admin The adage “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” may finally be true as Israeli scientists have developed a mixture of zinc, copper and chemicals that are found in fruits that helps fight off viruses.
A special mixture of the three food supplements produced by a Tel Aviv University team has shown great capability of inhibiting replication of RNA viruses. The three food supplements have been approved by the US Food and Drug administration.
The study, which has been published in the journal Pharmaceuticals, outlines in detail how the team carried out their tests. The mixture was tested in the lab on cells from human lungs and other organs, along with RNA viruses including the ones that cause the flu and common cold. Scientists found that virus replication was decreased by at least 50% when compared to conventional circumstances.
Prof. Daniel Segal, Tel Aviv University’s Department of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology Professor quoted, “We have a mixture of ingredients, each of which is already approved by the FDA and together appear very capable of inhibiting replication of RNA viruses in a remarkable way.”
However, the Professor warned that the peer-reviewed research took place in-vitro and gave no concrete indication of what effects the supplements may have on humans.
Other than zinc and copper, the compounds in the supplement are flavonoids. These are plant compounds with a variety of health benefits such as prevention of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and cognitive diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia. These are commonly found in fruits and vegetables like berries, red cabbage and onions.
Like flavonoids, zinc is equally beneficial and has anti-viral qualities. However, it struggles to penetrate cells. The other ingredient in the new supplement is said to reinforce its ability to do so, reported Prof. Segal.
Prof. Segal is optimistic that the supplement will be particularly useful in combating SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19. When tested on other viruses from the coronavirus family, their replication was considerably slowed down. Prof. Segal is hopeful that the same result would be seen with the SARS-CoV-2.
“Such an inexpensive combination of dietary supplements would be highly advantageous to have, alongside vaccines, as a safe prevention method affecting various RNA respiratory viruses,” Prof. Segal said.
“These results are very promising, possibly enabling the development of an orally administered treatment,” added Prof. Ehud Gazit, head of Tel Aviv University’s Blavatnik Center for Drug Discovery and part of the study.
He believes that such a product reflects a positive step forward, as it would be safe, natural and potentially effective against a range of viruses and variants.
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