Capitol Hill Blue Forums Science and Technology Health, Medicine & the healing Sciences Coronavirus: The Plague of The 21st Century?

So, I get the feeling that you are generalizing...

I reckon if you take enough pills you don't really need food at all.

And it's surely far healthier since perfect control can be achieved.

You wanna beef up your zinc? Eat more beef.

Hey, beef is in short supply! They are rationing it in grocery stores near me!

Zinc capsules are the next best thing.

For someone who has just literally consumed a bag of Doritos Spicy Nacho-flavored chips washed down with a hefty dose of scotch whisky on the rocks, I'd say that in the midst of all this unwise feeding practice, it's kind of wise to swallow a few supplements too.

But no, I'm not generalizing. I'm perfectly aware that I should say to people, "do what I say, not what I do." I'm not a healthy eater. And yes, of course I should be doing better.

But what I'm saying is that taking some zinc (which does have virus replicating inhibition properties) in the middle of a freaking dangerous viral pandemic makes sense.

Like I said, this wouldn't be valid outside of the pandemic, so, no, it's not a generalization.

It's much more of a generalization to say "85% of immunity comes from gut bacteria, supplements aren't absorbed, and you can get everything from your balanced food" which are statements that are all three, sorry, just not true.

85% of your immunity comes from gut bacteria = preposterous. A small role is played by gut bacteria against other bacteria; good intestinal flora prevents pathogens from running wild and causing diarrhea, but from that to assume that it's 85% of all the immune system which acts against very different bacteria, viruses, cancers, etc., sorry, but it is utterly preposterous.

Supplements aren't absorbed = not true. Rising blood levels prove that they are.

You can get everything from a balanced diet = not true. Vitamin D, for example, is not absorbed through diet but rather through the effect of sunlight on the skin.

So, no, I'm not the one generalizing. You are.

All that because I forgot to put the generalizing sentence in quotes.

My bad, sorry.

Even those Doritos might deliver some zinc. It's that easy to come by nutritionally. I'm about to cook up some carrots and kale and make Auntie Fee's chicken wings. All of which will deliver zinc, While I'm cooking it I'll snack on Fritos dipped in Dukes Mayonaise.

You're taking a healthy(ish) dose of zinc but you can rest assured than many will be taking megadoses in the belief that more is better.
I remember when megadoses of vitamin C were the go to whenever you got a cold, then somebody said it was zinc, we all got on the zinc bandwagon. The president said drink bleach and they did! They injected fish tank cleaner and died. Everything that boosts immunity and treats other vial infections is being thrown at Covid. Nothing yet has proven effective. Even this latest one is no magic bullet.

I'm taking 30 mg of zinc per day, myself, and I'm pretty big on prophylaxis against SARS-COV2. Eastern Virginia says take a lot more. I will if I get exposed. Greger has the advantage of having a functional vegetable garden. Good idea!

Here's a fantastic Grand Rounds from UCSF:

UCSF Grand Rounds on Covid-19

Warning: It's over 90 minutes, but some of it is pretty amazing if you have the background to understand what they are talking about. Some of the specialized stuff was over my head. One thing I got from it was the former head of infectious disease at a big pharma company and professor emeritus saying Remdesivir was useless once people get hospitalized. (Like I've been saying.) That's inflammatory response time and most viral replication is over. The work they did on identifying useful existing drugs was just incredible.

The fun fact was that patients dump a LOT of viral RNA into the sewage system, though it is not infectious for some reason. In Spain they monitored each neighborhood's sewage to identify where they needed to hunt for outbreaks!

OK, but have you read the 13-page protocol? The author doesn't say it's proven; he says there is a chance that it might make some difference. He says in any case it is harmless (unlike Trump's Lysol IV injections), cheap, and wildly available. And it's not Dr. Donald J. Trump, it is actually a chief of service in a bona fide American medical school, who wrote up this protocol that makes a lot of sense, based on the latest research (I've been following part of it, and what he says does make sense).

This is hardly bleach in your veins and UV lights up your butt by Dr. Trump. This is a complete, phase-by-phase treatment recommendation based on the little scientific evidence that is already in, by a Critical Care chief of service. This is not some quack doctor or some "stable genius" who thinks he knows better but has no clue. This is a real clinician with advanced expertise.

Yes, I do trust this information.

No, more is not better, and you can see that I'm not a subscriber to more is better, by the fact that I mentioned to pondering_it_all that Vitamin D above a level of 75 increases calcium deposit in arteries, and by the way, increases overall mortality. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are the ones that can be toxic in excessive doses.

I think it's what they are actually doing right now, and it has changed as they got more information and they adjusted the protocol to save the most patients. It's a lot different from "It's ARDS, put everybody on a ventilator." like in the early days. (A month ago!)

"SARS" isn't even correct anymore! It's more an endothelial inflammation problem than an acute respiratory disease. When doctors started using heparin to anti-coagulate the sickest people that told us it wasn't pneumonia making the blood hypoxic. It was capillaries not functioning in the lungs.

Yes, it makes sense. Which is why this is so much worse than the flu, while some covidiots kept saying (and some still say it today) that it is just like the flu.

By the way, the University of Washington model has just upgraded the expected death toll to 138,000.

Peak Prosperity Blog

Look at 10 minutes in for "How do we return to our lives?" Masks, masks, masks among other things. Around 12 minutes in he shows a big comparison chart of countries that are doing sensible things versus the UK, America, and Russia. The difference is stunning. Dozens of countries have it almost beat, and what they have done is not that hard. But they don't have leaders going on TV telling people not to wear masks.

I've found the back and forth over supplements (particularly zinc) both uninformative, and unpersuasive. Ha!

Here's why: each of us has a unique body makeup which includes metabolism, absorption and retention profiles, etc., etc., etc. And, I acknowledge that there have been several caveats, provisos, and addenda mentioned, for example regarding lab testing. But, that's the main point! For everything we put in or do to our bodies, there is a complex chain of actions, reactions, and ancillary effects. Some have been mentioned - gut bacteria, for instance - but many have not.

Each of us has a unique health profile, and the blood levels of various elements, chemicals, and other factors play a big role in our health. What may be good for you might be fatal to me. For instance, I take a medication that causes a potassium deficiency, so I take another medication that improves potassium retention. My wife takes calcium retention medication to fight osteoporosis. That same medication would complicate my calcium retention because I have too much in my system. There is some evidence that hyperferritinemia is associated with COVID-19 complications, and also that blood thinners may help alleviate others.

The upshot of all of this is that one-size-fits-all solutions discussed above may not only not be inapplicable to some, but may, indeed, be harmful. I do take supplements, in small doses. I know my eating habits are not good (except when I visit greger), but I'm very cognizant of those interactions, because some of them (Niacin, for example, to which I have a sensitivity) could be detrimental. I may not be consuming disinfectants, but I pay attention to, and get tested for, what goes into my body and how it affects me. Everyone should. Especially at our ages - whatever they are.

No I don't. I don't even like vegetables and I've been too crippled up to garden for years. But I eat them. It isn't hard to chop them up and cook them. Add enough butter and cream, herbs and spices and even vegetables are tolerable. They offer textural variations and different flavor profiles to make meals interesting even when you must always dine alone. A "balanced diet" means you serve every meal with a protein, a starch, and a vegetable. Eat salads for the fiber.
Eat living things! Eat fermented foods! Eat eggs for christ's sake, they are glorious little bundles of nutrition! Is it that freaking hard to eat some fruits, nuts, greens, tomatoes, beans,and whole grains?

Vitamin D? Increase your dairy! Even fake dairy made from soaking your nuts in water has vitamin D added, Lactose intolerant? Use Lactaid or Fairlife. Eat cheese, even a cheap slice of processed sandwich cheese has vitamin D. Eggs have vitamin D. A daily walk or cup of tea on the lanai has vitamin D. Get your ass outside.

Too busy to worry about your health? Fine, I honestly don't give a f*ck whether YOU live or die, but I take good care of myself and eat properly. I plan to live a very long time despite genetic health issues.