Why Some People React Badly to Marijuana

Photo credit: Shutterstock

These days, everyone seems to be touting the benefits of marijuana. Those with anxiety say it helps them to relax. Those with depression say it elevates their mood. Some even say that marijuana relieves the symptoms of PTSD.

But for a small segment of the population, the effects of marijuana are more hellish than anything else. Do a quick search online and you’ll find countless forums on people who have had adverse reactions to it. Some of the most common complaints include terrifying hallucinations, paranoia, dizziness, vomiting, and panic attacks.

So why does marijuana produce euphoria in some and misery in others? Research points to genetics.

A recent study published in Translation Psychiatry identified a variation of the AKT1 gene as being the reason why some are more sensitive to the mind-altering effects of marijuana than others.

Dr. Celia Morgan, lead author of the study, says that while some studies suggest only 1-5% of the marijuana users end up experiencing a psychotic episode, it’s ultimately the ATKT1 gene that makes a person more susceptible to it. 

“We know relatively little about what makes certain people vulnerable to developing psychosis from smoking cannabis but this research suggests one piece in the puzzle might be this genetic difference,” Dr. Morgan stated. “Cannabis and its extracts are being increasingly recognized for their medical uses so this is another reason why it is key to keep trying to find ways of predicting who will experience negative effects from its use.”

However, Dr. Morgan was also quick to note that “much more work is needed” to fully identify what puts a person at risk, as it’s likely to be a large number of genes.

But not everyone believes that genetics are responsible for a bad trip. In fact, most marijuana websites and forums say that ingesting too much or using the wrong strain is the reason why people have bad trips. However, it’s worth noting that these are not medical experts, so take that advice for what you will.

What was your experience with marijuana? Why do you think some people react badly to it? Let me know in the comments below!   

Lab-Grown Meat: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Photo credit: Shutterstock

The idea of lab-grown meat is enough to makes most peoples’ skin crawl. But a lot of the fear and negativity surrounding in vitro meat is due to a lack of understanding on the public’s behalf. If the public were made more aware of the benefits of cultured meat, then perhaps there wouldn’t be such a stigma around it.

Now, that’s not to say that there aren’t any downfalls to lab-grown meat, because there certainly are. However, for now I want to focus on the pros. I’ll touch on the cons later.

Perhaps the biggest case for producing lab-grown meat is how it could reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation of grazing land. According to a study published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information, “The farm animal sector is the single largest anthropogenic user of land, contributing to many environmental problems, including global warming and climate change.”

What’s worse is that the global production of meat has more than double since 1970. The good news is that cultured meat could provide the perfect solution to this problem.

According to foodandnutrition.org, “Researchers comparing the production of cultured and conventional meat found that producing 1,000 kilograms of cultured meat involves approximately 7 percent to 45 percent lower energy use, 78 percent to 96 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions, 99 percent lower land use and 82 percent to 96 percent lower water use.”

So what’s the catch, then? Cultured meat is expensive—really expensive.  

In 2013, a researcher by the name of Mark Post actually produced the world’s first burger made from bovine stem cells. It cost over $300,000 to make. So yeah, there’s that.

However, scientists do believe that the cost of producing in vitro meat will decrease as researchers refine the process. In other words, it’s going to take time.

Tell me: would you try lab-grown meat? Do you believe that the government should invest more money into sponsoring this type of agricultural development? 

Kintalk Gets Families Talking About Cancer

Photo credit: Shutterstock

Cancer can be a scary disease—and what’s worse, it can be really isolating for the people suffering from it and their families.

Enter Kintalk.

Kintalk, founded by the University of California San Francisco’s Department of Medicine, is more than just a resource for people with cancer: it’s a place where they can gather support and information about the genetic aspects of the disease, as well as getting up-to-date medical research and advice from doctors whose work focuses on cancer treatments. The site also offers information about screening and a secure location to store medical information so that families can connect and get a good understanding of genetic issues that could lead to cancer.

The biggest win for Kintalk, though, is that it offers a secure, easily accessible place where families can upload their genetic information and share it with each other. That means a better chance of earlier cancer detection where there’s a genetic predisposition.

Kintalk wouldn’t exist without generous donations like the one from Thom Weisel, a Silicon Valley businessman with a background in tech. Back in 2013, Weisel met with Kintalk Board Director and gastroenterologist Jonathan Terdiman, MD, about Terdiman’s vision for a centralized, online location for families to share genetic information that could help patients detect cancer earlier and more efficiently. Weisel was on board immediately.

“Although medicine is often notoriously bad at using technology to address problems,” Weisel observed, “this is clearly a great application of technology. What’s really neat is that it can be applied to lots of other areas. Whether it’s a certain type of cancer or some other medical issue, it puts an affinity group—members who share the same issues—in a secure environment, and allows them to talk to each other.”

The medical experts behind Kintalk include genetic counselors, gastroenterologists, oncologists, surgeons, and nurses, all of whom specialize in hereditary cancer syndromes.

Kintalk focuses on two main areas of cancer: hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) and Lynch syndrome (a genetic condition that often leads to colorectal or ovarian cancer). About 5-10% of breast cancer and 15% of ovarian cancers are believed to be hereditary, while about one in 370 people have Lynch syndrome. That’s why it’s so important for families with a history of these genetic mutations to communicate with each other and get tested early to nip cancer in the bud before it becomes potentially life threatening.

Kintalk allows families keep in touch with each other—and with others dealing with these issues—and get all the information and support they need to stay as healthy as possible.

The best part about all of this is that the tech behind Kintalk could easily be used to provide support and education around other medical scenarios as well, like Weisel suggested. By connecting fellow sufferers with professional support, Kintalk and any offshoot programs will keep people healthier and more in the know about their options.

Got a Sweet Tooth? These Healthy Treats Will Hit the Spot

If sugar is your vice, don’t worry—you’re not alone. I myself have quite the sweet tooth. But throughout the years I’ve learned how to work with my cravings, not against them. What I’ve come to discover is that you’re never going to stop craving sugar. Thus, the next best thing you can do is give into your natural desires by treating yourself to one of these healthy treats.   

Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds

The beauty of dark chocolate covered almonds is that they satisfy two cravings: a craving for sugar and a craving for carbs. But this convenient little snack also does wonders for the body. According to Michigan Medicine, dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants that protect against free radicals.  Meanwhile, almonds contain high levels of vitamin E, copper, magnesium, and protein. Almonds also contain healthy unsaturated fats.

Popsicles

This one’s tricky because if you’re not careful, you can end up consuming a frozen treat that’s just as unhealthy as ice cream. When I say popsicles, I’m talking it has to be made with real fruit—none of that high fructose corn syrup crap. I highly recommend Outshine bars.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

I’m a huge fan of smoothies, not only because they’re delicious, but also because they’re just so darn easy to make. This chocolate peanut butter banana smoothie is my go-to when I’m craving something sweet. Here are the ingredients that I use:

•  Peanut butter powder
• Cacao powder
•  Bananas
•  Ice
•  Milk (I use soy milk since I have a dairy allergy)
  

If you end up trying this recipe, please let me know how you like it. I’d also be curious to know if any of these snacks have helped you curb your sweet tooth. Thanks for reading and I look forward to hearing from you!

Health and Business Execs Make the Case for NIH Funding

Photo credit: Shutterstock

At a time when the White House has been flirting with the idea of slashing billions from the budget of the National Institutes of Health, a group of executives, government officials, and academic leaders recently went to Washington, D.C. to make the case for the NIH’s continued funding.

The meeting, organized by General Atlantic CEO William E. Ford, involved 27 people, including NIH Director Francis Collins, Vice President Mike Pence, nine White House officials, and a cadre of top names in the academic and biotech worlds.

In case you’re not familiar with what the NIH does, it’s basically the largest biomedical research agency in the world. Its team of scientists does research on treating and preventing chronic diseases, curing infectious diseases, using new medical technologies to promote wellness, and healthy aging. The agency also provides grants to researchers at universities and other academic institutions. In other words, the NIH is a pretty important part of the U.S. health infrastructure.

Although Congress granted the NIH a $34 billion budget for 2017, Trump’s proposed “skinny budget” for the fiscal year 2018 (which begins in October 2017) reduces the NIH’s budget by $5.8 billion.

The point the White House visitors were trying to make is that private investment is not an adequate substitute for the NIH’s support for research at colleges and universities. They also said the odds of winning NIH funding for that research are getting slimmer and slimmer because the organization’s budget has stayed flat for years.

The group worries that Trump’s immigration policies are making it harder to recruit foreign scientists as well. University of Texas heart disease researcher Helen Hobbs said her Chinese postdocs are now taking jobs in China rather than staying in the U.S.

“Federal support for fundamental science in academia is the driver of national innovation, leading to new medicines that improve quality of life and longevity and make major contributions to job and economic growth,” said Stanford University President Richard P. Lifton. “Biotechnology took off in this country because of U.S. leadership in federal support for science. Our system is the envy of the world.”

Collins tried to drive the point home by noting how funding the NIH will check two boxes on Trump’s priority list: jobs and the healthcare budget.

Their tag-team approach may have had the desired effect. According to Ford, the two-hour meeting went well. “The members of the new administration we met with were very receptive to our message, and I’m confident that a productive dialogue has begun,” he said.

Chan Zuckerberg Initiative President of Science Cori Bargmann agreed. “The message in the room was heard loud and clear: We need the NIH! And we need it now more than ever,” she wrote in a Facebook post just after the meeting.

People may have emerged from the meeting optimistic, but nobody talked about the elephant in the room—the proposed cuts to NIH’s 2018 budget.

Are the NIH’s funding prospects going to improve because of the meeting?  “I think time will tell,” Collins said.

Signs That a Loved One May Commit Suicide

Photo credit: Shutterstock

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, 44,193 Americans commit suicide

every year, making it the 10^th leading cause of death in the U.S. If you’re worried that someone close to you may commit suicide, please check to see if they exhibit any of the following warning signs:

• Withdrawal from social activities, including reduced contact with friends and family members.
•  Missing school or work.
•  An increase in drug or alcohol use.
•  Sleeping either too much or too little.
•  Little to no physical activity (e.g. laying in bed all day).
•  Giving away possessions.
•  Displaced aggression.
•  Mood swings.
•  Talks about suicide.
  

According to Mental Health America, 80% of people who contemplate suicide show signs of their intentions. But do keep in mind that this is not a one-size-fits-all checklist, meaning that your loved one may only exhibit one of these signs or they may exhibit none of these signs, which brings me to my next point.

If you have an inexplicable feeling that something is wrong—a gut feeling as some may call it—trust it. Reach out to your loved one and check in on how they’re doing. There’s a good chance that the simple act of reaching out and showing that you care can save that person’s life.

Along that same note, I want to talk about how to properly respond to someone who is contemplating suicide. This person may be direct about their intentions (e.g. “I want to kill myself”) or indirect (e.g. “I hate my life and I wish I’d never been born”). Both comments should be taken seriously.   

Whatever you do, do not—I repeat: do not—respond with cynicism or judgment. Statements such as, “you’re being over dramatic” or “you’ll be fine, toughen up” will only push the person more towards suicide. Instead, respond with statements such as, “I’m here for you, you are not alone” or “I care a lot about you and I want to help you in any way that I can.”

To learn more about what you can do to prevent your loved one from committing suicide, visit helpguide.org.

The Connection Between Skin and Stress

Photo credit: Shutterstock

We’ve all been there. It’s right before a wedding, right before a big presentation. It’s right before some huge event and your skin is freaking the hell out. You were fine just a couple weeks ago, but now your face is covered in red spots, pimples, and maybe even a little rash.

Despite the fact that most of us have experienced this phenomenon, studies show that the majority of Americans do not believe that stress has any connection to skin. But that’s all changing, thanks to a new field called psychodermatology.

“Psychodermatology practitioners treat skin the way a psychotherapist treats behavior—by learning how it responds to emotional and environmental stressors and helping to moderate those responses,” says Ted Grossbart, Ph.D. “The more we learn about how much emotional and psychological states influence our physical states, and vice versa, the more the line blurs between these categories.”

This revolutionary new medical field is more important given the fact that stress levels are on the rise in the U.S. Yep, that’s right, according to a survey conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA), average stress levels in the U.S. increased from 4.9 in 2014 to 5.1 in 2015. And that’s on a 10-point scale.

"The common dermatological issues that have been documented to be made worse by stress include acne, rosacea, psoriasis, itching, eczema, pain and hives, just to name a few," says Rick Fried, MD, PhD.

So what can you do to protect your skin in times of stress?

It’s simple: set some time aside to take care of your mental/emotional well being. A lot of people find yoga to do the trick. Others find going on a walk helps them decompress. And yet others will find that simply allowing themselves to kick back, relax, and watch some TV gives them some much-needed relaxation.

But whichever method you choose, make sure that you combine your relaxation ritual with a healthy diet, exercise, and 7-8 hours of sleep each night.