School of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Science at King’s College London
and Dr. Stephen J. Challacombe

Povidone-iodine mouthwash appears to kill COVID

The following article was published in The Times of London more than five years ago about iodine being used to kill COVID.  It features the observations and experiences of Dr. Stephen J. Challacombe, a professor of oral medicine at King’s College London. It was published on November 9, 2020, but is timely again with the rise of NEW COVID variants. – The editor

Could a cheap iodine mouthwash really help to beat COVID?

We all probably have a sense-memory of iodine: the blood-like drop to purify a camping can of stream-water or the inky dab with which your grandmother stained your grazed knee. It feels like an old-fashioned, primitive home remedy. Yet, could it also be an intriguing new weapon against our most modern threat: CORONAVIRUS?

One of the world’s leading authorities on infection in the mouth and nose believes the answer is yes.

Stephen Challacombe is a professor of oral medicine at King’s College London, with a specialism in the immunology of the mucous membranes. His decades of experience meant that when the pandemic hit, his mind went immediately to one - literal - solution. Iodine mouthwash.

“Yes, I have no doubt that this should be used,” Challacombe says, “and had it been, it would have saved lives.”

Bottles of this form of iodine, called povidone-iodine, also known by the most common brand Betadine, used to be on sale in British chemists, before the public began to favour fluoride rinses. . .

When the pandemic struck, Challacombe and his colleagues wrote to the British Dental Journal reminding the scientific world of its potential.

There followed a flurry of studies showing the effectiveness of iodine mouthwash on COVID-19 in test tubes. They repeatedly concluded that after 15 seconds in contact with a weak solution of this kind of iodine, 99.99 percent of the virus was killed. There soon followed several tests on humans with COVID-19, but in numbers too small to draw conclusions. . .

Sceptics say that the effect could last just a few useless minutes, and point to a mixed bag of results for iodine mouthwash against viruses such as colds.

However, Challacombe suspects the effects lasts longer. What if a quick gargle by a COVID hospital patient made them safe for long enough to protect healthcare workers getting near them? That’s before the truly big dreams - of iodine as part of an anti-COVID-19 self-help regimen.

Click here to read the National News Health article.

Famous physicist discovered humming improves health
By Mary Joyce, website editor

Richard P. Feynman was theoretical physicist known for his many BIG accomplishments.  He was a pioneer in quantum computing and nanotechnology. He was a member of an elite team of experts who investigated the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. He received a Nobel Prize in Physics for his work in quantum electrodynamics, and so much more.

He also discovered LITTLE things, like the importance of humming.  He learned that just 6o seconds of humming positively impacts the brain, blood vessels, nervous system and breathing.

It’s noteworthy that the Om sound, which is repeated in meditative states by those who follow Hinduism and Buddhism, is considered the most sacred sound.  It also creates a humming vibration.

Click on this link to learn why humming improves health:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLRBV2o13IA

A soul-soothing musical animation

This is a frame from a musical animation series titled “A Very Unusual Town.”  Each episode is a visual and musical antidote for the suffocating chaos of our world today. The creator of the series is Kelly Eldridge Boesch, an LA artist, musician and storyteller. Below is her description of the episode titled “The Quiet Road of Returning Sheep.” – The editor

Gum disease may cause Alzheimer’s Disease
By Mary Joyce, website editor

Jan Potempa, PhD. DSc, and his research team at the University of Louisville, have found gum disease (Porphyromonas gingivalis) in the brains of deceased Alzheimer’s patients.

This bacterium is well known for causing infections in the mouth, but when it makes it to the brain, it secretes toxic proteins that can create amyloid plaque – the culprit long associated with Alzheimer’s Disease.

You can learn more about the research in this ScienceAlert article published on September 8, 2025: https://www.sciencealert.com/the-cause-of-alzheimers-could-be-coming-from-within-your-mouth

How to restore smell & taste impaired by COVID

An estimated 60% of patients infected in 2021 with COVID, lost some ability to taste and smell, according to an article in Yale Medicine.  Usually, the losses were transient, but 25% of those individuals didn’t experience a full recovery.

A possible method to restore a person’s taste and smell has been published by several universities.  Here is the method published by the UNC School of Medicine:

Smell retraining may assist with recovery

For smell retraining there are 4 essential oils that are used to assist in possibly restoring sense of smell. The essential oils are: rose, citronella (citrus or lemon), eucalyptus (menthol), and cinnamon.

In order to perform smell retraining, you should smell each essential oil twice a day for 6 weeks. Steps are as follows:

1. Place a few drops of the essential oil on a cotton ball or pad and let it sit for a minute or two.
2. Bring the pad within an inch of your nose and inhale through your nose slowly and naturally. Visualize what you’re trying to smell, either by looking at a picture or imagining with your eyes closed.
3. Move the pad away, and then repeat several times with the same oil.
4. Repeat this process with each essential oil taking a few minute break between each separate oil.

Try not to get discouraged. You may not smell anything at first, but that is ok. It may take time before you begin to smell anything.

Medical News Today: According to a recent study in mouse models, published in Frontiers in Immunology, repetitive brief exposure to menthol can impact the immune system and prevent the cognitive decline that occurs among individuals with Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers found that when mice smelled this substance, the level of interleukin-1-beta decreased. This protein is associated with the inflammatory response.

Additionally, by blocking this protein with a drug used to treat autoimmune conditions, researchers were able to boost cognitive ability in the mice with Alzheimer’s-like symptoms.
These findings illustrate the ability of odors and immune modulators to potentially treat this neurodegenerative disease.

“The study is interesting in that it brings to light the fact that, through the olfactory (smell) pathways, we can modulate the brain. We can effect a positive change on the brain through smell and smell alone.”

Dr. Brett Osborn, chief of neurosurgery at
St. Mary’s Medical Center, West Palm Beach, Florida

SciTechDaily: Scientists from Cima University of Navarra in Spain have demonstrated through experiments on animal models of Alzheimer’s disease that menthol inhalation enhances cognitive performance. Their research indicated that frequent, brief exposure to this substance can adjust the immune response and prevent the typical cognitive decline associated with this neurodegenerative disorder.

“We have focused on the olfactory system’s role in the immune and central nervous systems, and we have confirmed that menthol is an immunostimulatory odor in animal models. But, surprisingly, we observed that short exposures to this substance for six months prevented cognitive decline in the mice with Alzheimer’s and, what is most interesting, also improved the cognitive ability of healthy young mice.”

Dr. Juan José Lasarte, director of the Immunology at
Cima University and principal author of the investigation