Undermethylators' bodies react slower to their internal and external environment. This includes changes in zinc levels being absorbed. They require sustained release zinc and meat, even with some fat in it to act as a brake to slow and sustain absorption, or when levels drop before their next dose, their immune systems will falter, a gap of function of which coronavirus will take relentless advantage.
(Citations still being added.)
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People with undermethylation are at higher risk depending upon how the zinc is being given to them.
Undermethylation is when there isn't enough nutrition, or there is some other cause, for the cells to be able to read their DNA.
Being able to read the DNA immediately is what makes the body's cells able to adapt to changes in their environment.
People who undermethylate may not be adapting to changes in their zinc levels. I personally have experienced this with vitamin C and orange juice and aloe vera. I've experienced something that was not the immune system with an excess of cabbage, I cooked dehydrated cabbage up and ate all of it and ended up in the ER with the symptoms of heart attack. When they were almost ready to x-ray me, I said, "Nurse, nurse; something went right."
My blood pressure had made a drop of almost 60 points systolic, and over 30 diastolic, leaving it lower than it usually was. After a few hours it normalized.
What I now believe was happening is that the cells were not adapting quickly enough to changes, then slightly overreacted, then returned to normal epigenes a few hours later. Because I had no epigenes for whatever the extra cabbage made available (for which I still have no clue) because it was something they hadn't done often or in nearly that quantity in the past, there was no epigenetic bookmarks, no places where the genes were easily read.
(Although I don't feel that this is viable, it is possible that giving transfusions from people whose genes are prepared to use less zinc could give the body an idea of which genes to use, a sort of "activity" vaccine, instead of information of how to fight a pathogen. It would probably only give a very tiny benefit. Whether it would be sufficient to be worth using would be a matter of study to those who have more knowledge in the subject.)
For undermethylators, though, the problem if they are getting a big dose of zinc which absorbs completely before the next dose is administered. The body does not storage zinc Link
, so if there is too much to use immediately, the body starts getting rid of the extra. Even though copper is needed to some extent for the immune system, with illness and oxidative stress, there's probably some free radical copper floating around, a good way for the body to get rid of extra zinc. (Another way is joining it with folic acid in the chores they do together in the body, which is why foods containing folic acid should be restricted from the diets of patients with coronavirus.)
When the zinc is no longer being absorbed, a point will be reached where the body no longer is getting extra zinc, but the cells are still getting rid of it, because they can't adapt quickly enough first to no excess, and then to too little being absorbed for current needs, due to undermethylation, an inability to read the genes to tell them how to respond to these changes.
(For me, that is the moment when I get sick, a short time after doing something that is good for my immune system.)
Therefore, people with undermethylation issues should have sustained release zinc, and they should eat red meat if they are willing and able to, as much and regularly, because it will keep the levels of zinc more even in the body. To this point, some fats or oils to slow and even out absorption could be beneficial.
(If my memory is correct - I will cite this if I can find it - the fat from Ham has vitamin K in it, and should not be given to patients at risk of getting strokes from increased clotting. Red meat, beef, has been most beneficial for me personally.)
Treating undermethylation would be a good idea, but could be harmful for patients whose issues do not relate to undermethylation, where is sustained action zinc would not. With sustained action zinc and reduction of foods with folic acid and copper, people whose issues are unrelated to undermethylation would still benefit, or at least not receive a detriment. People who have issues with eating red meat likely already have or have started to develop epigenes to tolerate lower zinc. Therefore, if a patient chooses not to eat red meat, then that should not be a problem.
People who have recently changed to being vegetarian or vegan might be particularly vulnerable, and should definitely be candidates for sustained release zinc.
Undermethylation is a recognized issue with cancer. CITE
Perhaps it is time that people tested and diagnosed with undermethylation and other methylation issues before they get cancer, and before the next pandemic.[4]
© Deborah Barges, July 2020, reprintable and usable per open access rules.