Vegetables vs Variants
How Mannose Binding Lectins in Leeks Could Help End The Pandemic
For those following along, I’m proposing we try eating our way out of this pandemic by eating leeks (allium porrum) because science says the Mannose Binding Lectin (MBL) in leeks should enable our innate immune system to gobble up the SARS coronavirus. We are likely on the cusp of learning another reason why vegetables are healthy for us.
Conclusion In six countries, plant-based diets or pescatarian diets were associated with lower odds of moderate-to-severe COVID-19. These dietary patterns may be considered for protection against severe COVID-19.
Plant-based diets, pescatarian diets and COVID-19 severity: a population-based case–control study in six countries
https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/4/1/257
Could leeks help with new variants (e.g., Delta & Omicron)?
I think so…
Very Quick Recap: Leeks have a potent MBL against SARS-CoV. MBL recognizes a site on the SARS Spike that remains unchanged between SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. MBL binds to the SARS-CoV spike at N330 which is conserved and present on the SARS-CoV-2 spike at N343. Same MBL binding site. Retained unchanged. Different name. (“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other word would smell as sweet.”) This unchanged site on SARS coronaviruses is a “viral signature” that scientists call a Pathogen Associated Molecular Pattern (PAMP). When MBL binds to a PAMP because it looks like a pathogen, MBL activates our immune system via the Lectin Pathway to destroy it using processes known as Opsonization and Phagocytosis.
MBL is a broad spectrum pattern recognition molecule for our innate immune system. As long as the viral signature (PAMP) retained from SARS-CoV to SARS-CoV-2 at N343 remains generally unchanged on variants, leek MBL should have no problem recognizing it.
Currently (as of Jan 18, 2022), the major SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern (VOC) defined by the WHO includes: Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351), Gamma (P.1), Delta (B.1.617.2), and Omicron (B.1.1.529). CoVariants.org tracks mutations across the families of SARS-CoV-2 variants so we can confirm that none of these VOCs have any mutations at N343: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron. No mutations on the viral signature at N343 targeted by MBL for any of the current VOCs.
No mutations at N343 means that the PAMP targeted by MBL has remained unchanged from SARS-CoV (2003) to at least the existing SARS-CoV-2 VOCs (including Omicron). The leek MBL which recognizes SARS-CoV should be able to recognize the same viral signature that is also on all major SARS-CoV-2 variants!
Vegetables are good for you
Assuming science understands all this correctly, this means there is another reason why vegetables are good for us: vegetable lectins target our innate immune system against infectious pathogens. (Except when they incorrectly target you because that is the food allergy problem Dr. Gundry describes as a “plant paradox” when something that is supposed to be good for you isn’t.)
Eating vegetables helps our immune system recognize and fight off infectious pathogens; as long as you avoid eating vegetables you’re allergic to. Leeks are probably your friend against SARS coronaviruses; as long as you’re not allergic to leeks.
For more details, see my original article.
What about future variants?
It’s always hard to see into the future. I can think of several reasons to expect leek MBL to continue working against future variants, but that will have be for another article.
Disclaimer #1: While published science expects this to work as described, we need data to prove that this hypothesis works (or doesn’t). Studies, trials, and even publishing costs a lot of money so I’m reaching out to the Internet for help in testing this.
Disclaimer #2: Opinions are my own and not those of Google.
