Weekly Health Quiz: Zinc, Diabetes and NewsGuard

1 Which of the following is a naturally occurring zinc ionophore (a molecule that facilitates entry of zinc through cellular membranes)?

• Astaxanthin
• Lutein
• Zeaxanthin
• Quercetin

  Quercetin is a naturally occurring zinc ionophore. Taken with zinc, it may be helpful to prevent and potentially treat COVID-19. Research is currently underway to assess quercetin's effectiveness against COVID-19. Learn more.

2 What is NewsGuard?

• A self-proclaimed arbiter of "fake news" funded by PR companies that promote drugs, tobacco and junk food

  NewsGuard is a self-proclaimed arbiter of "fake news" and "misinformation" that is funded by PR companies that promote drugs, tobacco and junk food. Learn more.

• A federally funded think-tank aimed at improving investigative journalism
• A privately-owned, independent media company
• An antivirus software

3 Which of the following is turning out to be a side effects of the COVID-19 pandemic?

• A marked reduction in suicides
• A marked increase in suicides

  As predicted, a side effect of shutting down the U.S. economy to combat COVID-19 is marked increases in suicides and calls to suicide prevention hotlines. Learn more.

• An increase in people able to start a small business thanks to the coronavirus aid bill
• Decreased unemployment due to large companies hiring laid off workers

4 Which of the following is a primary cause of Type 2 diabetes?

• Genetics
• Use of medications such as statins, which can cause diabetes as a side effect
• Processed food diets high in sugar, grains and harmful vegetable oils

  Type 2 diabetes is a diet-derived condition. It's rooted in insulin resistance and faulty leptin signaling caused by processed food diets high in sugar, grains and harmful fats. As such, diabetes can be effectively treated and reversed through dietary and other lifestyle means. Learn more.

• Vitamin D deficiency

5 Which of the following is created in and excreted from your muscles, and is thought to help prevent acute respiratory distress syndrome seen in those with severe COVID-19 disease?

• Myostatin
• Endocannabinoids
• Endostatin
• Extracellular superoxide dismutase (EcSOD)

  Your muscles create and excrete an endogenous antioxidant called extracellular superoxide dismutase (EcSOD), which protects tissues and prevents disease by eliminating harmful free radicals. Exercising regularly may help prevent acute respiratory distress syndrome, a lethal complication and major cause of death among patients with COVID-19, by increasing EcSOD. Learn more.

6 Which of the following pandemics wiped out 2.7% of the global population in 1918?

• The Spanish flu (swine flu)

  The Spanish flu (swine flu), which hit during World War I in 1918, infected 500 million people worldwide, killing an estimated 50 million, or 2.7% of the global population. Learn more.

• The bubonic plague
• Bird flu
• SARS

7 To obtain an accurate account of COVID-19 prevalence, which type of testing would need to be widely administered?

• RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) testing
• Antibody testing

  RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) testing, currently used to diagnose active infection by detecting the presence of SARS-CoV-2 genetic material, overestimates infection rates. For an accurate account of COVID-19 prevalence, we need to test for antibodies. Learn more.

• Complete blood count (CBC)
• Comprehensive metabolic panel