It has long been argued by cannabis advocates that cannabis should be legalized because cannabis is not an addictive substance like alcohol, tobacco, cocaine, amphetamines or opiates. Now that cannabis is legal, it’s important that this topic is addressed head-on so that recreational users can make informed decision about cannabis consumption.
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Got the flu? Eat fiber!
It’s that time of year again. Flu season is right around the corner, so you better stock up on vitamin C, ginger tea, and…fiber?
That’s right, I said fiber. A new research study published in Immunity has shown that a diet rich in fiber can be protectiveagainst influenza infection. So how does this work?
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Intracranial Aneurysms: How much do you know?
Author: Brooke Belanger PhD
Chances are you know someone who has died of an ‘aneurysm’. This common phrase is incorrect, and it is actually the rupture of an aneurysm that can cause death, not the physical presence of one. But what actually is an aneurysm anyways?
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Getting the Lead Out: Chelation Therapy
Author: Erik Fraunberger
Every time you drink or eat, you are poisoning yourself. At least that is what some would have you believe. A famous TV doctor once made the claim that giving apple juice to your children was the equivalent of feeding them poison due to supposedly high levels of arsenic. Leaving aside the vast number of people who have tasted apple juice and lived to tell the tale, it is true that our environment contains different metals, such as arsenic, mercury, and lead, that can be toxic to our bodies. Physicians can make use of powerful chemical magnets, known as chelators, to remove these harmful substances. However, there are some who believe certain diseases not traditionally associated with a buildup of metals in your body may be treated or cured with chelation therapy. Is there any scientific validity to this idea? In this article I will walk you through the role of metals in the body, the science behind chelation therapy, and if the use of chelation therapy outside of metal poisoning is supported by current evidence.
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HIV over Breakfast
Author: Garrett Wachoski-Dark
Approximately 35 million people are currently infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) – nearly the entire population of Canada! If left untreated most infected individuals would die to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) related illnesses. To date more than 20 million lives have been claimed by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. These statistics are menacing but how did they become so? After all, did Margaret Heckler, US Health and Human Services Secretary in the 1980’s, not promise a cure within only 2 years? The problem is that HIV is quite different from most viruses we are used to.
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CRISPRs - Not just the crackers in your grandma's cupboard
Author: Taylor Goldsmith
It’s been on the news and has probably crossed your Facebook timeline under the guise of a couple different names. The terms genetic engineering and genome editing have been tossed around many times in the past in regard to cloning and GMOs (link), but if you see these terms in the media today they are most likely referring to one particular thing- CRISPR. Doing a quick Google search of CRISPR pulls approximately 200,000 results, with some search headings going as far as to call it “a game-changing genetic engineering technique”.
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