What are the possible adverse health effects of Type-2 Diabetes?

Whether you know or do not know high blood sugar level over a period of time can gradually damage your blood vessels. This is the case if the sugar level is just above the normal level for a long time. The adverse health effects are noticed often years after the diabetes is developed.

The long-term adverse health effects include:

• Hardening of the arteries. This can lead to chest pain, heart attack and stroke. This can cause also poor blood circulation.
• Kidney damage which may lead to kidney failure.
• Eye and vision problems. It is due to the damage of the small arteries of the retina at the back of the eye.
• Nerve damage.
• Due to poor blood circulation and nerve damage impotence.
• Poor blood circulation and nerve damage can make foot problems.
• Skin and mouth conditions. You can more susceptible to skin problems including fungal and bacterial infections.
• Diabetes can lower the bone mineral density, thus increases the risk of osteoporosis.
• Diabetes may increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.
• Diabetes can cause hearing problems

You may not develop all these health problems. It is different in individuals according to the severity of the diabetes. The risk is reduced if you are also treated for your high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels.

Untreated type-2 diabetes increases the blood sugar level very high and the short-term adverse health effects are dehydration, drowsiness and other conditions which can be life threatening.

What do you think about the gene analysis to find out one’s health risks?

This service is offered by private laboratories in USA. According to them, they could find out 28 health risks including breast cancer, heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.

The biggest problem is we know about the genes, that is all. It is only a part. We do not know the interactions between them and many other unknown mechanisms. This is the opinion of professors from the US also. 1000$ is the charge for this analysis and some recommendations, that is all. In few states of the US the authorities are closely watching these laboratories.

The disadvantages include:

• Continuous stress for you
• Are the data safe? If not you may not get an insurance or may not get a job because you belong to a risk group
• It can affect your whole life

I am against this gene analysis because we do not know everything about the genes.

Lead a healthy life; eat enough fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grain products. Do some physical work every day. Keep up your weight normal. With this you can minimise many health risks.

What is the relationship between cholesterol and our behaviour?

Low cholesterol is good for our heart, but if it is too low, less than 150, it may alter the brain chemistry because brain contains a large amount of cholesterol. We have knowledge about the cholesterol in our body but we know only little about brain cholesterol.

Cholesterol does not go from the blood to brain because of the blood-brain barrier but it is synthesized in the brain itself. About 25% of the total cholesterol found in our body is in the brain and its turnover is affected in neuro-degenerating disorders. The capacity for cholesterol transport and recycling in the brain seems to be important for the development of diseases like Alzheimer’s disease. Lot of research is going on but concrete evidence is unfortunately still missing.

The negative consequences of low cholesterol, whether actively reduced or naturally low, are a few according to the recent research reports.

Men with the lowest cholesterol had the highest mortality rate, but it is generally due to cancer and other non-heart related diseases. It may be the lung cancer in the case of smokers with low cholesterol, but the reason is not low cholesterol itself.

Cholesterol may be important in the brain for the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter which at low levels associated with depression. Persons with low cholesterol have also low serotonin values and there is a link between low natural cholesterol levels and negative emotional states, depression, accidents, violence and a higher rate of suicide.

Persons with low cholesterol, but with high blood pressure, may be at the risk for haemorrhagic stroke with bleeding in the brain. But it should be clearly noted that this type of stroke is much less common than ischemic stroke which is caused by artery blockage.

Cannabis and its role in the medicine

Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) is attaining once again interest for its medical uses in the recent years. Cannabis based medicines were used for thousands of years in Asia. These were also popular in Western medicine in the mid-nineteenth century.

The results were bad because of the poor standardisation possibilities of the plants with their components. This problem is solved today by the modern techniques of plant breeding. One should always keep in mind the narrow therapeutic window with its desired benefits and the unwanted psychic effects. We know the reason of banning LSD from the medical use because the psychic effects are too much and uncontrollable.

Is there any possibility to use cannabis as medicine? Many say the single components like cannabidiol or delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) could be used wherever it is necessary. The psychic effects are produced by delta-p-THC and so cannabidiol could be used as a medicine. The oral intake is not reliable. If cannabis is smoked the components could reach the blood quickly, but there are many side effects. They include:

• Can lead to bronchitis
• May cause lung, mouth, and airways cancer in he long use
• May make problems with fertility
• Can weaken the immune system
• May alter the human DNA

Smoking 3 to 4 cannabis cigarettes a day brings the same damage to bronchial mucus membrane as more than 20 cigarettes a day.

In the 1990s cannabis receptors have been found in brain and in other organs. This led to the discovery of anandamide, the first endogenous cannabinoids. Synthesis of anandamide-like chemicals may bring a new light in the medicinal use of cannabis. In future if more cannabinoid receptors and more endogenous substances with pharmacological effects found this could lead to new therapeutical chances.

It is a known fact that cannabidiol has good antioxidant qualities. But one antioxidant alone could not change the history of mankind.

Cannabis if smoked is a good painkiller and used to bring appetite in the last stadium of AIDS. The medicinal uses discussed in the literature include the treatment of glaucoma, asthma, vomiting, hyperthermia (elevated body temperature), convulsion, muscle spasticity, anxiety, inflammation and hypertension. It is neuro protective and could be used for Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, AIDS dementia, stroke, and trauma. It may be useful in all autoimmune diseases.

There are, today, many varieties of cannabis plants with very little delta-9-THC. The oil taken from these plants are used in biscuits, other snacks and used with salads in some European countries.

We should never forget the side effects of cannabis and at the same time more research is necessary to know the medicinal values.

It is bad to hope and believe with one good antioxidant to master all our health mistakes. This is not only childish but also foolish. Our lifestyle must be good always. The risk factors must be minimised. Fast food, junk food, processed food, smoking, excess alcohol and stress must be avoided. More healthy foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains products, nuts, seeds, beans and pulses must be eaten regularly. There are many antioxidants and phytochemicals present here. Enough physical activity does not only good to the body but also to our mind. If everything is so perfect why we need cannabis?

Cannabidiol is patented already in USA but it is still present in Schedule I list and this says everything.

Before abusing cannabis ask your legal adviser the narcotic laws in your country. In some countries abusing cannabis brings death sentence.

Turmeric

Turmeric is a plant which is a member of ginger family. It is used as a spice and also has several medicinal applications. It is boiled, dried and ground to a yellow powder and this is used in spices. The active substance of the turmeric plant is curcumin, a polyphenol.

Turmeric is used in several foods in Western countries. It is used as a colouring agent. It is used in beverages, baked products, dairy products, ice cream, orange juice, biscuits, popcorn, sweets and gelatines.

In India, we use turmeric everyday in our kitchen and the curry powders with turmeric is well known and world famous. It is widely used in South Asian food preparations.

• In Ayurvdic medicine turmeric is used as an antiseptic for bruises and burns and the fluoride in it is essential for the health of the teeth.
• It is used as an antibacterial agent.
• It is also used to treat stomach disorders.

For the last 3 years a lot of research has been done about the medicinal effect of curcumin and there are clinical studies going already for the treatment of many diseases that include:

• Joint inflammation in arthritis
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Pancreatic cancer
• Colorectal cancer
• Multiple myeloma.
• Curcumin based cream is used to treat psoriasis.

Research findings reveal that curcumin, a natural substance, has no side effects.

The other uses of turmeric include:

• Turmeric is used in some of the sunscreens
• Women in India apply the turmeric paste on their face to remove the unnecessary hair
• It is used as a dye in India
• Tetrahydrocurcuminoids are expected to have antioxidant properties.
• Turmeric repels ants but the exact mechanism is not known. It is not a poison and so environmental friendly

We have to do more research on turmeric which could be useful to our health.