For some people, marijuana — also known as cannabis — is a wonder drug. Some consider it a relatively harmless recreational drug. The truth? The active chemical compounds found in marijuana, either alone or in combination, can have beneficial and harmful effects on a person’s physical and mental health and fitness. These effects can vary significantly depending on the product being consumed, the manner of consumption, and the individual. Adding to the argument, two people sharing the same product can experience vastly different sensations. What makes one individual feel more outgoing and creative can make another feel anxious and paranoid. What stimulates one person’s appetite can make another feel nauseous or give a third person indigestion or heart palpitations. With marijuana, this adage holds true: If it’s strong enough to produce a positive effect, it’s strong enough to produce negative side effects, as well. In this post, we provide an […]
Digestive System
Effective Treatment for Gastrointestinal and Bowel Disorders When you see a primary care physician for chronic indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, or some other gastrointestinal issue, he or she is likely to prescribe medication to treat the symptoms. If those symptoms persist, you’ll probably get a referral to a gastroenterologist, who may prescribe other medications and possibly order an endoscopy, colonoscopy, ultrasound, or CT scan. Unfortunately, diagnostic digital imaging rarely turns up any evidence of the real problem because it’s looking at the wrong thing. Gastrointestinal disorders usually are less about your body and more about what’s living inside your body — the trillions of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, and fungi/yeast) living in your gastrointestinal tract (your gut, for short). When balanced, this diverse population of microorganisms (commonly referred to as your microbiome) is essential for breaking down the foods you eat and facilitating the absorption of nutrients. Some microorganisms even produce nutrients
According to a 2013 study published in The Journal of the Polish Biochemical Society, for the 10 years spanning 2003 to 2013, candida yeast infections (a type of fungal infection) increased by a factor of 15. And while conventional medicine practitioners have long recognized candida infection as a condition that requires treatment, the role that candida overgrowth plays in the development of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases has remained largely unnoticed. As a result, many patients continue to suffer from a wide variety of chronic health conditions unnecessarily. Even more alarming is the simple fact that most patients are never even tested for candida overgrowth. What Conventional Medical Doctors Know About Candida Candida overgrowth gets much more press in the context of alternative medicine than it does in conventional medicine, so it’s often thought of as outside the mainstream. However, conventional medicine doctors do recognize the role it plays in a
There ought to be an Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) Appreciation Day. After all, our ANS works around the clock to keep us alive. It regulates body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, digestion and metabolism, blood glucose and acidity levels, and water and electrolytes, as well as swallowing, coughing, sneezing, and bladder control. And it does all this without requiring any conscious effort on our part. Oh, and it’s also responsible for the body’s fight-or-flight response to perceived dangers. We owe our lives to our ANS. Yet, it’s one of the most ignored and neglected systems in the human body. Whenever we suffer from low or high blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat, breathing difficulties, blood glucose dysregulation, poor digestion, or a bladder control issue, the last thing we consider is the possibility that ANS dysfunction could be the cause. This is especially true of digestive dysfunctions. The medical community has
For many people, a bit of heartburn in the middle of the night from a double burger with cheese and extra mayo at dinner can be remedied by chewing a couple of dry antacid tablets. Between these chalky tablets and that little purple pill endlessly advertised on Matlock and Murder, She Wrote television reruns, the problem appears solved. Almost instantly. And when we say heartburn, we’re also referring to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), acid reflux, and ulcers. But here’s the thing. Yes, those over-the-counter cures do the trick for many sufferers, but have you considered the potential impact on your health? We’re talking about cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and even cancer. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently recalled the prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) ranitidine medication commonly known by the brand name Zantac. The feds said their scientists discovered a probable human carcinogen — a substance
There ought to be a Liver Appreciation Day. The liver is not only the largest solid organ in the body, but it is the only organ that can regenerate. And it performs more than 500 functions in the body, including filtering and eliminating toxins from the blood, producing bile (to break down fats), making proteins and blood plasma, turning excess glucose into glycogen for storage, and facilitating the clotting of blood. Unfortunately, the liver is susceptible to a wide range of factors that can negatively impact its health and function — factors that cause different types of liver disease, which can be grouped by cause: Liver diseases caused by viruses, such as hepatitis Liver cancer Liver diseases, including cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), caused by alcohol, drugs, or other toxins Inherited liver diseases, such as hemochromatosis and Wilson disease Fatty liver disease (an accumulation of excess fat in the liver),