About this episode
Newly updated September 25, 2021, and now in Version 7: https://chris-masterjohn-phd.myshopify.com/products/the-food-and-supplement-guide-for-the-coronavirus This guide provides my recommendations for nutritional and herbal defense against COVID. This version covers 41 randomized controlled trials, which are the gold standard of evidence, as well as many other studies providing context for interpreting the trials. Since much of this research is recent, not all of it is peer-reviewed. However, I have used my own expertise in nutritional sciences and extensive experience evaluating research to fully review the quality of this evidence myself. This protocol represents the best of science-backed strategies for nutritional and herbal anti-COVID defense. The gold standard of evidence in medicine is the randomized, controlled trial, or RCT. In RCTs, people are randomly given a treatment, or not. That this is determined at random means people's health, behavioral traits, and choices play no role in the outcomes. This helps us be more confident the treatment really works, or doesn't work. We now have 41 RCTs on the ability of nutrients, herbs, or other natural compounds to fight COVID. While these trials are usually small, some haven't been peer-reviewed yet, some are funded by supplement manufacturers, and most haven't yet been replicated by different researchers from different institutions and different parts of the world, they are the best evidence we currently have and serve as the highest priority evidence used in this guide. In evaluating these trials, the most important things I looked for were whether the trials were done well, whether the data were reported clearly, and whether the interpretations were sound. However, I also considered the funding source, whether different groups had come to similar results, how much of the data was peer reviewed, and whether the substance is an essential nutrient. Based on these considerations, I categorized anything that made the cut into three tiers: "Essentials," "Best Add-Ons," or "These Might Help." Having better quality, more trustworthy, more consistent data, and having essential nutrient status pushed the strategies up toward the Essentials tier, while lacking these qualities pushed them down toward the "These Might Help" tier. Those with intermediate support are included as Best Add-Ons. The guide includes suggestions on how to tailor the protocol to your individual needs, your personal risk, your environmental risk, and your own risk tolerance. It also includes full instructions on how to implement the strategies. When you buy it, you will get free updates the research continues to emerge. The guide is currently in version 7 and was last updated on September 25, 2021. By the way, you can also get the report for free if you pre-order a copy of my Vitamins and Minerals 101 book . But if you don't want to pre-order the book, you can order it here: https://chris-masterjohn-phd.myshopify.com/products/the-food-and-supplement-guide-for-the-coronavirus The format of the report is a downloadable PDF. As soon as you complete your order, you will also receive an email with your download. The guide is 59 pages and contains 157 references. Once again it's at chrismasterjohnphd.com/covidguide Chris Masterjohn, PhD, is the Founder and Scientific Director of the mitochondria test Mitome