To all my readers,

I am transferring my medical entries to 'Doc of Ages Pages' at judypaley.substack.com.  I hope you will follow me there, and I ask you to enter the first time through judypaley.substack.com/welcome where you will have the opportunity to sign-up in order to receive the information straight into your inbox. If that's too much to follow through mail, you can just stop by the web-site whenever you want. I appreciate your interest in things medical and beyond, and hope to see you soon in my new venue.

Best wishes,

Judy

 

Nigella Sativa

'Let all the black seed upon you,

these contain cure of all

diseases except death'

Attributed possibly to Rasool Allah

 I have let all the black seed (aka Nigella Sativa, or black cumin) upon me in the form of whole black seeds, ground black seeds, or black seed oil for at least five years. I was pleased to come across a research paper published June, 2021 in the journal Pharmaceutical Biology suggesting that N. Sativa could have significant therapeutic effects against COVID-19.

 There are many scientific studies lauding the health virtues of this seed and its primary component thymoquinone (TQ). In Islamic literature, it is considered one of the greatest forms of healing.  The active ingredients of N. Sativa are concentrated in the oil of the seeds, and the oil (available on Amazon, of course, as are the seeds) is therefore used for most health benefits. It is notably beneficial for respiratory illnesses including asthma, allergic rhinitis, bronchitis, and influenza along with a long list of other maladies. 

 Besides easing the inflammation, congestion, and constriction of airways of the illnesses listed above, various studies have demonstrated its efficacy in controlling or eradicating viruses including HIV, hepatitis C, cytomegalovirus, and influenza. An article in the Journal of Herbal Medicine published late last year suggested that if N. Sativa was used in conjunction with zinc, the combo could potentially stop COVID viral replication in COVID patients.

 Zinc, a non-fat-soluble mineral, is essential for regulating immune function, but it can't move through lipid-based cell membranes without an ionophore buddy that can open a passage through the cell wall. Ionophores are natural plant products such as quercetin (from onions and apples), epigallocatechin (green tea), and bromelain (pineapples), and components of N. Sativa seem capable of acting as an ionophore as well. There also indications in this study the black seed derivatives can stop virion replication in infected cells.

 Unfortunately, TQ has poor solubility and bioavailability in aqueous solutions, and until that problem is solved, it won’t be useful as a therapeutic drug. I, however, will keep will continue to add black seeds to my cereal and black seed oil in my tea or coffee.

 

Here’s to Hemp

I came across a brief video on hemp crops and climate change. Looks good!

https://news.sky.com/video/could-hemp-help-solve-climate-change-12354375

 

Odoribacteraceae

 

“In people over the age of 100, an enrichment

in a distinct set of gut microbes generate

unique bile acids.”

Professor Kenya Honda

 

New research on the gut microbiome of old folks in Japan was reported in the latest issue of Nature Research. The scientists analyzed the gut bacteria of more than 300 adults in Japan, including 160 over 100 years-old, 112 between 85 and 89, and 47 under 55 years-old. Principal investigator Honda and colleagues found that bacterial isolates in fecal samples from centenarians were often enriched with microbes capable of synthesizing potent bile acids that were not present in the younger groups. Odoribacteraceae strains in particular came out as star producers of isoallo-lithocholic acid (LCA). LCA is a potent antimicrobial against gram-positive, multidrug-resistant strains such as Clostridioides difficile and Enterococcus faecium.

The conclusion of this study, per Prof. Honda: “There are centenarian-specific members of the gut microbiota which, rather than representing a mere consequence of aging, might actively contribute to resistance against pathogenic infection and other environmental stressors.” 

There are a host of responses to this study.  Many readers had their own theories of aging well.  One young lady declared that skinny was the perfect answer, and her daily intake, delivered in anorectic detail, made me cringe.  Another woman, struggling with C. diff unresponsive to various medications, took matters into her own hands.  She announced to her daughter that she needed a stool sample from her. The daughter, first appalled, then complied. The sample was inserted into one end or another (we got no info over which), and mom felt increasingly normal in a gut sort of way within four days!

I’d like to get ahold of a distinct set of those Odori-bugs, but alas, no search on Amazon or Google offered hope for bottles of such supplements just yet.  

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Oh Yuck

We’re not even safe in our beds!  A Medical Microbiology lecturer at the University of Westminster, Manal Mohammed gives us too much information when it comes to bedtime. She notes:

1.    We shed around 5 million skin cells each night in bed. (How can they know this?) The microscopic dust mites have a field day eating those old dead cells. The mite droppings can cause itching, allergies, and asthma.

2.    Those dead cells, along with saliva, sweat, and dandruff, is the perfect environment for bacteria, viruses and fungi.

3.    Gram negative bacteria like Staph aureus and E. Coli can find their way into your bed!

 Ick, ick, ick.  Care to know more? You can find her complete article at:

https://theconversation.com/your-bed-probably-isnt-as-clean-as-you-think-a-microbiologist-explains-163513

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