Drugs and Pharmacology, Sixteenth Edition

Welcome to the sixteenth edition of Drugs and Pharmacology. Today, we discuss the myth of antioxidants, the not-so-bad side effects of common medications, and meditation vs. medication for ADHD.

Remember, we review the latest blogs related to drugs — medicinal, recreational, interactional, personal, professional, or any other aspect. If you were left out in this round, just leave a comment with your blog entry. You can check out the archives for every edition of this carnival.

For future editions, please remember to submit your blog entries using the online submission form. We will do our best to review and include your entry! Enjoy your readings…

Bioblog writes Bring on the free radicals!:

The use of antioxidants has been promoted for years to prevent disease and slow inevitable decline. The problem is, recent accumulating data suggests that vitamin E does not protect against disease and sometimes might even promote it. Once again, our overly simplistic assessment of a compound’s function in the human body has led us to believe we can easily alter that function to our benefit.

Surprising Science writes Drugs’ Odd Side Effects:

Can’t remember what you did yesterday? Are you taking Mirapex for restless-legs syndrome? Or maybe a statin, such a Lipitor? Both have had reports of short-term memory loss as a side effect. The good news, though, is that the problem seems to go away when people stop taking the drugs.

Darwin’s Finance writes Will Resveratrol Benefits Create the Biggest Blockbuster Drug Ever?:

Undoubtedly, you’ll be seeing ads for Resveratrol supplements all over the internet, but with the supplement industry needing no actual data to back up their claims in this regard, and the lack of a proven formulation to actually deliver the compound in the concentration needed to derive any benefit, it is my opinion that you’re throwing money down a rat hole.

My Meditation Garden writes Meditation for Dealing with the Recession:

In the great video [here], listen to Dr. Sarina Grosswald speak about studies made on children and adults suffering from ADHD and the beneficial impact that the regular practice of transcendental meditation has had on them. She speaks about school models, the negative impact of medication on the child suffering from ADHD, and all the side effects!

Branches Of Health writes Help Keep Small Farms Alive!!:

It was recently brought to my attention that there are a few bills going through congress right now that could affect the way local farmers make their living. HR 875 and HR 759 are being addressed as “food safety” bills that, intentionally or not, are targeted at industrial-sized farms, but do not exclude just growing vegetables in your backyard.

Wall & Main writes A glimpse into the future IV – Cancer Research:

An international team of scientists from the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego, the University of North Carolina and several institutions in China have explained how a gene alteration can lead to the development of certain types of brain tumors -– low grade gliomas and secondary glioblastomas, and they have identified a compound -– alpha-KG -– that could staunch the cancer’s growth. The researchers have shown that when a mutated enzyme fails to do its job, the development of tumor-feeding blood vessels increases, allowing more nutrients and oxygen to fuel cancer growth.

Malignant Mesothelioma writes Research Suggests Vitamin D Plays a Large Role in Preventing and Fighting Lung Cancer:

An interesting fact found from the study suggests that cancer patients who had high intake of vitamin D doses from sunshine in summer months and who had Surgery during this time were more likely to live 5 years more than people who had surgery during winter months. Michael Thun, chief epidemiologist at the American Cancer Society quotes, “This is a very interesting study. It’s a new trend — looking at dietary factors as they relate to survival, not just the risk of getting a certain cancer.”