Here is another in our ongoing series on recent marijuana-related medical research.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a major product of the marijuana plant. It lacks marijuana’s psychological effects, and it has been suggested that CBD might be effective as an antipsychotic. The aim of this study was to investigate the response to CBD in treatment-resistant schizophrenia.
For this study, researchers created a computer-simulated community of 100,000 people that resembled the population of Olmsted County, Minnesota, in 2000.
By raising omega-3 fatty acid levels among all the Olmsted cyber-citizens, the researchers estimated that the overall death rate could be reduced 6.4%. By contrast, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) reduced death rates by 0.8%, and implanted defibrillators reduced deaths by 3.3%.
Don’t laugh. Computer-simulated research could be the next big thing, especially where the cost of healthcare is concerned.
For example?
It has everything needed to become a cult health food icon.
Historical context: Edmund Szekely translated an ancient manuscript in the Vatican’s secret archives, which stated, “Wheatgrass is a good food for man.”
A villain: “In my desperation … I turned to the medical profession only to have most doctors I went to uninformed about my illness. One doctor even said … I may as well learn to live with it.”
Rebirth: “Ultimately, I accepted the responsibility of getting myself well.”
A happy ending: “I integrated raw (living) food and chlorophyll into my diet. The chlorophyll I use comes from wheatgrass. I grow the grass indoors.”
Lovely. But what’s in wheatgrass that warrants so much attention?
This is a bit technical, but I think it’s important because it documents the ability of peppermint to act as an antispasmodic agent in the small intestine.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a gastrointestinal disorder that often causes abdominal pain, cramping, bloating, and diarrhea, sometimes alternating with constipation. People with IBS experience substantial discomfort and lost time from work.
The rationale for taking peppermint oil is that it relaxes the muscles of the intestinal tract, which relieves spasms and cramping. Peppermint oil is composed primarily of menthol and menthone.
But does it really work?
Diets rich in lutein plus zeaxanthin may protect against intermediate age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in healthy women younger than 75 years, according to a study just published in the Archives of Ophthalmology.
The findings are significant because there is no cure for AMD, only limited treatments are available, and there is no established means of prevention. Therefore, any intervention that lowers the risk for AMD is potentially important.
But what are lutein and zeaxanthin, and where can you get them?
According to the distributor’s website, “Raindrop combines the art of aromatherapy with the techniques of Vita Flex and massage in the application of essential oils to various areas of the body to bring structural and electrical alignment.” A description of the treatment is described here.
Structural and electrical alignment?
Get serious.
The latest issue of the International Journal of Impotence Research included several articles of interest from a CAM perspective, here and here. Here’s one more.
Men in Hong Kong who smoked more than 20 cigarettes daily had a significantly greater risk of erectile dysfunction than men who never smoked. Nothing new here. Similar results have been reported in other groups.
However, it raises the question of just how smoking can cause erectile dysfunction.
A just published survey of the medical literature found that moderate to high physical activity was associated with a lower risk of erectile dysfunction (ED).
The authors rightly caution, “the apparent ‘protective’ effect of physical activity on ED should be further investigated.” But, considering the many benefits of increased physical activity, it’s probably not too early to reconsider the disadvantages of a sedentary lifestyle.
8/28/06 21:19 JR