New Natural Treatment for COVID-19 – Study

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A new peer-reviewed study from the Tokyo Institute of Technology has potentially found a natural cure for COVID-19.

The study found that the natural amino acid – 5-aminolevulinic acid ALA is an effective way to reduce the expression of ACE2, which is a receptor for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, a strain of the COVID-19 virus, allowing the virus to infect the cell. Therefore, this amino acid may reduce the infectivity of COVID.

ALA can be found in spinach, tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, potatoes, squid, ground beef, wine, and soy sauce.

Researchers have prepared cultured human cells and infected some of them with ACE2. It was found that in cells treated with the amino acid, ACE2 did not expand as much. In addition to the study, the scientists converted the cells from ALA to protoporphyrin IX and then to heme. This led the researchers to believe that ACE2 was biologically related to both compounds.

The study formed a new avenue for COVID research, allowing them to understand how ALA and heme production could create a cure for COVID.