Lifestyle « Weekly Gravy

Forget the mellow slacker image — pot smoking might actually make men more potent. Men who’ve smoked marijuana appear to have significantly higher sperm concentrations than those who’ve never given it a try, a new study reports. There’s also a potential link between pot use and testosterone, said senior researcher Dr. Jorge Chavarro. He’s an associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. “With increasing use of marijuana, there was a positive association with serum testosterone levels,” Chavarro said. “More marijuana, higher testosterone levels.” Couples shouldn’t start smoking pot to improve their chances of conception, however. This was an observational study, and it’s entirely possible that the link between pot and male fertility might run in the opposite direction, Chavarro said. “We know that men with higher testosterone levels tend to engage in risk-tasking behaviors. The higher your testosterone, the more likely you are to do risky stuff,” like frequent pot smoking, Chavarro said. Chavarro and his team set out to study the possible effects of pot smoking on male reproduction by observing 662 men enrolled at the Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center in Boston between 2000 and 2017. Semen samples were taken from all of the men, and 317 provided blood samples that were analyzed for reproductive hormones. The men also filled out a questionnaire… read on >

There’s bad news and good news in a study of lives lost to suicide around the world. In sheer numbers, more of the world’s people are dying by suicide each year than ever before, the new report reveals. In 2016, about 817,000 deaths worldwide were attributed to suicide, the study showed. That’s an increase from the 762,000 suicides calculated for 1990. However, after the researchers adjusted their numbers for changes in age and population size, they found that the suicide fatality rate actually decreased by nearly a third between 1990 and 2016. Only further study can determine whether the decline is due to better suicide prevention efforts or to general improvements in population health, the researchers said. The analysis of data from the 2016 Global Burden of Disease Study also found that the worldwide rate of suicide death was higher among men (15.6 deaths per 100,000) than women (7 deaths per 100,000). However, that wasn’t true for most countries with what the researchers called a “low sociodemographic index” — a measure of fertility, income and education. In those nations, women had higher suicide rates than men, according to the study published Feb. 6 in the BMJ. The researchers were led by Mohsen Naghavi, a professor of health metrics at the University of Washington in Seattle. He and his colleagues said the wide variations in suicide… read on >

Minus 29 Fahrenheit in Fargo, minus 28 in Minneapolis, minus 13 in Des Moines. With potential record-setting low temperatures ahead for much of the nation, one expert warns that frostbite can quickly strike exposed skin. “With wind chills approaching the single digits and below zero, it is possible to develop ‘frostnip’ with progression to frostbite in exposed areas in as little as 20 to 30 minutes,” said emergency medicine physician Dr. Robert Glatter. Frostnip is the first stage of frostbite. At this point, skin turns red and irritated, but there’s no permanent damage, said Glatter, who practices at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. “You can treat mild cases of frostnip with simple re-warming of the skin with warm water,” he said. However, “severe frostbite requires immediate medical attention, because it can cause permanent damage to skin, underlying tissue, as well as bones and muscle, and may lead to complications including infection, and nerve damage,” Glatter warned. With full-blown frostbite, the skin and tissue just beneath it freezes. According to the Mayo Clinic, frostbite first leaves the skin feeling warm, but as it progresses numbness sets in, and joints and muscles stop working. In severe cases, frostbitten tissue turns hard and black, and dies. Frostnip and frostbite tend to affect smaller and more exposed areas of the body, such as the nose, fingers, toes,… read on >

Chips, dips, wings and other fatty and salty things — Super Bowl parties can be a challenge for people with diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, an expert warns. “For people with diabetes, the goal is to keep the carbohydrates down — and encourage more of the protein-rich foods — to enhance satiety,” said Jo Ann Carson, dietician-nutritionist at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. If you have diabetes and are going to a Super Bowl party, find out if it’s going to be a high-carb affair. If so, take your own dishes or coordinate with others to make sure there are healthier food choices, Carson suggested in a medical center news release. People with diabetes should eat slowly in order to limit how much they consume, and should get up and walk around during each commercial break, she advised. People with high blood pressure, meanwhile, should focus on fruits and vegetables and avoid salty snacks, dips and sauces. If you’re hosting or attending a party, your healthiest bets are: Salad fixings, such as greens, sprouts, mushrooms, onions, peppers, radishes and tomatoes, with sugar-free and low-calorie dressings. Crunchy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus and cucumbers. Drinks such as water, unsweetened tea, coffee and calorie-free diet sodas. Proteins such as grilled fish, skinless chicken or turkey, and/or soy-based “veggie” burgers. And low/nonfat dairy products, including… read on >

As more young American adults struggle with extra weight, they are paying an even steeper price as the rates of obesity-related cancers rise in this age group. Obesity has already been linked to rising rates of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and knee replacements. Now, new research suggests cancer can be added to that list, and the rate of obesity-related cancers is certain to keep climbing among those aged 25 to 49, researchers report. “The fact that increases were mostly in obesity-related cancers is due to the obesity epidemic, and we would expect that the incidence would increase as this younger population ages,” said lead researcher Dr. Ahmedin Jemal. He is scientific vice president for surveillance and health services research at the American Cancer Society. In fact, these cancers are rising faster among younger adults than older folks, and that could stall or reverse years of progress in reducing cancer deaths, the study authors said. To try to curb the trend of rising cancers among the obese, Jemal thinks that primary care doctors need to screen all their patients for obesity. Family doctors also need to counsel patients to lose weight. Although screening for most of these cancers isn’t available or useful for younger patients, colon cancer is an exception, Jemal said. Last year, the American Cancer Society lowered the age to start colon cancer… read on >

One way to get better medical care and more value for your health care dollars is to find yourself a primary care provider, researchers say. For the study, researchers analyzed data from more than 70,000 U.S. adults who took part in a Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Of those, more than 49,000 had a primary care doctor and about 21,000 did not. Adults with primary care were more likely to receive high-value cancer screenings, such as colonoscopy or mammography (78 percent with primary care versus 67 percent without). They also received more diagnostic and preventive tests, such as flu vaccination and blood pressure checks. Patients with primary care were also more likely to receive counseling, especially to help them quit smoking, the investigators found. “If you have a primary care relationship, you have a better experience with care, better access to care, and a 10 percent increase in things like high-value cancer screening, diabetes care and counseling,” said the study’s corresponding author, Dr. David Levine. He’s a physician investigator in the division of general internal medicine and primary care at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, in Boston. The study findings suggest that a primary care-first approach could improve U.S. health care, Levine said in a hospital news release. However, the researchers also found that both groups of patients had similar rates of low-value care. For example, inappropriate… read on >

If you were up all night and you ache all over the next morning, your lack of sound slumber might be to blame. New research found that sleep loss delivered a double whammy to the brain that all but guaranteed greater levels of body pain. “Activity in the somatosensory cortex, previously associated with the location and intensity of pain, was enhanced following sleep loss,” explained study author Adam Krause. And “in two regions called the striatum and the insula, sleep deprivation decreased the activity associated with pain [relief],” he added. These regions control the release of dopamine, often called the “feel-good” hormone. Krause is a Ph.D. candidate with the Center for Human Sleep Science at the University of California, Berkeley. During the study, 25 healthy, young participants got the normal eight hours of sleep one night. A week or so later, the same group underwent a night of no sleep whatsoever. After each session, all the volunteers underwent “thermal pain sensitivity” tests, followed by MRI scans to monitor brain activity while their legs were exposed to uncomfortable levels of heat. After a full night of sleep, most participants reported feeling heat discomfort at about 111 degrees Fahrenheit. But after a night of no sleep, that pain threshold dropped to 107 degrees F. Brain scans pinpointed the neurological basis for the uptick in pain sensitivity following… read on >

The research is in its early days, but Chinese scientists say they’re using bartenders’ tricks to stir up a new, reversible male contraceptive. In experiments with rats, the method successfully kept sexually active males from impregnating females for more than two months. “The two most widely used male contraceptives are condom and vasectomy,” noted a team led by Xiaolei Wang, of Nanchang University. “A reliable and reversible medium-term [2 to 20 weeks] contraceptive method between the one-off condom and permanent contraception is urgently needed.” Their potential solution was inspired by the colorful layered cocktails often concocted by bartenders. In these mixes, liquids form distinct layers in a glass. But when stirred or heated, the layers combine into a uniform liquid. So, Wang’s group developed a form of male contraception in which layers of materials are injected into the vas deferens — the duct through which sperm travels from the testicle to the urethra — to block it. The blockage continues until heat applied to the blocked area causes the layers to mix, breaking them down and thereby unplugging the vas deferens. The Chinese group say they tested this method in male rats by injecting four layers of materials into the vas deferens. In sequence, the injected layers were: a hydrogel that forms a physical barrier to sperm; gold nanoparticles that heat up when irradiated with… read on >

If you’d like to lighten up on carbs without compromising the taste of dishes you love, make cauliflower “rice” your go-to substitute ingredient. Cauliflower is among the healthiest of all vegetables, high in vitamin C, fiber and folate. “Ricing” it simply means pulsing it in a food processor until chunks become the size of rice grains. Then use them for dishes that call for rice, pasta and even potatoes. This recipe is a great substitute for traditional fried rice, and you can customize it with additional low-calorie vegetables of your choice. For a complete meal, toss in cooked shrimp or chicken cubes at the end. Cauliflower Fried Rice 1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets 3 tablespoons sesame oil, divided 4 carrots, chopped 1 red or yellow onion, peeled and chopped 2 tablespoons ginger, minced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup corn kernels 1/4 cup chopped cilantro 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon hot sauce Place the florets in a food processor and rough chop in about 15 pulses (do this in a few batches for the most consistent “grains.”). Warm a large skillet over medium heat and add one tablespoon of the sesame oil. Add the cauliflower and cook four to five minutes, stirring well until the cauliflower starts to brown. Transfer to a large plate. Heat the remaining oil in the same… read on >

For many, a microwave is indispensable, but questions remain about the safety of containers used to cook and reheat food in it. Most of the controversy surrounds the chemicals used to make plastic containers soft or clear, like BPA and phthalates. These chemicals are called endocrine disrupters, because they can mimic hormones such as estrogen in a bad way. The chemicals can leach into your food, especially when containers are heated. According to the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, other chemicals, even replacements for BPA, haven’t been tested enough to know if they’re truly safe. Some experts recommend not using any plastic container in the microwave, even if it is stamped “microwave safe.” Microwaves heat unevenly and can create hot spots where plastic is more likely to break down. Instead, use ceramics or glass labeled microwaveable. Also, rather than covering even a glass dish with plastic wrap, place wax paper, a plain white paper towel or parchment paper over the container before microwaving. If you must use plastic, the Environmental Working Group suggests choosing containers marked with the number 1, 2, 4 or 5. These don’t contain BPA and may be better choices. Avoid polycarbonate containers, which are sometimes stamped with the number 7 or “PC.” If you must wash any plastic in the dishwasher (where high heat can break down the plastic), put them on… read on >