Posted on 11/13/2009 8:44:59 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Not to my knowledge.
It might bee a good idea to create one if no one else knows of a specific thread.
Not to my knowledge.
It might bee a good idea to create one if no one else knows of a specific thread.
Here's something I put together at FluTrackers:
summary of current theories in alternative/supplemental treatments for H1N1
| Statins, fibrates and glitazones are, in my view, prime candidates. ...Several studies have suggested that prescriptions for statins are associated with a 50% reduction in pneumonia hospitalizations and deaths. If statins prove to be effective against pneumonia, they might be similarly effective against pandemic influenza. Experimental studies in mice show that gemfibrozil and pioglitazone dramatically reduce influenza-related mortality. A 2005 study of resveratrol showed a 54% decrease in mortality in a mouse model of influenza. |
| It is worth considering the host responses of children and adults with sickle cell disease, and malaria and those who experience severe trauma. Persons with any one of these conditions are at risk of developing acute lung injury, yet the disease is mild in children whereas in adults it is more severe and there is greater risk of dying [reviewed in Ref. (23)]. In none of these conditions do bacterial infections contribute significantly to the course of illness. Likewise, children with malaria and schistosomiasis have less vigorous immune responses to their infections than do young adults.26,27 The switch from one host response to the other seems to occur at the time of puberty/menarche/adrenarche.23 The differences between the two are poorly understood and rarely studied. ... A model of severe acute inflammation in mice has provided a clue to how anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory treatment might improve outcomes in severe influenza ... If PPARγ agonists are able to control acute lung injury, as has been suggested,120 the results of the study by Shin et al. suggest that treatment of young adults might, in effect, 'roll back' the host response of someone who is sexually mature and a poor PPARγ responder (and who might die) to that of a sexually immature child who is a better PPARγ responder (and more likely to live). |
| Peanut butter 'wards off heart disease', say scientists By Daily Mail Reporter 26th June 2009 Peanut butter is high in polyunsaturated fats that has been shown to lower 'bad' cholesterol Peanut butter sandwiches could be the secret to beating heart disease, says a study. Snacking on peanuts or peanut butter at least five days a week can nearly halve the risk of a heart attack. The nuts are thought to lower bad cholesterol, help reduce inflammation in the body and boost the health of blood vessels around the heart... |
| Although research continues on resveratrol, the concentration in wine seems too low to account for the French paradox. Professor Roger Corder and team have identified a particular group of polyphenols, known as oligomeric procyanidins, which they believe offer the greatest degree of protection to human blood-vessel cells. Tests with 165 wines showed that these are found in greatest concentration in European red wines from certain areas, which correlates with longevity in those regions.[14] The highest procyanidins are found in wines from the Tannat grape, grown in the Gers area of southwest France. Unlike resveratrol, procyanidins are present in wine in quantities that seem to be high enough to be significant: "Procyanidins are the most abundant flavonoid polyphenols in red wine – up to one gram per litre is found in some traditional style red wines."[15] "… clinical trials of grape seed extract, which have shown that 200–300 mg per day will lower blood pressure. Two small glasses (125 ml glass) of a procyanidin-rich red wine, such as a Madiran wine from southwest France, would provide this amount." However several times this amount of procyanidin can be consumed by eating an apple.[16] Other research suggests that polyphenols in wine reduce the absorption of malondialdehyde, which is implicated in arteriosclerosis, cancer, diabetes and other diseases |
| Proanthocyanidin (also known as procyanidin oligomeric proanthocyanidin (OPC), leukocyanidin, leucoanthocyanin and condensed tannins) is a class of flavanols. Proanthocyanidins are essentially polymer chains of flavonoids such as catechins. |
| Health benefits of catechins The health benefits of catechins have been studied extensively in humans and in animal models. Reduction in atherosclerotic plaques was seen in animal models.[7] Reduction in carcinogenesis was seen in vitro.[8] Many studies on health benefits have been linked to the catechin content. According to Norman Hollenberg, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, epicatechin can reduce the risk of four of the major health problems: stroke, heart failure, cancer and diabetes. He studied the Kuna people in Panama, who drink up to 40 cups of cocoa a week, and found that the prevalence of the “big four” is less than 10%. He believes that epicatechin should be considered essential to the diet and thus classed as a vitamin.[9][10] According to one researcher[11] epigallocatechin-3-gallate is an antioxidant that helps protect the skin from UV radiation-induced damage and tumor formation. Green tea catechins have also been shown to possess antibiotic properties due to their role in disrupting a specific stage of the bacterial DNA replication process.[12] Catechins, when combined with habitual exercise, have been shown to delay some forms of aging. Mice fed catechins showed decreased levels of aging. Oxidative stress was lowered in cell mitochondria, as well as increase in mRNA transcription of mitochondria related proteins. [13] |
| Red yeast rice contains naturally occurring lovastatin (monacolin K) and other monacolins that may inhibit HMG-CoA reductase and reduce LDL cholesterol levels compared with placebo (5–7). It is unclear why red yeast rice may be better tolerated than statins in patients with SAM. The low rate of myalgias in the red yeast rice group was striking because the recurrence rate of myalgias is as high as 57% when patients are challenged with a second statin (15). One clue may be related to the increasing risk for SAM with higher doses of statins (17). The dose of red yeast rice in our study (3.6 g/d) was equivalent to a daily lovastatin dose of only 6 mg (Table 2), far less than the established therapeutic dose (20 to 40 mg/d) (30). A recent study showed that patients with variants in the SLCO1B1 gene were more likely to develop statin-associated myopathy with higher doses of simvastatin (31). It is therefore possible that the low dose of monacolin K (lovastatin) in our red yeast rice product was below the threshold necessary to cause SAM. Another possibility is the presence of compounds in red yeast rice, other than monacolin K, that may inhibit HMG-CoA reductase (Table 2). Little is known about their pharmacodynamics, but these monacolins may either have lipid-lowering effects or potentiate the effects of monacolin K. They may also be less likely to deplete mevalonate metabolites distal to HMG-CoA reductase, such as intracellular isoprenoids (for example, ubiquinone) and guanosine triphosphate–binding regulatory proteins, which are believed to mediate statin-induced muscle injury (32). |
| This oil-soluble vitamin-like substance is present in most eukaryotic cells, primarily in the mitochondria. It is a component of the electron transport chain and participates in aerobic cellular respiration, generating energy in the form of ATP. Ninety-five percent of the human body’s energy is generated this way.[1][2] Therefore, those organs with the highest energy requirements—such as the heart and the liver—have the highest CoQ10 concentrations.[3][4][5] |
| Coenzyme Q10 shares a common biosynthetic pathway with cholesterol. The synthesis of an intermediary precursor of Coenzyme Q10, mevalonate, is inhibited by some beta blockers, blood pressure-lowering medication,[19] and statins, a class of cholesterol-lowering drugs.[20] Statins can reduce serum levels of coenzyme Q10 by up to 40%.[21] Some research suggests the logical option of supplementation with coenzyme Q10 as a routine adjunct to any treatment that may reduce endogenous production of coenzyme Q10, based on a balance of likely benefit against very small risk.[22][23] |
| http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extra.../jun15_1/b2345 Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:b2345 Letters A/H1N1 flu NSAIDs and flu The potentially harmful effects of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are rarely discussed in the treatment of A/H1N1 flu, which has caused high death rates in Mexico.1 2 Severe and fatal cases, including sudden death, are characterised by severe sepsis with multi-organ failure with findings such as fever, leucocytosis, leucopenia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), liver impairment, renal failure, rhabdomyolysis, and hypotension.2 NSAIDs may aggravate these syndromes, leading to multi-organ failure.3 Since the flu pandemics of the 20th century salicylates have been linked to Reye’s syndrome and their use restricted in children. But NSAIDs such as diclofenac, mefenamic acid, and ibuprofen are still used as antipyretics in many countries, albeit less often than aspirin. Since the use of diclofenac and mefenamic acid was restricted in children in Japan in 2000, the case fatality of so called flu associated encephalopathy has fallen dramatically.4 Reanalysing the World Health Organization’s data on A/H1N1 flu,2 I . . . [Full text of this article] |
| In a study of mice massively infected with H5N1 influenza virus (1000 LD50), treatment with zanamivir begun 48 hours after infection reduced lung virus titers but led to little improvement in survival.32 However, when two immunomodulatory agents (celecoxib and mesalazine) were added, virus titers remained much the same but survival improved significantly. Unfortunately, the investigators failed to include a group of mice that were treated with celecoxib and mesalazine alone. If they had measured survival rates and virus titers in the two groups (two immunomodulators with and without an antiviral agent), they could have determined whether the antiviral agent was necessary for improving survival. A commentary that accompanied this study emphasized that co-administration of the two anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory agents along with an antiviral agent was essential.33 Improved survival was ascribed to inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, but it is unlikely that it was due to COX-2 inhibition alone. The cell signaling pathways involved in the regulation of COX-2 expression are complex.34 In other models of acute lung injury, COX-2 inhibition actually impairs resolution of pulmonary inflammation, probably because it prevents the up-regulation of pro-resolution factors such as lipoxin A4.35 Moreover, mesalamine is not simply a COX-2 inhibitor; it is primarily a peroxisome proliferator activator receptor (PPAR)γ agonist36 (see below). |
| Eur Cytokine Netw. 2001 Apr-Jun;12(2):290-6. The effect of Sambucol, a black elderberry-based, natural product, on the production of human cytokines: I. Inflammatory cytokines.Barak V, Halperin T, Kalickman I. Immunology Laboratory for Tumor Diagnosis, Department of Oncology, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel. Sambucus nigra L. products - Sambucol - are based on a standardized black elderberry extract. They are natural remedies with antiviral properties, especially against different strains of influenza virus. Sambucol was shown to be effective in vitro against 10 strains of influenza virus. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study, Sambucol reduced the duration of flu symptoms to 3-4 days. Convalescent phase serum showed a higher antibody level to influenza virus in the Sambucol group, than in the control group. The present study aimed to assess the effect of Sambucol products on the healthy immune system - namely, its effect on cytokine production. The production of inflammatory cytokines was tested using blood - derived monocytes from 12 healthy human donors. Adherent monocytes were separated from PBL and incubated with different Sambucol preparations i.e., Sambucol Elderberry Extract, Sambucol Black Elderberry Syrup, Sambucol Immune System and Sambucol for Kids. Production of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-8) was significantly increased, mostly by the Sambucol Black Elderberry Extract (2-45 fold), as compared to LPS, a known monocyte activator (3.6-10.7 fold). The most striking increase was noted in TNF-alpha production (44.9 fold). We conclude from this study that, in addition to its antiviral properties, Sambucol Elderberry Extract and its formulations activate the healthy immune system by increasing inflammatory cytokine production. Sambucol might therefore be beneficial to the immune system activation and in the inflammatory process in healthy individuals or in patients with various diseases. Sambucol could also have an immunoprotective or immunostimulatory effect when administered to cancer or AIDS patients, in conjunction with chemotherapeutic or other treatments. In view of the increasing popularity of botanical supplements, such studies and investigations in vitro, in vivo and in clinical trials need to be developed. |
| More recently, Aldridge et al. studied the effects of treatment with pioglitazone (a PPARγ agonist) in influenza-infected mice.66 They found that a subset of dendritic cells (DCs) known as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α/inducible nitric oxide synthase DCs (TipDCs) accumulated with high frequency in the lungs of mice infected with highly pathogenic PR8 virus. TipDCs are known to recruit CCR2-positive mononuclear cells from the bone marrow and traffic them to sites of pulmonary infection. CCR2-deficient mice are generally more susceptible to non-viral infections, but CCR2-positive monocyte-derived cells have been shown to be a major cause of the immunopathology of influenza.67 Aldridge et al. speculated that pioglitazone suppression of CCL2 (the pro-inflammatory ligand for CCR2) would reduce the number of CCR2-positive mononuclear cells and increase protection. The results showed that with 3 days of pre-treatment, mortality fell from 92% to 50%. However, they also found that TipDCs increased the frequency of virus-specific CD8+ T-cells in the later stages of infection. As CD8+ T-cells are critical for influenza virus clearance, TipDCs appeared to induce a protective response. Yet, protection was not reflected in pulmonary virus titers; they were the same in control and pioglitazone-treated animals. Thus, although pioglitazone was able to 'tip the balance' in favor of protection,68 it must have done so through mechanisms that were independent of its effects on virus replication and clearance. ... Resveratrol has statin-like effects on HMG-CoA,72 activates PPARα73 and PPARγ,74 and synergizes with statins in protecting against experimental myocardial infarction.75 The effects of resveratrol on ROS, TLR4, NF-kappaB, pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., TNFα, IL-6), and HO-1 are the same as those of statins, fibrates, and glitazones (see Table 1).76–78 In experimental Serratia marcescens pneumonia in rats, resveratrol has been shown to down-regulate NF-kappaB, TNFα, IL-6, and IL-1β, increase macrophage infiltration, decrease neutrophil infiltration, reduce the bacterial burden in the lung and improve survival.78 |
| The many effects of catechins (found in green tea) and curcumin (turmeric in curry) on inflammation and the host response suggest that they too might be beneficial against influenza. |
There were numerous threads when the initial uproar began in Mexico over H1N1. NAC (n-acetyl cysteine), dietary garlic, Vitamin D3, megadoses of Vitamin C, curcuminoids, even star anise, which was the primary feedstock used to create Tamiflu prior to synthetic means, were all discussed at length, on several different threads. Several others, too, that I don’t recall.
There was debate over the usefulness of blocking the cytokine storm via anti-inflammatories, and if I’m not mistaken consensus arose that this was a good thing for individuals with a healthy immune response in the prime of life, but could be a negative if if there were any sort of hemorrhagic symptoms associated with infection, since many if not most of these anti-inflammatories inhibited clotting. There was some evidence discussed that overuse of aspirin exacerbated death rates from Spanish Influenza in the WWI era.
It was difficult to maintain any cogent discussion, though, for all the disruption from people who thought it was all panic and tinfoil. That it may have been, or it may not. Useful knowledge, either way.
This was all over a period of a month or two. I can’t point you to these FR threads off the top of my head, and don’t have them bookmarked, but you have the general timeframe, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to search out.;
Check post # 62
Well you can call it “Junk Science” if you like.
Why is it that NO DOCTOR I know or that at least 2 other of my friends know will give the H1N1 vaccination to themselves or their family?
Could it be because it is a slammed together, untested vaccine laced with adjuncts that are KNOWN to cause problems?
Also I would not be so fast to talk about Junk Science..when you speak about giving up INGESTING that list of items when the subject is about having them INJECTED directly into the bloodstream. That is Junk Science.
That is exactly the kind of summary I was looking for. I had obtained many of the items listed at the end, due to gleaning what I could from various threads and websites over the last few months. This is very helpful.
The caution about the sambucol is new information to me, and good to know.
Thank you very much.
My sister was quietly advised by her inlaws not to get the vaccination, and under no circumstance to vaccinate my six year old niece. It was a doctor and a nurse who were doing this discreet advising, and they’re not taking it themselves. They said it’s untested, and that you don’t want to be the guinea pig.
But, then you have the crazy tale of Goldman-Sachs employess jumping to the front of the line to get it, which raises the spectre of deliberate rumor mongering in the face of short supply.
So, I don’t know what to believe. I’m not getting it myself. Never have been big on vaccinations. I’ll just take my list of supplements, etcetera, and observe the usual hygienic precautions, if an outbreak becomes a serious concern.
Something serious appears to be developing with the H1N1 strain in the Ukraine. Keep on eye on Dr. Niman's posts on the situation on Ukraine thread at Rihza Labs FluTracker forum as well as the Recombinomcs site.
This is nonsense. My children all received the flu mist nasal swine flu vaccine two weeks ago, and they are all alive and well.
My own PCP does not have the swine flu vaccine available yet, which is the only reason my wife and I have not yet received it.
See this FR thread for more info: A reasonable assessment of the swine flu vaccine.
Where do you find elderberry syrup? Sounds lovely.
I'm not 100% sure we can assume that most people spend much time outside, which is probably part of the problem. Home to car, car to office, office to car, car to home, and so on.
Unless people are spending more than a moment or too outside without sunscreen or too many clothes, it may not be enough.
It's a deal.
Why is it that NO DOCTOR I know or that at least 2 other of my friends know will give the H1N1 vaccination to themselves or their family?
Can't say that I have any clue regarding the doctors that you or your frieds know. But I am sure that is a very representative sample.
Could it be because it is a slammed together, untested vaccine
Made using virtually the same methods (and testing proceedures) that are (and have been for some time now) in place to produce the annual influenza vaccine?
laced with adjuncts that are KNOWN to cause problems?
Water is toxic in high enough doses. Does that make water an adjunct known to cause problems?
Also I would not be so fast to talk about Junk Science..when you speak about giving up INGESTING that list of items when the subject is about having them INJECTED directly into the bloodstream. That is Junk Science.
Are you saying that items which are ingested can not be absorbed into the bloodstream?
That's an interesting thought...
Had another thought - what do you believe counts as directly into the bloodstream?
Does an injection into a muscle count, or does it have to be intravenous?
Just curious.
I recalled reading that turmeric was effective in reducing tumor necrosis factor, one of the elements which might lead to autoimmune destruction of pulmonary tissue. Sambucol was mentioned as well.
There is, admittedly, a fine line between weakening the immune system enough to prevent self-destruction, and weakening it so much that the influenza overwhelms the body's defenses.
I believe the disucssion came up on a thread about H5N1, and may have been discused when trying to determine the effects of the Spanish (1918) Influenza, especially in that young people who were active, healthy, and in the prime of life were often struck down within hours and deceased within a day or two.
A cytokine storm was the believed culprit, and the discussion was of how to prevent such in otherwise healthy people.
Speculation ensued as to whether or not the H5N1 victims were suffering a similar fate.
Thanks again Dr. Brian Kopp!
I don’t know if you have seen these. I did a title search and did not see them.
H1N1 “super flu” plague in Ukraine spark concern, conspiracy theories about origins
http://www.naturalnews.com/027503_Ukraine_super_flu.html
Medical Doctor Retracts H1N1 Vaccine Advice After Reading Insert!
http://blogs.healthfreedomalliance.org/blog/2009/11/15/md-recants-his-support-of-vaccines/
Intra-Muscular injection is equivalent to IV..its just slower getting into the bloodstream. Things that are ingested enter the bloodstream after a thorough working over by digestive acids..etc. What might be perfectly safe to ingest could wreak havoc when injected.
This flu seems to be actig differently in different places.
My bet is that it is evolving as it spreads.
Vaccines may not help much.
Placemark for your comments.
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