Health Tips

Dr. Vliet’s Health Tip: Influenza’s Hidden Attack on Blood Vessels – Action Plan to Reduce Risk and Limit the Damage

It’s September and the beginning of the seasonal focus on Flu season coming up.  It’s a time doctors start pushing “Get your annual flu shot” in a pretty superficial, one-size-fits-all approach to tackling influenza. Podcasters talk about “the flu virus” and how to avoid it.  Doctor’s often say “don’t worry, if you get sick, I’ll prescribe Tamiflu to treat it.” People start to worry about what they should do to stay healthy and avoid getting sick.

Most people think of “the Flu” as simply a respiratory illness, and focus on what to do to protect the lungs.  But that’s not the whole picture, by any means.

BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT:

  • INFLUENZA IS A MULTI-SYSTEM ILLNESS, involving complex interactions and categories of damage I have described in other programs and Health Tips. 
  • YOUR BLOOD VESSELS ARE A MAJOR TARGET OF DAMAGE THAT MOST DOCTORS NEVER EVEN TALK ABOUT.
  • INFLUENZA PREVENTION & TREATMENT REQUIRES AN INTEGRATIVE, MULTI-PRONGED  APPROACH!

So, in today’s Health Tip, I want to focus on your BLOOD VESSELS—a seriously overlooked category of damage from Influenza illness.  My focus today is to give you some pointers on how to better protect yourself and mitigate vascular damage if you get sick.  For those who want an interactive live discussion on these topics with Kathy Kresnik and me, join us this Tuesday, September 8, for Faith Over Fear program: INFLUENZA – An Integrative Approach to Prevention and Treatment 

Over the years we have been dealing with COVID and its aftermath, I have written about and presented hundreds of programs on the multi-organ damage from COVID illness and the mRNA COVID shots. To help people understand why the damage is so widespread across so many different organ systems, I organized the damage into SIX classes, or categories, to help you think about it in a systematic way that helps you also organize a systematic, logical approach to prevention and treatment. These same classes of damage occur in the seasonal influenza illnesses, especially the vascular damage in addition to the flu’s impact on lungs and respiratory system.

Here are the SIX classes of damage again, as I have described in all my programs for the last six years:

  • Inflammation
  • Oxidative stress/mitochondrial damage
  • Epithelial and vascular/endothelial damage
  • Dysfunction in blood clotting regulation
  • Endocrine system damage across all endocrine organs
  • Immune dysregulation, impaired respiratory mucosal immune defenses
 More specifically, the mRNA COVID shots have led to an alarming rise of catastrophic damage across all these six classes above, leading to new cases of disabilities and illnesses, cancers, heart attacks, strokes, immune dysregulation, and sudden deaths.  Now we face a new threat of more of this damage with the addition of the newly approved MFlusiva mRNA flu shot from Moderna.  One of many reasons the mRNA technology in the “jab”  damages every organ in the body is due to the spike protein and lipid nanoparticle combined damage to mitochondria—the cell’s energy factory—and all of our blood vessels that supply nutrients and oxygen to our entire body. So today, we will look at that vascular damage in more detail.

The mRNA Platform’s Devastating Track Record

Five years of intense global experience with the mRNA platform and Covid-19 gene therapy agents have given us:

  • Sudden death, not just older people, but children and young healthy adults, elite athletes who just drop dead with no warning.
  • Myocarditis and pericarditis, especially in younger males
  • New onset, persistent or recurring vascular damage, blood clots, bleeding disorders that cause strokes, heart attacks, and other organ failures.
  • Autoimmune phenomena, from new-onset rheumatologic disease to autoimmune neurologic syndromes.
  • Degenerative neurological disorders across the spectrum of brain and nerve damage.
  • Unusual patterns of rapidly progressive or “turbo” cancers temporally associated with repeated mRNA exposure in some case series.
  • Recurrent miscarriages, menstrual irregularities, infertility and premature menopause in women and damage to sperm and testosterone production in men.
  • And that’s just a start to a list that even Pfizer clinical trial data showed went on for NINE pages, over 1,291 types of adverse effects.

Covid-19 mRNA Lessons Ignored

With the recent approval of Moderna’s mFlusiva for the upcoming flu season along with additional COVID boosters and cancer “vaccines” in development that are all using the same mRNA technology in the earlier COVID shots it is as if nothing has been learned nothing from all the suffering.  I feel it is imperative to continue sounding the alarm that we need to stay vigilant to defend against this continuing to use this mRNA technology.

  1. We have to avoid continuing to expose ourselves to any further damage from mRNA shots.
  2. We have to take proactive steps to recover from any damage already done – either from getting the COVID shots, or if we did not get the COVID shot, from shedding when we are around those who did get the COVID shots.

One of the overlooked—yet critical areas of damage—is the vascular system damage done to the blood vessels by the inflammatory spike protein and lipid nanoparticles in the mRNA platform. The most severe damage to blood vessels is to the thin endothelial lining of our vessels, the critical site for oxygen and nutrient exchange between the blood stream and the body tissues. So in today’s health tip, I will explore further why the health of the glycocalyx and endothelial lining of your blood vessels matters a great deal as you approach flu season and what you need to start doing now to protect your blood vessels and vascular health.

Why Your Blood Vessels Need Protection During Flu Season

When we think of the vascular system, larger arteries and veins come to mind like the aorta or our coronary or carotid arteries, or the veins we can see from which blood is drawn. These are critical, and when they rupture or are blocked, it can lead to sudden death or major complications like heart attacks and strokes.  Your organs are healthiest when they are nourished with vital nutrients and oxygen, while waste and carbon dioxide are effectively removed.  Damage to these networks of nutrient delivery lead to chronic, slow hypoxia, oxidative stress, and impaired function we often experience as fatigue, lethargy, shortness of breath, difficulty thinking, headaches, and other “vague” symptoms.

Until recently, the deterioration in the microvascular system has been overlooked as the starting point of most major health conditions. In the past, it was the larger blood vessels that doctors and scientists focused on in research to improve health.  But as research became more sophisticated, the focus shifted to ways of improving continuous delivery of nutrients and waste removal at the microvascular level.

That led to the discovery of the endothelium, and the glycocalyx, and the critical roles they play in nutrient exchange and protection of blood vessels.  The endothelium lining the blood vessels, and its critical inner lining called the glycocalyx, is metabolically active and helps regulate blood flow, immune-cell trafficking, inflammation, vascular permeability, and clotting.

It turns out that the largest organ in the human body is not the skin, as many of us were taught in high school science class. Our largest organ is actually the endothelial lining of our microvascular system.  The microvascular system comprises more than 99% of the contact area between the blood and organs.  This includes the vast network of capillaries where the exchange of nutrients and waste removal occurs—more than 60,000 linear miles of capillaries in our microvascular system that keep our tissues healthy and organs functioning!  With every heartbeat, the heart pumps blood through the microvascular system nourishing the trillions of cells that make up your organs.

The micro-thin glycocalyx gel layer is the inner most layer of the endothelial lining, and serves like a “Teflon shield” that coats the inside of all healthy blood vessels throughout the body to protect the endothelium from the mechanical shear stress of blood flow. When the glycocalyx is damaged or destroyed (as with the COVID shots), there are strong correlations with disease states.

Endothelial health matters all the time. With an unhealthy glycocalyx and endothelial lining, you are at greater risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, dementia, inflammatory disorders and cancer metastasis.

During flu season, the endothelium and glycocalyx are even more vulnerable because blood vessels are hit hard by the inflammatory damage of the influenza illness. Influenza creates a systemic inflammatory response that “inflames” the endothelium, damages the glycocalyx, and reduces normal vascular resilience.  This situation leads to:

  • Leakage through the lining of toxins and waste into the body that should be excreted
  • Impaired circulation of blood, fluids, nutrients and oxygen along with waste removal
  • Stimulating conditions that promote more blood-clotting.

All these factors become even more of a risk for people with diabetes, cardiometabolic disease, hypertension, obesity, kidney disease, or other medical conditions.
In addition to the catastrophic damage to blood vessels from the COVID shots, we know that vascular damage can occur from many other conditions: high blood pressure, ischemia, hyperglycemia, systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, viral infections, loss of estradiol in women, low testosterone in men, environmental assaults, high fat diets, stress, smoking, genetics or just aging.

THE DAMAGE STARTS AT THE GLYCOCALYX & ENDOTHELIUM! It is time to protect your endothelial health before flu season begins!

When our endothelium starts to fail, it begins the domino effect, leading to spreading vascular damage, beginning with the microvascular system and the tiny capillaries that service our vital organs.  Damage to the micro-blood vessels, capillaries, lymphatics means that tissues don’t get nutrients they need.  Then organ decline and failure begins as an outgrowth of oxygen and nutrient starvation.  Major declines in health follow.

CLINICAL PROBLEMS ARISING FROM GLYCOCALYX DYSFUNCTION:

  • capillary leakage
  • edema (swelling – hands, feet, legs)
  • excess platelet aggregation
  • increased inflammation
  • increased (hyper) coagulability
  • loss of vascular responsiveness

Atherosclerosis is one example of Glycocalyx dysfunction.

Atherosclerosis, or plaque in blood vessels, occurs over time as blood vessels get damaged by inflammation, oxidative stress, micro bloodclots as we age. Those same factors also lead to damage to the glycocalyx and endothelial lining in general. f that protective glyco-calyx gel layer is destroyed, it creates a pro-inflammatory state that damages the slick “Teflon” coating and then even more severe fatty plaques begin to form. Blood flow slows, platelets aggregate and lead to blood clots. Erectile dysfunction in men is an early warning RED FLAG that this endothelial and microvascular damage is happening.  As the plaque and inflammation get worse, larger vessels become blocked and risk of heart attack and stroke rise significantly.

Edema is another consequence of damaged glycocalyx. Swelling occurs when fluid seeps out of micro blood vessels and into the surrounding tissues. Fluid that accumulates in your legs, feet, hands, and other parts of the body rather than circulating normally causes subtle, and then more severe, dysfunction of your organs and the beginning of organ oxygen and nutrient starvation, leading to the vicious cycle of more inflammation and oxidative stress, and more damage to the blood vessels.  Influenza illness accelerates this cascade of damage.

Microvascular damage shows up in different ways for different people. One person may experience kidney failure. Another person may have hypertension. Another person may have chest pain.  Someone else may have shortness of breath.  We have to be proactive to protect our microvascular system and take steps to improve diet and supplements at the first sign of early warnings, before complications develop and critical organs begin to fail.

Endothelial Glycocalyx Dysfunction RED FLAGS of Signs and Conditions:

  • Cold Hands and Feet
  • Leg Cramps, swelling of legs and feet
  • Skin Problems
  • Hair Thinning
  • Fatigue
  • Neuropathy
  • Lack of Focus
  • Memory Loss
  • Vision loss
  • Hearing Loss
  • Slow Wound Healing
  • Type 2 Diabetes
  • High Blood Pressure
  • Erectile Dysfunction
  • Severe PMS
  • Dementia
  • Atherosclerosis
Action Plan to Protect the Glycocalyx and Reduce Organ Damage

What can you do to STOP slowly suffocating your organs to an early death?  There is GOOD NEWS! Endocalyx Pro™ is a powerful, natural medicine, available as an over-the-counter supplement and the only proprietary, patented anti-aging supplement that has been clinically shown to maintain a healthy glycocalyx.  In a 2025 study, “Effects of 4-month treatment with glycocalyx dietary supplement on endothelial glycocalyx and vascular function after COVID-19 infection,” it was found to help repair damaged glycocalyx and repair vascular injury.

The study demonstrated that treatment with Endocalyx Pro™ in subjects after mild-to-moderate COVID-19 infection managed in an outpatient setting resulted in:

  • improved endothelial glycocalyx integrity
  • improved vascular function
  • improved coronary microcirculation
  • reduced oxidative stress

The study findings demonstrate that Endocalyx Pro™ administration to be an effective intervention to mitigate or prevent potential subclinical COVID-19-related cardiovascular complications.  I recommend Endocalyx Pro™ to my patients for many of the indications outlined in this article, and for the quality of this particular product.

One of the biggest attractions of Endocalyx Pro™ is the all-natural ingredients, which I list below and are described in detail on the product data sheet, available at this link: CLICK HERE TO BUY ENDOCALYX PRO  This is the reason I have added Endocalyx Pro™ to our high-quality natural medicines and supplements in our Truth for Health store.

Endocalyx Pro™ contains a patented vegan formulation of seven ingredients with three classes of compounds: restorative, regenerative, and protective:

  • Laminaria Japonica, a polysaccharide made with a brown seaweed, certified to contain a minimum extract rate of 85% fucoidan sulfate called.  Fucoidan helps repair the glycocalyx and prevents breakdown  by inhibiting the heparinase activity. Fucoidan sulfate also helps provide structural stability and dimension to the glycocalyx.
  • Hyaluronic acid (HA), another restorative polysaccharide enabling repair of the glycocalyx matrix. HA is a natural substance found in the skin, eyes, joints and tissues and is a major component of the glycocalyx.  Hyaluronic acid is a humectant, which means it retains moisture. As we age, women lose estradiol, men lose testosterone, and this hormone decline leads to decreased production of HA, which contributes to dryness and other signs of aging. HA is also known for its critical role in wound healing. HA’s ability to interact with other glycocalyx components and its role in regulating barrier permeability contributes to its importance in the repair process.
  • Glucosamine sulfate is a component of the glycocalyx precursors and provides the building blocks for glycocalyx synthesis and boosts endothelial cell glycocalyx production to regenerate and improve the integrity of the protective glycocalyx layer.
  • The polyphenol and flavonoids of Olive (fruit) extract, artichoke (leaf) extract, red and white grapes (fruit) extract, and superoxide dismutase (from bitter melon concentrate) are potent antioxidants that work synergistically with the other ingredients in Endocalyx Pro™ and can survive oral intake and arrive in the vascular compartment at clinically effective protective dosages. These antioxidants have several critical functions in this formula: 1) help neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS) that damage the glycocalyx, 2) help prevent shedding or degradation of the glycocalyx – a key factor in endothelial dysfunction, 3) promote formation of new glycocalyx components, and 4) improve flow-mediated dilation and overall vascular health.

Recommended Dose: 4 tablets per day (2 AM and 2 PM) for these Clinical Applications:

  • Strengthens the micro-thin shield that protects the heart, arteries, microcirculation and veins*
  • Promotes healthy organs associated with vascular health*
  • Promotes the bioavailability and bioactivity of nitric oxide*
  • Helps support nutrient and hormone exchange*
  • Daily use delivers the building blocks to strengthen the glycocalyx gel barrier*
  • These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA

CAUTION: As always, we urge you to avoid supplements without checking knowledgeable sources to evaluate your medical situation, proper lab tests to verify what is needed, and to make sure to avoid adverse interactions with prescription medicines and other supplements you take.  Under medical practice regulations, we are unable to answer individual medical questions or make specific individual supplement recommendations for people who are not established patients of Dr. Vliet’s independent medical practice (www.ViveLifeCenter.com).

DISEASES/CONDITIONS SHOWING BENEFIT with Endocalyx Pro™

  • Hypertension is associated with loss of microvascular density and increases cardiovascular risk (heart attack, stroke, kidney failure) and is associated with capillary loss. Endocalyx Pro™ restores, regenerates, and protects the glycocalyx lining inside the capillaries so loss can be prevented, and organs including the brain, heart, and kidneys can be better protected.
  • Erectile Dysfunction:  Damage to the glycocalyx in penile capillaries and smaller blood vessels over time leads to plaque formation that reduces proper blood flow to maintain firm erections to allow penetration for sexual function. Erectile dysfunction is one of the earliest signs of declining vascular health that later leads to high blood pressure, strokes, and heart attacks.  Men with this problem should not be embarrassed to discuss it with physicians who can help with therapeutic approaches (beyond just prescribing a statin!) to slow and stop the progression of vascular damage.
  • Inflammatory Disorders – Rheumatoid Arthritis, Vasculitis, Allergies, Glomerulonephritis, Autoimmune Diseases, Scleroderma, and Atherosclerosis.  An out-of-control inflammatory activation (such as with COVID, COVID shots) causes damage to the microvascular system, loss of capillaries and increased capillary permeability which causes tissue edema. Endocalyx Pro™ helps restore the endothelial glycocalyx lining inside the capillaries, even after damage and the loss of capillary density.
  • Cancer Metastasis is the uncontrolled growth of cancerous tumors. A leaky microvascular system enables cancer cells to redistribute to different parts of the body. Endocalyx Pro™ helps restore the glycocalyx lining of the micro-vessels to better contain the primary tumor and reduce metastasis.
  • Diabetes is caused by high blood glucose levels. A healthy microvascular system is important for transporting glucose from blood to organs. But high blood glucose damages (micro) vascular system and can result in capillaries being attacked, resulting in capillaries unable to deliver nutrients like glucose, hormones like insulin, and remove waste from cells. Endocalyx Pro™ restores and maintains the endothelial glycocalyx lining inside the capillaries and improves capillary density and function*. Endocalyx Pro™ also helps protect against damage from high glucose and oxidative stress.
  • Heart Disease – The loss of microvascular density can cause heart attack. Insufficient number of capillaries per heart muscle fiber impairs heart pump function and can lead to heart failure. A heart attack damages the micro vessels due to formation of oxygen radicals. Endocalyx Pro™ supports the health of the micro vessels and limits reperfusion injury. Even in the absence of a large vessel blockage, people can experience chest pain (angina) due to inadequate microvascular blood flow and loss of capillaries. Endocalyx Pro™ helps restore the glycocalyx lining inside the microvascular system and increases capillary density and increases microvascular blood flow that will contribute to improved heart function.
  • Stroke is a blood clot in the brain artery causing brain damage. Damage to vascular wall causes blood clots and microvascular damage causes white matter lesions with poor neurological prognosis. Hypertension increases risk of stroke and is associated with capillary loss. Endocalyx Pro™ restores, regenerates, and protects the glycocalyx lining inside the capillaries so loss can be prevented, and organs including the brain can be better protected.
  • Kidney Disease consists of impaired production of urine causing increased blood volume and hypertension. Damaged micro vessels causes leakage of blood proteins into urinary space, damage of renal filtration units and kidney failure. Endocalyx Pro™ restores the glycocalyx lining inside the capillaries so that kidney function can be optimized and preserved.
  • Septic Shock is loss of blood volume circulation that causes a drop in blood pressure . This can lead to Impaired organ blood flow resulting in acute kidney failure, reduced lung function, heart attack, stroke and brain damage.   Septic shock is caused by loss of blood volume due to leakage of fluid from leaky micro vessels. The resulting low blood pressure and low organ blood flow, combined with reduced numbers of blood perfused capillaries, results in multiple organ failure and high mortality rates. Endocalyx Pro™ helps in recovery from sepsis by supporting repair of the capillary endothelial glycocalyx, which then helps protects the systemic microvascular system from acute inflammatory attack.
  • Dementia or Early Cognition Impairment is a neurological complication associated with damage and the loss of capillary density in the brain. When capillaries are damaged, essential nutrients can’t nourish and oxygenate cells in the brain, and just as importantly, waste and carbon dioxide can’t be removed. Endocalyx Pro™ restores the glycocalyx lining inside the capillaries so that capillary density can increase, with nutrients delivered to, and waste removed from cells in the brain

All Truth for Health Foundation Products Meet or Exceed cGMP Quality Standards, the highest quality standard for supplements sold in the USA. For more information, references from studies are listed in the Product Data Sheets for each product, available on our website.  Check us out at www.TruthforHealth.org Click on tab for Store.  OR www.shopTruthforHealth.com

IN SUMMARY: Influenza: Take An Integrative Approach!
We have reached that time of year for you to prepare to reduce risk of getting sick before flu season actually hits, and then maintain your preventive regimen throughout the season as part of your whole-body Resilience Action Plan: get tested for any vitamin deficiencies, get your supplement supply on hand, plan a nutrient-dense dietary pattern rich in colorful plant foods, fiber, healthy fats, and adequate protein, adequate daily hydration with electrolytes.  Then work on the rest of your program: regular physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoid smoking (tobacco and marijuana both damage the lungs AND vascular system!), reduce or eliminate alcohol, and set up regular prayer and meditation time each day.

We will also discuss more details on prevention strategies, infection-control measures and early treatments for influenza in our Faith Over Fear seminar Influenza: An Integrative Approach to Prevention and Treatment (see link at top of today’s newsletter to register).

As you put all the pieces together that I have described today, I encourage you to consider our other natural medicines with our top quality, cGMP-compliant professional formulas: TruMitochondrial™ Boost,  TruNAC™, Tru BioD3, Tru B™ Complex Full Spectrum, TruZinc™, TruC with BioFlavonoids  (Natural sourced Vitamin C with complete Bioflavonoids), and TruProBiotic™ Daily to replenish critical bifidobacteria depleted by COVID shots, viral illnesses, and antibiotic therapy.

To Your good health and improving resilience!
Elizabeth Lee Vliet, MD

Click here to read Dr. Vliet’s Health Tips
on these and more products.

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