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Which Vitamins And Supplements Are Worth Taking? [INFOGRAPHIC]

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UK Police Worried About New Drug ‘Sparkle’

Shue — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 19:12:32 +0000

After mere hours that the ban on party drug mephedrone came into force, the police have been warned about a new drug doing the rounds on the party circuit. Word is coming in from around the country warning of a new drug called ‘Sparkle’.
Sparkle, also known as the ‘legal MDMA’ seems to have effects including euphoria and increased brain activity similar to the Class A drug ecstasy. It sells for about 40 pounds per gram, and at the moment, UK’s biggest online “head shop”, selling drug paraphernalia, herbal stimulants and plant cultivation equipment, reported it had sold out of sparkle.
Law-enforcement attention has now switched to the potential dangers of more legal highs, notably sparkle, which is already being marketed as a legal alternative to mephedrone. “We have had emails about this one from operational cops all over the country for the last few months,” said Mal Taylor of the Police Federation. “We have had all sorts of slang names given to these substances in different parts of the country. We are looking into sparkle, but we just cannot say yet what is involved or exactly how dangerous it is.”

‘Drug Lifeline’ Required for HIV Patients, say Experts

Shue — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 18:17:41 +0000

Experts claim that tens thousands of HIV patients can be saved with a simple, cheap, drug treatment if only a ‘Drug Lifeline’ can be introduced. Researchers claim that newly diagnosed HIV patients can be given an antibiotic that could significantly reduce the death toll in the early stages of the disease. In fact, it can reduce mortality by as much as 50%, according to a major study in The Lancet medical journal.
The World Health Organization already endorses the treatment, but specialists say many people are not given the drug.
Professor Charles Gilks, who led the study, said any arguments over the effectiveness of the antibiotics were now “well and truly answered”.
He said: “Tens of thousands of lives can be saved by more universal use of the drug, costing just a few pence a day.”
Co-author Professor Diana Gibb, from the Medical Research Council, said the availability and supply of the drug needed to be “ramped up”, and offered to all new patients for the first 18 months.
“There is a significant benefit now – waiting to be grasped,” she said.
Dr Sarah Walker, also from the MRC, said: “The benefits of using this drug are huge, and it’s so simple and cost-effective to administer.”

For more info read on.

New Drug, K2, Has Devastating Effect On Teens

Shue — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 13:53:52 +0000

A new drug of choice has become popular amongst teens. A drug called “fake weed,” a concoction also known as K2 and “spice” is the latest fad amongst drug taking teens. The most attractive feature of K2 is that it offers a high similar to marijuana, but is still legal in the country. However, it causes hallucinations, vomiting, agitation and other dangerous effects.
In the last month, Dr. Anthony Scalzo, a professor of toxicology at Saint Louis University, has seen nearly 30 cases of teenagers experiencing these adverse effects after smoking the fake weed. “K2 use is not limited to the Midwest; reports of its use are cropping up all over the country,” Scalzo said. “I think K2 is likely a bigger problem than we’re aware of at this time.” For instance, Atlanta has seen about 12 cases recently.
“K2 may be a mixture of herbal and spice plant products, but it is sprayed with a potent psychotropic drug and likely contaminated with an unknown toxic substance that is causing many adverse effects,” said Scalzo, who also directs the Missouri Regional Poison Control Center.
K2 has been sold since 2006 as incense or potpourri for about $30 to $40 per three gram bag similar to the cost of marijuana.

More info can be found at the main site.

OTC Painkillers Increase Chances Of Deafness By 50%

Shue — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 13:43:50 +0000

Research has proven that men who are in the habit of taking over the counter painkillers put themselves at a 50% higher risk of going deaf.

The study has also shown that men who are younger are at a particularly high risk of going deaf over use of OTC painkillers.
Consumption of paracetamol at least twice a week doubles the risk of mild to severe deafness before the age of 50. But, paracetamol is not the only culprit. Researchers found that many other painkillers, including aspirin and ibuprofen, are also linked to hearing loss.

The study has not been able to prove that there is a causal relationship between painkillers and hearing loss, i.e. it is not proven that painkillers directly cause hearing loss. But, scientists say that there is enough evidence to show that the two are connected.

On one hand, doctors have known for a long time now that high doses of aspirin can cause temporary tinnitus – or ringing in the ears. On the other hand, it is also commonly known that low doses of the painkiller have been shown to protect against deafness caused by noise and antibiotics.

Read on.

Cholesterol Lowering Drugs can Keep Heart Disease Away

Shue — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 12:40:13 +0000

One in every three deaths in Britain is caused by heart disease with a total of 208 000 people dying of the disease every year. This makes heart disease the leading killer in the U.K. People at risk of heart disease can take statins, cholesterol lowering drugs that lower the levels of low-density lipoprotein. Lipoprotein is considered the bad cholesterol responsible for most weight related problems. The drug is taken on a daily basis and cuts the risk of developing heart disease by up to 80 percent. Currently, up to 3 million people are on the drugs.

Doctors fear that more and more young people in their thirties are at risk of heart disease. A big number of them do not know this. It is therefore advisable to get regular check ups just to be sure. Should you be found to be at risk of heart disease, doctors can prescribe these drugs, which you would have to take for the rest of your life. Although they are associated with conditions such as muscles wasting, cancer and liver problems, the benefits far outweigh these side-effects.

Statins include Zocor, Crestor and Lipitor. Get more information on these drugs from the main site.

Scorpion Poison to Help in the Invention of a New Painkiller

Shue — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 12:19:29 +0000

For many years now, doctors have relied on aspirin to provide relief in patients suffering pain. But often times, aspirin does not do much to relieve excruciating pain. In such cases, opiate-derived pain relievers have been more effective. But due to their addictive nature among other risks, they cannot be used consistently on one patient. There is a flicker of hope though, as studies are going on to develop a venom-derived drug that will be able to ease excruciating pain without leaving any side-effects.

Scorpions are known to have very poisonous venom. Doctors intend to use the Israeli yellow scorpion which is one of the most potent species of scorpions to make the new drug. This scorpion contains more than 300 peptide toxins, natural substances which when in contact with sodium channels in the nervous and muscular system, cause these sodium channels to communicate pain. Doctors hope to be able to modify these toxins so that they are more specific and potent for particular pain-mediating channels. They will then engineer chemical derivatives that mimic the scorpion toxins to produce high specificity pain killers.

If the new drug is successfully developed, it will be used for cuts and serious burns, among other pain-inducing conditions. A greater advantage of such a drug is that it will be safely eliminated from the body without leaving traces or causing side-effects.

Learn more.

Resveratrol Good for Weight Loss

Shue — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 12:17:51 +0000

Resveratrol is the famous antioxidant found in red wine, berries and grapes. You have probably heard of how useful it is in weight control. But perhaps you do not know just how it works. Well, I’ll give you a break down:

Of all the previously marketed and sold weight control products, resveratrol has the highest potential of giving the most satisfactory results. It contains active enzymes which help muscles use oxygen more efficiently and is quite helpful during exercise. The whole process is known as VO2 max. The higher your VO2 max, the longer you can exercise and the more intense the work out you can do. Generally, when one processes energy efficiently during a work out, they increase endurance.

Its other known qualities are the ability to boost energy and prevent weight gain. Other than helping you keep your weight in control, it is also known to lower the risk of numerous diseases including various cancers, heart disease, type 2 diabetes; and age-related conditions such as bone loss and cataracts.

Resveratrol is sold as a supplement in the form of a pill. A pill a day is enough to boost your energy and give you the strength you need for a workout.

Drugs That Cause Obesity

Shue — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:07:38 +0000

You probably know obesity to be a lifestyle disease and in some cases, a genetically inherited disease. These two factors account for a large percentage of all known cases of obesity. With a slight lifestyle adjustment, it is possible to eliminate obesity. This change can include a change of diet, where one begins to eat healthy, nutritious meals, taking up an exercise regime among other steps.

But sometimes, you can gain weight as a result of taking medicine. Here are some medicines with obesity as a side effect:

Corticosteroids
These drugs are administered to people suffering from arthritis. Taking these drugs gives you constant hunger pangs, forcing you to eat a lot. They can also give you a bloated feeling. These two can lead to weight gain.

Antidepressants
Drugs given to people suffering from depression can make them crave sugary, high energy foods which can lead to weight gain.

Neuroleptics
These medicines are used to treat schizophrenia, a form of mental illness. Patients on this drug will feel lethargic and sleepy. As a result, they are relatively inactive and use very little energy. The result is an increase in weight.

Epilepsy drugs
Most drugs used to treat epilepsy make patients put on weight.

Learn more on these drugs from the source article.

Top Vitamins you Ought to Be Taking

Shue — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:55:53 +0000

Vitamins are very important in the body. They help combat diseases, boost our immunity and make our skin healthier. The best form of vitamin intake is in their natural form. However, we all know this is not easy, given the poor eating habits most of us have. Our busy lifestyles do not help either. For this reason, most of us rely on supplements. However, most of the supplements we pop have no effect in the body. It’s important to know what is essential, what works and what doesn’t, to avoid wasting money on useless supplements.

Top on the list is Vitamin D. It helps in the prevention of osteoporosis, cancers, diabetes and high blood pressure. The average intake has been 15mcg for adults and 5mcg for children, but doctors agree that higher amounts are more effective. Do not take Vitamin A when taking Vitamin D as it blocks some beneficial effects if the latter.

Omega -3 fats are the other supplement you should be taking. They prevent stroke and heart attack; and help the brain to work more effectively. Pregnant women should take 400mcg of folic acid everyday. In special cases, some women may require higher amounts.

Multivitamins are also good as they contain a little of every nutrient. Selenium is important in reducing prostate cancer for the men. It also improves sperm quality. Learn more on vitamins from here.