend purchasing them? Thanks for the great article and information provided. I live outside of Dallas, so you can only imagine how much people are talking about ebola right now, talk about a hot topic. This article has brought myself a lot of peace.
Sara,
Biotics Research, Thorne, Optimox, and Hakala Nutritionals are examples of companies that put out good products. There are others out there. I suggest working with a knowledgeable health care provider who can help guide you.
DrB
What about selenium? I was reading that areas in Africa were found to be deficient in selenium in their diets and the mortality rates were higher due to that. Once they supplemented with selenium, there was greater survival. A Chinese hemorrhagic viral illness also showed improved rates of survival once diet was supplemented with selenium. 7-10 Brazil nuts a day would do it.
Great suggestion Dr. Brownstein, thanks for helping us all feel like there are things we can do to help with this ebola scare. Can I also throw in the importance of NO SUGAR!! It affects my immune system so badly! And of course processed foods are a no no and fermented foods are so important to eat too!
Monica,
You go!!
I am all in for no refined sugar.
DrB
Can you take iodine if you’ve had your thyroid removed due to Cancer. Thanks! If so, what do you recommend, liquid form or pill.
Karen,
I assume you have skin, bones, liver, kidneys, pancreas, ovaries, etc. Every cell in the body needs and requires iodine. I have found little difference between liquid and tableted forms of iodine.
DrB
Dr Brownstein,
Do you know of any holistic practitioners like you in Europe ? Since I have seen many holistic practitioners state on their website that they cannot treat anyone who is not residing in the US, I am guessing it is a law or something that applies to all the holistic practitioners in US. What would you advise for Europeans? BTW, I did live in the US for 24 years, and my wife is an American native. Would any of this help me get any type of consultation by a holistic US practitioner?
Alex
Laurie,
Therese Hertogue is a good doc. She is in Belgium.
DrB
Robert Cathcart, MD, of Los Altos, CA friend of Linus Pauling (when Pauling had his Institute here in Palo Alto) was writing about Vitamin C and Ebola in 2005:
http://vitamincfoundation.org/www.orthomed.com/ebola.htm
Cathcart retired from Stanford as an orthopedic surgeon and opened a practice in Los Altos. He developed the bowel tolerance level concept of Vitamin C and was a brilliant MD. He was my doctor for several years and his work on viral infections and C should be required reading. He was using IV C on HIV patients and they were recovering. His friendship with Linus Pauling was a wonderful thing. I miss them both.
Ebola and IV C – read Cathcart to get to some mechanism of action answers.
Here is more on Ebola and IV C: http://orthomolecular.org/resources/omns/v10n13.shtml
Thanks. Two brilliant docs.
DrB
Dr B what’s the best form of vitamin A if not beta carotene?
Ashley,
Vitamin A and Beta Carotene are two different substances. There is some conversion of beta carotene to vitamin A in the body, but not much. Vitamin A has much better anti-viral qualities as compared to beta carotene.
Dr.B
Dr. Brownstein, I have been reading that liposomal Vitamin C is even more effective than IV Vitamin C. What are your thoughts on this?
Jonathan,
I am not buying into that. IV vitamin C is the most effective way to achieve high levels of vitamin C.
DrB
Can you suggest how to get sufficient Vit C for someone who is allergic to citrus (oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit) and has severe abdominal pain from even a small amount. (This might be caused by ulcers – checking out H-pylori this week)
Are there veges with high Vit C? How about cedar oil/resin (pine)?
Would intravenous Vit C be a problem for someone with citrus allergy?
Nola,
Find an NAET practitioner who can help you with food/environmental issues. http://www.naet.com.
DrB
Dr. Brownstein
Thank you for this information.
I would add ELDERBERRY To this list. Elderberry is one of the few anti-virals known to man, and it is natural. I recommend everyone stock up on it now, while it is available.
It can be bought at CVS, Walgreens & Walmart, etc. The original main brand name is “Sambucol”, which is Elderberry.
Thank you Dr. Brownstein.
There is a very good discussion of Vitamin C and viral infections on you tube.
Type in “Dr. Thomas Levy and Vitamin C”
It’s about 45 minutes
I, for one, plan on taking care of my immune system.
Tom
I believe information about keeping the gut healthy is also very important. It has been written that 80% of the health of the body starts in the gut. So, pre and probiotics are very important in keeping the immune system strong. I do appreciate your courageous article as the FDA has gone after 2 essential oil companies for their information on ebola.
I work at a chiropractic office and my family and friends always ask my opinion on vaccinations. They know I don’t get flu shots and question my decision. This article will help me explain why I choose this more effective way to stay healthy. Thanks Dr. B!
Another way to improve the immune response to infection is by oral administration of natural antigens as naturally extracted from human blood, or in other words, the infected person can improve their own immune response by drinking some of their own urine.
John W Armstrong had a career from 1918 to 1944 advising sick people and saw people recover from a variety of illness including infectious disease. He had ill people drink their own urine, fast and take water. Apparently by taking your own urine orally you can bolster your own immune response to infection. Armstrong claimed people who had tuberculosis, malaria, and flue were thus able to recover. He claimed flue would go into remission in 12 hours.
For those who are curios see Armstrong’s book, The Water of Life.
http://www.thehealthsite.com/news/latest-ebola-news-spanish-missionary-serious-with-ebola/
Thank you Dr. Brownstein for sharing this relevant information!
What is the best way to find a healthcare provider that can administer IV C (sodium ascorbate)?
Also, what is your opinion about liposomal vitamin C such as the Livon Labs Lypo-C?
http://www.livonlabs.com/cgi-bin/start.cgi/liposome-encapsulated/lypo-spheric-vitamin-c.html
I have read on the Vitamin C Foundation forum that some people have had great success using the Lypo-C to treat serious infections. Since the liposomal form of C is supposed to provide near IV C serum levels, it seems like it might be an option for those that are unable to access IV C treatment. IV C treatment does seem like the very best option, but I wonder how easy it would be to find a health care professional that would provide such a treatment.
Thanks again for helping people stay healthy! I have read some of your books, and I have given away your Iodine book and DVD to different family and friends because it was life changing for me. I often tell people that you are the best kind of doctor… trained as an MD, but still having the ability to use your God given mind to think outside the box and pursue alternative treatments that are effective. The best of both worlds! Keep up the good work!
Edward,
To find a doc who might do IV vitamin C, go to: http://www.icimed.org. It may take some legwork to find one, but it will be worth it.
DrB
I would think very large doses of ‘ vitamin c ‘, AKA Ascorbate, would be particularly helpful to people infected with Ebola for the following reason: Death by Ebola and death by acute Scurvy have similar symptoms, namely the failure of the endothelium and internal bleeding. A working hypothesis is that the body’s response to the Ebola infection results in all the ascorbate being consumed. In this situation the body starts to generate ascorbate by breaking down collagen protein, which liberates ascorbate. Since collagen is what holds us together, including the blood capillaries, failure of collagen eventually causes the internal bleeding common to Ebola and Scurvy.
The reason the powers that be cannot connect these dots is that they are thinking that fatal scurvy takes months to occur ( which nutritional driven ascorbate deficiency does take ), but viral induced scurvy apparently takes days to develop. Solve the bleeding problem and the body will have a chance to overcome the virus. Help people over come Ebola and any other virus infection with massive doses of ascorbate.
Unfortunately the powers that be would rather let people die than see this much ignored, reviled, and misrepresented therapy be vindicated through large scale deployment in West Africa.
John,
You are right. Scurvy is still alive and well in our 21st Century. I frequently find patients with low vitamin C levels and suffering from subclinical scurvy. Any illness increases the body’s need for vitamin C.
Vitamin C therapy is inexpensive and incredibly safe. That goes for oral as well as IV forms of vitamin C.
DrB
John,
We are unable to manufacture vitamin C. You are right; the body will start to break down when scurvy develops. And, I agree that the bleeding that is found in Ebola may indeed be related to acute scurvy. Vitamin C should be given to all patients suffering with viral infections–Ebola included.
DrB
Dr. Brownstein, thank you so much for responding to this pressing topic right now and providing this invaluable information!
Thanks Dr B for posting what many are afraid to say. I’ve been seeing posting that the govt is suppressing those who offer alternatives like dr rima/silver and various ppl/ essential oils. I just keep thinking that 138,000,000 people have died worldwide of AIDS. The gay population ravaged with no help from the govt. it took heterosexuals dying to get something to happen. With Ebola nobody really cared if I was in dark Africa but now that white people are getting it it’s in the news. Ah, the politics of disease.
Sherry,
It was the gay advocates who forced the issue of nutrient deficiencies making AIDS more severe. Nutritional supplementation clearly helps AIDS patients. And, it would help Ebola patients.
DrB
I’ve read that large doses of vitamin C cause a relative deficiency of copper. Is this true? What is your opinion of lipospheric vitamin C?
Joe, large doses of vitamin C can increase the body’s need for copper. Working with a knowledgeable health care provider can help you manage situations like this.
DrB
What doses of above would be safe for a 5 year old and still offer protection?
Kathy,
I generally recommend dosing kids down for their size. For example, assume 5,000mg/day of vitamin C for an adult–weighing 160 pounds. For kids, lower the dose for their size. The only real side effect of vitamin C is diarrhea and loose stools. If that happens, just lower the dose. Everybody has a different vitamin C threshold–most can tolerate large doses, a few can’t. You just have to try different doses and see how they do.
Your health care provider should be able to guide you. If you don’t have a health care provider who can guide you on this, I suggest finding one.
DrB
Thank You Dr. Brownstein for being the first well know doctor who is offering specific nutritional advice regarding Ebola!
I will personally keep a supply of iodine, vitamin C, vitamin A, Alpha Lipoic Acid , etc. in my ‘keep well” kit.
I wish all other doctors would be as brave as you to dare to say nutrition can ward off ALL viruses. Its time that all integrative physicians that are reaching thousands of us with their holistic advice with their best selling books, online websites
and TV stand up and hold hands tightly together and keep the FDA from breaking through to intimidate and hide this important information that will benefit All.
You are one of my heros!
Thank you Dr. Brownstein!
This is a great review of the natural alternatives available to optimize our health and to be more prepared in case of exposure. I would like to bring to your attention an article that we discussed this past week on the Iodine Workshop Facebook group concerning the role of selenium deficiency in the evolution of the disease.
This article was found on the website Orthomolecular.org. and explained the theoretical evidence that Ebola may be selenium dependent. The virus needing selenium to replicate would put a selenium deficient patient in a dire situation than a selenium sufficient patient.
In addition, selenium being an anticoagulant could prevent hemorrhage. Ebola hemorrhage is caused by clotting of the blood vessels and capillaries to the point of explosion. Selenium, by consequence, could prevent clotting and hemorrhage.
Of course, this article is a theoretical discussion but nevertheless very interesting and making us reflect on the importance of selenium in our health.
Thanks,
http://orthomolecular.org/library/jom/1995/articles/1995-v10n0304-p131.shtml
Timely post! I would suggest a follow up post on the ways to take Vitamin C more efectively and the need to check D3 levels and complement with K2-7. And thanks a million Dr. B, since I started treating my iodine deficiency naturally I am a new person!
Thanks Maria. I love the stories!
DrB
Anyone with amalgam fillings or eating lots of tuna might wish to be careful of taking Alpha Lipoic Acid. It is a chelator.
It can cause any mercury in the body to redistribute and might cause symptoms to develop.
THANK YOU FOR THIS TIMELY ADVICE.
Thank you!