Tag: alcohol

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Moderation

“The dose makes the poison” – attributed to Paracelsus , Swiss physician and chemist from about 500 years ago. The full quote: “All things are poison and nothing is without poison; only the dose makes a thing not a poison.” Even water and oxygen are poisonous in too large a dose. (1)

Modern chemicals are leading to different types of health problems than the classic understanding of toxicity which considers a substance toxic at the dose that would lead to death or cancer or a visible birth defect. One of the examples provided is BPA a chemical found in plastics and now in our environment which is considered safe in the traditional sense of toxicity – it doesn’t lead to cancer or death at small amounts however it may be acting as an endocrine disrupting chemical at very small doses. (1)

BPA acts as an estrogen receptor activator – estrogen is one of the main female hormones. At what dose of birth differences will society be concerned about the health of male infants? Endocrine disruptors including BPA are associated with differences in male sexual organs at birth. (2)

Returning to a research finding mentioned in the Vaping series (part 1, 2, 3), an experimental dose labeled Acute was 20 minutes of vape exposure each day for one week, and an experimental dose labeled chronic was 20 minutes of vape exposure for 3 weeks. (part 3, ref 4:17) Compared to what might be typical for a human both of those doses are pretty low. A human might smoke a half a pack of cigarettes per day – ten cigarettes taking minimally 5-10 minutes to smoke. Other humans might smoke a pack or two or even three packs per day.

A few humans might only smoke one or two cigarettes once a week during an evening out but that is less typical than the daily half a pack smoker. There may be some health benefits however in the smoking one or two during an evening out, if the time is going to be spent in a smoke filled environment. The lungs will increase protective layers of mucous to reduce entry of toxins when there is smoke exposure. Avoiding the smoke exposure altogether would be safest however.

Chronic cannabis smokers develop lung tissue that is less typical of lung tissue that is not chronically exposed to smoke. Emphysema was not associated with cannabis smoking at a rate much different than not smoking while tobacco smoking with or without use of cannabis was associated fairly closely for macroscopic emphysema risk. (3) Coughing, asthma, bronchitis may still remain risks from chronic smoking of cannabis. Infectious risks may also occur from use of water pipes or other types of pipes that aren’t cleaned regularly. (4)

Cleanliness and moderation – both are valuable. Moderation in all things is also valuable. The dose makes the poison whether smoking tobacco or cannabis, drinking water or alcohol, watching TV or playing video games or surfing the internet, even exercise can become a health risk if done excessively or in dangerous settings. Building up physical skills gradually can make exercise safer in various settings however building up a tolerance to some drugs or activities can just leave a person needing larger amounts to achieve the same dopamine excitement.

Dopamine is the main brain neurotransmitter for feelings of reward. Most major addictive substances cause an increase in dopamine directly (cocaine) or indirectly (most of the rest of common addictive substances) . See: Impacts of Drugs on Neurotransmission, (5), (7) It certainly would take less alcohol than water to harm someone or kill and tolerance can also develop to alcohol so more is needed to feel ‘drunk.’ Cocaine tolerance can build up to a point where the dopamine receptors no longer respond to other rewarding stimuli and the person may no longer feel pleasure except with increasing amounts of cocaine/crack.

In small amounts alcohol can have medicinal effects and reduce the stress of an emotional shock or physical trauma. That medicinal amount may be as small as a third of a typical serving size of alcohol, or up to one to two alcoholic beverage servings per day, for a smaller or larger adult. (G11: Alcohol) Often though, the problem is being able to stop at one or two alcoholic beverages as author James Thurber stated eloquently:

“One martini is all right. Two are too many, and three are not enough.”

― James Thurber (died November 2, 1961)

Having an elevated stress level over time may make people more susceptible to addictive behavior. The stress response can become more likely to occur in the future when it has been chronically active in the past, as calming GABA activity is inhibited by the increased activity of dopamine receptors that occurs with stress or addictive behaviors. (12, 13, 14)

How much TV is too much TV? I heard recently on the radio that people in the U.S. spend on average 7000% more time watching TV than working on their finances – so we’re all financially stable then? Or most of us are behind on balancing the checkbook and planning for retirement? The number seems enormous, 7000%, in hours it means we are spending about 70 hours watching TV for every one hour spent looking into our financial health. See: Americans Spend 7000% more time watching TV than they do on their finances, by Brett Arends, (MarketWatch.com)

How much cellphone use is too much cellphone use? (8) That may involve more than dopamine over-stimulation. Chronic exposure to electromagnetic fields including from WiFi and TV sets may be increasing negative health symptoms beyond an addictive use of the electronic devices. Insurance company white papers have deemed the idea of 5G internet in urban areas as “High risk” with unknown health effects. (9) More than 180 scientists have appealed to the European Union to use caution regarding approving 5G installations which would need to be placed almost every block for reception rather than the current cellphone towers which are larger and can be placed at a farther distance from internet users. (10)

The effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields seems to be accumulative and infertility may result in just ten to fifteen years of exposure. Internet use throughout schools from grade school through highschool and college would be ten to fifteen years of exposure. How much infertility is too large a dose of infertility for a population to survive?

Research is limited and more is available about male infertility than effects on female fertility. Increased cellphone use (self-reported) was associated with decreased sperm count, sperm motility, viability and morphology (shape). Cell phone use was grouped into, No use, less than 2 hours per day, 2-4 hours per day, and greater than 4 hours per day. The researchers questioned the number of hours reported for use, however it has become fairly common to have your smartphone with you at all times – and that category – 24 hours per day, seven days per week was not included – and would represent living in a community with 5G installations. (page 257, 11)

Good news – meditation can help reduce the stress response (15), and while it might not help balance your checkbook, it may be a more beneficial way to increase dopamine levels than shopping or TV watching. (16)

Stay tuned for part two – moderation is too large a topic to take in one dose.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of Fair Use. It is not intended to provide individual guidance. Please seek a health care provider for individualized health care guidance.

Reference List

  1. The Dose Makes the Poison Concept, Toxicity, chemicalsafetyfacts.org, https://www.chemicalsafetyfacts.org/dose-makes-poison-gallery/
  2. Sathyanarayana S, Beard L, Zhou C, Grady R. Measurement and correlates of ano-genital distance in healthy, newborn infants. Int J Androl. 2010;33(2):317–323. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2605.2009.01044.x https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2943951/
  3. Aldington S, Williams M, Nowitz M, et al. Effects of cannabis on pulmonary structure, function and symptoms [published correction appears in Thorax. 2008 Apr;63(4):385]. Thorax. 2007;62(12):1058–1063. doi:10.1136/thx.2006.077081 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2094297/
  4. Marijuana “bong” pseudomonas lung infection: a detrimental recreational experience. Repirology Case Reports, Vol 6, Issue 2, Feb 2018, e00293 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/rcr2.293
  5. Impacts of Drugs on Neurotransmission, National Institute on Drug Abuse, drugabuse.gov, https://www.drugabuse.gov/news-events/nida-notes/2017/03/impacts-drugs-neurotransmission
  6. Brett Arends, Americans Spend 7000% more time watching TV than they do on their finances. marketwatch.com, Oct. 19, 2019 https://www.marketwatch.com/story/americans-spend-7000-more-time-watching-tv-than-they-do-on-their-finances-2019-10-18
  7. Yanofski J. The Dopamine Dilemma-Part II: Could Stimulants Cause Tolerance, Dependence, and Paradoxical Decompensation?. Innov Clin Neurosci. 2011;8(1):47–53. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3036556/
  8. De-Sola Gutiérrez J, Rodríguez de Fonseca F, Rubio G. Cell-Phone Addiction: A Review. Front Psychiatry. 2016;7:175. Published 2016 Oct 24. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00175 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5076301/
  9. 5G And The IOT: Scientific Overview Of Human Health Risks, Environmental Health Trust, https://ehtrust.org/key-issues/cell-phoneswireless/5g-networks-iot-scientific-overview-human-health-risks/
  10. EU 5G Appeal – Scientists warn of potential serious health effects of 5G. https://www.jrseco.com/european-union-5g-appeal-scientists-warn-of-potential-serious-health-effects-of-5g/
  11. Health Effects from Radiofrequency Eectromagnetic Fields, Report of the independent Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation, (AGNIR report, April 2012) Documents of the Health Protection Agency, https://www.ices-emfsafety.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/AGNIR_report_2012.pdf
  12. Sinha R. Chronic stress, drug use, and vulnerability to addiction. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2008;1141:105–130. doi:10.1196/annals.1441.030 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2732004/
  13. Beas BS, Wright BJ, Skirzewski M, et al. The locus coeruleus drives disinhibition in the midline thalamus via a dopaminergic mechanism. Nat Neurosci. 2018;21(7):963–973. doi:10.1038/s41593-018-0167-4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6035776/
  14. Van Bockstaele EJ, Reyes BA, Valentino RJ. The locus coeruleus: A key nucleus where stress and opioids intersect to mediate vulnerability to opiate abuse. Brain Res. 2010;1314:162–174. doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2009.09.036 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3274960/
  15. Young SN. Biologic effects of mindfulness meditation: growing insights into neurobiologic aspects of the prevention of depression. J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2011;36(2):75–77. doi:10.1503/jpn.110010 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3044190/
  16. Kjaer TW, Bertelsen C, Piccini P, et al., Increased Dopamine Tone During Meditation-Induced Change of Consciousness. Cognitive Brain Research 13(2):255-9 · May 2002 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/11408344_Increased_Dopamine_Tone_During_Meditation-Induced_Change_of_Consciousness
  17. part 3, ref 4, Laube BL, Afshar-Mohajer N, Koehler K, et al. Acute and chronic in vivo effects of exposure to nicotine and propylene glycol from an E-cigarette on mucociliary clearance in a murine model. Inhal Toxicol. 2017;29(5):197–205. doi:10.1080/08958378.2017.1336585 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5553614/
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nErD does not stand for nearest Emergency room Department

I ran across the term nErD yesterday and I wasn’t sure what it might mean. My first thought as a health professional trained in medical acronyms was that it might have something to do with the ER or Emergency Room Department. In addition to the adult ICU (Intensive Care Unit) there is also a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) but there isn’t a neonatal emergency room department to my knowledge.

To my chagrin after a few seconds of puzzlement I noticed another reference to the term — “nerd” — and I felt like I should probably go see the movie “Revenge of the Nerds” again just as a refresher course.

Emergency Rooms have been on my mind for a while so that might explain my jumping to that idea first. At some point in the past I’ve shared this idea but I’ll reshare it because it could help provide safe and effective health care at an inexpensive price.

A patient can spend a lot of time waiting in an Emergency Department, to be seen or to be treated or for the test results to be ready or for the specialist to stop by. Some of that waiting time could be spent in a relaxing and potentially healing Epsom salt foot soak or bath.

Magnesium deficiency is estimated to be a problem for as many as 70-80% of the U.S. population. It can be an underlying factor in many chronic illnesses and chronic pain conditions and can be involved in acute substance abuse or mental health situations. A foot soak in Epsom salts can take slightly longer than a soak in an Epsom salt bath to achieve results but both can be helpful for relieving muscle cramps and some other types of pain such as migraines. Mental upset due to alcohol or other substance abuse or mental health conditions can also be soothed by soaking in Epsom salts. The amount of time to soak would vary depending on how deficient the person was in magnesium and might even be helpful as a diagnostic screening for magnesium deficiency (the mineral is largely stored within the interior of cells or within the bones so blood tests for magnesium only catch extremely severe cases of magnesium deficiency).

Excessive magnesium absorption can relax the muscles too much and may cause slowing of the heart rate and smooth muscle relaxation can also cause watery bowel movements. A hospital protocol might involve having an attendant start a patient with a non-open wound pain situation or upset mood in an Epsom salt foot soak or bath. The patient would be instructed on the early symptoms of excessive magnesium absorption and to let the attendant know if/when the first fluttery heart beats or relaxation of sphincter muscles was occurring. Typically a 20 minute Epsom salt bath is a good length of time while a forty minute bath might cause excess relaxation. Research suggested the ideal routine for a patient with difficulty absorbing magnesium from dietary sources would be approximately twenty minutes in a bath with one cup of Epsom salts every other day or three to four times per week. Taking the baths more often though can lead to symptoms of excess magnesium occurring sooner than twenty minutes, based on my personal experience with Epsom salt baths.

Alcohol and some other substances that are used excessively can cause magnesium deficiency which can cause irritability and even increase the risk for violence.

So if you or a loved one is upset or in pain that is not due to an open wound then it is possible that a trip to your bathroom for a Epsom salt bath might be soothing enough to skip a trip to the nearest Emergency room Department (you know, the nErD).

Excerpt from a previous post with more info about safely taking Epsom salt baths:

Time for an Epsom bath perhaps.

Epsom salt baths can be a well absorbed source of magnesium because skin absorption will bypass a problem of poor intestinal absorption of magnesium. Calcium tends to be preferentially absorbed by the intestines, especially when there is an imbalance in vitamin and hormone D levels and poor intestinal absorption of magnesium over time can easily lead to symptoms of magnesium deficiency. Symptoms of magnesium deficiency are usually labeled something else by the medical profession because the problem is not obvious on lab tests until it is quite severe because the body takes more magnesium from the bones as needed up until the point where osteoporosis is severe  enough to cause a shortage of stored magnesium.

Soaking in a bathtub for twenty minutes that has one cup of Epsom salt to a half full bathtub, and one teaspoon of a cooking vinegar such as apple cider vinegar to balance the alkalinity of the Epsom salt, can be a cure for a bad mood as well as various achy muscle cramps if magnesium deficiency is an underlying problem. Negative symptoms can occur if you stay in the bath too long. Excess magnesium absorption can cause loose watery stools for an entire day, not just once. Falling asleep in the bath can also lead to more life threatening symptoms of a weak, and fluttery heart rate, or even lead to coma and/or death — so twenty minutes to forty minutes is probably safe for a deficient person while someone who isn’t deficient might notice a weak slowing heart rate sooner than the twenty minute average that a person deficient in magnesium might find only as calming and soothing to  their mood and muscles. A person who was deficient but who then started taking the baths regularly might start noticing the weak heart rate sooner — get out of the tub then, even if its not been twenty minutes — shower and rinse time. Research on the therapeutic use of Epsom salt baths recommended one cup Epsom salt to the half full/full bath and use up to three to four times per week, but not daily.

I can’t find the actual research study {here it is: http://george-eby-research.com/html/absorption_of_magnesium_sulfate.pdf } among the following posts of mine (see below) but Dr. Oz has an article on the baths also and recommends the twenty minutes a few times a week also: [http://blog.doctoroz.com/oz-experts/restoring-magnesium-levels-with-epsom-salt-baths]

Disclaimer: Opinions are my own and the information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes.

 

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A few perinatal tips that may help reduce risk of autism for the expected infant

The term Perinatal generally refers to the one to three months prior to conception. A woman might be advised about healthy diet and exercise habits during perinatal health education and would likely be encouraged to take a prenatal vitamin supplement during a time when she is trying to conceive.

The summary of potential risks associated with autism in the last post suggest that there are two basic groups of health tips for reducing risk of autism perinatally or prenatally:

  • tips for avoiding toxins from the environment; or for reducing internal production of toxins that are a result of the stress response, or are due to undiagnosed metabolic defects;
  • and tips for increasing intake of healthy nutrients; or strategies for identifying and treating any undiagnosed metabolic defects or low-grade chronic infections that may be causing nutrient imbalances or deficiencies.

This first set of tips will focus more on avoiding toxins from the environment and includes primarily recommendations that are already standard for perinatal or prenatal health.

For a woman of reproductive age:

  1. Don’t have unprotected sex after drinking a Rum and Diet Cola that is sweetened with aspartame/Nutrasweet.
  2.  Don’t have unprotected sex after drinking a Rum and regular cola either or any other beverages that contain alcohol.
  3. After drinking a Diet beverage that is sweetened with aspartame/Nutrasweet, don’t have unprotected sex with a male partner who has been drinking alcohol in excess. (A male’s alcohol intake during the few days prior to sexual relations may increase a baby’s risk for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome so it may also be involved in the infant’s risk for autism – more research is needed but in the meantime we do know conclusively that alcohol and Nutrasweet isn’t good for fetuses. Males produce sperm throughout their lives while women develop a large number of eggs during the fetal stage which are then released one or a few at a time each month throughout her reproductive years, approximately from age 10-12 through age 45-55. A woman’s health habits during a pregnancy with a female fetus will be affecting the health of any potential grandchildren that the daughter may have later in her life.)
  4. A regular cola or root beer may be better choices for beverages to drink before having unprotected sex. Brominated vegetable oil may be a food additive in citrus flavored beverages such as Mountain Dew and the chemical is in the same group as the flame retardant polybrominated diphenyl ethers which have been associated with brain development problems in children, fertility problems, and increased risk for hypothyroidism and cancer.[http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/20130129/brominated-vegetable-oil-qa?page=2]
  5. If you are a woman with leprosy being treated with thalidomide then do your best to not have unprotected sex, possibly invest in a longterm family planning method such as an IUD or Essure for use during the treatment with thalidomide.
  6. If you are a woman being treated with valproic acid for bipolar disorder, migraines or for some other reason then do your best to not have unprotected sex, possibly invest in a longterm family planning method such as an IUD or Essure for use during the treatment with valproic acid.
  7. If you are a woman being treated for autoimmune disease, hypothyroidism, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, or depression then it may be a good idea to not have unprotected sex at least while your disease is in a more severe stage. It might be a good idea to invest in a longterm family planning method such as an IUD or Essure for use while you’re being treated for a severe chronic disease or mental illness. Rubella, cytomegalovirus, stress, and allergic reactions have also been associated with increased risk for autism, so avoiding unprotected sex during acute sickness, stress, or allergy flair-ups might also be a good idea.
  8. In case you missed the theme – try to avoid having unprotected sex unless you are healthy and toxin free and your partner is also – it is not easy to grow a baby. And if you are in a relationship with someone who is not willing to discuss or plan for a safer pregnancy then it may be worth ending the relationship or seeking help. [http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-sexassault-coercion-idUSKCN0R42CD20150904] (In the U.S. call the National Domestic Violence Hotline for support and referrals: 1-800-799-7233 | 1-800-787-3224 (TTY), http://www.thehotline.org/ )

The perinatal time period is a time to prepare a healthy and welcoming environment so the egg and sperm will be able to successfully implant as a healthy little zygote (the fetal stage where the egg and sperm have combined into a single cell). “One-half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unintended.” – Population Connection [From a handout: “Our Mission At Population Connection is Critical!,” 15AK-1l]

If we hope to reduce the rate of children born in the U.S. who later develop autism, and it is a problem that develops during the early weeks of pregnancy, then we really need to reduce the rate of unintended pregnancies. If autism is able to be prevented in the first week of pregnancy then women will need to either always be healthy and ready for an unexpected pregnancy (because rapists wouldn’t want their love power-and-domination-child to be autistic, surely?) or women will need to plan and prepare before trying to become pregnant so that their body will be as healthy and as ready to receive the implantation of the zygote as possible.

/Disclosure: This information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes./