Here is an example of exactly HOW NOT to design a study and publish.
A grp of #ayurveda vaidyas published:💡Clinical Improvement In #COVID19#patients With Timely Intervention Of Panchagavya: Preliminary Finding
💵International Journal of Pharmacological Research 1/n #MedTwitter
First, choice of #journal. Choose one indexed in valid scientific databases - eg @Scopus, Medline @NCBI, @embase, @EBSCO, @webofscience. International Journal of Pharmacological Research is indexed👇😶
Just bcoz its on Google doesn't mean its quality. #pseudoscience#fake 2/n
There R indexed and impactful journals charging #openaccess fee (eg @JHEP_Reports) if the institute can afford it. Most quality indexed, impactful journals (eg @HEP_Journal) dont have open access fee to publish, but #Subscription fee for persons to read #published study. 3/n
The current journal, The International Journal of Pharmacological Research - isnt indexed, doesn't have an impact factor, no valid presence in scientific repositories, has a blurry editorial board charging an open access fee - the making of a #PredatoryPublishing STAY AWAY. 4/n
Now the study and obnoxious results: #Gomutra or distilled #cow urine was given, along with prescribed medications to three very mild COVID-19 positive patients. All three recovered from #COVID19 with no #complications. That's it. That's the study and its conclusions. 5/n #ayush
So what is wrong?
First, case study/series must have an intro section providing insight, references 2 previous work which made possibl current work. In this study, authors hav written non-structured BACKGROUND (with study conclusions!) followed by INTRODUCTION which is nuts. 6/n
Methodology is quite hilarious.
All 3 patients wit #coronavirus (patient+2 fam members) were treated 'telephonically' - i.e, they were told over the phone to take distilled cow urine 'while they are at home'. This means, tat #Covid infection was very mild at outset #science 7/n
Once they were confirmed #SARSCoV2 , underwent admission to a Covid hospital at Nagpur and underwent ultra-proper treatment (they got every thing undr the sun along wit cowurine). After gov hospital based treatment they were deemed #Covid -ve & send home
All medications 👇😱 8/n
Finally, authors conclude that cowurine improved immunity (how it did is up2 readers fantasy) and all patients recovered wit cow urine. They then dive into the imaginary reasons why this is so, in the process, stretching readers imagination and then, sudenly discus #Cancer! 9/n
Im not sure why cow urine was used, and not human urine. Both hav similar composition, properties. Human urine easily available, people can donate free. Collection jars at public urinals ensure steady flow 4 clinical use. This discussion is missing from limitation section😵 10/n
The authors finally call 4 population study on cow urine FOLLOWED BY in-vitro study. Interesting reverse science. They conclude that comorbidly ill patients with #coronavirus recover with cow urine, based on family study of 3 who received all treatments under the Sun. 11/n
So wat is conclusion!? If you hav #COVID19, esp mild #Disease, call #cowurine#Ayurveda helpline, buy distilled cowurine packs, go 2 nearby modern hospital, get treated, get well. Witout drinking, jus holding on2 urine pack in a proper hospital promotes wellness as well. 12/n
But let us not belittle urine so much. It has potential, as another study shows (Sreedevi et al , IJPP 2016)
When human urine used wit farmyard manure, mazie crops grew better than wit cow urine. Its time for another #ayush team to look into this combo therapy in #COVID19 13/n
The most powerful 'treatment' for non-alcohol related fatty liver (and also the best for longevity and even beating recurrence of cancer as per a new NEJM study)
1/13
Good morning. Here is a weekend breakfast special. This post is for general population/ public, not for highly active athletes, body builders and powerlifters.
1/15
A probiotics company called GoodBug that sells a variety of products containing various strains of bacteria with claims that their products promote weight loss, reduce PCOD symptoms, "cleanse the gut," improve IBS and "balance" hormones. They are lying.
Here is how...
2/15
Their products claims are based on "fictional" data, weak science or possible falsification of data. This is classically: "fringe science."
"Ideas that challenge established scientific views, considered unproven or speculative. Encompass theories that deviate significantly from mainstream science, lack empirical evidence, based on flawed premises."
3/15
Akin to other nutraceutical companies, the products display terms like "SCIENCE," "EVIDENCE," "SCIENTIFIC," etc... without actually providing any data to back those claims. Some do provide data, but mostly preclinical studies and never solid human studies that are rigorous.
Breaking: Our exhaustive paper on liver toxicity of various herbs/ plants used in Ayurveda, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (Ayush) systems of alternative medicine is out now (free to read)
with @arifhussaintm
This paper was initially an invited paper by an Indian journal. The reviewers and Editorial board rejected the "invited" paper because they thought the paper was "too critical" of traditional, cultural and religious [unscientific] aspects of healthcare practice among Indian community and feared backlash from the alternative systems regulatory body (Ayush Ministry) and Ayurveda and Homeopathy practitioners & their organizations of they accepted their own "invited" paper.
The Indian medical science community is now hostage to it's unscientific past due to a deepening lack of scientific temperament among doctors, worrying knee-jerk response style assault from the alternative medicine industry/practitioners/regulators and general apathy towards patients & public health. It's disappointing.
Since they were spineless to publish our factual paper, we sent this to a neutral journal for peer review (which is got through) and paid open access publication fee, so that everyone could read it for free.
Please read and share this important paper which educates physicians on herbal liver toxicity from seemingly benign plant sources which they need to be aware of.
The subsequent posts also highlights infographics summary of various toxic Ayush-based botanicals that are increasingly reported to harm public and patients.
Thanks in advance, and I hope doctors in India start fearlessly respecting science rather than intentionally embracing ignorance & selfishly covering up themselves in a safety bubble, thereby endangering public health in the process.journals.lww.com/md-journal/ful…
Continued: Summary on Tinospora cordifolia (Giloy)
Continued: Summary on Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha)