Two more research studies warn against having a cavalier approach to cannabis.

First, researchers at University of Sydney, in Australia, determined the prevalence of recent alcohol, nicotine, or cannabis use in young persons presenting for mental healthcare. (more…)

Researchers at Prince of Wales Hospital, in New South Wales, Australia, reviewed the evidence to determine the extent to which use of cannabis, alcohol, and other psychoactive substances affect the age at onset of psychosis. (more…)

There are 5 choices that make a difference, according to this report by the Cardiovascular Health Study group. (more…)

Researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder studied whether religiosity moderated the genetic variance associated with problem alcohol use during adolescence and early adulthood. (more…)

Researchers at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, in Bethesda, Maryland examined the association of overweight and obesity with health-risk behaviors among US youth. (more…)

Acupuncture has been used in the treatment of substance-related disorders for the past 30 years.

Researchers at Kyung Hee University Medical Center, in Seoul, Korea, reviewed the evidence. (more…)

Dr. Darrell Hulisz from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio has written a continuing education article on herbals.

Here are the author’s take-away points, with additional references added. (more…)

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, in Boston studied dietary, lifestyle, and metabolic risk factors.

Toping the list were smoking and high blood pressure. (more…)

 Researchers from Ireland try to sort out the relationships. (more…)

Riboflavin (vitamin B-2) was originally recognized as a growth factor in 1879 and named vitamin B-2 according to the British nomenclature system.

Here’s what we know today. (more…)

 Dr. Harvey Simon, who is editor of the Harvard Men’s Health Watch, cuts through the clutter and provides 10 resolutions for 2009.

Surprise! They’re all complementary. (more…)

It’s known that religiosity and the personal importance of religion are associated with lower levels of alcohol use among both adolescents and college students.

This study looked at the influence of the religious beliefs of close friends and typical college students on alcohol use. (more…)

A case of pancreatitis in a 55-year-old man with alcoholism who had been sober for more than 15 years was published in the Southern Medical Journal. The authors make a circumstantial case for his ongoing use of saw palmetto and the occurrence of pancreatitis.

(more…)

The results of this study have public health implications because the tuberculosis (TB) skin test is central to the problematic area of diagnosing TB infection and disease — especially in children prone to both zinc deficiency and false-negative skin-test results.

The zinc-mediated augmentation of TB skin testing may facilitate the diagnosis of adult and pediatric cases of TB in regions where micronutrient deficiency is prevalent. (more…)

It’s not just pot, but tobacco and alcohol also appear to influence the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). (more…)

Studies dating back more than 15 years suggest that people with depression are likely to have low blood levels of folic acid (or folate) and vitamin B12.

Of course, not all of the researchers have come to the same conclusion. But to start, here’s a summary of the most positive analysis of folic acid and B12.

(more…)

Yes, but you might be disappointed.

(more…)

In 2003, Professor Edzard Ernst writing on the Cochrane Collaboration website concluded, “Compared with placebo, kava extract is an effective symptomatic treatment for anxiety although, at present, the size of the effect seems small.” (more…)

Alcoholics who watch themselves after a bout of delirium tremens (DTs; a potentially fatal form of alcohol withdrawal), have less severe relapses and consume less alcohol.

Here are the details. (more…)

Let’s see, since June last year this blog has summarized 8 reports on the effects of coffee and caffeine and health.

What should we make of all this?

(more…)