Re-publication of an article that was originally published on 4/20/20 Your immune system is your first line of defense against all disease, especially infectious disease. One nutrient that plays a very important role in your immune system’s ability to ward off viral infections is zinc. In the MedCram video above, Dr. Roger Seheult reviews compelling evidence suggesting the reason the antimalarial drug chloroquine appears so useful in the treatment of COVID-19 is in fact because it improves zinc uptake into the cell. (Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) uses the same pathway as chloroquine, but has a safer side effect profile.) While the antimalarial drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine act as a zinc ionophore (zinc transport molecule) in that they facilitate zinc absorption in your body, other natural compounds can have the same effect. Zinc Binding Compounds Zinc is vital for healthy immune function and a combination of zinc with a zinc ionophore (zinc transport molecule) was in …