This is an article that I had sitting around unpublished (I have a bunch of them) and thought I may as well release it since I am talking more about latent viral reactivation. Please read the main article here about Stressors and Viral Reactivation when it comes to dry fasting and overall healing from LC.
We're diving into the world of latent virus reactivation, specifically the herpes virus, and its potential connections with long-term ailments such as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) and Long Covid. If you've been following the latest developments over the last 2 years you've probably come across mentions of EBV reactivation. It's similar to HSV-1 and HSV-2. But apparently, even HSV-6 Reactivation can cause long covid. The key lies in the way the virus messes with the body's mitochondria. It mutates it, ruining its capabilities, and at the same time stopping our innate autophagy from being able to destroy it and rebuild it. Think of it like some mutant zombies living forever. It's no wonder that the more severe your long covid, the more mutated damage that will never leave. There are no blood markers to track this. At least not for now. So our only tool is intense autophagy. Believe it or not, nicotine can induce autophagy, but it's usually not enough to heal all forms of LC. Dry fasting is the most sure-fire way and heals other underlying illnesses. Think of it like a whole system restructures led by millions of years of evolution.
Acute vs Chronic Contributors in ME/CFS
Herpes Virus signatures in ME/CFS and long Covid
Herpes is one of the world's most annoying viruses. Herpes simplex and Genital herpes cause a lot of stress and people would give anything to heal it. Unfortunately, there's nothing modern medicine can do about this. we know that most people carry this virus, but most people keep it in a latent remission form and it never pops up. Can dry fasting heal herpes though? Let me talk about that briefly.
There seems to be a high correlation between people suffering from Herpes and long covid. This has come up hundreds of times over the last 3 years. I've spoken with a few people who claim that dry fasting was able to put their herpes into remission. Basically, since dry fasting, they have not had a break-out. Approaching this logically, it means that the virus is in remission. This most likely means that the immune system has finally become able to suppress it. Yes, I know what you're thinking. Maybe the virus was actually eradicated? There is a small chance, but let's be realistic, it's most likely in remission. Most people suffering from it will agree that putting it into remission is almost as good as the concept of eradicating it. We'll take what we can. If in fact, it is in remission, that means that dry fasting's ability to improve the immune system cannot be understated. I do believe it's a mixture of trimming damage and potential viral debris/virus on top of bolstering the immune system. If this is true, then TECHNICALLY if you dry fast enough, WITHOUT getting relapses, you can theoretically eliminate the virus over time.
Hyperfusion of mitochondria by EBV and HSV-1 Herpes Simplex
When there is a reactivation of these viruses due to long covid or other post-viral illnesses, they can cause specific damage to mitochondria. they cause inflammation, but the scariest part is that they can clump mitochondria, what is called hyperfusion of mitochondria, and change the way they work.
Doesn't this start to make sense? What is one of long covid and ME/CFS main symptoms? PEM and crazy reactions especially after eating trigger foods. Think carbs and sugars. Mitochondria are directly responsible for transforming sugar into energy, but in this case, it goes wonky and messes you up big time. Lactic acid, shortness of breath, brain fog, and exhaustion, to name a few. Our mitochondria are being wrecked. But the worst part is that they are not being destroyed. If our mitochondria were simply being destroyed then we'd have hope of rebuilding them via mitochondrial biogenesis. But here we are stuck with FAULTY mitochondria. A terrifying concept.
Once again, I reiterate. We are dealing with microscopic, highly complicated damage to the body, that modern medicine cannot begin to treat. We may get lucky in the future and find the right drug combination that helps, but even then, it would probably require such accurate precision, and so many ideal scenarios, that as a betting man, I'd say we never get to it. The only thing left to us is what evolution has provided, and what every religious text speaks of: fasting. And the most powerful form of fasting may be necessary: dry fasting.
Would it be bad if all your mitochondria hyperfused?
If all mitochondria in a cell were to undergo hyperfusion continuously, it could have detrimental effects, even though hyperfusion can be a protective response under certain conditions. Here's why:
- Loss of Flexibility: Mitochondria need to constantly adapt to the metabolic demands and health of the cell. This adaptation is achieved through their dynamic nature, balancing between fusion and fission. If all mitochondria were constantly in a hyperfused state, the cell would lose this dynamic adaptability, which is crucial for responding to various cellular conditions.
- Mitophagy & Quality Control: Mitophagy, a form of autophagy, is a process by which damaged mitochondria are degraded and recycled. Typically, smaller, damaged, or depolarized mitochondria (resulting from excessive fission or lack of fusion) are targeted for mitophagy. If all mitochondria are hyperfused, it might reduce the cell's capability to perform this essential quality control, allowing damaged components to accumulate.
- Cellular Stress: As previously mentioned, mitochondrial hyperfusion can be a response to certain cellular stresses, like nutrient deprivation. If mitochondria are continuously hyperfused, it might signal that the cell is constantly under stress, which is not ideal for long-term cellular health and function.
- Impaired Cell Division: Proper mitochondrial fission is crucial during cell division to ensure that both daughter cells inherit a proportionate amount of functional mitochondria. Continuous hyperfusion could disrupt this process, potentially leading to cellular dysfunction.
- Potential for Enhanced ROS Production: Mitochondria are the primary sites for reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. While ROS play important signaling roles, in excess, they can cause cellular damage. It's possible that a shift in mitochondrial dynamics might affect ROS production, although the specifics would depend on various factors.
- Spatial Distribution: Mitochondria are distributed throughout the cell to provide energy where needed. If they are all hyperfused, it might hinder their distribution, potentially affecting cellular functions that rely on localized ATP production.
Why blood tests don't show anything wrong during long covid
Blood tests don't show us anything wrong when testing for long covid, because we have no blood markers established for long covid. We still have to figure out a unique marker that symbolizes long covid across all cohorts. It's also possible that a test for the marker we need just has not been discovered yet. Consider Lyme's disease. Different tests like ELISA and the Western Blot test are used. However, Analysis shows standard Lyme testing is highly inaccurate. Right now we have things like the table tilt test that really helps, inflammatory markers, and a few others, but overall it's still an invisible disease.
A powerful explanation for why long covid happens months after infection
Extremely important to understand that pushing too hard for a few months after an infection drastically raises long covid chances. This is because the damage is being done locally. The mitochondria and inflammation are localized with the reactivation of the herpes virus. This does not show up on blood tests. However, this is happening all over the body. If you exercise or stress too greatly, suddenly your body realizes it actually runs out of the required energy. This shuts down the body, further enhances the reactivation damage, and suddenly turns the symptoms into chronic symptoms that get embedded and now are nearly impossible to get rid of. This explains why there are some long covid sufferers that claim that meditating and relaxing allowed them to heal. What really happened here is that they were only in the first few months of long covid acute stage, and did not push themselves too far. This allows the body to actually eliminate covid or the virus in question and then put the reactivation back into remission.
Can nicotine help reverse mitochondrial hyperfusion?
No Nicotine can't reverse mitochondrial hyperfusion, but it is a stimulant, so it can drastically improve symptoms. It is addicting, and it also builds tolerance, so it's not a cure-all and should be used as a crutch. A lot of people that try it, feel good and stop fasting. Eventually, they relapse. Don't forget that nicotine is a stem cell inhibitor, it also slows down the body's natural healing abilities. Yin and Yang. It's very important to cycle it and do it smartly. I talk about it often, so I hope you're keeping up with my protocols and discussions. There is a way to harness the power of nicotine along with other medications, supplements, and of crouse, Fasting.
