In addition to the info on Morehouse School of Medicine’s website, there
is also the Black Doctors’ Consortium in Philly which is reaching out to communities of color to help educate folks. They tell them about
their own individual experiences treating, studying and working with
COVID-19.
Also, the CDC provides updated info about your county.
New research indicates that African Americans and other people of color have twice the risk of getting Alzheimer’s due primarily to diet
and lack of proper medical care. With the expected number of folks
estimated to swell just when our health care system may have to
shrink it’s offerings and accessibility, it’s action time, people.
Here are the steps that will get you started:
Our favorite nutrition expert and a woman with a
plan, ChicagoanTracye McQuirter, has a new book
and one of the most thorough and appetizing
plans to improve your dinner table status than
we can remember. We’ve featured her on our
home page for years because we feel like you
would be in good hands with the food info that
she has so smartly put together.
Now we know that some of you are not
interested in giving up meat but there is little
reason to not learn how to make vegetables
equal partners on your plate. If we seasoned
and approached cooking veggies the way we
do meat and seafood, it wouldn’t take long
for them to become healthy preferences.
Tracye’s got an even better deal for this
year we are stepping into. Check out her
site and try out her plan. There is a wonderful
guide to download for free. It will get you
started on putting some soul in your food,
the lite, right way.
On the Discovery channel several years ago, there was
a film showing the activity of sperm on their way up the
vaginal canal to fertilize the egg that had been released
from the ovary. Due to the magic of nanotechnology, we
were able to see the whole process of conception in
living color. Thanks to the dramatic music in the
background this film had all the drama and excitement
of the Indianapolis 500.
The egg swole and burst from the ovary. The 200 to 500
million newly released sperm resembled swirling, jumping
schools of minnows in the ocean. Shaped like tiny tadpoles,
darted and jetted, jumping over each other, as if racing away
from a swarm of hungry sharks toward safe harbor. The first
one to reach the egg was quickly surrounded by her and
engulfed. But that was not the woman’s regular partner.
Turns out that that rapid swim, where each sperm was
determined to get there first, is something that happens
when the sperm are introduced to a new partner. (This
explains how one night stands results in a baby.)
When it’s the regular female partner, the sperm are
more laid back – sort of a “We’ll get there when we get
there” in attitude. Now how do you think those sperm
behave when they’re high? Just chillin’ ?
A Tulane University study found low semen volume (only
a small amount of sperm fluid ejaculated) by cannabis
smokers. It is thought that less than 20 million sperm in
a milliliter (about a teaspoon) is a low semen count.
Studies have shown that weed had a distinct effect on
sperm. Dr. Daniel Mazur at Urology Associates in
Denver, Colorado participated in research that showed
that men who use marijuana more than once a week have
nearly a 30% reduction in sperm count and sperm
concentration. While these early studies show that
the effects of marijuana last five to six weeks even
after they’ve stopped using it. Heavy marijuana use
lowers sperm counts, decreases sperm motility
(basically, their ability to wriggle toward an egg),
and increases sperm malformation.
In a study by a Duke University doctoral student
(at the time), Rose Schrott, there were 177 potential
genetic changes to the gene that is associated with
autism and schizophrenia. Her findings suggest
that there may be a link between the increased
use of cannabis and the increase in cases of
autism. Researchers are currently investigating
links between cannabis use and developmental
problems in offspring of parents who were
chronic users.
According to an NIH study, women were about 40%
less likely to conceive per monthly cycle if they had
used marijuana or hashish in the weeks before
pregnancy than women who had not. While that
was a somewhat small study, the ratio of successful
pregnancies to pregnancy losses in cannabis users
was later compared to a larger study of 1200 women
over 6 months of cycles, with similar results. *
A study at Massachusetts General Hospital showed
that women cannabis users were 2x as likely to experience
pregnancy loss as those who had never used cannabis or
had not used it in the recent past.
It is notable that many of these were first time studies
but areadding to the body of research that indicates
trends. Researchers warn that there is much more
research required for definitive conclusions about
the effects of cannabis on fertility and pregnancy.
*The NIH study can be found here: https://academic.oup.com/humrep/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/humrep/deaa355(link is external)
People are thinking that marijuana is harmless because it has been
legalized in many states. There are at least 100 cannabinoids that
are included under the label of “weed” or “cannabis” but only one
has been approved by the FDA for medical purposes.
Although cannabis is thought of as a substance that calms anxiety,
therapists report that chronic smokers are coming in with concerns
over increased anger, agitation and aggression. Robert L. Page II, Pharm D at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy in Aurora,
Colorado cites a study that notes a trend among cannabis users ages 18 to 44. They are showing a significantly higher risk of having a stroke compared to nonusers. Cannabis is thought to speed up the heart, increasing heart rate and circulation.
Smoking and inhaling cannabis, regardless of THC content, has been associated with cardiomyopathy (heart muscle dysfunction), angina (chest pain), heart attacks, heart rhythm disturbances, sudden cardiac death and other serious cardiovascular conditions.
Even though cannabis is used medically, when smoked it still has
toxicity. In some studies, cannabis smoke is thought to be 3 to 5
times more toxic than tobacco smoke.
