‘Nowadays, we have so many varieties of entertainment, it is insane to even consider marijuana or other drugs (even alcohol or tobacco) as recreational drugs. They are all detrimental to health.’
THE toxicity of marijuana (leaves and flowers of Cannabis) has been dangerously underestimated, especially its association with cancer. This false “innocence” is now being challenged by new studies. Recent findings show “a growing population of younger patients with high cannabis consumption who are presenting with aggressive cancers.” While the link between marijuana use and testicular cancer and respiratory illnesses has been well-reported, its link to these deadly cancers is only now becoming more obvious.
Nowadays, we have so many varieties of entertainment, it is insane to even consider marijuana or other drugs (even alcohol or tobacco) as recreational drugs. They are all detrimental to health. No less than poison. Medical (use of) marijuana, on the other hand, is a welcome addition to the physician’s armamentarium.
The vital role of parents and society as a whole in minimizing (if not preventing) the use of “recreational” drugs (which should actually be renamed devastation drugs) can never be overemphasized.
Brain boosters
For fear of dementia, especially Alzheimer’s, countless people are resorting to brain supplements, hoping to stave them off and maintain healthy cognitive and memory functions. But the question is, are brain supplements on the market only “hype” and useless, like most supplements advertised as “super drugs?”
“Media consumers are bombarded daily with aggressive, testimonial-driven ads for pricey supplements purported to sharpen memory, focus, and working brain function…Some even claim to stop or slow the development of dementia,” according to MS Medical News. There is no evidence they do.
The trillion-dollar food supplement industry, hiding behind its self-described “non-drug food supplements” to avoid strict standard quality/safety regulation by the US-FDA, has always been suspect. It is unfortunate that the public is left exposed to false claims and potential health safety concerns, and fend for themselves.
Last year, the Federal Trade Commission and a federal district court in New York “ordered the manufacturer of Prevagen to stop its claims on the grounds they lacked reliable evidence.”
Indeed, “Caveat emptor!” is always a wise principle in more ways than one to protect consumers.
The ever-popular multivitamins/minerals appear to confer some health benefits. In a large study by the NIH-funded randomized clinical trial, researchers found that “older adults given a multivitamin had higher global cognition scores than those who did not take it. Specific effects on global cognition, episodic memory, and executive function were noted. The improvement was most pronounced in those with a history of cardiovascular disease.”
Just 15 minutes
Tracking nearly 80,000 individuals in southeastern states for 17 years, a major study showed that a 15-minute brisk walk every day reduced mortality risk (dying prematurely), especially from cardiovascular diseases, by almost 20 percent, while hours of slow walking provided much smaller benefits, 4 percent, which is insignificant.
Can we spare 15 minutes a day to maximize the full potential of our natural “Expiration Date”?
Alcohol and pancreatic cancer
Does alcohol consumption increase the risk of cancer of the pancreas? This has been a lingering query for centuries. Today, a global study of more than 2 million people, pooling data from 30 prospective cohorts, found that “daily alcohol intake was associated with a ‘modest’ increased risk for pancreatic cancer in both women and men, regardless of smoking status. This massive study also confirms there is no safe level of alcohol. One drink is one too many.
“I think this shows that alcohol use is a robust risk factor for pancreatic cancer,” said Genkinger, associate professor, epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York City, noting that even more moderate drinking level— no more than one drink for women and two for men — might be enough to boost pancreatic cancer risk.” – MedScape.
Cure for Alzheimer’s?
Today, there is no known cure for Alzheimer’s dementia. In the United States, there are 6.7 million people with Alzheimer’s, and 55 million around the world. One in 9 people (10.8 percent) aged 65 and older has Alzheimer’s; 5 percent among those aged 65 to 74; 13.1 percent of those aged 75-84; and 33.3 percent of those 85 and older.
Researchers around the globe are actively seeking a cure for this dementia. One current avenue is called repurposing, experimenting on currently approved medications that are used for other diseases.
“Two cancer medications that may help overturn brain changes caused by Alzheimer’s disease, possibly slowing or even reversing the disease’s symptoms,” according to Marina Sorota, PhD, professor and interim director of the University of California — San Francisco Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute.
“We started with a set of 1,300 drugs and narrowed it down to the combination of letrozole and irinotecan through data-driven analysis using both molecular and clinical data,” Sirota said. (Letrozole, used to treat breast cancer, and irinotecan, used to treat colorectal and lung cancer).
This new discovery provides hope to those patients ravaged by Alzheimer’s and their families who take care of them, who are also suffering from the gravity of the duties and responsibilities, much more difficult than taking care of several infants at the same time.
Countless independent studies have been ongoing around the world, and this repurposing with a combination of drugs for cancer will inspire more research globally, which might then expedite the final realization of a cure for Alzheimer’s Disease, a much-dreaded illness worse than death itself.
