* Pharmaceutical companies have created coronavirus vaccines in a record time – less than ten months. Now all the states are tasked with getting vaccinations in the arms of millions of people with the same urgency because COVID-19 numbers are contaminated and deaths are still rising daily.
Despite all the politicians and medical professions that the Covid-19 vaccine and encourage people everywhere to take it, there is one doctor who said he won ‘t take it. Dr. L. Ray Matthews is a retired trauma / critical care surgeon and director of Surgical Critical Care at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta.
Steffanie Rivers, a EUR contributor, interviewed dr. Matthews talked about his work in preventative health care and why he thinks taking the corona virus vaccine is not the best defense against COVID contracting19. He advocates the use of something else that will protect against COVID-19 and other viruses that most people do not realize are just as deadly.
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Steffanie Rivers / EUR: You are known as the leading expert on the benefits of vitamin D3. Why is vitamin D3 important for our body for preventative health maintenance?
DR. MATTHEWS: In the first place, vitamin D3 is actually a hormone that controls 3,000 out of 30,000 human genes (10% of our DNA). Hormone / vitamin D3 regulates our immune response system and inflammatory response systems. Vitamin D3 increases the number of white blood cells (B cells, T cells, monocytes) to help the body fight off bacterial, fungicidal and viral infections and cancer cells. The inflammatory response system reduces inflammation by reducing IL-6, Tumor Necrotic Factor (TNF) and C-Reactive Protein (CRP) which reduces the cytokine storm associated with corona virus infections.
In layman’s terms, vitamin D3 regulates the human immune system and controls a significant portion of our human DNA. The problem is that most people do not eat nutritious food and do not take supplements, therefore the intake of vitamins D3 is low.
SR / EUR: Most black and brown people believe that their melanin prevents them from having to worry about the need to maintain optimal vitamin D3 levels. Is this true?
DR. MATTHEWS: The opposite is true. Melanin is a natural sunscreen that protects you from the sun. Melanin blocks 95% of vitamin D3 production. As a result, colored vitamin D3 levels tend to be 30% lower than people with lighter skin. This alone makes people of color more susceptible to corona virus and most chronic diseases of aging, such as heart disease, stroke, higher maternal / fetal mortality rates, cancer and many more chronic diseases.
SR / EUR: What are the signs that someone is deficient in vitamin D3?
DR. MATTHEWS: Signs and symptoms of vitamin D3 deficiency are fatigue, insomnia, joint pain, muscle aches, frequent fractures / broken bones, recurrent infections, brittle nails, hair loss, memory loss, lack of focus and poor wound healing.
SR / EUR: Name ailments that can be prevented by taking vitamin D3.
DR. MATTHEWS: This is a very long list. Almost all diseases of chronic aging can be delayed with vitamin D3, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and many other diseases.
SR / EUR: Some people drink milk to get their vitamin D3, is that the best way? Others are lactose intolerant and need to be absorbed in other ways, and what is the optimal daily amount of vitamin D3 needed?
DR. MATTHEWS: Ninety percent (90%) of the production of vitamin D3 comes from the sun hitting the skin and producing a chemical that goes to the liver and kidneys to make vitamin D3. Only ten percent (10%) of vitamin D3 comes from the diet. As a result, most people need sunlight (apply sunscreen after 15 minutes of exposure to prevent skin cancer) and supplements. Supplements come in liquid, chewable, soft gels, capsules or tablet forms. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) requirements for vitamin D3 are 600 international units for younger adults and 800 IU for older adults; However, in my first manuscript published on vitamin D3, we challenged it as too low based on our current technological society. In an agricultural society fifty years ago, people spent most of their time outdoors (more sunlight) and had no sunscreen. Today we spend most of our time indoors (less sunlight) and use our sunscreen.
Depending on the individual’s lifestyle and what part of the country / world they live in vitamin D3 supplementation will be different. Outdoors, people may need fewer supplements than people who spend more time indoors or live in colder, less sunny climates.
SR / EUR: Can someone take too much vitamin D3?
DR. MATTHEWS: Vitamin D3 toxicity is very rare. A person will have to take more than one million IU in a short period of time. Vitamin D3 deficiency is more dangerous than vitamin D3 toxicity. Vitamin D3 levels of less than 18 ng / ml increase the risk of death by thirty percent (30%) due to all causes, including corona virus.
As the levels of vitamin D3 decrease with age in the human body, coupled with less physical activity, low supplements and malnourished diets, it is no wonder that the health of African Americans is negatively affected by the coronavirus. Yet many African Americans are suspicious of government-sponsored medical mandates and shy away from taking vaccines.
SR / EUR: Ask many African Americans if they will take the COVID-19 vaccine and the answer is NO! I’m sure you understand why they hesitate. Are you and your family and friends planning to take the vaccine, why or why not?
DR. MATTHEWS: I took all the required vaccines during my 31 year medical career. I have known all the long-term side effects because it took 5-20 years to make a vaccine before vaccination against mRNA corona virus. The long-term side effects of the mRNA vaccines are unknown. I will stick to the vitamin D3 for now.
SR / EUR: Regarding the COVID-19 virus and the vaccine: Why do health officials (like those in the president’s health panel) rarely talk about preventative maintenance? Is their focus more on selling a vaccine than on the benefits of cheaper and more accessible supplements?
DR. MATTHEWS: In the world of medicine, the big money is in intervention rather than prevention; however, one study found that 70% of doctors take supplements but do not tell their patients.
SR / EUR: The adage ‘a gram of prevention is worth a pound of cure’ can help people build their immune systems to reduce the chance of viral infections and save their time and money spent on aftercare. What does ‘ounce of prevention’ look like when building an immune system? What are some ‘old faithful’ products that you suggest people keep in their homes at all times?
DR. MATTHEWS: A worldwide expert virologist once said that there are 1400 viruses that have the potential to become a pandemic. Do you take 1,400 shots a year, or do you strengthen the immune system to fight all infections? I would recommend vitamin D3, zinc and vitamin C. These are natural supplements with minimal side effects. I have worked some of the most contagious infectious diseases on earth and have not contracted any infections during my 31 year medical career.
SR / EUR: Most black men do little in preventative health care. They shy away from going to the doctor, and rarely take supplements. They spend more time on external physical appearance – exercising at fitness centers – than looking after the internal systems of their body. What is the best way to change this?
DR. MATTHEWS: Women are usually more health conscious than men. You need to encourage their mothers, wives, sisters and daughters to be more proactive in their husbands’ health. Men tend to listen to them.
SR / EUR: Please add the information you want to include that was not requested.
DR. MATTHEWS: If I get the chance, I can help bring the coronavirus pandemic under control worldwide within three months. I understand the biology, pathophysiology, biochemistry and pharmacology of corona virus and vitamin D3. I call vitamin D3 God’s wonder vitamin.
For more information on dr. Matthews and his work in preventive health maintenance, contact him at [email protected].
Story by Steffanie Rivers / [email protected]