Tom Nikkola | VIGOR Training

Is lavender essential oil helpful for anxiety or depression? If so, which is the best way to take it? How much should you use?

I'll address these questions and others right here.

Lavender essential oil has been used for thousands of years, in part, to deal with feelings of anxiety, depression, and other factors affecting mental wellbeing. As we've progressed into modern times, it seems more and more people suffer from anxiety or depression, or both.

Research suggests 10% of the population faces an anxiety disorder in a given year. It's the most common mental health-related cause of death in the United States. Heart disease is the most common physical health-related cause.

Most people who suffer anxiety also deal with some form of depression, sleep disturbance, or substance abuse.

Over the past decade, researchers have completed a significant amount of lavender-related research, which supports the way traditional medicine practitioners have used it for centuries. A new meta-analysis adds additional scientific evidence to the case for lavender as an anti-anxiety natural health solution.

What is anxiety?

Quoting the U.S. National Library of Medicine,

Anxiety is a feeling of fear, dread, and uneasiness. It might cause you to sweat, feel restless and tense, and have a rapid heartbeat. It can be a normal reaction to stress. For example, you might feel anxious when faced with a difficult problem at work, before taking a test, or before making an important decision. It can help you to cope. The anxiety may give you a boost of energy or help you focus. But for people with anxiety disorders, the fear is not temporary and can be overwhelming.U.S. National Library of Medicine

Genetics, environment, trauma, and stress contribute to anxiety. As I explained in a recent blog post, COVID-19 infections and vaccines cause anxiety and depression in some people, likely as a result of dysfunction in serotonin and dopamine production.

Though nobody would want to live with untreated anxiety or depression, many prescription medications cause a variety of side effects. Anti-anxiety medication side effects include:

AmnesiaDelayed time to affect symptomsDeliriumDependencyDepressionImpaired concentrationSedationWithdrawal syndrome

That's not to say they should be avoided, but it's important to make an informed decision. Because anti-anxiety medications vary in how they affect a patient's physiology, and anxiety has different physiological causes, it may take considerable trial and error to find one that works. So, it’s little surprise that researchers continue to search for natural ways of managing anxiety and depression and improving mental health.

One option is the use of essential oils, and lavender has been the poster-child for essential oils that help calm the mind and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Unfortunately, mainstream news and big pharma often try to discredit the use of any natural health products, including essential oils.

Lavender Essential Oil Constituents and Usage

Lavender essential oil comes from the flowers and stalk, and contains more than 160 compounds. The oil is acquired through steam distillation. Though there's some variability in the constituents, if the lavender is grown in the right environment, and harvested and distilled properly, it will be rich in therapeutic compounds.

That said, if you distilled a lavender house plant, you probably wouldn't get much benefit from it.

High-quality lavender essential oil is rich in:

linloollinalyl acetate1,8-cineole b-ocimeneterpinen-4-olcamphor

In Germany, doctors often prescribe a lavender-based drug called Silexan®, which contains standardized concentrations of linalool and linalyl acetate at 36.8% and 34.2% concentrations, but the remaining 29% varies in the concentrations of other compounds. I wanted to call this out as some lavender essential oil research uses Silexan,

Now that we are twenty-two months into the two weeks to slow the spread, the effects of COVID-19 make the idea that the virus is a bioweapon seem more and more plausible. On top of that, the vaccine initiative seems to be part of the same orchestrated plan that unleashed the virus.

Of course, that entire paragraph would be labeled by mainstream media as misinformation, but that’s what happens when you see cracks in the storyline laid out by the propaganda machine.

While the public's attention is on the idea that COVID-19 is a respiratory infection, millions of people are suffering from effects that have nothing to do with their lungs or heart. And the vaccines that are supposed to save people from those respiratory infections (which they don't really do anyway) may cause the same problems that the virus does.

Not to get sidetracked from the content of this article, but keep asking yourself this question: If the vaccine causes problems similar to the actual virus, and we're encouraged to get the vaccine because we're told it'll protect us, doesn't it seem like the agenda is really to make sure more of us get hurt rather than helped? Anyway...back to the blog post.

The COVID Complications Nobody Is Talking About

This past week, I came across a couple of disturbing videos. One was from Kyle Warner, a professional mountain bike racer in which he shares the aftermath of his vaccination. The other is a montage of news headlines calling attention to the deaths of high-caliber and professional athletes.

Here's part of Kyle's video, shared by Frank Grimes, Jr. on Twitter (he also includes a link to the whole video on IG):

https://twitter.com/FrankGrimes_Jr/status/1459026916808220677?s=20

Not only does Warner unnecessarily suffer from heart problems that have sidelined him from competition, but he also experienced first-hand the vile cognitive dissonance of fans who refuse to accept that the vaccines carry significant risks.

On top of that, he knows multiple people from his vaccine injury group who've committed suicide after getting their vaccines. One person would be a coincidence. Multiple people is a pattern that should cause researchers and concerned adults to pay attention.

This is the video montage on YouTube (notice that they discourage you from watching it with posting a warning before you see it):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhvjXeYEJnU&t=2s

You might have heard that healthy, professional-level athletes were dying, but gave it little additional thought. Seeing their numerous names and faces in the video makes it real. You can't dismiss it after seeing it first hand unless you're so mentally deranged that you won't believe what you see.

I also came across this Tweet from Vance Murphy.

https://twitter.com/vancemurphy/status/1457044900973670403

Twenty middle-aged doctors dead within a few weeks of one another, and the timing coincides with the booster shot rollout.

I'm sure none of this will change the minds of those committed to living in dystopia. I simply share it for those whose minds have been opened and need reassurance that we're not getting the whole truth.

In today's blog post, I want to call attention to a few things I've yet to cover in this COVID Circus:

COVID-19's and the vaccine's impact on cognitive function, psychosis, and suicide risk

Heart problems in healthy people

The normalization of COVID-connected health problems

COVID-19, the Vaccine, and Mental Dysfunction

According to a case study in the British Medical Journal, a 36-year old female nurse tested positive for COVID-19. Four days later,

she was noted to have an acute, rapidly progressive change in her behaviour characterised by prominent persecutory delusions and decreased sleep. Her delusions were primarily directed at her partner and focused on the safety of her children and personal finances. She believed her partner was attempting to kidnap her children and steal her C...

Now that we are twenty-two months into the two weeks to slow the spread, the effects of COVID-19 make the idea that the virus is a bioweapon seem more and more plausible. On top of that, the vaccine initiative seems to be part of the same orchestrated plan that unleashed the virus.

Of course, that entire paragraph would be labeled by mainstream media as misinformation, but that’s what happens when you see cracks in the storyline laid out by the propaganda machine.

While the public's attention is on the idea that COVID-19 is a respiratory infection, millions of people are suffering from effects that have nothing to do with their lungs or heart. And the vaccines that are supposed to save people from those respiratory infections (which they don't really do anyway) may cause the same problems that the virus does.

Not to get sidetracked from the content of this article, but keep asking yourself this question: If the vaccine causes problems similar to the actual virus, and we're encouraged to get the vaccine because we're told it'll protect us, doesn't it seem like the agenda is really to make sure more of us get hurt rather than helped? Anyway...back to the blog post.

The COVID Complications Nobody Is Talking About

This past week, I came across a couple of disturbing videos. One was from Kyle Warner, a professional mountain bike racer in which he shares the aftermath of his vaccination. The other is a montage of news headlines calling attention to the deaths of high-caliber and professional athletes.

Here's part of Kyle's video, shared by Frank Grimes, Jr. on Twitter (he also includes a link to the whole video on IG):

https://twitter.com/FrankGrimes_Jr/status/1459026916808220677?s=20

Not only does Warner unnecessarily suffer from heart problems that have sidelined him from competition, but he also experienced first-hand the vile cognitive dissonance of fans who refuse to accept that the vaccines carry significant risks.

On top of that, he knows multiple people from his vaccine injury group who've committed suicide after getting their vaccines. One person would be a coincidence. Multiple people is a pattern that should cause researchers and concerned adults to pay attention.

This is the video montage on YouTube (notice that they discourage you from watching it with posting a warning before you see it):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhvjXeYEJnU&t=2s

You might have heard that healthy, professional-level athletes were dying, but gave it little additional thought. Seeing their numerous names and faces in the video makes it real. You can't dismiss it after seeing it first hand unless you're so mentally deranged that you won't believe what you see.

I also came across this Tweet from Vance Murphy.

https://twitter.com/vancemurphy/status/1457044900973670403

Twenty middle-aged doctors dead within a few weeks of one another, and the timing coincides with the booster shot rollout.

I'm sure none of this will change the minds of those committed to living in dystopia. I simply share it for those whose minds have been opened and need reassurance that we're not getting the whole truth.

In today's blog post, I want to call attention to a few things I've yet to cover in this COVID Circus:

COVID-19's and the vaccine's impact on cognitive function, psychosis, and suicide riskHeart problems in healthy peopleThe normalization of COVID-connected health problems

COVID-19, the Vaccine, and Mental Dysfunction

According to a case study in the British Medical Journal, a 36-year old female nurse tested positive for COVID-19. Four days later,

she was noted to have an acute, rapidly progressive change in her behaviour characterised by prominent persecutory delusions and decreased sleep. Her delusions were primarily directed at her partner and focused on the safety of her children and personal finances. She believed her partner was attempting to kidnap her children and steal her COVID-19 s...

According to the President, every American human being must become a guinea pig for one of the Big Pharma vaccine manufacturers, or suffer severe consequences. I'm certain that if he had his way, life would look a lot like it does in Australia.

Maybe President Biden believes his title of Commander In Chief means that he can command every citizen to do whatever he feels like, whether it makes sense or not. Sort of like a king, which is what our Founding Fathers fought hard to prevent.

At this point, there's only two reasons you could support mandatory vaccination of all Americans:

Ignorance: You've chosen to ignore the facts and science surrounding COVID-19 and the vaccines

Money: You benefit financially from the successful sale of these vaccines

I almost added fear as an additional reason, but the reality is, you'd only live in fear because you're ignorant about the facts and science.

Charles Spurgeon once said,

A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting not its shoes.

Charles Spurgeon

In today’s digital age, this has never been more true. The majority of today’s left-wing ideological agendas are based up on one lie after another. It's as tough they're following the teachings of Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels.

Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth.

Joseph Goebbels

For example, Joe Biden told Americans that if they got the vaccine, they wouldn't get COVID. His statement starts off the extremely popular track, Let's Go Brandon by Bryson Gray, Tyson James, and Chandler Crump.

About a week later, Colin Powell passed away from complications with COVID. He was double-vaccinated.

As I was working on the draft of this blog post, the Children's Health Defense broke the news that California Governor Gavin Newsom developed Guillian-Barré Syndrome following his booster shot. This is yet to be confirmed, but the public hadn't seen him in 11 days at that point. If it's true, there's no doubt that numerous doctors attempted to fix and hide his condition before the public could become aware of it.

We've repeatedly been told the vaccines are safe. They're not. Adverse events are a significant issue and the public simply isn't informed.

Are there scenarios where the vaccine could make sense? Perhaps. But no matter your age, you have to consider what could happen if you succumb to side effects. And adults need to get their heads out of the sand when it comes to vaccinating kids.

There's no logical reason to do so, even if Big Bird says otherwise.

For those who've been following "the science" throughout the COVID Circus, Newsome's GBS isn't a surprise. But I do hope that more of the ignorant, "pro-vaccine, anti-science" crowd begin asking some questions based on Newsom's condition.

Here are some important points to consider as #46, Mainstream Media, and most celebrities pressure Americans to obey the Commander In Chief.

Adverse events are much more common than the media or the President admit.

The COVID-19 vaccines have caused more recorded adverse events than all other vaccines combined up to this point. At the time of this writing, a total of 856,919 adverse events have been reported. As a general rule of thumb, only about 1-10% people who experience adverse events report them. Do the math on that one!

Almost 20,000 people have died.

The most recent deaths include a 12-year-old girl from South Carolina (VAERS I.D. 1784945) who hemorrhaged 22 days after receiving Pfizer’s COVID vaccine, a 13-year-old girl from Maryland (VAERS I.D. 1815096) who died 15 days after receiving her first dose of Pfizer’s COVID vaccine from a heart condition and a 17-year-old female from Texas (VAERS I.D. 1815295) who experienced an acute hyperglycemic crisis 33 days after being vaccinated.

Another recent death involves a 12-year-old girl (VAERS I.D. 1784945) who died from a respiratory tract hemorrhage 22 days after receiving her first dose of ...

According to the President, every American human being must become a guinea pig for one of the Big Pharma vaccine manufacturers, or suffer severe consequences. I'm certain that if he had his way, life would look a lot like it does in Australia.

Maybe President Biden believes his title of Commander In Chief means that he can command every citizen to do whatever he feels like, whether it makes sense or not. Sort of like a king, which is what our Founding Fathers fought hard to prevent.

At this point, there's only two reasons you could support mandatory vaccination of all Americans:

Ignorance: You've chosen to ignore the facts and science surrounding COVID-19 and the vaccinesMoney: You benefit financially from the successful sale of these vaccines

I almost added fear as an additional reason, but the reality is, you'd only live in fear because you're ignorant about the facts and science.

Charles Spurgeon once said,

A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting not its shoes.Charles Spurgeon

In today’s digital age, this has never been more true. The majority of today’s left-wing ideological agendas are based up on one lie after another. It's as tough they're following the teachings of Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels.

Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth.Joseph Goebbels

For example, Joe Biden told Americans that if they got the vaccine, they wouldn't get COVID. His statement starts off the extremely popular track, Let's Go Brandon by Bryson Gray, Tyson James, and Chandler Crump.

About a week later, Colin Powell passed away from complications with COVID. He was double-vaccinated.

As I was working on the draft of this blog post, the Children's Health Defense broke the news that California Governor Gavin Newsom developed Guillian-Barré Syndrome following his booster shot. This is yet to be confirmed, but the public hadn't seen him in 11 days at that point. If it's true, there's no doubt that numerous doctors attempted to fix and hide his condition before the public could become aware of it.

We've repeatedly been told the vaccines are safe. They're not. Adverse events are a significant issue and the public simply isn't informed.

Are there scenarios where the vaccine could make sense? Perhaps. But no matter your age, you have to consider what could happen if you succumb to side effects. And adults need to get their heads out of the sand when it comes to vaccinating kids.

There's no logical reason to do so, even if Big Bird says otherwise.

For those who've been following "the science" throughout the COVID Circus, Newsome's GBS isn't a surprise. But I do hope that more of the ignorant, "pro-vaccine, anti-science" crowd begin asking some questions based on Newsom's condition.

Here are some important points to consider as #46, Mainstream Media, and most celebrities pressure Americans to obey the Commander In Chief.

Adverse events are much more common than the media or the President admit.

The COVID-19 vaccines have caused more recorded adverse events than all other vaccines combined up to this point. At the time of this writing, a total of 856,919 adverse events have been reported. As a general rule of thumb, only about 1-10% people who experience adverse events report them. Do the math on that one!

Almost 20,000 people have died.

The most recent deaths include a 12-year-old girl from South Carolina (VAERS I.D. 1784945) who hemorrhaged 22 days after receiving Pfizer’s COVID vaccine, a 13-year-old girl from Maryland (VAERS I.D. 1815096) who died 15 days after receiving her first dose of Pfizer’s COVID vaccine from a heart condition and a 17-year-old female from Texas (VAERS I.D. 1815295) who experienced an acute hyperglycemic crisis 33 days after being vaccinated.Another recent death involves a 12-year-old girl (VAERS I.D. 1784945) who died from a respiratory tract hemorrhage 22 days after receiving her first dose of Pfizer’s vacc...

If there was only one type of exercise you could do, resistance training provides the most benefit for the time and effort you put into it. But where does a beginner...begin?

Most people don't know where to start. And for those who do join a gym, only a small percentage of people know what to do when they get there. The rest resort to a workout program they followed in high school, or they find a row of equipment and do what looks easy. In essence, that's like painting by numbers.

I launched VIGOR Training, my online fitness program in 2017. Since then, I've seen so many people transform themselves. The impact has been much greater than if I'd tried to train clients one at a time.

Yet, I feel like the impact pales in comparison to the potential. The other day, I had an epiphany.

Of those who've made significant transformations in VIGOR Training, the majority were members who followed VIGOR Strength Athlete or VIGOR Everyday Athlete. I designed both of these programs for men and women who have experience with strength training. They're intermediate to advanced strength training programs.

However, I also offered Genesis (formerly Athlete In Training), my 3-month strength and conditioning program for beginners, all along. My epiphany was that few members in VIGOR Training were beginners. But if beginners didn't "begin" strength training, how would the average person get stronger, leaner, and fitter?

That day, I decided to call a lot more attention to this program, and offer it for a ridiculously low price.

In this article, I'll explain the principles behind a good beginner-level strength and conditioning program, which is what I based my Genesis programming around.

If you'd like to skip the reasoning behind the program, and just get started, tap the button in the box below.

Get the Genesis Strength and Conditioning Program For Only $49 per month

Genesis: noun, plural gen·e·ses  [jen-uh-seez]. an origin, creation, or beginning.

This 12-week program is ideal for men and women in their mid-30s to mid-60s who've never strength trained consistently, or who have been out of the gym for years.

When you're done with Genesis, you'll be armed with the strength training knowledge and skills to take your fitness to a whole other level. You'll gain strength, increase lean muscle mass, and and look and feel younger than most young adults!

Genesis Program Summary

Program length: 12 weeks

Skill level: Beginner

Goals: Improved strength, mobility, and body composition

Workout frequency: 4 days per week

Tap the button below and fill out the form to get started.

GET GENESIS

The Problems with Most Beginner-Level Workout Programs

It's been over 20 years since I trained my first personal training client. I've learned a lot through experience, but even more through observation. Sadly, I've seen more people burn time, money, and effort on fitness programs that never bear fruit than those that deliver results. Often, those people work with personal trainers, which makes the situation even more sad.

If you sign up for and follow Genesis, you won't have to worry about wasting your time. But, in the event you're tempted to look at a different plan, program, or work with a professional, here are some things to be wary of.

1. Entertrainment isn't the same as training

Can a workout be enjoyable? Sure. But if your first goal is to find something that's fun, it probably won't build muscle, bone density, and mobility while helping your heart, supporting your hormonal balance, strengthening your immune system, and making your metabolism more efficient.

As its name suggests, strength training trains your body to move and perform better, for longer, with less pain. A workout program that's more about fun than developing fitness might help you pass the time, but it won't get you the same level of results. And if you're doing something to just pass the time,

If there was only one type of exercise you could do, resistance training provides the most benefit for the time and effort you put into it. But where does a beginner...begin?

Most people don't know where to start. And for those who do join a gym, only a small percentage of people know what to do when they get there. The rest resort to a workout program they followed in high school, or they find a row of equipment and do what looks easy. In essence, that's like painting by numbers.

I launched VIGOR Training, my online fitness program in 2017. Since then, I've seen so many people transform themselves. The impact has been much greater than if I'd tried to train clients one at a time.

Yet, I feel like the impact pales in comparison to the potential. The other day, I had an epiphany.

Of those who've made significant transformations in VIGOR Training, the majority were members who followed VIGOR Strength Athlete or VIGOR Everyday Athlete. I designed both of these programs for men and women who have experience with strength training. They're intermediate to advanced strength training programs.

However, I also offered Genesis (formerly Athlete In Training), my 3-month strength and conditioning program for beginners, all along. My epiphany was that few members in VIGOR Training were beginners. But if beginners didn't "begin" strength training, how would the average person get stronger, leaner, and fitter?

That day, I decided to call a lot more attention to this program, and offer it for a ridiculously low price.

In this article, I'll explain the principles behind a good beginner-level strength and conditioning program, which is what I based my Genesis programming around.

If you'd like to skip the reasoning behind the program, and just get started, tap the button in the box below.

Get the Genesis Strength and Conditioning Program For Only $39

Genesis: noun, plural gen·e·ses  [jen-uh-seez]. an origin, creation, or beginning.

This 12-week program is ideal for men and women in their mid-30s to mid-60s who've never strength trained consistently, or who have been out of the gym for years.

When you're done with Genesis, you'll be armed with the strength training knowledge and skills to take your fitness to a whole other level. You'll gain strength, increase lean muscle mass, and and look and feel younger than most young adults!

Genesis Program Summary

Program length: 12 weeksSkill level: BeginnerGoals: Improved strength, mobility, and body compositionWorkout frequency: 4 days per week

Tap the button below and fill out the form to get started.

GET GENESIS

The Problems with Most Beginner-Level Workout Programs

It's been over 20 years since I trained my first personal training client. I've learned a lot through experience, but even more through observation. Sadly, I've seen more people burn time, money, and effort on fitness programs that never bear fruit than those that deliver results. Often, those people work with personal trainers, which makes the situation even more sad.

If you sign up for and follow Genesis, you won't have to worry about wasting your time. But, in the event you're tempted to look at a different plan, program, or work with a professional, here are some things to be wary of.

1. Entertrainment isn't the same as training

Can a workout be enjoyable? Sure. But if your first goal is to find something that's fun, it probably won't build muscle, bone density, and mobility while helping your heart, supporting your hormonal balance, strengthening your immune system, and making your metabolism more efficient.

As its name suggests, strength training trains your body to move and perform better, for longer, with less pain. A workout program that's more about fun than developing fitness might help you pass the time, but it won't get you the same level of results. And if you're doing something to just pass the time,

If Quercetin Phytosome was a pharmaceutical, it would have been promoted all over Mainstream Media, based on two studies published this year. 

Being that it’s a supplement, the studies got little attention. Maybe that’s a good thing, though. If it gets too much attention, the FDA might try banning its sales like they did with n-acetylcysteine (NAC). 

The two studies add to quercetin’s already impressive list of health benefits. 

Quercetin vs Quercetin Phytosome

In both of the studies I review below, the researchers used Quercetin Phytosome. Indena, an Italian company, produces this patented form of quercetin by wrapping it in a phospholipid, or fatty shell. The phospholipid significantly increases quercetin absorption, by up to 20 times, compared to standard quercetin.

I point this out because other forms of quercetin, especially plain quercetin, probably wouldn’t produce similar results. 

Study 1

The first study was titled Possible Therapeutic Effects of Adjuvant Quercetin Supplementation Against Early-Stage COVID-19 Infection: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled, and Open-Label Study.

This study was a prospective, randomized, controlled and open-label study. A total of 152 people participated in the study, with 76 being part of a Standard Care (SC) group and the other 76 being part of the Quercetin Phytosome (QP) group. The QP group received standard care and took two 500 mg doses of quercetin phytosome per day for 30 days.

In the Standard Care group, 22 patients required hospitalization with an average hospital stay of 6.77 days. Fifteen patients required noninvasive oxygen therapy. Eight patients ended up in intensive care and three died.

In the Quercetin Phytosome group, 7 patients required hospitalization with an average hospital stay of 1.57 days. One patient required noninvasive oxygen therapy. No patients needed intensive care and none died.

In a follow-up, the researchers also discovered that the QP group experienced less fatigue and tiredness and maintained a better appetite.

According to the study authors:

According to the results of this clinical research, the add-on therapy with QP has significantly reduced the need (−68.2%) and the length (−76.8%) of hospitalization, the need of non-invasive oxygen therapy (−93.3%), the progression to intensive care units (none versus 8 subjects) and the number of deaths (none versus 3 subjects). Globally considered, the effect of QP seems to have a strong impact not only considering the difference in terms of admission to ICU and in terms of fatal outcome, but particularly considering the difference in terms of days of hospitalization. The days spent by subjects whose disease progressed and needed hospitalization were 131 for SC group and 11 for the QP one. This difference means that using QP as add-on therapy to standard care has reduced by 91.6% the days of hospitalization.

Study 2

The second study was titled Potential Clinical Benefits of Quercetin in the Early Stage of COVID-19: Results of a Second, Pilot, Randomized, Controlled and Open-Label Clinical Trial.

In this smaller study, researchers split 42 COVID-19 patients into two groups like above, SC and QP and compared the difference in virus clearance and symptoms over two weeks. The quercetin group took 500 mg of quercetin, three times per day for the first week and two times per day for the second week.

After the first week, 57% of the QP group was symptom-free, whereas 19% of the SC group was symptom-free. At the end of week two, both groups displayed an equal lack of symptoms. Like the first study, those taking quercetin in this study were less likely to feel tired or fatigued.

In the published paper, the authors wrote:

Quercetin is a natural substance that has multiple pharmacological properties, such as anti-inflammatory action, and is worldwide used as a dietary supplement. There is some recent evidence of the anti-coronavirus activities of this compo...

If Quercetin Phytosome was a pharmaceutical, it would have been promoted all over Mainstream Media, based on two studies published this year. 

Being that it’s a supplement, the studies got little attention. Maybe that’s a good thing, though. If it gets too much attention, the FDA might try banning its sales like they did with n-acetylcysteine (NAC). 

The two studies add to quercetin’s already impressive list of health benefits. 

Quercetin vs Quercetin Phytosome

In both of the studies I review below, the researchers used Quercetin Phytosome. Indena, an Italian company, produces this patented form of quercetin by wrapping it in a phospholipid, or fatty shell. The phospholipid significantly increases quercetin absorption, by up to 20 times, compared to standard quercetin.

I point this out because other forms of quercetin, especially plain quercetin, probably wouldn’t produce similar results. 

Study 1

The first study was titled Possible Therapeutic Effects of Adjuvant Quercetin Supplementation Against Early-Stage COVID-19 Infection: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled, and Open-Label Study.

This study was a prospective, randomized, controlled and open-label study. A total of 152 people participated in the study, with 76 being part of a Standard Care (SC) group and the other 76 being part of the Quercetin Phytosome (QP) group. The QP group received standard care and took two 500 mg doses of quercetin phytosome per day for 30 days.

In the Standard Care group, 22 patients required hospitalization with an average hospital stay of 6.77 days. Fifteen patients required noninvasive oxygen therapy. Eight patients ended up in intensive care and three died.

In the Quercetin Phytosome group, 7 patients required hospitalization with an average hospital stay of 1.57 days. One patient required noninvasive oxygen therapy. No patients needed intensive care and none died.

In a follow-up, the researchers also discovered that the QP group experienced less fatigue and tiredness and maintained a better appetite.

According to the study authors:

According to the results of this clinical research, the add-on therapy with QP has significantly reduced the need (−68.2%) and the length (−76.8%) of hospitalization, the need of non-invasive oxygen therapy (−93.3%), the progression to intensive care units (none versus 8 subjects) and the number of deaths (none versus 3 subjects). Globally considered, the effect of QP seems to have a strong impact not only considering the difference in terms of admission to ICU and in terms of fatal outcome, but particularly considering the difference in terms of days of hospitalization. The days spent by subjects whose disease progressed and needed hospitalization were 131 for SC group and 11 for the QP one. This difference means that using QP as add-on therapy to standard care has reduced by 91.6% the days of hospitalization.

Study 2

The second study was titled Potential Clinical Benefits of Quercetin in the Early Stage of COVID-19: Results of a Second, Pilot, Randomized, Controlled and Open-Label Clinical Trial.

In this smaller study, researchers split 42 COVID-19 patients into two groups like above, SC and QP and compared the difference in virus clearance and symptoms over two weeks. The quercetin group took 500 mg of quercetin, three times per day for the first week and two times per day for the second week.

After the first week, 57% of the QP group was symptom-free, whereas 19% of the SC group was symptom-free. At the end of week two, both groups displayed an equal lack of symptoms. Like the first study, those taking quercetin in this study were less likely to feel tired or fatigued.

In the published paper, the authors wrote:

Quercetin is a natural substance that has multiple pharmacological properties, such as anti-inflammatory action, and is worldwide used as a dietary supplement. There is some recent evidence of the anti-coronavirus activities of this compou...

For decades, people have taken antibiotics for infections as commonly as they take ibuprofen for headaches. Some integrative health practitioners have waved the caution flag. But, conventional medicine doctors and Big Pharma have tried to quell their caution, like they do today with the practitioners who question the COVID-19 vaccines.

The risks associated with overuse of antibiotics today are undeniable. I was happy to see that even the prestigious journal Nature published a paper titled Unravelling the collateral damage of antibiotics on gut bacteria. Unfortunately, finding fact-based information on the long-term risks of antibiotics, that's easy to understand, is not a simple thing to do.

In this blog post, I've tried to keep the language simple (unless I'm quoting a published paper) and help shed some light onto the possible risks of antibiotic overuse.

I hope this information helps people make better, more informed decisions, especially when it comes to the health of children.

How Antibiotics Work

Antibiotics are one of the most-prescribed types of medicines. Their benefit to human health over the past 70 years is significant, but the negative effects of their overuse also shouldn't be overlooked, either.

Since they were first discovered, antibiotics have helped people overcome infections, and populations control the spread of disease.

After ingestion, antibiotics make their way to the intestines, where billions of good and bad bacteria reside. To be more accurate, bacteria reside inside and outside our bodies.

When certain bad bacteria multiply, they can cause severe illness. They treat bacterial infections such as:

Strep throatEar infectionsWhooping coughUrinary tract infection (UTI)Bacterial pneumonia

To add clarity to their use, antibiotics do not work on viruses. You probably know of people who've taken antibiotics as part of a COVID-19 treatment, but the antibiotic is not used for combatting COVID. Rather, it's used to treat any bacterial infections that occur secondary to the COVID-19 infection.

For that matter, you might end up with an antibiotic prescription for bacterial pneumonia from wearing a useless mask as well, as one of our family members did. The point it, antibiotics are used for treating bacterial infections only.

For the most part, broad-spectrum antibiotics wipe out significant numbers of both bad and good bacteria, not just the pathogenic bacteria.

By wiping out the good bacteria, the antibiotic may weaken certain parts of our immune systems, compromise neurotransmitter production, and lead other health problems I discuss below.

That's not to say "antibiotics are bad." That's a massive exaggeration. But the way they're so easily prescribed is bad.

Though the medical community has been cautioned to limit their antibiotic prescriptions in children, 25% of all pediatric prescriptions are still antibiotics.  Five of the top six medications for children are antibiotics with Amoxicillin and Azithromycin being the top two.

According to a large study of pediatric care, about 30% of antibiotic prescriptions are unnecessary.

On top of that, their overuse leads to antibiotic resistance, where bacteria adapt and learn to overcome the effects of antibiotics, much like the COVID-19 vaccinations aid in the creation of new variants, which are harder to beat with medicine.

It's becoming more important than ever to use antibiotics conservatively.

The Health Benefits of Your Gut's Bacteria

Besides antibiotic resistance, antibiotics do significant damage to the good bacteria that help support our health.

To understand why antibiotics can be bad for your health, you first must understand why probiotics, the good bacteria are good for you.

As I explained in Health Benefits of Probiotics: Your Guide, probiotics affect your health in four different ways. They:

Compete with pathogens for adhesion sites and nutrients.