Antioxidants are H1N1 Influenza’s Achilles Heel

A recent article featured in FASEB Journal shows thatmolecular biology techniques, scientists isolated the
antioxidants, largely found in plant-based foods, mightsegment of the H1N1 virus M2 protein responsible for
be H1N1 influenza’s Achilles heel, preventing H1N1the damage to the lung protein and were able to
virus to invade and colonize our lungs. In addition, thedemonstrate that without this segment, the H1N1 virus
research conducted by Sadis Matalon and colleagueswas unable to damage the lung protein. Third, an intact,
shows that antioxidants can help in the treatment offull H1N1 virus M2 protein and the lung protein were
H1N1 influenza.then re-injected into frog eggs along with antioxidant
The researchers discovered that H1N1 virus contains adrugs. This also prevented H1N1 virus M2 protein from
protein called M2, which destroys or damages thedamaging the lung protein. When these experiments
epithelial cells of our lungs by removing liquid fromwere repeated using human lung cells, the results were
inside, promoting the early stages of pneumonia andexactly the same.
other lung problems."Although vaccines will remain the first line of
In order to make this discovery, they conducted theintervention against the flu for a long time to come, this
experiment in three steps. First, they injected the lungstudy opens the door for entirely new treatments
protein alone inside frog eggs to measure its function.geared toward stopping the virus after you're sick,"
Second, they injected both the M2 protein from H1N1said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of the
virus and the lung protein inside frog eggs and foundFASEB Journal, "and as Thanksgiving approaches, this
that the H1N1 virus M2 protein caused the lung proteindiscovery is another reason to drink red wine to your
function to decrease significantly. By means ofhealth.