Category: How to pass

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• Dude, I’ve Got Heavy Metals in My Body! Copper (Part 7)

  Posted on August 23rd, 2011 How to pass

  Copper is an essential nutrient that our bodies need for preventing iron deficiency anemia.  Without the proper amount of copper in our system our bodies would not be able to absorb enough iron from the intestinal tract or release iron that is stored in the liver.  Copper is essential to the formation of red blood cells, bone and hemoglobin as well as the production of melanin which is what determines your skin and hair color.  It is also essential in the production of myelin, the substance that serves as insulation to the nerve cells.  Copper is essential for a healthy immune system because it helps fight infection and is instrumental in the repair of injured tissues.  Copper is an essential ingredient to many enzymes in our bodies which are vital to every staying alive.

  Copper can be found in many foods that we eat including: raw oysters, shell fish, soy flour, almonds, wheat germ, avocados, nuts, beets and garlic.  We also receive trace amounts of copper from copper cookware and copper plumbing.

  Studies have shown that copper deficiencies in the body can elevate bad cholesterol (LDL) levels and lower levels of good cholesterol (HDL).  This may also lead to high blood pressure.  Other signs of copper deficiency in the body are: anemia, osteoporosis, skin sores, baldness, diarrhea, skeletal deformities, and loss of skin color, nerve degeneration and impaired respiratory function.  On the other hand having too much copper in your system is not such a good thing either.  Some side effects of copper toxicity are nausea, vomiting, irritability, depression, low blood pressure, jaundice, diarrhea, nervousness and muscle and joint pain. When large amounts of copper are ingested it can lower the levels of zinc and vitamin C in your body.  Conversely, when large amounts of vitamin C and zinc are consumed, it can lower the amount of copper in your system.

  A maximum daily intake of 10 mg of copper per day has been recommended to maintain healthy levels.

  (To Be Continued)

• How it came in our lives – Marijuana (Part 2)

  Posted on August 22nd, 2011 How to pass

  From China to India, then to North Africa and to Europe, marijuana has traveled all over the world. Eventually it had found its way across the ocean when it was brought over to the New World in the second part of the 16^th century. Marijuana was used not only as a drug – recreational or medicinal – but also as a great source of fiber. It did not last for long since the commercial world is always changing, so eventually hemp was replaced by cotton – it could be sold for more money than its predecessor. That had changed, but marijuana was still being used as a medicine – in the late 1800s it was prescribed for various conditions such as rheumatism, nausea, labor pains, etc. It was not the most popular treatment at the time because cocaine and opiates were also prescribed for similar conditions, and, let us face it – the effects of those drugs are much more potent than the effects from pot. Sometimes those drugs were prescribed together.

  The Prohibition of 1920s made marijuana more popular as a recreational drug – it started out with jazz musicians and people in show business, and little by little spread out to be used in the middle and upper social classes. Instead of bars (that were prohibited to serve alcohol) people were hanging out in “tea pads” – marijuana clubs that did not bother authorities because cannabis was legal and people smoking it did not make a nuisance of themselves and were not disturbing surroundings as those who were drunk with alcohol.

• Medicinal Use: Marijuana Part 6

  Posted on August 19th, 2011 How to pass

  It has been suggested that Cannabis can be used medically for those suffering with Asthma. Asthma itself is a breathing disorder. It’s caused by constricting muscles in the airways, cause it hard for a person to get enough oxygen into their lungs. Cannabis has been shown to stretch the bronchi – or one of the two main tubes coming from your trachea that carry air into your lungs – and reverses the muscle spasms in the airways. Because of this – derivatives of THC have been studied for the potential as anti-asthmatic drugs.

  Because smoking itself is not healthy for someone with Asthma the study is focusing on not only the effects of Marijuana on patients, but also other ways in which we can administer the Cannabis. Perhaps someday in the near future we’ll be able to administer doses of THC by pill, or aerosol spray (which is one of the ways in which administration has already been researched extensively).

  They hope that by the year 2020 we will have a more realistic means of standardizing the dosage of Cannabis in a pill form. Without studies just like this one we would be behind not only in research on THC, but in medical research in general. At the end of the day – when you break it down, THC is an herbal supplement – it like many drugs in the field today is derived from plants, and is like many other narcotics broken down into the elements that can cause a person to become “high” and separated away from those that have no purpose.

• Dude, I’ve Got Heavy Metals In My Body! Cadmium (Part 6)

  Posted on August 18th, 2011 How to pass

  Cadmium is a chemical element that is used in steel production to prevent corrosion of the steel.  It has also been used with other elements to stabilize plastic and for pigmentation in the manufacturing process. Cadmium is also found in industrial paints. Cadmium is a found in the mining of zinc ore and is a byproduct of zinc production.  The use of cadmium in manufacturing has decreased over the years with the exception of solar panels and rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries.

  The use of other materials and the toxicity of cadmium have contributed to the phasing out of this element in manufacturing.  Cadmium is bluish in color and resistant to corrosion.  It is insoluble in water and not flammable so it became a popular element to coat materials made from other metals.  Although cadmium and compounds made with cadmium were found to be toxic in certain forms it was approved for use as cadmium iodide to treat enlarged joints and diseased glands in the early twentieth century.  In the 1980s and 1990s the application of cadmium declined due to environmental and health regulations put in place.

  When absorbed by the human body, cadmium is found in high concentrations in the kidneys. This may lead to renal failure.  Exposure to cadmium is usually through inhalation in the work place of fine dust or fumes.  This can lead to fever, pneumonia, pulmonary edema, and death.  Some symptoms of cadmium exposure are irritation of the nose and throat, headache, dizziness, cough, fever, chills and chest pain. Some common methods of exposure are through phosphate fertilizers, iron and steel production, cement production, municipal waste incineration and fossil fuel combustion.  Smoking tobacco is also a major source of exposure to cadmium.  People who smoke cigarettes have, on average, a concentration of cadmium in the blood four to five times higher than non-smokers. Another result of cadmium exposure can be hypertension and can lead to cardiovascular disease.  Sandblasting or scraping of industrial paints may pose a risk of cadmium exposure.

  (To Be Continued)

• How it came in our lives – Marijuana (Part 1)

  Posted on August 17th, 2011 How to pass

  Some things have been around a really long time. One of the most used and the “oldest” drug around – marijuana – has a history that goes centuries back into ancient China. Euphoric condition achieved through smoking this substance has been on people’s mind since 2737 BC – the first ever reference to marijuana can be found in the writing of the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung. Soon enough marijuana has “traveled” from China to India, and from there to North Africa and then to Europe, and eventually it reached across the ocean.

  It has started out as a medicine for various things including gout, malaria, rheumatism, etc. Also it was thought to cure such condition as absent-mindedness. There are no particular records confirming the effectiveness of marijuana as a medicine, but its psychoactive intoxicating properties had been noted. Once it spread out to India, cannabis was mostly used recreationally – it is either they had plenty of other medicine to cure everything that was needed, or the effects of smoking it had prevailed any other characteristics of it. When popularized in North Africa, marijuana was, once again, used recreationally rather than medicinally – it became quite popular among Muslim population since alcohol was prohibited by Koran, so cannabis and hashish spread out rather quickly through Persia territories. The earliest mentioning about pot in Europe goes back to AD 500. In 1545 marijuana was brought into the New World together with other things brought by Spaniards. English settlers made a use of this major crop that was used to produce fiber in 1611 Jamestown.

• Medicinal Use: Marijuana Part 5

  Posted on August 16th, 2011 How to pass

  Through the minimal amount of research we have been able to conduct to date it is clear that pain relief is not the only potential in science and medicine for this mysterious drug. Scientists have been studying the effects of Cannabis on those suffering with Alcohol dependence – otherwise known as Alcoholism. Sadly though, despite early reports that those who are alcoholics tend to drink less when the ingest Cannabis, current studies are yielding no results on this front. Despite a dependence on Cannabis being far preferable than a dependence on Alcohol, there is currently no scientific evidence to support the theory that this is in any way a useful study.

  As an anticonvulsant for those who suffer with a Seizure disorder like Epilepsy. Because a high concentration of THC has been found to lessen muscle tremors and spasms in people with Cerebral Palsy or Multiple Sclerosis the studies have gone on to see if the effects when combined with standard anticonvulsant drugs are lessened in any way. To date only one derivative of THC – known as cannabidiol – has been shown to help control seizure activity and lessen their effect on a person’s body. Though it is true that many scientists have strongly disagreeing opinions on the matter of THC’s ability to aid those with a seizure disorder – the cause behind this division is that we do not yet know what if any long term effects of Marijuana on Seizure patients is. Some doctors believe that the long exposure can cause irreparable damage to the patient and potentially even make their symptoms worse.

• Dude, I’ve Got Heavy Metals In My Body! Aluminum (Part 5)

  Posted on August 15th, 2011 How to pass

  Aluminum toxicity can be the cause of many ailments but almost never a suspect. High levels of aluminum in your system can lead to many health problems ranging from brain degeneration to bone deformities. Aluminum is found in our food, water, soil and even the utensils we use to eat and drink. The central nervous system is the most vulnerable when it comes to aluminum toxicity. Symptoms from aluminum poisoning to the nervous system range from sleeplessness, memory loss, headaches, nervousness, emotional problems and impaired intellect. Aluminum can affect your body’s ability to digest and process calcium, phosphorous and fluoride inhibiting bone growth and bone density. Aluminum can actually purge calcium out of the bones resulting in bone brittleness and bone deformities. Another result of high levels of aluminum in your system can be muscle aches, speech problems, digestive problems, kidney problems, anemia, liver problems and colic. You may be exposing yourself to high levels of aluminum without even knowing it. One of the largest sources of aluminum can come from over the counter medicines such as buffered aspirin. People with arthritis can take buffered aspirin and may ingest up to 700 milligrams of aluminum each day. This can be defeating the purpose of the medication by adding to the brittleness of the bones and actually contributing to arthritic pain. Diarrhea and hemorrhoid medicine can also contain aluminum while a typical dose of antacids contain as much as 200 milligrams of aluminum. When acidic foods like tomatoes or citrus fruits are stored in aluminum foil the aluminum can be transferred into the food. As much as 4 milligrams of aluminum can be transferred to each serving of acidic food. Also food cooked in aluminum pots and pans can have the same effects. There are salts containing aluminum that are used as food additives in the United States. These salts are used in cake and pancake mixes, frozen dough, self rising flour and processed cheese. Just one slice of individually wrapped processed cheese can have up to 50 milligrams of aluminum in it. Some times pickles can be treated in an aluminum solution. Aluminum build up in your body tends to congregate in the brain and when the detoxification process begins a person may become confused and disoriented because it is affecting the nerve endings. Also flu like symptoms with fever, mucous and chills will accompany the aluminum detoxification process. Any mucous must be spit out otherwise the aluminum will be absorbed right back into the body. An indication of aluminum toxicity of the brain can be a heightened sensitivity to light or darkness, abnormal sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures, an aversion to noise, touch, movement and odors, feelings of apprehension, inferiority, shame, irritability, embarrassment, or annoyance. To avoid getting too much aluminum into your system you should cut down on things like antacids, antiperspirants, immunizations, prenatal nutrition and dialysis treatments. These are things that have a high amount of aluminum in them but are mostly necessary so intake of aluminum may not be totally avoidable.

  (To Be Continued)

• How it came in our lives – Benzodiazepines

  Posted on August 12th, 2011 How to pass

  Like some of the great discoveries in history, benzodiazepine was found when looking for something else.

  While working on development of tranquilizers in La Roch laboratories in 1954 Dr Sternbach, an Austrian chemist, had discovered benzodiazepine. Initially the substance did not have what was needed, but years later when submitted to pharmacological evaluation it was confirmed that the compound had hypnotic, strong sedative, anxiolytic and muscle relaxant effects, and was rather advanced in comparison to other related drugs. These important characteristics of the drug lead to rather fast introduction to the market. In 1960 United Kingdom was introduced to Librium, and in 1963 USA was introduced to Valium. The first form is chlordiazepoxide, and the latter is diazepam; both were quite commercially successful for a while, but by 1973 there were seventeen, and nowadays there are about thirty different benzodiazepines available in USA and Europe. Further study of benzodiazepine and its derivatives had lead to the creation of many other forms of it which includes nitrazepam (Mogadon) in created in 1965, and flurazepam (Dalmane) in 1973 and alprazolam (Xanax) in the 1980s.

  The substance had become commonly prescribed to treat various complaints like anxiety, panic attacks, depression, insomnia, seizures, muscle spasms, withdrawal from alcohol or other drugs, etc. Benzodiazepine became so popular and was being prescribed to eagerly during 1970-80ss that statistics show that one in every five women and one in every ten men had been prescribed and taken benzodiazepine at some point each year.

  Some of the side effects of taking benzodiazepine are: sedation, feeling of depression, dizziness, loss of orientation, weakness and unsteadiness, headache, etc.

• Medicinal Use: Marijuana Part 4

  Posted on August 11th, 2011 How to pass

  The use of Marijuana as a pain relief, or anti depressant is the main focus of most studies conducted concerning the effects of Marijuana.  For depression however all results at this point are negative. Cannabis, and any synthetic form of Cannabis to date does not currently combat any depressive state someone can find themselves in.

  However, as a pain reducer there is little scientific research showing its effectiveness, but there is a large amount of anecdotal evidence, meaning that subjects in the research groups have used the Cannabis with success, but because the actual harvesting of Cannabis is so unreliable in the sense that we cannot guarantee every harvest has the same strength or is of the same dosage level the science behind the anecdotes is hard to prove. Because it is hard to regulate dosage levels with this particular drug the research is often inconsistent, and in rare cases, the use of Cannabis can actually heighten a person’s sensitivity to pain. There is also no current scientific evidence that cannabis has any direct effect on any of the neural-pathways for pain, whereas other analgesics (painkillers) do have a direct effect, thus proving their worth and usefulness. If there were potential for creating a synthetic cannabis at a specific dosage level and using that specifically a study could be performed, but the research is still too early in the development for any synthetic derivate to be accepted for medical research. But science continues forward with studies and independent research projects every day in the hopes that in the near future we can use THC as a far safer and far less addictive replacement for many of the pain medications on the market today.

• Dude, I’ve Got Heavy Metals In My Body! Mercury (Part 4)

  Posted on August 10th, 2011 How to pass

  By now you may have become familiar with the government warnings not to eat too much fish that you catch in the wild because certain species may contain high amounts of mercury and you may get mercury poisoning if you do so.  There are two types of mercury: organic mercury and inorganic mercury.  Organic mercury is found in fish, produce, farm animals, dairy products, processed grains and water.  The older or larger the fish the more mercury it is likely to contain.  Inorganic mercury is the kind that you find in thermometers, dental fillings, barometers, fluorescent light bulbs, electrical wiring and switches, pesticides, fungicides, paint, vaccines, antiseptic creams, skin tightening creams, pharmaceutical drugs and various ointments.  Either type of mercury accumulating in your body can create a multitude of health problems.

  The human body has the ability to convert inorganic mercury into organic mercury once it has been absorbed into the bloodstream.  Mercury poisoning epidemics in Iraq and Japan have given us a greater understanding of the effects of mercury on the human body.  Over 6,000 people in Iraq were hospitalized and 459 people died as a result of mercury poisoning.  Symptoms in adults ranged from visual and hearing disorders to fatigue, comas and even brain damage.  Children exposed to mercury tainted food showed ailments such as visual and hearing disorders, impairment of motor skills and cognitive functions and emotional problems.

  There has been some research recently indicating that ingesting of mercury is a contributing factor in autism in children.  Mercury found in vaccines is believed to be the cause of an increasing rate of autism in American children.  Studies have found that there is a correlation between complications found in people with mercury poisoning and people with autism.  Mercury poisoning has also been connected with other human ailments such as Parkinson’s disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, and cerebral palsy.

  (To Be Continued)