In the News: Dont hurt your ovaries.

Ok, this is great. In opposition to an ongoing campaign against Saudi women being allowed  to drive, a Saudi Cleric has announced that there is some scientific evidence behind womens ovaries being negatively affected by being behind the wheel. "If a woman drives a car not out of pure necessity, that could have negative physiological impacts as functional and physiological medical studies show that it automatically affects the ovaries and pushes the pelvis upwards. That is why we find those who regularly drive have children with varying problems of different degrees." Ridiculous? Yes. Where is the evidence for this you may ask? The world waits to see it. Time Magazine newsfeed featured this story today which has created quite a stir across the world. Twitterland has already adopted  #drivingaffectsyourovariesandpelvis. A group of Saudi women activists have set October 26, 2013 as a day to defy the ban on women driving. They have collected thousands of signatures on their petition: www.oct26driving.com. Power to them. My prayers and hopes for freedom to drive and, really everything they want to do goes out to them. This is a fight that should not be.

See the Time article here

Krokodil.....Not your average Crocodile!

SCARY NEW DRUG ALERT!!!!

I promised to review new "recreational" drugs with crazy names. So as promised, here is installment #1: Krokodil

This one is big, bad and very literally ugly. Krokodil is a drug containing several things: Desomorphine (8-10x more potent than morphine and easily synthesized from codeine), red phosphorous and iodine and occasionally other additives. It originated in Russia in 2010 and is more recently being seen spreading in the USA. The problem with this particular drug is that it is made similarly to Heroin and it is often highly impure, containing highly toxic and corrosive byproducts. Whereas heroin lasts for 4-8 hours, the high from this drug only lasts 1.5 hours, increasing its likelihood for addiction formation.

What happens when you ingest corrosive things? Your skin falls off.

You heard me correctly. Krokodil gained its name because of its very characteristic side effect of flesh "eating", severe tissue damage, gangrene and phlebitis (inflammation of the vessels) in some cases resulting in amputation.  The amount of tissue damage can be so extensive that an addict's life expectancy while on this drug is reduced to 2-3 years. Images were too graphic for me to post on this blog but feel free to google krokodil.

Alarming? Yes. One may say that the outrageous side effects would reduce how popular this drug becomes but remember when Bath Salts became associated with psychosis and cannibalistic rage? Sadly that didn't make that drug any less popular.

Look out for this one. Scary Stuff.

Funny of the Day

Image via www.natescartoons.blogspot.com

Can eating mango lower your blood sugar?

Can eating mango lower your blood sugar? That is the question on researcher 's (and frankly, mine too) minds. A recent study by associate professor at Oklahoma State University, Dr. Edralin Lucas, Phd provides a small glimpse at the answer to this burning question.

20 obese (BMI > 30) subjects were chosen at random (11 women, 9 men) and given 100g (roughly 1/2 a mango) in freeze dried form once daily in addition to their normal diets daily for 12 weeks.  Body composition and other parameters such as blood sugar, blood pressure etc were measured before and after. Blood sugar levels at the conclusion of the study were significantly lower than baseline in all subjects.

Mangoes are high in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and they sure are delicious.  Still trying to locate the original study to figure out what KIND of mangoes they used.

Does this mean you should run out and eat all the mangoes your belly can contain cause they are SO healthy for you? At 100-130 calories per 1 average sized mango, it's significantly higher in calorie than most fruits so go easy. Eat responsibly. With your hands!

The 4th Trimester Bodies Project

This one is a beautiful one. A normal pregnancy lasts for 3 Trimesters. An inspirational and ongoing photo project called The 4th Trimester Project is "dedicated to embracing the beauty inherent in the changes brought to our bodies by motherhood, childbirth and breastfeeding."  The Gallery is thoughtfully referred to as "Stretches, Stripes & Scars." After a woman has a baby can be a beautiful time fraught with many changes. Women face dramatic emotional,  physical and just-plain-life changes while learning how to care for their new life. This project provides a very real window into those changes with raw footage of post-baby bodies and the little lives who came from them. Love it.

Access the 4th Trimester Body Project here

In the press: Huffington Post

Images via The 4th Trimester Project website.

In The News: Fighting Fire with Fire

Fighting Fire with Fire. How far would you allow your doctor to go to save your child from a life-threatening illness? In this groundbreaking short documentary entitled Fire with Fire doctors inject a child with HIV to fight her cancer. It's amazing, humbling and will render you speechless. A disease that has killed so many can potentially save lives. Nature never ceases to amaze!  Take a few minutes to watch this, you won't be disappointed.

Funny of the Day

Drugs, Drugs, Drugs (The Recreational Ones!)

Molly, Purple Drank, Skittles, Triple C's, China Girl, Goodfella, TNT, K2, Spice, Zen, Aztec Thunder, Salvia.

How many of those drugs have you heard of? These are all common street names for illegal, over-the-counter, herbal and/or unclassified drugs with severe side effects. For Healthcare Professionals, being able to identify street drugs by appearance and name is vital for accurate diagnosis and treatment in emergencies. For Parents, Church Leaders, Youth Leaders and the rest of the planet, we. just. have. to. know. Knowledge is power.

Drugs are evolving faster than most can keep up with....Keep an eye out on this blog for an upcoming series looking at what's out there, what the damage is and what it looks like.

App Alert: Emmi

Emmi offers something we all need. "Patient Engagement Solutions". Embracing technology to provide more information for patients in their own surroundings, on their own time, in simple words and graphics. During each video, there are opportunities to "flag" things they may need to ask more details on from the doctor. Data is sent to the physician with regards to time and date information was accessed and if any details are needed. Innovative and cool interactive Encyclopedia. Information can be tailored based on specific disease process or procedure needed. Great way to engage the patient. I've written for more information and pricing. Check out the LINK and then click to view a free demo.

Can eating Sweet Peppers help prevent Parkinsons Disease?

Can Sweet Peppers ward off Parkinsons disease? That's the question on the minds of researchers. A recent study has suggested that the fairly high levels of nicotine present in peppers are associated with a lower risk of developing parkinsons disease. The same inverse relationship was noted in smokers. Regular (daily) smokers have a generally lower risk of developing parkinsons disease. Peppers are in the same botanical family as tobacco. There are even studies that suggest that secondhand smoke may even reduce risk of parkinsons disease to some extent. The potentially protective effect of the peppers in the study was mainly in people who had little to no history of smoking. Clearly, more research is needed on this topic but its an intriguing theory.