The Power of Pumpkin

November 5, 2014

The Power of Pumpkin

Existing in a variety of sizes, tastes and colors, pumpkin is one of the most powerful yet easily ignored types of food throughout the globe. In the Americas in particular, folks more often use it as a core component in celebration of the Halloween festivities.

For many youngsters in this continent, pumpkin is more of a tool for the celebrations and place it at the heart of this liturgical spree. Despite the worldwide variety of items of celebration used during the Halloween festivals, to these teen-agers curving the squash is their only activity.

There is no measure to the extent of what these people and their likes the world over are missing. Reasons are different for not taking this form of gourd seriously. To some people it just ‘not that tasty’. In other parts of the world too, especially those places which often experience heavy rains and that are characterized with marshy conditions; the pumpkin often blossoms but is mostly watery and less tasty- giving the 21^st century typicals all the reason to dislike it.

If only they knew the power of the pumpkin. If only they could fully understand the complete nutritional value that the gourd contains. I highly doubt if in their correct states of mind they would throw away even the curved remains from the Halloween merriments.

pumpkin_headline

Nutritional values

If English acknowledges ‘super-food’ as a naming word, then pumpkin deserves that merit. It is not just the meat we are talking about here. We are actually referring to the whole thing, the whole pumpkin thing. Perhaps you are aware of the meaty part of it and a little about how valuable it is said to be.

Well, you know little. The seeds are no less important that the yummy body. In fact, they have far more content in small concentrated volumes than you might have ever fathomed. Those seeds alone produce a nutritious oil with intense flavor and when mixed with olive oil or honey, no culinary additive could taste better. It gives you a delicacy of a salad dressing. Hidden in that delicious taste is a wealth of essential minerals; essentially Zinc, omega-3 fatty acids as well as carotenoids.

No one knows this secret better than the Austrians. They consider the pumpkin seed oil with high regard and add it to several varieties of dishes. Nothing leaves it out, not even the ice cream!

The seeds aside, Pumpkin flesh is a rich source of high fiber. It is also high in vitamins E and C along with minerals including potassium and magnesium. This form of gourd has an astounding amount of carotenoids in different varieties. One thing you might as well marvel about: it is just one of the richest natural sources of these crucial phytonutrients.

Medicinal value of the pumpkin

pumpkin For centuries the seeds of this culinary product have been used to alleviate various functional gastrointestinal disorders, the well-known disorder it has cured over time being the Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

The oil extracted from these seeds help in controlling the levels of cholesterol in the body, get rid of intraintestinal parasites and maintain good prostate health. It is also instrumental in dealing with depression given that it contains considerable amounts of the L-tryptophan.

The mineral Zinc is useful to persons with brittle bones while the oil also prevents kidney stones.

Considering that pumpkin contains rich amounts of carotenoids, it is essential for the prevention or dealing with cancer cases. Not only that, this dietary component is also associated with lower risks of other life threatening diseases such as blindness, heart disease, and cataracts. This is due to the fact that pumpkin has both of beta-carotene and alpha-carotene in rich amounts.

With the alpha-carotene you are assured of protection against a number of cancers while it keeps you young by guarding against aging.

The two forms of carotene when converted into vitamin A inside the body, the product plays a fundamental role in immunity as well as growth and development. The possibility of buildup of cholesterol in the body is prevented by the beta-carotene as a powerful anti-inflammatory agent and antioxidant. This helps with protection from heart attack and stroke.

Good thing is, with the diverse variety of pumpkins around the world, you do not have to struggle with the species that do not go well with your taste glands. There are certain varieties that are quite delicious, when admittedly certain other varieties are not. So, go for the sweet one, and have your nutritional as well as medicinal benefits in one piece. The butternuts are a great preference if you are among those who consider the taste a priority.

The Power of Pumpkin

Combatting Cold Sores during the Holiday Season

November 5, 2014

Combatting Cold Sores during the Holiday Season

Cold-sore-triggers Holiday seasons are the time to come together among several families. Those married couples who work far apart are able to join together with the rest of their families at home or take the time out to go camping or just touring around.

The main idea here is coming together. For many fathers whose jobs are highly involving, this is the time to show your kids that daddy love.

You want to carry your kids around, peppering them with kisses often- time for cementing that paternal bond!

The problem is that it becomes hard to combat infectious diseases at such moments. If a research was to be done to assess the situation, hardly would anyone want to have such diseases during the holiday seasons. Reason is simple: it becomes so difficult to control them.

How do you show your love when you cannot mingle freely with them? How will you put them close when at the same time you wish to protect them from contacting the infectious virus you are fighting? At the end your entire liberty is stifled and you find yourself at a fix, especially in the Western cultures where the show of affection is mostly through close body contact.

Menace of the Herpes Virus

Infection by the herpes simplex virus in the middle of your holiday season may be catastrophic. Hanging around your family with your lips, mouth and/or your gums full of sores may not be very comfortable. You will be experiencing painful small sores on the same organ you wish to use to demonstrate care to your loved ones.

The most difficult part is that a person suffering from the herpes labialis can easily transmit these viruses through simple act of kissing or even from sharing the same cup of coffee or glass of a drink. Adults will generally transmit the herpes virus to their spouses and siblings through the simple body fluid– saliva.

If not approached carefully, an entire small family may end up being infected with the virus within a very short span of time.

Treatment and control

Good news however, is that this infection is curable. It has varieties of treatments available that can temporarily alleviate its symptoms. A number of over-the counter creams may be used to control the virus so you do not have to make a mess of your holiday season. With such a cream option you can be certain to get well just right before commencing the holiday celebrations with your family.

cold-sore

Considerable amount of caution is necessary when dealing with this viral disease. Stress is one of the most dangerous conditions that may antagonize recovery from cold sores in your holiday period. Stress usually releases harmful toxins that impedes the body’s normal workings.

As a patient of cold sores you are likely to suffer anxiety that is related to the attack whose effects are likely to overwhelm the immune system. This way the body may respond to healing process ineffectively. It is thus recommended that you avoid by all means actions or circumstances that may increase such stress levels or that may make you depressed.

The idea is: keep calm and give room for your immune system to perform its work. It will be easier that way to gain full recovery on your efforts to combat the condition.

Combating cold sores also involves ingesting essential nutrients including vitamin E, vitamin C as well as Zinc oxide. Vitamin C may always have adverse side effects and should therefore be consumed under clear instructions from your physician.

Meanwhile, it is highly recommended that you exercise as much as possible and change your eating habits to favor the fight against the disease. Nascent oxygen is one essential requirement and adequate exercises will help you with just that.

Combatting Cold Sores during the Holiday Season

Providing Understanding on Salvia divinorum and Kratom Mitragyna

September 28, 2014

Salvia divinorum and Kratom Mitragyna

Salvia divinorum is a plant from the mint family. It’s a species of sage and is grown in the Mazatec region of the Sierra Madre Mountains in Oaxaca, Mexico. It contains a substance called salvinorin-A, which is the most potent naturally occurring vision inducer. Salvia has large green leaves with white and purple flowers that typically grow in large clusters to more than 3 feet in height. The most effective component of this herb helps it in inducing hallucinations and today Salvia divinorum is the most potent naturally occurring hallucinogenic chemical. The use of Salvia divinorum began long ago among the people of Mexico. It was used for medicinal as well as spiritual purposes.

In Oaxaca, Mexico Salvia divinorum is a highly valued herb and they called it the “leaf of prophecy,” Diviner’s Sage, or Yerba de Maria because they believed it was the incarnation of the Virgin Mary. To them the Virgin Mary had reincarnated into Salvia divinorum and so you can picture how holy they treated this plant. The Mazatec people treat the plant with respect, praying to it before cutting it. American kids pretend it’s a party drug even though it doesn’t have the recreational effects of other drugs or alcohol. It’s best used for meditative states, spiritual purposes and exploring consciousness. Not for “partying.” It does not induce euphoria in those using it and so it is not suited as a party drug.

Salvia divinorum and Kratom Mitragyna

This herb can be used in various forms; it can be crushed and then the juice is then squeezed in a glass and mixed with water, it can be smoked and it can also be vaporized. The Mazatec people mostly chew and swallow fresh leaves re-hydrated dried leaves can be used as well. 26 leaves is a common dose, but the size of the leaves vary greatly. The effects come from the juice which is absorbed through mouth tissue, so it’s good to hold the leaves in your cheeks for as long as possible. This is to allow you to absorb more of the components of this herb. The Mazatec will sometimes crush the leaves on a stone into a pulp and squeeze the pulp to produce juice which is added to water, but this produces a weaker effect. It is also effective when vaporized, where the dosage should be 1 milligram or less. There are different ways of taking this herb and so every user can choose the method that works best for him.

Those who have taken Salvia can sometimes induce visions with spirals and recursions, loss of physical self, a feeling of being connected to the entire universe, a sense of understanding and peace, and severe distortions of time and space, sometimes traveling to other worlds or dimensions. It’s sometimes described as an entheogen, a word that comes from Greek, loosely translated as “making possible contact with the divine within.”

Salvia peaks in one to three minutes after smoking it and the effects when smoked last for five to 20 minutes. But taken orally, it’ll take 10 to 20 minutes to kick in and can last from 15 minutes to over 3 hours. So taking it orally is much better than smoking it. Most of those who try it for the first time roll it like cigarettes but this is not effective but instead leaves a person feeling dizzy. When taken for the first time it may impact differently. To some people it does not cause any effect in them but to some people it will cause intense effect that sometimes makes them stop after taking it once.

Some of the effects of Salvia

The most effective component in Salvia is salvinorin A, binds on the on the kappa opioid receptors in the brain, causing an altered perception of reality. The kappa opioid receptor is thought to have a role in pain control and certain psychiatric disorders. Hence it may possibly have an effect on pain. Some of the effects that come after using salvia include visual distortions, hallucinations, intense dissociation and disconnectedness from reality, physical or visual impairment, disorientation and dizziness. Synesthesia is possible, where physical sensations become intertwined and it is possible to “hear” colors or “smell” sounds!

Salvia is not regulated in most countries and so used without fear of intimidation from authorities but is a handful of states it has been outlawed. However there are discussions whether to regulate it or not.

Kratom Mitragyna

Kratom Mitragyna Kratom refers to the plant Mitragyna speciosa Korth .Is a plant that is mainly grown in Thailand. The Mitragyna genus, part of the family Rubiaceae, is found in tropical and sub-tropical regions of Asia and Africa. This plant is used for medicinal purposes in Thailand but is also used for its fine timber products. When used for medicinal purposes, the dominant effects seem to be similar to opiate drugs, and include analgesia and cough suppression. These opiate-like effects appear to be mediated mostly by delta and mu opioid receptors. In lower dosages, mitragynine exhibits a yohimbine-like binding to alpha-adrenergic receptors, as well as some binding to the delta opioid receptors. As doses increase, binding to delta receptors increases, and in yet higher doses, crossover to mu receptors occurs.

Possible Side effects

Using this mitragynine may result in a reduction in smooth muscle tone, local anesthesia, and central nervous system depression. It also causes dry mouth, increased urination, loss of appetite, and constipation coupled with small, blackish stools. However it does not cause vomiting nor nausea as common with opiates. When used heavily it may cause prolonged sleep.
It also causes anorexia and weight loss, insomnia, and a darkening of the skin, particularly on the cheeks. It also reduces sexual desire when used for a long time and is addictive when used in high doses. Addicts show such withdrawal symptoms as hostility, aggression, wet nose, inability to work, flow of tears, muscle and bone aches, and jerky limb movement. With all these side effects it’s therefore safe to avoid using Kratom Mitragyna.

Finally, Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an experienced doctor who has been in the frontline fighting drug addiction. He runs a website that equips readers of better ways to overcome not only drug addiction but also serious health problems that have caused nightmares to the world population. Get in touch with her today and learn more.

Salvia divinorum and Kratom Mitragyna

25-Nbome Series Are Deadly Hallucinogens

September 28, 2014

25-Nbome Series Are Deadly Hallucinogens

N-Bombs are members of the NBOMe ‘family’ of drugs. These drugs are very powerful hallucinogens, similar to LSD. However the way a person feels may be different from what another feels after using LSD. LSD is said to be much safer than 25-NBOMe Series. These drugs when taken changes the way a person see objects and reality. A person will see things that are not even in existent. It is however very funny that these drugs are majorly abused by people simply because the make you hallucinate. When a person uses this drug he is taken on a trip. This trip involves moments when a person feels like he is supernatural, he sees things that are not normally seen, he feels like he has broken all the boundaries of his mind and begins to understand how certain things work the way they do. However the trip can be good or bad, bad trips may take too long and cause a person to behave abnormally which may force him to be taken to hospital. When in good trips a person sees things that make him feel on top of his world, he becomes very contemplative. The colors become strong and everything seems bright. A feeling of happiness and euphoria is common and a person may laugh a lot.

25-NBOMe

The alterations in the senses of a user differ greatly. At times the distortions may pleasant, but sometimes very frightening (these are called ‘bad trips’). It may also become hard for a person to tell whether something is in motion or not. Something may seem to be in high speed while in real sense they are not even moving. Color, sound and objects can get distorted and you can experience double vision. N-Bomb‘s are also related to the 2C ‘family’ of compounds.

In most countries the use of the N-Bombs is illegal and anybody who is found in possession of these drugs can be jailed for quite a long time. The drugs are classified as Class A drugs. This therefore means that their use is banned. The decision to ban the use of these drugs came up when it was known that unlike the LSD that was thought of as a friendly hallucinogen the N-Bombs had severe effects on the users and even caused death. This means that in many countries today, if the police arrest you in possession of N-Bombs, they’ll always take some action. This could include a formal caution, arrest and prosecution.

Sold As Blotters and Tabs

N-Bombs were often sold as tiny squares of paper. These tiny squares are commonly called “tabs” or “blotters”. Blotters can come in various sizes, shapes, colors and designs. They were also sold in spray, powder and liquid form. It is possible that they will continue to be available in these forms now that they are illegal. The sellers of these drugs are often determined to find ways that they can use to peddle these drugs without being caught by the authorities. Do not be surprised when you hear that they are now sold branded as ‘phone screen cleaner’ or any other funny name. They are looking for better ways to beat the authorities and continue to reap large in this business.

25i_nbome It is reported that N-Bombs don’t work if swallowed, so they are usually placed under the tongue or held in the cheeks, where they are absorbed by the lining of the mouth. They can also be sniffed if in their powder form or absorbed via the nose or mouth if a spray form is used. The longer it is kept in the mouth the better for those using it. Just like other hallucinogens there are a myriad ways through which it can be taken but there are cases that have been reported that snorting the drug is not so safe given that so many people who have been found killed by this drug had snorted it.

N-Bombs are very strong, with only a small amount needed to have an effect. The average dose of the N-Bomb 25I-NBOMe is between 0.00005 and 0.0001gram. Because of this it can be easy to overdose if you are using the powder or liquid forms of N-Bombs. The strength it has also makes it much cheaper as you will only need a smaller size of blotters compared to the size you would need to buy when using LSD.

When a person takes this drug the first feeling comes in at 15 minutes, with a sensation things have definitely changed. This vague feeling will lead to a heightening awareness and pupil dilation. Patterns are most visible. The stitching of your clothes, the veins on a leaf, the design of a ceiling tile. After 45 minute, it will have really set in. Edges will start gaining a fringe. At first it will be as if heat is distorting your vision, then the fringes gain color. There will be peaks and falls in between the first ten hours during a time that what you will see will be very difficult to tell to another person. The climax of these hallucinations will be marked by fractal patterns and pupil dilation. The use of these drugs has caused many deaths mostly because they are so strong that even a slight overdose leads to death. Needless to mention the doses are not easy to control.

Finally, Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an experienced doctor who has been in the frontline fighting drug addiction. He runs a website that equips readers of better ways to overcome not only drug addiction but also serious health problems that have caused nightmares to the world population. Get in touch with her today and learn more.

25-Nbome Series Are Deadly Hallucinogens

Synthetic cannabinoid Receptor Agonists

September 27, 2014

Synthetic cannabinoid Receptor Agonists

Synthetic cannabinoid Receptor Agonists are also known as spice. These are a collection of herbs or plant material which has been sprayed with synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists, often referred to as synthetic cannabinoids, producing a cannabis-like effect when smoked. Today there are more than one type of cannabinoids that have been identified but they are all active as they mimic the psychoactive effects of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the active principle in cannabis. Most compounds come from the JWH chemical family, such as JWH-018.

For emphasis it is good to repeat that these synthetic cannabinoids are functionally similar to tetrahydrocannabinol often shortened as THC. THC is the most active principle of cannabis. Like THC, they bind to the same cannabinoid receptors in the brain and other organs as the endogenous ligand anandamide. More correctly designated as cannabinoid receptor agonists, they were initially developed over the past forty years as therapeutic agents, often for the treatment of pain. However, it proved difficult to separate the desired properties from unwanted psychoactive effects.

Synthetic cannabinoid

In the past years especially in the late 2008, several cannabinoids were detected in herbal smoking mixtures and incense as well as room odorisers. Typical of these were Spice Gold, Spice Silver and Yucatan Fire, but many other products later appeared. They do not contain tobacco or cannabis but when smoked, produce effects similar to those of cannabis. These products are typically sold via the Internet and in ‘head shops’. The spices are therefore as dangerous as cannabis and so should be avoided.

The fact that these spices are referred to as synthetic cannabinoids does not mean that they are similar to the real cannabinoids in all aspects in fact most of these synthetic cannabinoids are not related to the real cannabinoids in structure and hence though they can mimic the activities of the cannabinoids but they may work in a way that will cause more harm. The cannabinoid receptor agonists form a diverse group, but most are lipid soluble and non-polar, and consist of 22 to 26 carbon atoms. This therefore means that they would therefore volatilize readily when smoked. A common structural feature is a side-chain, where optimal activity requires more than four and up to nine saturated carbon atoms. The synthetic cannabinoids can be classified into seven major structural groups. These groups are;

Naphthoylindoles (e.g. JWH-018, JWH-073 and JWH-398).
Phenylacetylindoles (i.e. benzoylindoles, e.g. JWH-250).
Cyclohexylphenols (e.g. CP 47,497 and homologues of CP 47,497).
Classical cannabinoids (e.g. HU-210).

Other cannabinoid receptor agonists include substances such as oleamide. Oleamide is an endogenous substance that is also used in plastics manufacture. Another one is methanandamide. Oleamide and methanandamide are both related to anandamide in structure. Despite the similarities in structure with the anandamide the activities of these two synthetic cannabinoids have been questioned. It is thought that neither methanandamide nor other arachidonyl derivatives related to anandamide would be sufficiently volatile to be smoked. Certain fluorosulfonates exhibit agonist activity at cannabinoid receptors, as does naphthalen-1-yl-(4-pentyloxynaphthalen-1-yl)methanone, but the latter appears not to be psychoactive, at least when administered orally.

Physical state

SyntheticCannabinoids Most of these synthetic cannabinoids are either solids or oils as they exist in pure state. Smoking mixtures are usually sold in metal-foil sachets, typically containing 3 g of dried vegetable matter to which one or more of the cannabinoids have been added. Typically, a solution of the cannabinoids has been sprayed onto the herbal mixture to give it the drug effect. Just like any other business oriented producer you will find a number of plants listed on the packaging but the plants mentioned on the packaging may not even be present. This is utmost dangerous as you may be using these spices thinking you are safe based on the ingredients wrote on the packaging while in real sense you are using substances you do not even know. These spices are often sold while containing high amounts of Vitamin E which is purported to be used in masking the analysis of the most active cannabinoids. The producers of these spices will put more cannabinoids in the samples to confound the forensic chemical detection.

The cannabinoid receptor agonists mimic the effects of THC and anandamide by interacting with the CB1 receptor in the brain. Several research studies have shown that some synthetic compounds bind more strongly to this receptor than THC as measured by the affinity constant Ki. All of the cannabinoids found in smoking mixtures have, like THC (Ki = 10.2nM), high affinity to the CB1receptor although small variations in Ki values occur between different publications. The substance HU-210 has a particularly low value of Ki (0.06nM), and it binds over 100 times more tightly to the CB1 receptor than THC.

However, little is known about the detailed pharmacology and toxicology of the synthetic cannabinoids and few formal human studies have been published. It is possible that, apart from high potency, some cannabinoids could have particularly long half-lives potentially leading to a prolonged psychoactive effect. In addition, there could be considerable inter-and intra-batch variability in smoking mixtures, both in terms of substances present and their quantity. Thus, there is a higher potential for overdose than with cannabis.

Finally, Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) is an experienced doctor who has been in the frontline fighting drug addiction. He runs a website that equips readers of better ways to overcome not only drug addiction but also serious health problems that have caused nightmares to the world population. Get in touch with her today and learn more.

Synthetic cannabinoid Receptor Agonists

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