Risks due to energy drinks

In 2009, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported that more than 13,000 emergency room visits were associated with energy drinks.

Now, The New York Times tells us, FDA reports the caffeine drink, 5-hour Energy, may have been involved in 13 deaths over the past four years.

There’s no absolute proof that these drinks were the sole cause of these events. And the makers of 5-Hour Energy and Monster Energy insist their products are safe and unrelated to the problems reported to the FDA.

Regardless. Continue reading Risks due to energy drinks →

Cyclic nausea and vomiting due to marijuana use

As legislators dive headlong into legalization of marijuana, there is growing evidence that they may be harming their most loyal constituents.

Researchers at Temple University Hospital, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, reviewed what has become known as Cannabinoid Hyperemesis (severe and excessive vomiting) Syndrome.

As you read this summary it might be useful to consider the value of Pennsylvania detoxification programs.

Continue reading Cyclic nausea and vomiting due to marijuana use →

Persistent cannabis users show neuropsychological decline

Fewer adolescents believe that regular cannabis use is harmful to health. Along with this, adolescents are starting to smoke weed at younger ages, and more adolescents are using cannabis daily.

Researchers at Duke University, in Durham, North Carolina, tested the association between persistent cannabis use and neuropsychological decline to determine whether it’s concentrated among cannabis users who start smoking during their adolescent years. Continue reading Persistent cannabis users show neuropsychological decline →

CAM use among people with high blood pressure

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the overall prevalence of hypertension among US adults between 2003 and 2010 was 30%, or about 67 million people. About 36 million (54%) had uncontrolled hypertension.

Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, examined the prevalence of CAM use among older adults with and without diagnosed high blood pressure and the degree to which CAM is used specifically for the treatment of high blood pressure. Continue reading CAM use among people with high blood pressure →

Health effects of organic vs conventional foods

Organic food is grown without using synthetic fertilizers, chemical pesticides and insecticides, growth hormones, or antibiotics. It cannot be irradiated, contain genetically engineered organisms or genetically modified organisms, and cannot be grown using sewage sludge fertilizer.

Researchers at Stanford University, in California, reviewed the evidence that farming by these criteria is better than conventional methods. Continue reading Health effects of organic vs conventional foods →

Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point