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Caffeine and COVID-19
Photo by 五玄土 ORIENTO on Unsplash
Disclaimer: The information in this article and on this website is for informational purposes only as of March 2021 and is not to be construed as medical advice. If you suspect you have COVID-19, please see a doctor immediately.
If you've ever had COVID-19, you know it is a vicious disease that can rob you of breath, cause severe headaches, general malaise, and destroy any sense of well-being.
A new study [1] says caffeine and other substances in coffee can inhibit the virus and quell symptoms. The study says:
To our knowledge, this in silico study shows for the first time very inexpensive drugs available in large quantities that can be potential inhibitors against 3CLpro. In particular, the repurposing of linagliptin, and caffeine are recommended for COVID-19 treatment after in vitro, in vivo and clinical trial validation.
The 3CL is a component of COVID-19 that causes the virus to replicate, and it also breaks down proteins.
Many people do not have access to Remdesivir, a drug used to treat the virus, or they cannot afford it.
The study, from the Journal of Biomolecular Structural Dynamics, says further that caffeine and theophylline, another promising COVID treatment, are widely available and inexpensive. Many plants have both caffeine and theophylline, including tea leaves, coffee beans, cocoa beans, and kola nuts.
Consequently, it is easy to make it available to a large number of patients, regardless of their whereabouts or living standards, which is difficult or impossible-like for some other medications such as Remdesivir. However, the in vitro experiments can determine more precisely which of these drugs are the most therapeutic and act to stop this pandemic COVID-19.
... To our knowledge, this study demonstrates for the first time very inexpensive drugs as 3CLpro inhibitors.
3CL pro, the COVID-19 protease
No Evidence Tea Helps
Caffeine in Viter Energy Mints
Speaking from experience, when you have severe symptoms of COVID, you may have trouble carrying out day-to-day tasks. For example, making yourself a cup of coffee or tea may be a task that you just are not up to.
Instead, you might buy some Viter Energy Mints [2],which require no preparation and have 40 mg of caffeine per mint. Forty mg is about one-half of the caffeine in a cup of coffee.
The mints also contain B vitamins, and mint to freshen the breath.
Viter Energy Mints [3] are handy not just if you are sick but also if you are in a place where you cannot get a cup of coffee or energy drink.
Also, some people do not want to fill up on a lot of liquids, which may make them go to the bathroom more often than usual.
Fighting off other viruses
Researchers at Texas A&M say they too have found that caffeine can fight off viruses, including Coronavirus [4].
An article from KBTX states:
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) - Researchers at Texas A&M say caffeine could help play a role in fighting off some viruses like COVID-19.
Dr. Yubin Zhou, Dr. Yun Nancy Huang, and their team of researchers at the Texas A&M Institute of Biosciences and Technology are using caffeine as a way to boost the efficacy of biological processes with the help of a molecule they developed called COSMO, which stands for caffeine-operated synthetic module.
... Fighting COVID-19 is just one of COSMO’s potential applications. COSMO-weaponized proteins can be instructed to kill tumors and cancer cells, dictate gene expressions, and make cells move around in different ways.
At-home COVID test
One symptom of the virus is loss of smell, or anosmia. A good way to test whether you have this symptom is to hold coffee up to your nose. If you can't smell that beautiful, rich aroma, you may have Coronavirus.
An article at Food & Wine states:
The implications of this distinct symptom are pretty important because if you wake up with something like a headache or diarrhea, yes, you might have COVID-19, but if you wake up and can’t smell your morning coffee, suddenly, the odds that you have contracted coronavirus are significantly stronger.
The many benefits of coffee
Caffeine is not just for fighting viruses. As we have written on the blog several times before [5], coffee and caffeine have a full spectrum of health benefits:
Of course caffeine is the most famous chemical in coffee, and it is beneficial in many ways. Research on coffee has shown that it:
- Reduces risk of heart disease, cancer and multiple sclerosis
- Boosts semen production
- Invigorates
- Enhances memory
- Alleviates fatigue
- Reduces the risk of kidney stones
- Helps alleviate migraine headaches
- Enhances the effect of over-the-counter painkillers
- Enhances athletic performance
Caffeine also can enhance memory and concentration, keep you alert, alleviate fatigue and sleep deprivation.
So, if you do go to the doctor and have a positive Coronavirus test, it would not hurt at all and it might help a lot to work caffeine and coffee or tea into your daily routine.
And remember: Just wake up and smell the coffee for a quick health check.
Sources:
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7594182/
[3] https://www.goviter.com/collections/viter-energy-mints
[5] https://www.goviter.com/blogs/viter-energy-blog/benefits-of-coffee
Also in Viter Energy Blog
Can caffeine help with ED?
Erectile dysfunction. In combination, those are two of the ugliest words known to man. But can caffeine help you get it up?
Science hasn't found the definitive answer to this question, but one study concluded that fewer men who consume caffeine have problems performing. The study said:
Caffeine intake reduced the odds of prevalent ED, especially an intake equivalent to approximately 2-3 daily cups of coffee (170-375 mg/day). This reduction was also observed among overweight/obese and hypertensive, but not among diabetic men. Yet, these associations are warranted to be investigated in prospective studies
Caffeine while breastfeeding? Go ahead, it's OK
Many breastfeeding mothers wonder if it's OK to take caffeine. In fact, many nursing mothers just avoid caffeine in case it would keep their babies fussy, jittery and awake.
The answer is yes, you can take caffeine while breastfeeding, as long as you don't go over about 300 mg a day.
It's an important question because caffeine is in so many products, and taking coffee, tea, or soda is such a common ritual.
And breastfeeding mothers may be tempted to take caffeinated products because they are deprived of sleep by their newborns' odd sleep schedule.
The surprising benefits of chewing gum
You might think gum chewing is an activity with little or no benefits besides the pleasure and flavor, but think again. Chewing gum has several benefits.
In addition to freshening your breath, sugar-free gum can help prevent cavities and contribute to overall oral health. But that's just the beginning.
