What is Long COVID?
Long COVID is the name that’s been given to serious and debilitating post-COVID symptoms that don’t resolve within a reasonable amount of time. Let’s say you were diagnosed with COVID and you trudged through the active aspects of the disease and congratulated yourself for surviving it. But then, a month after that initial diagnosis, or maybe even two or more months after being declared COVID-free, you’re still struggling to concentrate, walk up the stairs, vacuum the floor, and sleep normally at night. Maybe you have a headache that’s ever-present or other symptoms that interfere with your daily life. Maybe you’ve been bed-bound for months and only able to brush your teeth before returning to bed for the rest of the day. This is Long COVID. Many experts compare this disease to Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.This article is about plant medicines and supplements that you can use to regain your old self if you’re struggling with Long COVID. Natural treatment of severe Long COVID may require more potent medicines like intravenous Tetrasilver Tetroxide or Suramin but we’ll talk more in depth about these medicines later.
Mucuna pruriens: Herbal Remedy for Long COVID Brain Fog
Mucuna pruriens is a broadleaf bean plant that not only functions as a staple food in Central American and certain parts of Asia, but it also contains high levels of the dopamine precursor L-Dopa. There’s a lot of misinformation out there online about L-Dopa so be careful if you decide to Google this one. Big Pharma keeps Mucuna and natural L-Dopa under wraps so if you set out to learn more about L-Dopa be aware that most of the information available online is about the synthetic pharmaceutical known as Levodopa / L-Dopa. This pharmaceutical is a synthetic, chemically modified L-Dopa molecule combined with another synthetic pharmaceutical known as carbidopa. This combo pharmaceutical “Levodopa” is decidedly very different from the natural L-Dopa that exists in broadleaf beans like Mucuna. But, if Mucuna is initially too scary for you, I highly recommend eating fava beans daily as another option to rebuild dopamine levels in your brain using this same protocol.Again, remember that the natural L-Dopa found in Mucuna is chemically different than the pharmaceutical known as “Levodopa / L-Dopa. The L-Dopa in Mucuna is found in many foods while the L-Dopa in Levodopa is synthetically engineered in a lab and combined with carbidopa, another synthetic drug.
Mucuna pruriens is definitely my first choice as a treatment for brain fog and any kind of brain inflammation. This bean plant, after all, is able to quell brain inflammation in methamphetamine addicts who are going through withdrawals and detox, so it also works for long-COVID brain fog. I also recommend the use of Mucuna for children with moderate to severe ADHD. It’s very safe (as safe as fava beans and bananas) and it works miracles for kids as well as adults.
How Mucuna Works to Get Rid of Long COVID Brain Fog: Treatment Recommendations and Dosage
Mucuna is just a food. It’s a humble bean plant, but it just happens to contain a lot of L-Dopa, a precursor to dopamine. But what’s a precursor? And what’s dopamine? Let me back up a bit and explain… Dopamine is a neurotransmitter. I think of dopamine like brain fuel that specifically helps people make wise decisions about...everything. Dopamine is the decision-making neurotransmitter. It’s the neurotransmitter that gets hijacked during addiction and a deficiency of dopamine often translates into mental health problems like depression, anxiety, obsessive or compulsive behaviors, and even phobias. As a brain fuel, it helps you make decisions about everything from how you talk yourself through a difficult situation to what kind of car to buy. If you’re low on dopamine, you might end up spending hours on repetitive behaviors like scrolling through Facebook or staring mindlessly at the TV. Or you might find that you have no parental feelings toward your kids and a sense of apathy toward other loved ones and friends.So dopamine is important. But what’s a precursor? How does L-Dopa turn into dopamine in the brain?
The dopamine system in the human brain was designed so that there are a lot of checks and balances. Dopamine is very democratic, as it should be since it’s the decision-making neurotransmitter! But you can’t just consume a bottle of dopamine. You can’t eat dopamine. The neurotransmitter, dopamine, is too big and it won’t fit through the blood-brain barrier. So where does dopamine in the brain come from?
Dopamine and all neurotransmitters come from amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins that are typically consumed in food. High protein food examples include meats, nuts, beans, milks, cheeses, and legumes like the Mucuna bean. All of these foods contain large-molecule amino acids like L-Phenylalanine and L-Tyrosine that also won’t fit through the blood-brain barrier. Consuming a certain amount of these amino acids is absolutely necessary for us to stay alive, but they have to converted into other things in the body. L-Phenylalanine and L-Tyrosine can be used to build all kinds of things that our bodies need to repair and maintain themselves. But one of the most important things that they’re converted into is L-Dopa.
Both L-Phenylalanine and L-Tyrosine can be changed by the body into natural L-Dopa that is identical to the L-Dopa that’s found in the Mucuna bean.
L-Dopa is a small molecule that easily fits through the blood-brain barrier. And once L-Dopa slips through the blood-brain barrier, it only takes 4 hours for the brain to make it into the neurotransmitter dopamine. As such, L-Dopa is a dopamine “precursor”. Without L-Dopa in the brain, dopamine doesn’t exist.
The dopamine that’s manufactured from natural L-Dopa is then stored in dopamine neurons until you need to make a decision about something. Or until you receive a reward (big or small) or a punishment for something. Whenever there’s a beautiful sunset, a peak moment, or the sense of satisfaction from a job well done, dopamine is there. Whenever things go wrong, dopamine also shows up to note the event for future decision-making. This neurotransmitter helps us make smart decisions about our lives and especially about our relationships with other humans. It helps us observe and be present. It helps us connect to other living beings and to time. Without dopamine, we feel lethargic or rushed. We feel like life is meaningless and we end up either chasing addictions or feeling low and depressed all the time.
So Mucuna works by providing your brain with a supply of ready-made natural L-Dopa that your brain can convert into dopamine within 4 hours as long as you have all of the other nutrients needed for L-Dopa to go through the necessary conversions (see our Mucuna protocol below).
Within 4 hours of taking your first dose of Mucuna, you’ll begin to notice a change in how you feel. And though Mucuna may not be able to single-handedly restore you to your old self (we’ll talk about additional supplements and herbs below as well as in follow up articles that will post in the future), it will definitely direct you to a healthy path toward being okay again. Mucuna is neuroprotective and it also helps your brain rebuild after an inflammatory assault such as COVID-19. Take Mucuna daily at the dose recommended below for 5 months to rebuild your dopamine receptors.
NOTE: Many sources say that Mucuna and natural L-Dopa is addictive, but the opposite is actually true. This is a medicine that you would take to overcome an addiction to almost anything and most people note that after the initial 5 months, it becomes easy to forget to take Mucuna on a daily basis. It gives you the brain fuel you need to even question Mucuna’s own use. Mucuna is an anti-addiction medicine and after the initial 5 months of healing, you’ll begin to be able to forget to take it when you don’t really need it.
The Mucuna Protocol: Cure Long COVID Brain Fog
For the first 5 months of treatment, follow the protocol below and don’t skip doses. Mucuna is neuroprotective and it will help you regrow your brain cells. All of the vitamins listed below and their dosages are ESSENTIAL in that without adequate levels of these vitamins and minerals, your body won’t be able to convert Mucuna or any other food that you eat into dopamine to cure brain fog:Take 6000 mg daily in divided doses: 1500 mg in the morning, 1500 mg at noon, 1500 mg at 3:00 PM, and 1500 mg at 7:00 PM
If you prefer to eat Mucuna, you can prepare it as part of your meals. It is a bean so you can cook with it just as you’d cook with other types of beans. Fava beans are an alternate, but their L-Dopa content is much lower, so they will have less of an effect than Mucuna on healing the brain.
In order to convert the natural L-Dopa in Mucuna into dopamine in the brain, you MUST take 25 mg of vitamin B6 per day. To accomplish this dosage level, take 3 DROPPERFULS of the recommended liquid vitamin B6 product along with the Thorne Multivitamin product listed below. The combination of these two products will provide you with enough vitamin B6 daily to convert the L-Dopa in foods into dopamine in the brain.
This Thorne Research Multivitamin product is my recommended choice for treating long-COVID at home. I like this product because it contains a higher dose of vitamin B6, but also because it contains vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 in the proper proportions. Few people realize that without vitamin K2 (not just vitamin K which is actually vitamin K1 and a completely different nutrient!), their body won’t deposit calcium in their bones. Rather, calcium will get deposited in their arteries, which means that bones and teeth get depleted of calcium, and arteries become clogged and hard! Anyone who has taken a steroid medication like dexamethasone for COVID could benefit from a good vitamin K2 / vitamin D3 supplement to rebuild bones. NEVER take a vitamin D3 supplement without a balanced amount of vitamin K2 to direct calcium from the diet into the bones rather than the blood vessels!
This vitamin also contains a healthy dose of each of the B vitamins which have been noted for their ability to restore health in patients with long-haul COVID.
- Zinc -
Magnesium is an essential nutrient that’s involved in many different chemical reactions in the body. Take 3 gummies twice per day.
Lugol’s iodine is a vital immunity-boosting mineral. It’s a secret weapon in the fight against COVID because, if you have enough of this vital nutrient, your body contains trace amounts of iodine in sweat and in mucus which means that the exterior of your body is like an anti-COVID forcefield. But the iodine-discussion is complex because many people are being inundated with bromine and fluorine from their diet and from the environment, both of which compete with iodine in the body. Iodine deficiency leads to unexplained obesity, including morbid obesity, brain fog, breast cancer, prostate cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, thyroid gland cancer, and any reproductive organ cancer along with a variety of other health issues including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a disease that has been compared to Long COVID by Dr. Robert Naviaux.
Prepare to detox from bromine and fluorine exposure when you first begin using Lugol’s iodine. You may develop a rash called “bromaderma” that your doctor will tell you is an “iodine allergy”. And you may feel worse before you feel better when taking this medicine. It’s common to experience an initial detox when you go through a process of healing. This “detox” doesn’t happen when you take pharmaceuticals that are simply designed to cover up symptoms.
Start with 1 drop of 2% Lugol’s iodine applied to the skin (or add it to water and drink it) and increase the dose by 1 drop every two days until you’re taking 20 drops daily. Supplementing with Lugol’s is a life-changing experience for many people today. It alleviates brain fog, significantly improves immunity, and brings people who are ill and suffering from a wide range of symptoms back to life.
The AlivenHealthy Iodine Bible - Everything you need to know to get started taking iodine and more!
Amino Acids: Natural Long COVID Treatment Using Nutrients
The L-Dopa in Mucuna will be a huge boost for anyone suffering from Long-COVID, but your brain may need more than just a dopamine boost. You may be low in other neurotransmitters like serotonin, GABA, or glutamate. And if you’re a vegan or a vegetarian, or if you just don’t eat a lot of meats or dairy products, you may be particularly low on the essential amino acids that your body needs to manufacture neurotransmitters and reduce brain inflammation. I’ll never forget the first time I took an amino acid supplement for brain health. Eight hours after the initial dose, it was like my emotions became manageable. A fog lifted and I felt very suddenly (it was 4:18 PM and I was on a walk in the park with my husband after receiving some devastating news about a relative) like my feelings were no longer lodged in my body. This was how it felt. It felt like I had been carrying the emotions like heavy rocks and suddenly, the feelings became feelings again. They were still heavy feelings, but I felt like I could work with them on my own terms again instead of being imprisoned by them.Taking a brain-boosting amino acid will not only help your brain rebuild, it will also give your body the essential nutrients it needs to rebuild other structures too including molecules for a healthy immune system.
In addition to a brain-boosting amino acid, I also recommend taking N-Acetylcysteine (NAC). This amino acid has been used as a cure for COVID because it thins mucus and generally boosts immunity. It is a strong antioxidant so it works hard to combat inflammation, especially in the brain. I recommend NAC for people who are overcoming an addiction because it detoxifies the brain and it reduces repetitive or obsessive behaviors or thoughts. This medicine also enhances mitochondrial activity, which has been implicated in Long COVID.Treatment with NAC at high doses is imperative for people who are suffering from fatigue and other symptoms following a bout of COVID.
I’ve also used NAC on kids with moderate to severe ADHD with excellent results. The FDA is currently working to try to make NAC unavailable because it has been heralded as a COVID cure. They want to turn it into a prescription medication even though it has an extremely low toxicity level. Below are the dosage recommendations for both NAC and an amino acid supplement for Long COVID treatment:
- NAC -
NAC has been scientifically proven to reduce the severity of chronic cough at a dose of 1200 mg per day. NAC should be administered at a high dose according to scientists who have studied this medicine in people with chronic cough. NAC is an anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant that can be used to diminish brain inflammation in Long COVID patients with chronic fatigue symptoms. One study concluded that 12-24 weeks of oral high-dose NAC treatment could improve chronic cough compared to a placebo.
Remember, NAC works not just to thin the mucus in the lung to make it easier to cough productively and to treat chest congestion during COVID, but it also reduces brain inflammation. Inflammation in the brain has been scientifically correlated with chronic cough. Opiates and opiate analogs such as dextromethorphan are believed work by calming the cough centers of the brain. But opiates such as codeine and analogs like dextromethorphan don't heal the brain. In fact, most dextromethorphan-containing drugs and cough syrups in general contain bromide as an "excipient" or supposedly inert substance in the drug. But bromide / bromine is actually a toxin that accumulates in the body over time to cause diseases like asthma. If you're not familiar with Bromide Toxicity and the drugs that contain bromide, you can click here to read more.
NAC is a supplement that increases levels of glutathione in the body. Glutathione is a vital antioxidant that detoxifies the brain and the body. It can reduce inflammation in the brain to treat a chronic cough while simultaneously healing the lungs and sinuses by thinning mucus and promoting general detoxification of the respiratory system.
NAC is the best way to promote high levels of glutathione in the body. Glutathione supplements are extremely delicate and they often don't survive passage through the digestive system. Taking NAC on the other hand, is more robust as a Long COVID treatment and as a precursor to glutathione. As the rate-limiting step in the production of glutathione, NAC is a much better treatment than glutathione supplements. Taking an NAC supplement guarantees (with rare exception) that your body will get a glutathione boost.
Long COVID has been compared to Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). Patients with ME/CFS are deficient in glutathione. Taking glutathione can help these patients as well as Long COVID patients detoxify the brain and the body. One study that met all the CDC criteria for CFS, looked at the use of NAC in the treatment of ME/CFS. In this study, patients took 1800 mg of NAC daily for 4 weeks. AT the end of the study, brain glutathione levels were significantly increased in all of the patients and their Chronic Fatigue Syndrome symptoms were also significantly reduced.
Follow the dosing requirements on the bottle to supplement daily. One study on patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, measured each individual patient’s amino acid levels to determine which ones were low and which ones were normal. Specific, customized amino acid supplementation was then administered to each patient, resulting in a total resolution of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 75% of patients. 15% of patients experience moderate relief from symptoms and 10% experiences no relief at all. The authors speculated that a deficiency of amino acids affects the metabolic activity of cells which can cause symptoms of extreme exhaustion. Long COVID obviously has similarities to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and some say that they are, in fact, the same illness. As such, amino acid supplementation can be extremely beneficial.
Take an amino acid supplement daily for at least one month before you evaluate whether they are working or not. Amino acids are the basic building blocks of the body and of neurotransmitters so your body will need some time to deconstruct and reconstruct tissues and molecules using this daily supply of essential nutrients. It takes time to see the results from a supplement like this, though for me, when I started taking amino acids, I felt the difference within only 12 hours.
You may need to take an amino acid supplement daily for the rest of your life to ensure that your body has these vital nutrients available at all times.
Vitamin B17 / Amygdalin / Laetrile: Long COVID Treatment
Vitamin B17, also known as amygdalin, or Laetrile, is a vital nutrient that has been purposefully hidden from the western world. I talk in-depth about this nutrient in several articles about cancer because many experts who cure cancer without chemo or radiation believe that cancer is a vitamin B17 deficiency in the same way that scurvy is a vitamin C deficiency or ricketts is a vitamin D deficiency. The story of vitamin B17 as a cure for cancer is tragic, but important in the world today because it can help people understand why other cures for disease like Long COVID (and for COVID-19 in general) have not been made accessible to the public. If you’re ready to understand the limitations of Conventional Medicine and gain access to cures for disease, then you need to read World Without Cancer: The Story of Vitamin B17 by G. Edward Griffin. Reading this book will change your view of medicine forever.But even if you don’t read World Without Cancer, you still need to take vitamin B17 in some form if you have Long COVID or Long COVID (I have to write this article with both terms so that it will show up in search engines!) Vitamin B17 has been systematically removed from foods by hybridizing fruits to make them seedless (grapes and watermelon, for example--the Brandt Grape Cure does not work if you use seedless grapes). People have been warned to never EVER eat apple seeds, not because the seeds will hurt them or kill PEOPLE, but because the seeds will kill The Cancer Industry (again, I encourage you to read World Without Cancer to understand the propaganda of disease and how words are used to instill fear and submission even when cures are readily available).
Vitamin B17 was discovered by Dr. Suguira, the same doctor who developed chemotherapy at Sloan-Kettering Memorial Hospital. When he discovered that vitamin B17 cured 100% of the rats who had cancer in his lab experiments, he was dismissed from Sloan-Kettering and the information was covered up. But this vitamin is extremely important in treating any chronic or debilitating disease.
Laetrile, a concentrated form of vitamin B17 that can be administered as an injection, is illegal in the United States. It has been demonized because of its ability to cure cancer. It is available just across the border, however, in Tijuana at No Radiation, No Chemo Cancer Treatment Facilities. But if you live in the U.S. or if you simply can’t afford treatment with Laetrile for Long COVID, consider instead eating 4 to 5 raw, organic, BITTER apricot kernels up to 10 times throughout the day to get a high dose of vitamin B17 orally. Eat the seeds of apples. Buy grapes with seeds and eat those seeds. Eat almonds as well. And take the vitamins listed above with Mucuna to ensure that you receive the other nutrients that must be present in order for your body to make use of vitamin B17.
It’s not fun to eat raw, bitter, apricot kernels. They hardly qualify as a “snack” and they may even upset your stomach at first. The extreme bitterness of the kernels have a healing effect on the digestive system and though they may upset your stomach, you may also notice that when you take the kernels, they cause your intestines to “move”. This is positive. It means that your body is working normally and starting to detoxify. You may experience diarrhea when you start this protocol. As long as you continue to feel better overall, the diarrhea is likely a detoxification process.
Avoid eating for 30 minutes before and after you take the apricot kernels. Vitamin C and other anti-oxidants may interfere with the healing qualities of raw, bitter organic apricot kernels, rendering them useless.
Taking 10 doses of 4 to 5 raw bitter apricot kernels daily is a tall order, I know, especially if you can’t eat within 30 minutes of taking each dose. I recommend that people take the apricot kernels upon awakening and every 30 minutes for 2 hours in the morning (4 doses) before eating breakfast and then again between 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM (2 doses every 30 minutes) and then 4 doses in the evening, 30 minutes after dinner and 2 hours before bedtime. Dr. Binzel used Dr. Suguira’s data to create a diet that he used to help cure patients with cancer many years ago. He wrote a book that includes information about The Binzel Diet and Vitamin B17 and patients with Long COVID should consider following the recommendations in Dr. Binzel's book to rebuild their natural immunity and physical strength. NOTE: Raw, bitter, apricot kernels also contain a nutrient that experts refer to as vitamin B15 / Pangamic Acid. Vitamin B15 specifically enhances strength. Russian athletes take this vitamin to increase their endurance and general physical stamina. In reality, vitamin B17 and vitamin B15 work together, but when you eat raw, bitter, apricot kernels, these two vitamins are both present. Anyone with symptoms of extreme fatigue or chronic fatigue symptoms could benefit from taking vitamin B15 / Pangamic Acid.
Contact us at AlivenHealthy or schedule a health coaching session with us for more information about how to affordably obtain vitamin B17 injections.
UPDATE 2023: Visit this link to learn more about the Red Clover + Licorice Root tea cure for Long COVID migraines. Note that this migraine cure works because it decongests the gallbladder and liver, where COVID often lives during Long COVID. But the licorice root is also a powerful COVID killer so, the combination treatment can get rid of Long COVID pain and also cure Long COVID at the same time.
Related Posts: https://alivenhealthy.com/2023/03/07/a-long-covid-natural-remedy-hematoxylin/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2021/10/16/how-to-calm-a-cytokine-storm-during-a-covid-19-infection/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2021/10/16/covid-19-and-the-immune-response-what-is-a-cytokine-storm/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2022/03/03/natural-cure-for-asthma-lugols-iodine-hormone-balancing-therapy-with-molecular-hydrogen-inhalation-as-a-steroid-inhaler-alternative/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2021/10/22/5459/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2021/09/27/lugols-iodine-vs-povidone-iodine-for-covid-self-treatment-thats-scientifically-validated/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2021/10/01/nebulizer-treatment-for-covid-19-colds-and-influenza/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2021/03/02/iodoral-and-lugols-iodine-lose-weight-fast-without-exercise/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2019/05/13/iodine-therapy/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2020/02/08/the-possible-role-of-iodine-deficiency-in-the-development-of-parkinsons-disease-lewy-body-dementia-multiple-sclerosis-and-amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2021/09/28/what-is-the-best-herb-for-adhd-adhd-natural-supplements-that-work-reliably/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2014/05/06/healing-crisis/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2021/10/02/treating-covid-common-cold-and-influenza-symptoms-naturally/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2021/04/27/n-acetyl-cysteine-nac-for-covid-finding-the-right-dose/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2020/08/14/is-meth-addiction-curable-mucuna-pruriens-and-5-htp-protocol-for-at-home-methamphetamine-addiction-treatment/
Resources:
• Hemilia, H., de Man, A. M. E. (2021). Vitamin C and COVID-19. Retrieved September 29, 2021 from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2020.559811/full
• Tomasa-Irriguible, T. M., Bielsa-Berrocal, L. (2021). COVID-19: Up to 82% of critically ill patients had low Vitamin C values. Retrieved September 29, 2021 from https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12937-021-00727-z
• Theoharides, T. C., Cholevas, C., Polyzoidis, K., Politis, A. (2021). Long-COVID syndrome-associated brain fog and chemofog: Luteolin to the rescue. Retrieved September 29, 2021 from https://iubmb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/biof.1726
• Komaroff, A. L. (2021). The tragedy of long COVID. Retrieved September 29, 2021 from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-tragedy-of-the-post-covid-long-haulers-202010152479
This article is about plant medicines and supplements that you can use to regain your old self if you’re struggling with Long COVID. Natural treatment of severe Long COVID may require more potent medicines like intravenous Tetrasilver Tetroxide or Suramin but we’ll talk more in depth about these medicines later.
Again, remember that the natural L-Dopa found in Mucuna is chemically different than the pharmaceutical known as “Levodopa / L-Dopa. The L-Dopa in Mucuna is found in many foods while the L-Dopa in Levodopa is synthetically engineered in a lab and combined with carbidopa, another synthetic drug.
Mucuna pruriens is definitely my first choice as a treatment for brain fog and any kind of brain inflammation. This bean plant, after all, is able to quell brain inflammation in methamphetamine addicts who are going through withdrawals and detox, so it also works for long-COVID brain fog. I also recommend the use of Mucuna for children with moderate to severe ADHD. It’s very safe (as safe as fava beans and bananas) and it works miracles for kids as well as adults.
So dopamine is important. But what’s a precursor? How does L-Dopa turn into dopamine in the brain?
The dopamine system in the human brain was designed so that there are a lot of checks and balances. Dopamine is very democratic, as it should be since it’s the decision-making neurotransmitter! But you can’t just consume a bottle of dopamine. You can’t eat dopamine. The neurotransmitter, dopamine, is too big and it won’t fit through the blood-brain barrier. So where does dopamine in the brain come from?
Dopamine and all neurotransmitters come from amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins that are typically consumed in food. High protein food examples include meats, nuts, beans, milks, cheeses, and legumes like the Mucuna bean. All of these foods contain large-molecule amino acids like L-Phenylalanine and L-Tyrosine that also won’t fit through the blood-brain barrier. Consuming a certain amount of these amino acids is absolutely necessary for us to stay alive, but they have to converted into other things in the body. L-Phenylalanine and L-Tyrosine can be used to build all kinds of things that our bodies need to repair and maintain themselves. But one of the most important things that they’re converted into is L-Dopa.
Both L-Phenylalanine and L-Tyrosine can be changed by the body into natural L-Dopa that is identical to the L-Dopa that’s found in the Mucuna bean.
L-Dopa is a small molecule that easily fits through the blood-brain barrier. And once L-Dopa slips through the blood-brain barrier, it only takes 4 hours for the brain to make it into the neurotransmitter dopamine. As such, L-Dopa is a dopamine “precursor”. Without L-Dopa in the brain, dopamine doesn’t exist.
The dopamine that’s manufactured from natural L-Dopa is then stored in dopamine neurons until you need to make a decision about something. Or until you receive a reward (big or small) or a punishment for something. Whenever there’s a beautiful sunset, a peak moment, or the sense of satisfaction from a job well done, dopamine is there. Whenever things go wrong, dopamine also shows up to note the event for future decision-making. This neurotransmitter helps us make smart decisions about our lives and especially about our relationships with other humans. It helps us observe and be present. It helps us connect to other living beings and to time. Without dopamine, we feel lethargic or rushed. We feel like life is meaningless and we end up either chasing addictions or feeling low and depressed all the time.
So Mucuna works by providing your brain with a supply of ready-made natural L-Dopa that your brain can convert into dopamine within 4 hours as long as you have all of the other nutrients needed for L-Dopa to go through the necessary conversions (see our Mucuna protocol below).
Within 4 hours of taking your first dose of Mucuna, you’ll begin to notice a change in how you feel. And though Mucuna may not be able to single-handedly restore you to your old self (we’ll talk about additional supplements and herbs below as well as in follow up articles that will post in the future), it will definitely direct you to a healthy path toward being okay again. Mucuna is neuroprotective and it also helps your brain rebuild after an inflammatory assault such as COVID-19. Take Mucuna daily at the dose recommended below for 5 months to rebuild your dopamine receptors.
NOTE: Many sources say that Mucuna and natural L-Dopa is addictive, but the opposite is actually true. This is a medicine that you would take to overcome an addiction to almost anything and most people note that after the initial 5 months, it becomes easy to forget to take Mucuna on a daily basis. It gives you the brain fuel you need to even question Mucuna’s own use. Mucuna is an anti-addiction medicine and after the initial 5 months of healing, you’ll begin to be able to forget to take it when you don’t really need it.
Take 6000 mg daily in divided doses: 1500 mg in the morning, 1500 mg at noon, 1500 mg at 3:00 PM, and 1500 mg at 7:00 PM
If you prefer to eat Mucuna, you can prepare it as part of your meals. It is a bean so you can cook with it just as you’d cook with other types of beans. Fava beans are an alternate, but their L-Dopa content is much lower, so they will have less of an effect than Mucuna on healing the brain.
In order to convert the natural L-Dopa in Mucuna into dopamine in the brain, you MUST take 25 mg of vitamin B6 per day. To accomplish this dosage level, take 3 DROPPERFULS of the recommended liquid vitamin B6 product along with the Thorne Multivitamin product listed below. The combination of these two products will provide you with enough vitamin B6 daily to convert the L-Dopa in foods into dopamine in the brain.
This Thorne Research Multivitamin product is my recommended choice for treating long-COVID at home. I like this product because it contains a higher dose of vitamin B6, but also because it contains vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 in the proper proportions. Few people realize that without vitamin K2 (not just vitamin K which is actually vitamin K1 and a completely different nutrient!), their body won’t deposit calcium in their bones. Rather, calcium will get deposited in their arteries, which means that bones and teeth get depleted of calcium, and arteries become clogged and hard! Anyone who has taken a steroid medication like dexamethasone for COVID could benefit from a good vitamin K2 / vitamin D3 supplement to rebuild bones. NEVER take a vitamin D3 supplement without a balanced amount of vitamin K2 to direct calcium from the diet into the bones rather than the blood vessels!
This vitamin also contains a healthy dose of each of the B vitamins which have been noted for their ability to restore health in patients with long-haul COVID.
Magnesium is an essential nutrient that’s involved in many different chemical reactions in the body. Take 3 gummies twice per day.
Lugol’s iodine is a vital immunity-boosting mineral. It’s a secret weapon in the fight against COVID because, if you have enough of this vital nutrient, your body contains trace amounts of iodine in sweat and in mucus which means that the exterior of your body is like an anti-COVID forcefield. But the iodine-discussion is complex because many people are being inundated with bromine and fluorine from their diet and from the environment, both of which compete with iodine in the body. Iodine deficiency leads to unexplained obesity, including morbid obesity, brain fog, breast cancer, prostate cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, thyroid gland cancer, and any reproductive organ cancer along with a variety of other health issues including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a disease that has been compared to Long COVID by Dr. Robert Naviaux.
Prepare to detox from bromine and fluorine exposure when you first begin using Lugol’s iodine. You may develop a rash called “bromaderma” that your doctor will tell you is an “iodine allergy”. And you may feel worse before you feel better when taking this medicine. It’s common to experience an initial detox when you go through a process of healing. This “detox” doesn’t happen when you take pharmaceuticals that are simply designed to cover up symptoms.
Start with 1 drop of 2% Lugol’s iodine applied to the skin (or add it to water and drink it) and increase the dose by 1 drop every two days until you’re taking 20 drops daily. Supplementing with Lugol’s is a life-changing experience for many people today. It alleviates brain fog, significantly improves immunity, and brings people who are ill and suffering from a wide range of symptoms back to life.
Taking a brain-boosting amino acid will not only help your brain rebuild, it will also give your body the essential nutrients it needs to rebuild other structures too including molecules for a healthy immune system.
In addition to a brain-boosting amino acid, I also recommend taking N-Acetylcysteine (NAC). This amino acid has been used as a cure for COVID because it thins mucus and generally boosts immunity. It is a strong antioxidant so it works hard to combat inflammation, especially in the brain. I recommend NAC for people who are overcoming an addiction because it detoxifies the brain and it reduces repetitive or obsessive behaviors or thoughts. This medicine also enhances mitochondrial activity, which has been implicated in Long COVID.Treatment with NAC at high doses is imperative for people who are suffering from fatigue and other symptoms following a bout of COVID.
I’ve also used NAC on kids with moderate to severe ADHD with excellent results. The FDA is currently working to try to make NAC unavailable because it has been heralded as a COVID cure. They want to turn it into a prescription medication even though it has an extremely low toxicity level. Below are the dosage recommendations for both NAC and an amino acid supplement for Long COVID treatment:
NAC has been scientifically proven to reduce the severity of chronic cough at a dose of 1200 mg per day. NAC should be administered at a high dose according to scientists who have studied this medicine in people with chronic cough. NAC is an anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant that can be used to diminish brain inflammation in Long COVID patients with chronic fatigue symptoms. One study concluded that 12-24 weeks of oral high-dose NAC treatment could improve chronic cough compared to a placebo.
Remember, NAC works not just to thin the mucus in the lung to make it easier to cough productively and to treat chest congestion during COVID, but it also reduces brain inflammation. Inflammation in the brain has been scientifically correlated with chronic cough. Opiates and opiate analogs such as dextromethorphan are believed work by calming the cough centers of the brain. But opiates such as codeine and analogs like dextromethorphan don't heal the brain. In fact, most dextromethorphan-containing drugs and cough syrups in general contain bromide as an "excipient" or supposedly inert substance in the drug. But bromide / bromine is actually a toxin that accumulates in the body over time to cause diseases like asthma. If you're not familiar with Bromide Toxicity and the drugs that contain bromide, you can click here to read more.
NAC is a supplement that increases levels of glutathione in the body. Glutathione is a vital antioxidant that detoxifies the brain and the body. It can reduce inflammation in the brain to treat a chronic cough while simultaneously healing the lungs and sinuses by thinning mucus and promoting general detoxification of the respiratory system.
NAC is the best way to promote high levels of glutathione in the body. Glutathione supplements are extremely delicate and they often don't survive passage through the digestive system. Taking NAC on the other hand, is more robust as a Long COVID treatment and as a precursor to glutathione. As the rate-limiting step in the production of glutathione, NAC is a much better treatment than glutathione supplements. Taking an NAC supplement guarantees (with rare exception) that your body will get a glutathione boost.
Long COVID has been compared to Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). Patients with ME/CFS are deficient in glutathione. Taking glutathione can help these patients as well as Long COVID patients detoxify the brain and the body. One study that met all the CDC criteria for CFS, looked at the use of NAC in the treatment of ME/CFS. In this study, patients took 1800 mg of NAC daily for 4 weeks. AT the end of the study, brain glutathione levels were significantly increased in all of the patients and their Chronic Fatigue Syndrome symptoms were also significantly reduced.
Follow the dosing requirements on the bottle to supplement daily. One study on patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, measured each individual patient’s amino acid levels to determine which ones were low and which ones were normal. Specific, customized amino acid supplementation was then administered to each patient, resulting in a total resolution of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 75% of patients. 15% of patients experience moderate relief from symptoms and 10% experiences no relief at all. The authors speculated that a deficiency of amino acids affects the metabolic activity of cells which can cause symptoms of extreme exhaustion. Long COVID obviously has similarities to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and some say that they are, in fact, the same illness. As such, amino acid supplementation can be extremely beneficial.
Take an amino acid supplement daily for at least one month before you evaluate whether they are working or not. Amino acids are the basic building blocks of the body and of neurotransmitters so your body will need some time to deconstruct and reconstruct tissues and molecules using this daily supply of essential nutrients. It takes time to see the results from a supplement like this, though for me, when I started taking amino acids, I felt the difference within only 12 hours.
You may need to take an amino acid supplement daily for the rest of your life to ensure that your body has these vital nutrients available at all times.
But even if you don’t read World Without Cancer, you still need to take vitamin B17 in some form if you have Long COVID or Long COVID (I have to write this article with both terms so that it will show up in search engines!) Vitamin B17 has been systematically removed from foods by hybridizing fruits to make them seedless (grapes and watermelon, for example--the Brandt Grape Cure does not work if you use seedless grapes). People have been warned to never EVER eat apple seeds, not because the seeds will hurt them or kill PEOPLE, but because the seeds will kill The Cancer Industry (again, I encourage you to read World Without Cancer to understand the propaganda of disease and how words are used to instill fear and submission even when cures are readily available).
Vitamin B17 was discovered by Dr. Suguira, the same doctor who developed chemotherapy at Sloan-Kettering Memorial Hospital. When he discovered that vitamin B17 cured 100% of the rats who had cancer in his lab experiments, he was dismissed from Sloan-Kettering and the information was covered up. But this vitamin is extremely important in treating any chronic or debilitating disease.
Laetrile, a concentrated form of vitamin B17 that can be administered as an injection, is illegal in the United States. It has been demonized because of its ability to cure cancer. It is available just across the border, however, in Tijuana at No Radiation, No Chemo Cancer Treatment Facilities. But if you live in the U.S. or if you simply can’t afford treatment with Laetrile for Long COVID, consider instead eating 4 to 5 raw, organic, BITTER apricot kernels up to 10 times throughout the day to get a high dose of vitamin B17 orally. Eat the seeds of apples. Buy grapes with seeds and eat those seeds. Eat almonds as well. And take the vitamins listed above with Mucuna to ensure that you receive the other nutrients that must be present in order for your body to make use of vitamin B17.
It’s not fun to eat raw, bitter, apricot kernels. They hardly qualify as a “snack” and they may even upset your stomach at first. The extreme bitterness of the kernels have a healing effect on the digestive system and though they may upset your stomach, you may also notice that when you take the kernels, they cause your intestines to “move”. This is positive. It means that your body is working normally and starting to detoxify. You may experience diarrhea when you start this protocol. As long as you continue to feel better overall, the diarrhea is likely a detoxification process.
Avoid eating for 30 minutes before and after you take the apricot kernels. Vitamin C and other anti-oxidants may interfere with the healing qualities of raw, bitter organic apricot kernels, rendering them useless.
Taking 10 doses of 4 to 5 raw bitter apricot kernels daily is a tall order, I know, especially if you can’t eat within 30 minutes of taking each dose. I recommend that people take the apricot kernels upon awakening and every 30 minutes for 2 hours in the morning (4 doses) before eating breakfast and then again between 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM (2 doses every 30 minutes) and then 4 doses in the evening, 30 minutes after dinner and 2 hours before bedtime. Dr. Binzel used Dr. Suguira’s data to create a diet that he used to help cure patients with cancer many years ago. He wrote a book that includes information about The Binzel Diet and Vitamin B17 and patients with Long COVID should consider following the recommendations in Dr. Binzel's book to rebuild their natural immunity and physical strength. NOTE: Raw, bitter, apricot kernels also contain a nutrient that experts refer to as vitamin B15 / Pangamic Acid. Vitamin B15 specifically enhances strength. Russian athletes take this vitamin to increase their endurance and general physical stamina. In reality, vitamin B17 and vitamin B15 work together, but when you eat raw, bitter, apricot kernels, these two vitamins are both present. Anyone with symptoms of extreme fatigue or chronic fatigue symptoms could benefit from taking vitamin B15 / Pangamic Acid.
Contact us at AlivenHealthy or schedule a health coaching session with us for more information about how to affordably obtain vitamin B17 injections.
UPDATE 2023: Visit this link to learn more about the Red Clover + Licorice Root tea cure for Long COVID migraines. Note that this migraine cure works because it decongests the gallbladder and liver, where COVID often lives during Long COVID. But the licorice root is also a powerful COVID killer so, the combination treatment can get rid of Long COVID pain and also cure Long COVID at the same time.
Related Posts: https://alivenhealthy.com/2023/03/07/a-long-covid-natural-remedy-hematoxylin/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2021/10/16/how-to-calm-a-cytokine-storm-during-a-covid-19-infection/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2021/10/16/covid-19-and-the-immune-response-what-is-a-cytokine-storm/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2022/03/03/natural-cure-for-asthma-lugols-iodine-hormone-balancing-therapy-with-molecular-hydrogen-inhalation-as-a-steroid-inhaler-alternative/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2021/10/22/5459/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2021/09/27/lugols-iodine-vs-povidone-iodine-for-covid-self-treatment-thats-scientifically-validated/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2021/10/01/nebulizer-treatment-for-covid-19-colds-and-influenza/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2021/03/02/iodoral-and-lugols-iodine-lose-weight-fast-without-exercise/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2019/05/13/iodine-therapy/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2020/02/08/the-possible-role-of-iodine-deficiency-in-the-development-of-parkinsons-disease-lewy-body-dementia-multiple-sclerosis-and-amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2021/09/28/what-is-the-best-herb-for-adhd-adhd-natural-supplements-that-work-reliably/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2014/05/06/healing-crisis/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2021/10/02/treating-covid-common-cold-and-influenza-symptoms-naturally/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2021/04/27/n-acetyl-cysteine-nac-for-covid-finding-the-right-dose/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2020/08/14/is-meth-addiction-curable-mucuna-pruriens-and-5-htp-protocol-for-at-home-methamphetamine-addiction-treatment/
Resources:
• Tolosa, E., Marti, M. J., Valldeoriola, F., Molinuevo, J. L. (1998). History of levodopa and dopamine agonists in Parkinson’s disease treatment. Retrieved September 29, 2021 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9633679/
• Dabholkar, N. et al. (2021). Repurposing methylene blue in the management of COVID-19: Mechanistic aspects and clinical investigations. Retrieved September 29, 2021 from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332221008064
• Shakoor, H. et al. (2021). Be well: A potential role for vitamin B in COVID-19. Retrieved September 29, 2021 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7428453/
• Bland, J. (2020). The Long Haul of COVID-19 Recovery: Immune Rejuvenation versus Immune Support. Retrieved September 29, 2021 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7819497/
• Healio. (2015). N-acetylcysteine significantly reduces exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, COPD. Retrieved September 29, 2021 from https://www.healio.com/news/pulmonology/20150918/n-acetylcysteine-significantly-reduces-exacerbation-of-chronic-bronchitis-copd
• Stey, C. et al. The effect of oral N-acetylcysteine in chronic bronchitis: a quantitative systematic review- Retrieved September 29, 2021 from https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.516.9510&rep=rep1&type=pdf
• Chung, K. F. (2014). Approach to chronic cough: the neuropathic basis for cough hypersensitivity syndrome. Retrieved September 29, 2021 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4222934/
• Dellwo, A. (2020). Low Dopamine in Fibromyalgia and ME/CFS. Retrieved September 29, 2021 from https://www.verywellhealth.com/dopamine-in-fibromyalgia-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-716044
• Encyclopedia Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. (2021). N-Acetylcysteine. Retrieved September 30, 2021 from https://me-pedia.org/wiki/N-acetylcysteine
• Weiduschat, N. et al. (2016). N-Acetylcysteine Alleviates Cortical Glutathione Deficit and Improves Symptoms in CFS: An In Vivo Validation Study using Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. Retrieved September 30, 2021 from
https://www.healthrising.org/forums/threads/nac-for-neuroinflammation-in-me-cfs-and-fibromyalgia.5046/#post-26022• Bralley, J. A. et al. (1994). Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with Specific Amino Acid Supplementation. Retrieved September 30, 2021 from http://www.nordiclabs.com/ProductPDF/Amino-Acids_Chronic_Fatigue_1076.pdf
BEFORE YOU READ THIS ARTICLE...
Be sure to take a look at a few of our e-Books titles below that might pertain to your health search:
Be sure to take a look at a few of our e-Books titles below that might pertain to your health search:
What is Long COVID?
Long COVID is the name that’s been given to serious and debilitating post-COVID symptoms that don’t resolve within a reasonable amount of time. Let’s say you were diagnosed with COVID and you trudged through the active aspects of the disease and congratulated yourself for surviving it. But then, a month after that initial diagnosis, or maybe even two or more months after being declared COVID-free, you’re still struggling to concentrate, walk up the stairs, vacuum the floor, and sleep normally at night. Maybe you have a headache that’s ever-present or other symptoms that interfere with your daily life. Maybe you’ve been bed-bound for months and only able to brush your teeth before returning to bed for the rest of the day. This is Long COVID. Many experts compare this disease to Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.This article is about plant medicines and supplements that you can use to regain your old self if you’re struggling with Long COVID. Natural treatment of severe Long COVID may require more potent medicines like intravenous Tetrasilver Tetroxide or Suramin but we’ll talk more in depth about these medicines later.
Mucuna pruriens: Herbal Remedy for Long COVID Brain Fog
Mucuna pruriens is a broadleaf bean plant that not only functions as a staple food in Central American and certain parts of Asia, but it also contains high levels of the dopamine precursor L-Dopa. There’s a lot of misinformation out there online about L-Dopa so be careful if you decide to Google this one. Big Pharma keeps Mucuna and natural L-Dopa under wraps so if you set out to learn more about L-Dopa be aware that most of the information available online is about the synthetic pharmaceutical known as Levodopa / L-Dopa. This pharmaceutical is a synthetic, chemically modified L-Dopa molecule combined with another synthetic pharmaceutical known as carbidopa. This combo pharmaceutical “Levodopa” is decidedly very different from the natural L-Dopa that exists in broadleaf beans like Mucuna. But, if Mucuna is initially too scary for you, I highly recommend eating fava beans daily as another option to rebuild dopamine levels in your brain using this same protocol.Again, remember that the natural L-Dopa found in Mucuna is chemically different than the pharmaceutical known as “Levodopa / L-Dopa. The L-Dopa in Mucuna is found in many foods while the L-Dopa in Levodopa is synthetically engineered in a lab and combined with carbidopa, another synthetic drug.
Mucuna pruriens is definitely my first choice as a treatment for brain fog and any kind of brain inflammation. This bean plant, after all, is able to quell brain inflammation in methamphetamine addicts who are going through withdrawals and detox, so it also works for long-COVID brain fog. I also recommend the use of Mucuna for children with moderate to severe ADHD. It’s very safe (as safe as fava beans and bananas) and it works miracles for kids as well as adults.
How Mucuna Works to Get Rid of Long COVID Brain Fog: Treatment Recommendations and Dosage
Mucuna is just a food. It’s a humble bean plant, but it just happens to contain a lot of L-Dopa, a precursor to dopamine. But what’s a precursor? And what’s dopamine? Let me back up a bit and explain… Dopamine is a neurotransmitter. I think of dopamine like brain fuel that specifically helps people make wise decisions about...everything. Dopamine is the decision-making neurotransmitter. It’s the neurotransmitter that gets hijacked during addiction and a deficiency of dopamine often translates into mental health problems like depression, anxiety, obsessive or compulsive behaviors, and even phobias. As a brain fuel, it helps you make decisions about everything from how you talk yourself through a difficult situation to what kind of car to buy. If you’re low on dopamine, you might end up spending hours on repetitive behaviors like scrolling through Facebook or staring mindlessly at the TV. Or you might find that you have no parental feelings toward your kids and a sense of apathy toward other loved ones and friends.So dopamine is important. But what’s a precursor? How does L-Dopa turn into dopamine in the brain?
The dopamine system in the human brain was designed so that there are a lot of checks and balances. Dopamine is very democratic, as it should be since it’s the decision-making neurotransmitter! But you can’t just consume a bottle of dopamine. You can’t eat dopamine. The neurotransmitter, dopamine, is too big and it won’t fit through the blood-brain barrier. So where does dopamine in the brain come from?
Dopamine and all neurotransmitters come from amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins that are typically consumed in food. High protein food examples include meats, nuts, beans, milks, cheeses, and legumes like the Mucuna bean. All of these foods contain large-molecule amino acids like L-Phenylalanine and L-Tyrosine that also won’t fit through the blood-brain barrier. Consuming a certain amount of these amino acids is absolutely necessary for us to stay alive, but they have to converted into other things in the body. L-Phenylalanine and L-Tyrosine can be used to build all kinds of things that our bodies need to repair and maintain themselves. But one of the most important things that they’re converted into is L-Dopa.
Both L-Phenylalanine and L-Tyrosine can be changed by the body into natural L-Dopa that is identical to the L-Dopa that’s found in the Mucuna bean.
L-Dopa is a small molecule that easily fits through the blood-brain barrier. And once L-Dopa slips through the blood-brain barrier, it only takes 4 hours for the brain to make it into the neurotransmitter dopamine. As such, L-Dopa is a dopamine “precursor”. Without L-Dopa in the brain, dopamine doesn’t exist.
The dopamine that’s manufactured from natural L-Dopa is then stored in dopamine neurons until you need to make a decision about something. Or until you receive a reward (big or small) or a punishment for something. Whenever there’s a beautiful sunset, a peak moment, or the sense of satisfaction from a job well done, dopamine is there. Whenever things go wrong, dopamine also shows up to note the event for future decision-making. This neurotransmitter helps us make smart decisions about our lives and especially about our relationships with other humans. It helps us observe and be present. It helps us connect to other living beings and to time. Without dopamine, we feel lethargic or rushed. We feel like life is meaningless and we end up either chasing addictions or feeling low and depressed all the time.
So Mucuna works by providing your brain with a supply of ready-made natural L-Dopa that your brain can convert into dopamine within 4 hours as long as you have all of the other nutrients needed for L-Dopa to go through the necessary conversions (see our Mucuna protocol below).
Within 4 hours of taking your first dose of Mucuna, you’ll begin to notice a change in how you feel. And though Mucuna may not be able to single-handedly restore you to your old self (we’ll talk about additional supplements and herbs below as well as in follow up articles that will post in the future), it will definitely direct you to a healthy path toward being okay again. Mucuna is neuroprotective and it also helps your brain rebuild after an inflammatory assault such as COVID-19. Take Mucuna daily at the dose recommended below for 5 months to rebuild your dopamine receptors.
NOTE: Many sources say that Mucuna and natural L-Dopa is addictive, but the opposite is actually true. This is a medicine that you would take to overcome an addiction to almost anything and most people note that after the initial 5 months, it becomes easy to forget to take Mucuna on a daily basis. It gives you the brain fuel you need to even question Mucuna’s own use. Mucuna is an anti-addiction medicine and after the initial 5 months of healing, you’ll begin to be able to forget to take it when you don’t really need it.
The Mucuna Protocol: Cure Long COVID Brain Fog
For the first 5 months of treatment, follow the protocol below and don’t skip doses. Mucuna is neuroprotective and it will help you regrow your brain cells. All of the vitamins listed below and their dosages are ESSENTIAL in that without adequate levels of these vitamins and minerals, your body won’t be able to convert Mucuna or any other food that you eat into dopamine to cure brain fog:Take 6000 mg daily in divided doses: 1500 mg in the morning, 1500 mg at noon, 1500 mg at 3:00 PM, and 1500 mg at 7:00 PM
If you prefer to eat Mucuna, you can prepare it as part of your meals. It is a bean so you can cook with it just as you’d cook with other types of beans. Fava beans are an alternate, but their L-Dopa content is much lower, so they will have less of an effect than Mucuna on healing the brain.
In order to convert the natural L-Dopa in Mucuna into dopamine in the brain, you MUST take 25 mg of vitamin B6 per day. To accomplish this dosage level, take 3 DROPPERFULS of the recommended liquid vitamin B6 product along with the Thorne Multivitamin product listed below. The combination of these two products will provide you with enough vitamin B6 daily to convert the L-Dopa in foods into dopamine in the brain.
This Thorne Research Multivitamin product is my recommended choice for treating long-COVID at home. I like this product because it contains a higher dose of vitamin B6, but also because it contains vitamin D3 and vitamin K2 in the proper proportions. Few people realize that without vitamin K2 (not just vitamin K which is actually vitamin K1 and a completely different nutrient!), their body won’t deposit calcium in their bones. Rather, calcium will get deposited in their arteries, which means that bones and teeth get depleted of calcium, and arteries become clogged and hard! Anyone who has taken a steroid medication like dexamethasone for COVID could benefit from a good vitamin K2 / vitamin D3 supplement to rebuild bones. NEVER take a vitamin D3 supplement without a balanced amount of vitamin K2 to direct calcium from the diet into the bones rather than the blood vessels!
This vitamin also contains a healthy dose of each of the B vitamins which have been noted for their ability to restore health in patients with long-haul COVID.
- Zinc -
Magnesium is an essential nutrient that’s involved in many different chemical reactions in the body. Take 3 gummies twice per day.
Lugol’s iodine is a vital immunity-boosting mineral. It’s a secret weapon in the fight against COVID because, if you have enough of this vital nutrient, your body contains trace amounts of iodine in sweat and in mucus which means that the exterior of your body is like an anti-COVID forcefield. But the iodine-discussion is complex because many people are being inundated with bromine and fluorine from their diet and from the environment, both of which compete with iodine in the body. Iodine deficiency leads to unexplained obesity, including morbid obesity, brain fog, breast cancer, prostate cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, thyroid gland cancer, and any reproductive organ cancer along with a variety of other health issues including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a disease that has been compared to Long COVID by Dr. Robert Naviaux.
Prepare to detox from bromine and fluorine exposure when you first begin using Lugol’s iodine. You may develop a rash called “bromaderma” that your doctor will tell you is an “iodine allergy”. And you may feel worse before you feel better when taking this medicine. It’s common to experience an initial detox when you go through a process of healing. This “detox” doesn’t happen when you take pharmaceuticals that are simply designed to cover up symptoms.
Start with 1 drop of 2% Lugol’s iodine applied to the skin (or add it to water and drink it) and increase the dose by 1 drop every two days until you’re taking 20 drops daily. Supplementing with Lugol’s is a life-changing experience for many people today. It alleviates brain fog, significantly improves immunity, and brings people who are ill and suffering from a wide range of symptoms back to life.
The AlivenHealthy Iodine Bible - Everything you need to know to get started taking iodine and more!
Amino Acids: Natural Long COVID Treatment Using Nutrients
The L-Dopa in Mucuna will be a huge boost for anyone suffering from Long-COVID, but your brain may need more than just a dopamine boost. You may be low in other neurotransmitters like serotonin, GABA, or glutamate. And if you’re a vegan or a vegetarian, or if you just don’t eat a lot of meats or dairy products, you may be particularly low on the essential amino acids that your body needs to manufacture neurotransmitters and reduce brain inflammation. I’ll never forget the first time I took an amino acid supplement for brain health. Eight hours after the initial dose, it was like my emotions became manageable. A fog lifted and I felt very suddenly (it was 4:18 PM and I was on a walk in the park with my husband after receiving some devastating news about a relative) like my feelings were no longer lodged in my body. This was how it felt. It felt like I had been carrying the emotions like heavy rocks and suddenly, the feelings became feelings again. They were still heavy feelings, but I felt like I could work with them on my own terms again instead of being imprisoned by them.Taking a brain-boosting amino acid will not only help your brain rebuild, it will also give your body the essential nutrients it needs to rebuild other structures too including molecules for a healthy immune system.
In addition to a brain-boosting amino acid, I also recommend taking N-Acetylcysteine (NAC). This amino acid has been used as a cure for COVID because it thins mucus and generally boosts immunity. It is a strong antioxidant so it works hard to combat inflammation, especially in the brain. I recommend NAC for people who are overcoming an addiction because it detoxifies the brain and it reduces repetitive or obsessive behaviors or thoughts. This medicine also enhances mitochondrial activity, which has been implicated in Long COVID.Treatment with NAC at high doses is imperative for people who are suffering from fatigue and other symptoms following a bout of COVID.
I’ve also used NAC on kids with moderate to severe ADHD with excellent results. The FDA is currently working to try to make NAC unavailable because it has been heralded as a COVID cure. They want to turn it into a prescription medication even though it has an extremely low toxicity level. Below are the dosage recommendations for both NAC and an amino acid supplement for Long COVID treatment:
- NAC -
NAC has been scientifically proven to reduce the severity of chronic cough at a dose of 1200 mg per day. NAC should be administered at a high dose according to scientists who have studied this medicine in people with chronic cough. NAC is an anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant that can be used to diminish brain inflammation in Long COVID patients with chronic fatigue symptoms. One study concluded that 12-24 weeks of oral high-dose NAC treatment could improve chronic cough compared to a placebo.
Remember, NAC works not just to thin the mucus in the lung to make it easier to cough productively and to treat chest congestion during COVID, but it also reduces brain inflammation. Inflammation in the brain has been scientifically correlated with chronic cough. Opiates and opiate analogs such as dextromethorphan are believed work by calming the cough centers of the brain. But opiates such as codeine and analogs like dextromethorphan don't heal the brain. In fact, most dextromethorphan-containing drugs and cough syrups in general contain bromide as an "excipient" or supposedly inert substance in the drug. But bromide / bromine is actually a toxin that accumulates in the body over time to cause diseases like asthma. If you're not familiar with Bromide Toxicity and the drugs that contain bromide, you can click here to read more.
NAC is a supplement that increases levels of glutathione in the body. Glutathione is a vital antioxidant that detoxifies the brain and the body. It can reduce inflammation in the brain to treat a chronic cough while simultaneously healing the lungs and sinuses by thinning mucus and promoting general detoxification of the respiratory system.
NAC is the best way to promote high levels of glutathione in the body. Glutathione supplements are extremely delicate and they often don't survive passage through the digestive system. Taking NAC on the other hand, is more robust as a Long COVID treatment and as a precursor to glutathione. As the rate-limiting step in the production of glutathione, NAC is a much better treatment than glutathione supplements. Taking an NAC supplement guarantees (with rare exception) that your body will get a glutathione boost.
Long COVID has been compared to Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). Patients with ME/CFS are deficient in glutathione. Taking glutathione can help these patients as well as Long COVID patients detoxify the brain and the body. One study that met all the CDC criteria for CFS, looked at the use of NAC in the treatment of ME/CFS. In this study, patients took 1800 mg of NAC daily for 4 weeks. AT the end of the study, brain glutathione levels were significantly increased in all of the patients and their Chronic Fatigue Syndrome symptoms were also significantly reduced.
Follow the dosing requirements on the bottle to supplement daily. One study on patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, measured each individual patient’s amino acid levels to determine which ones were low and which ones were normal. Specific, customized amino acid supplementation was then administered to each patient, resulting in a total resolution of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 75% of patients. 15% of patients experience moderate relief from symptoms and 10% experiences no relief at all. The authors speculated that a deficiency of amino acids affects the metabolic activity of cells which can cause symptoms of extreme exhaustion. Long COVID obviously has similarities to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and some say that they are, in fact, the same illness. As such, amino acid supplementation can be extremely beneficial.
Take an amino acid supplement daily for at least one month before you evaluate whether they are working or not. Amino acids are the basic building blocks of the body and of neurotransmitters so your body will need some time to deconstruct and reconstruct tissues and molecules using this daily supply of essential nutrients. It takes time to see the results from a supplement like this, though for me, when I started taking amino acids, I felt the difference within only 12 hours.
You may need to take an amino acid supplement daily for the rest of your life to ensure that your body has these vital nutrients available at all times.
Vitamin B17 / Amygdalin / Laetrile: Long COVID Treatment
Vitamin B17, also known as amygdalin, or Laetrile, is a vital nutrient that has been purposefully hidden from the western world. I talk in-depth about this nutrient in several articles about cancer because many experts who cure cancer without chemo or radiation believe that cancer is a vitamin B17 deficiency in the same way that scurvy is a vitamin C deficiency or ricketts is a vitamin D deficiency. The story of vitamin B17 as a cure for cancer is tragic, but important in the world today because it can help people understand why other cures for disease like Long COVID (and for COVID-19 in general) have not been made accessible to the public. If you’re ready to understand the limitations of Conventional Medicine and gain access to cures for disease, then you need to read World Without Cancer: The Story of Vitamin B17 by G. Edward Griffin. Reading this book will change your view of medicine forever.But even if you don’t read World Without Cancer, you still need to take vitamin B17 in some form if you have Long COVID or Long COVID (I have to write this article with both terms so that it will show up in search engines!) Vitamin B17 has been systematically removed from foods by hybridizing fruits to make them seedless (grapes and watermelon, for example--the Brandt Grape Cure does not work if you use seedless grapes). People have been warned to never EVER eat apple seeds, not because the seeds will hurt them or kill PEOPLE, but because the seeds will kill The Cancer Industry (again, I encourage you to read World Without Cancer to understand the propaganda of disease and how words are used to instill fear and submission even when cures are readily available).
Vitamin B17 was discovered by Dr. Suguira, the same doctor who developed chemotherapy at Sloan-Kettering Memorial Hospital. When he discovered that vitamin B17 cured 100% of the rats who had cancer in his lab experiments, he was dismissed from Sloan-Kettering and the information was covered up. But this vitamin is extremely important in treating any chronic or debilitating disease.
Laetrile, a concentrated form of vitamin B17 that can be administered as an injection, is illegal in the United States. It has been demonized because of its ability to cure cancer. It is available just across the border, however, in Tijuana at No Radiation, No Chemo Cancer Treatment Facilities. But if you live in the U.S. or if you simply can’t afford treatment with Laetrile for Long COVID, consider instead eating 4 to 5 raw, organic, BITTER apricot kernels up to 10 times throughout the day to get a high dose of vitamin B17 orally. Eat the seeds of apples. Buy grapes with seeds and eat those seeds. Eat almonds as well. And take the vitamins listed above with Mucuna to ensure that you receive the other nutrients that must be present in order for your body to make use of vitamin B17.
It’s not fun to eat raw, bitter, apricot kernels. They hardly qualify as a “snack” and they may even upset your stomach at first. The extreme bitterness of the kernels have a healing effect on the digestive system and though they may upset your stomach, you may also notice that when you take the kernels, they cause your intestines to “move”. This is positive. It means that your body is working normally and starting to detoxify. You may experience diarrhea when you start this protocol. As long as you continue to feel better overall, the diarrhea is likely a detoxification process.
Avoid eating for 30 minutes before and after you take the apricot kernels. Vitamin C and other anti-oxidants may interfere with the healing qualities of raw, bitter organic apricot kernels, rendering them useless.
Taking 10 doses of 4 to 5 raw bitter apricot kernels daily is a tall order, I know, especially if you can’t eat within 30 minutes of taking each dose. I recommend that people take the apricot kernels upon awakening and every 30 minutes for 2 hours in the morning (4 doses) before eating breakfast and then again between 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM (2 doses every 30 minutes) and then 4 doses in the evening, 30 minutes after dinner and 2 hours before bedtime. Dr. Binzel used Dr. Suguira’s data to create a diet that he used to help cure patients with cancer many years ago. He wrote a book that includes information about The Binzel Diet and Vitamin B17 and patients with Long COVID should consider following the recommendations in Dr. Binzel's book to rebuild their natural immunity and physical strength. NOTE: Raw, bitter, apricot kernels also contain a nutrient that experts refer to as vitamin B15 / Pangamic Acid. Vitamin B15 specifically enhances strength. Russian athletes take this vitamin to increase their endurance and general physical stamina. In reality, vitamin B17 and vitamin B15 work together, but when you eat raw, bitter, apricot kernels, these two vitamins are both present. Anyone with symptoms of extreme fatigue or chronic fatigue symptoms could benefit from taking vitamin B15 / Pangamic Acid.
Contact us at AlivenHealthy or schedule a health coaching session with us for more information about how to affordably obtain vitamin B17 injections.
UPDATE 2023: Visit this link to learn more about the Red Clover + Licorice Root tea cure for Long COVID migraines. Note that this migraine cure works because it decongests the gallbladder and liver, where COVID often lives during Long COVID. But the licorice root is also a powerful COVID killer so, the combination treatment can get rid of Long COVID pain and also cure Long COVID at the same time.
Related Posts: https://alivenhealthy.com/2023/03/07/a-long-covid-natural-remedy-hematoxylin/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2021/10/16/how-to-calm-a-cytokine-storm-during-a-covid-19-infection/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2021/10/16/covid-19-and-the-immune-response-what-is-a-cytokine-storm/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2022/03/03/natural-cure-for-asthma-lugols-iodine-hormone-balancing-therapy-with-molecular-hydrogen-inhalation-as-a-steroid-inhaler-alternative/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2021/10/22/5459/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2021/09/27/lugols-iodine-vs-povidone-iodine-for-covid-self-treatment-thats-scientifically-validated/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2021/10/01/nebulizer-treatment-for-covid-19-colds-and-influenza/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2021/03/02/iodoral-and-lugols-iodine-lose-weight-fast-without-exercise/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2019/05/13/iodine-therapy/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2020/02/08/the-possible-role-of-iodine-deficiency-in-the-development-of-parkinsons-disease-lewy-body-dementia-multiple-sclerosis-and-amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2021/09/28/what-is-the-best-herb-for-adhd-adhd-natural-supplements-that-work-reliably/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2014/05/06/healing-crisis/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2021/10/02/treating-covid-common-cold-and-influenza-symptoms-naturally/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2021/04/27/n-acetyl-cysteine-nac-for-covid-finding-the-right-dose/ https://alivenhealthy.com/2020/08/14/is-meth-addiction-curable-mucuna-pruriens-and-5-htp-protocol-for-at-home-methamphetamine-addiction-treatment/
Resources:
• Hemilia, H., de Man, A. M. E. (2021). Vitamin C and COVID-19. Retrieved September 29, 2021 from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2020.559811/full
• Tomasa-Irriguible, T. M., Bielsa-Berrocal, L. (2021). COVID-19: Up to 82% of critically ill patients had low Vitamin C values. Retrieved September 29, 2021 from https://nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12937-021-00727-z
• Theoharides, T. C., Cholevas, C., Polyzoidis, K., Politis, A. (2021). Long-COVID syndrome-associated brain fog and chemofog: Luteolin to the rescue. Retrieved September 29, 2021 from https://iubmb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/biof.1726
• Komaroff, A. L. (2021). The tragedy of long COVID. Retrieved September 29, 2021 from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-tragedy-of-the-post-covid-long-haulers-202010152479
• Tolosa, E., Marti, M. J., Valldeoriola, F., Molinuevo, J. L. (1998). History of levodopa and dopamine agonists in Parkinson’s disease treatment. Retrieved September 29, 2021 from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9633679/
• Dabholkar, N. et al. (2021). Repurposing methylene blue in the management of COVID-19: Mechanistic aspects and clinical investigations. Retrieved September 29, 2021 from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332221008064
• Shakoor, H. et al. (2021). Be well: A potential role for vitamin B in COVID-19. Retrieved September 29, 2021 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7428453/
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• Healio. (2015). N-acetylcysteine significantly reduces exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, COPD. Retrieved September 29, 2021 from https://www.healio.com/news/pulmonology/20150918/n-acetylcysteine-significantly-reduces-exacerbation-of-chronic-bronchitis-copd
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https://www.healthrising.org/forums/threads/nac-for-neuroinflammation-in-me-cfs-and-fibromyalgia.5046/#post-26022• Bralley, J. A. et al. (1994). Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome with Specific Amino Acid Supplementation. Retrieved September 30, 2021 from http://www.nordiclabs.com/ProductPDF/Amino-Acids_Chronic_Fatigue_1076.pdf
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