HEALTH

ARGUMENTS FOR PSYCHEDELIC MUSHROOMS

By: Daniel Pearce, D.O., FCOI, AAHIVMS

ARGUMENTS FOR PSYCHEDELIC MUSHROOMS
Now Colorado has joined Oregon to decriminalize mushrooms. The people for this law argue that we shouldn’t jail people for taking natural substances when no violence is associated with them and there is a little evidence that they help certain mental illnesses better than approved medications. These states still have regulations on the use and availability, but no one is going to jail over this. A relative of mine grows these mushrooms in their home and seems to benefit from it. I do not have data on the long term beneficial or harmful effects of this practice.

POT SMOKE CAUSES LUNG PROBLEMS.
A radiologist compared non-smokers with tobacco smokers and marijuana smokers. The tobacco smokers CT scans of the lungs showed 67% had emphysema but 93% of the pot smokers had it. Of course, none of the non-smokers had it. MJ smokers also had thickened walls of their airway tubes and more and thicker mucus. With MJ legalization, more young people are coming in with MJ caused emphysema to lung doctor offices. One investigator wondered if the way MJ smoke is inhaled to get the maximum effect/high was a contributor to the lung damage; many take a very deep breath and hold it and push the chest in to increase lung pressure to drive the THC into the blood. People do not inhale tobacco this way. A good number of these patients with MJ and emphysema were also tobacco smokers so that clouds the results.
Also, collapsed lungs in MJ smokers are now more prevalent in these “legal” States.
Score another point for smokeless MJ.

BLOOD TESTS WITHOUT NEEDLES
A new method has been developed to measure some lab tests in a person’s sweat through a membrane rather than the blood. This is still preliminary but may point to a needleless way to check blood levels.

FOOD IS GETTING SWEETER WITH ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
To reduce sugar in sauces and other foods, some manufacturers are adding artificial sweeteners, but these have been shown to be associated with heart disease and stroke. It may be better to make your own sauce. I don’t add any sweeteners or sugar to mine and it tastes great.

1/4th OF YOUNG PEOPLE AT RISK FOR HEARING LOSS
This is mainly due to high volume settings on earphones and at concerts. We have been warned about this for many years and earphones packages have warnings, but now we have a number. You may want to invest in hearing aid companies, especially now that they do not need a prescription. Better yet, discuss this with people you run across, if they are open to discussion, when you hear their music outside of their earphones. Concerts, that’s another problem. I wear earplugs at church; the leadership does not want to turn down the volume. I don’t hear some noises my wife hears. I have mild hearing loss and know that loud sounds are even more damaging to me once hearing loss starts.

HEAT MAKES YOU SLEEPY?
A new study of fruit flies shows that they get sleepy when the temperature sensors in their head sense the temperature above 77 degrees—and this is the favorite temperature fruit flys and humans. A similar sensor may be in humans. I had to take a mid-day siesta during the summers when I lived in the Dominican Republic the first summer, but felt more energy the second summer; my body adapted.

MASKS REDUCED MUCH COVID WHEN LEFT ON AT SCHOOL
Massachusetts lifted their mask mandate early in the year. 2 school districts that had a higher risk of Covid had 12,000 less cases than 2 districts that removed their masks. Of course children have lighter cases of Covid in general, but with 12,000 extra cases a small percentage of deaths, hospitalizations, long covid, etc that works out to many who suffered. Another study showed that most likely the US would have avoided thousands of deaths if we had instituted mask wearing (and people followed the rule) a few weeks earlier in 2020. Los Angeles County just announced mask wearing in public again since the number of positive tests has shot up dramatically.
These announcements are not based on personal opinions, they are based on facts. We may complain but facts are facts. I am not happy about some traffic rules, but they have saved my life many times when people follow them.

SECOND COVID DOUBLES DEATH RISK AND TRIPLES HOSPITALIZATION RISK
And it also increased risk for lung, heart, and brain problems. Vaccination and boosters did not decrease this risk in veterans. Please obey your national or state mask recommendations. Some people proud of their “natural immunity.” But this immunity weakens over a short time setting you up for the next infection. We still recommend keeping current with vaccinations and masking recommendations.

LONG COVID (MORE THAN 3 MONTHS) IS HITTING MORE PEOPLE
Roughly 7% of adults have long Covid and many can’t work due to the disability. Some are affected for years.

Keep those questions coming and be safe!

dpearce@western.edu

Daniel Pearce, D.O., FACOI, AAHIVMS
Daniel Pearce, D.O., FACOI, AAHIVMS
Associate Professor of Medicine, Loma Linda University School of Medicine SACH Clinic, San Bernardino specializing in HIV, Hepatitis B,C, Transgender, Suboxone Specialist. Also doing the same at: Neighborhood Healthcare (Riverside, Hemet) Member, Coachella Valley Clinical Research Initiative

REFERENCES: Medscape®