I believe the study I posted had no deaths, due to the restriction to those presenting with mild symptoms. Only five advanced to hospitalization, but four of them were in the control group (iirc).
Two of the other studies included more severe cases, and both had a lopsided fraction of deaths appearing in the control group. I didn't disect the studies -- just took a brief look at one, along with the site that aggregates results for all the studies.
The binding to the ace2 active site was from a computer simulation that calculates binding energy. I've played around with this sort of thing myself, in the context of designing short DNA strands that can be used to amplify a chemical signal (it was my wife's project, but I couldn't resist messing around with it). Not perfect, but still amazingly useful.
It's not hard to imagine how the current results could melt down, but I'd still bet that the next study reports statistically significant beneficial results.
The main thing that worries me is that almost all of the studies are coming out of the mid east. I looked at other studies touting other benefits of nigella sativa (e.g. memory, blood pressure, weight loss, etc), and almost all of them were were coming out of the mid east as well. Why might that be? Turns out the Quran claims the seeds to be a "cure all," so it's easy to image there are other motives present. Also, if you're from Saudi Arabia, how willing will you be to publish a result claiming zero or negative benefit?
@jay Other people unfamiliar with this discussion could use a subject there. Thanks for moving the discussion over here.
Has anyone used Dr. Kirk Parsley's sleep remedy? Or, a Magnesium supplement for sleep? I've used melatonin off and on with mixed results. In my healthier 2022 quest, I'm trying to figure out good sleep support, if there's any to be had 🙂
@melinda I started taking magnesium a few years ago for headaches but I've read taking Mg before bedtime also helps with sleep. I haven't noticed a huge difference, but it could be helping as far as I know. I say try it and see if it helps.
@melinda Melatonin always works at first for me, but the effects wear off so it's good for about three days for me and by the end of a week, not doing anything much in terms of sleep.
I have never heard of Dr. Kirk Parsley.
I have taken calcium magnesium supplements but not for sleep, for cramps. Calcium/magnesium really helps for cramps (menstrual cramps, not leg cramps or such). Calcium/magnesium are iron blockers though so don't take them all the time if you tend toward iron deficiency and definitely alternate with iron supplements they cancel iron supplements out.
I have been keeping a gratitude journal. Nothing big. Just in the morning when I wake up I jot down things that make me happy or peaceful or safe or what is going well on a journal page. It's way easy to absorb and spin out on scary stuff in the world. The journal puts all that at bay and grounds me in the morning with things that are good.
I am going to try out this 22 day program to talk my poor little abs into sticking in instead of out. They have gotten very lazy. :::grrr:::
Anyone else want to try it?
I'm on day 7 of the stomach work out and it's showing some pretty solid results. Yay!
I'm not being all that perfect about the advancement of different stages, I'm just getting in there and doing the basics every day, I should probably review and up my game here on day 7, but I'm pretty happy I AM getting results. Yay!
Aw, jeez, I have been trying out this new peptide that is supposed to be good for skin I have been putting it under my eyes and on my neck and my eyes looked pretty good when I started and seem to be getting worse the longer I use it. This is disquieting. The alternative is I ran out of my sunscreen with Q10 in it and have been using sunscreen without Q10 but I think it's this peptide cream.
Begone evil peptide cream I do not know what you are doing here but you are like Methuselah cream that is so wrong jeezu!
I have been sticking to that stomach regime and it is really working. I'm never going to have a flat stomach but my girl pooch is sucking in. Yay! (Also that does not feel like a big exercise but I jumped it up to three sets — I have been pretty lax going up to three sets there — and today was sore so it does more than I gave it credit for while doing it ow ow ow.)
@seemaxrun I should think about doing these. I just ordered new jeans, and they fit - if I don’t sit down. In the meantime I’m going to try button extenders so I can wear them. Just ordered some on Amazon. It’s a sad state of affairs.
@michele Well, my waist is not getting any smaller. It is just getting flatter. So I guess flatter and wider. (Dammit!) But flatter is good.
I am trying out this new face sunscreen (I wonder if that should go in makeup but sunscreen is a health thing so I guess here) it is for the face and the coolest thing about it so far is, it doesn't sting my eyes or around my eyes.
With most sunscreens I have used, they do hurt and sting around the eyes so I have to use a different sunscreen around the eyes — and slack a lot around the eyes and rely on sunglasses instead which is bad, bad bad me — but this goes on clean, spreads smoothly, absorbs fast, and no eye stinging. Yay!
It is Neutrogena Invisible Daily Defense Face Serum with an spf 60+
It also feels very light on the skin and not greasy and the skin everywhere I put it feels really soft and hydrated. I am liking it a lot so far.
Sometimes I have to try something for a while to be sure it's not going to set off any reactions in the skin so I will see soon if this stays so nice to the eyes but so far so good yay!
I just discovered Jason Fung, I like this guy a lot he's interesting talking about obesity and diabetes and cancer and fasting and dieting. Check him out in this interview with Tom Bilyeau:
