By: Dr. John Schloss, PhD
Lymphocyte proliferation requires more than 17 different essential nutrients. Cell division by lymphocytes is the first step in the immune response to pathogenic viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. This process of amplifying the number of reactive immune cells is the basis of both humoral (B lymphocyte -> plasma cells, antibody production) and cell-mediated response (T lymphocyte -> killer cells). Evaluation of nutritional insufficiencies by their limitation of cultured lymphocyte replication revealed that 98% of Americans are deficient for one-or-more essential nutrients, and 25% have insufficient levels of five-or-more nutrients. Low levels of zinc or selenium alone correlate with an increased risk of mortality and morbidity from COVID-19. Low levels of zinc also increase the risk of cancer and psychiatric disorders, such as depression. Thus, a proper intake of dietary nutrients is essential to good health. Since almost everyone lacks at least one or more components from their diet, AUHS has begun several research projects to develop new methods to rapidly detect, quantify, and prevent nutritional deficits of dietary (epigenetic) and genetic (individual) origin.
