Eating Or Smoking Weed - Which Is Healthier

Eating Or Smoking Weed - Which Is Healthier?

Names like "Raspberry Macaroons," "Mellow Handcrafted Marshmellows," and "Pineapple Delight Bites" sound tasty to those with a sweet tooth.

Often mistaken for sweets, these names belong to some of the most popular marijuana edibles across the U.S. As more states prepare to legalize the recreational use of the drug, many are trying edibles as a "healthier" option, but is eating weed better for you than smoking it?

In AsapScience's video, "Your Brain On Edible Marijuana," host Mitchell Moffitt explains that how much heat is applied will determine how the drug will affect the brain.

Heating marijuana changes the chemical makeup of the compounds within it, also known as cannabinoids.

Weed In Heat

Smoking weed heats it to around 1,472 degrees Fahrenheit and converts THCA to Delta-9THC, which binds to receptors in the brain, making them continually fire, distorting our imagination, thoughts, and perceptions.

Weed edibles are heated to about 302 degrees Fahrenheit, which burns less of the actual plant and minimizes carcinogens.

Since THC is lipophilic and not a water soluble, activated THC must be dissolved into something fatty (i.e., oil or butter).

The onset of the high is delayed after eating because the drug moves slowly through the gut; the high lasts between four to eight hours, leading to more of a high than smoking.

Why Eating Weed Produces More Of A High

Eating weed produces more of a high because of the way THC enters the body.

First, it's metabolized by the liver before it enters the bloodstream — this is where Delta-9THC also becomes 11-OH-THC, which passes the brain barrier more quickly, and is a more potent chemical.

Cooking the drug ends up creating both Delta9-THC and 11-OH-THC, which is a stronger compound, and because there's more of the psychotropic types of cannabinoids acting on our neurons, you'll be high for longer.

Smoking Weed Vs. Eating Weed: Which Is Healthier?

Getting high without smoking will be healthier on your lungs and body. It eliminates the toxic chemicals that smoking creates, like carbon monoxide, bronchial irritants, and tumor initiators.

There is a downside:

it's much harder to control the high, because it takes up to one to two hours to feel its full effects, and the dosage can vary significantly, which can change its effects and make you higher than you planned.

However, there is no serious long-term harm, toxicity, or lethal overdose if you consume more than you intended.

The Future Of Weed Edibles

Ingesting rather than smoking weed is healthier, but it's also difficult to self-monitor, since it can take hours before you experience the high.

Moreover, meds in the body can also affect how THC is metabolized, since it will compete with other drugs in the liver.

Lastly, states like Washington and Colorado regulate edibles and concentrates, but it's unknown if the rest of the country does the same.

So, in theory, yes eating weed is healthier, but there is still much more to be known about its effects in the body.

Source:     MedicalDaily

Are You At Risk For Hypertension?

What is high blood pressure? 

Blood pressure is a measurement of the force of blood pushing against the walls of your blood vessels. If you have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, the pressure in your arteries is too high. Blood pressure measurements are written as two numbers – 110/70 mm Hg or 150/95 mm Hg. The top number is known as the systolic blood pressure, or the blood pressure in your arteries when your heart is contracting.

The bottom number is the diastolic blood pressure, or the pressure in your heart as it fills with blood, between contractions. Normal blood pressure is below 120/80 mm Hg. Systolic blood pressure greater than 140/90 mm Hg is considered “hypertension” and all the values that fall in between, from 120 mm Hg to 139 mm Hg systolic and from 80 mm Hg to 89 mm Hg diastolic, are considered “prehypertension.

Except for pregnancy, treatment of hypertension is the most common reason for adults to visit their doctor’s office in the United States.

A recent survey, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005-2008), estimates that up to 31 percent of American adults have hypertension. Most people over the age of 65 have hypertension, so the prevalence of high blood pressure in the US is likely to increase as the population ages.Of the approximately 78 million Americans with hypertension, only about 50% have their blood pressure well controlled. Blood pressure control is important, since high blood pressure over a period of time can damage organs, including the kidneys, heart, and brain.

Blood Pressure is a significant predictor of the risk of cardiovascular (heart) disease

In patient over the age of 50, the systolic blood pressure is a better predictor of risk. In younger patients, the bottom number, or diastolic blood pressure, is a better predictor of risk of heart disease than the systolic number.With the widespread availability of well-priced automatic blood pressure cuffs, more people diagnose their high blood pressure at home.

If your average reading is 130/80 mm Hg or above over a 24-hour period, you have hypertension. A daytime average of 135/85 mm Hg or above or a nighttime average of 120/79 mm Hg or above also meets the ambulatory blood pressure monitoring criteria for hypertension. Daytime readings that repeatedly average more than 135/85 mm Hg should prompt you to visit your healthcare provider.

There are several risk factors associated with developing primary hypertension, the most common type of high blood pressure. Advancing age, obesity, family history, and black race are all associated with increased risk of developing high blood pressure. 

Other risk factors for high blood pressure include diabetes, high cholesterol, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol consumption. 

There are personality traits associated with a higher risk of developing hypertension, including depression, hostility, and impatience. 

Vitamin D deficiency has also been identified as a risk factor for hypertension. 

Smoking raises blood pressure,  just one more reason to quit.

Sometimes, hypertension results from secondary causes, such as use of certain medications. 

Oral contraceptives, especially those with higher doses of estrogen, can raise blood pressure in some patients. 

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, including ibuprofen (Motrin) and Naprosyn, can increase blood pressure, so it’s wise to monitor your blood pressure if you have been on these medications for a prolonged period of time. 

Stimulant medications, including some taken for weight loss, are one cause of hypertension. 

Decongestants, including pseudoephedrine (Sudafed), will raise blood pressure, and if you have hypertension, use of decongestants should be avoided. 

Glucocorticoid drugs, like prednisone, will increase your blood pressure and have a multitude of other potential side effects.

Some people may have high blood pressure as a result of another disease or health condition. 

Renovascular hypertension refers to narrowing or blockage in the arteries that supply the kidney. This results in water and salt retention and increased blood pressure. 

Other common diseases that result in hypertension include obstructive sleep apnea, kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, hyperparathyroidism, Cushing’s syndrome, and primary hyperaldosteronism.

The only way to determine whether or not you have high blood pressure is to measureyour blood pressure. High blood pressure rarely causes symptoms, but it will harm your organs over time. Have your blood pressure checked today!

Original Article:     High Blood Pressure

Healthcare innovations picked for NHS backing

Smartphone heart monitor, dementia research project and other initiatives to receive funding and coaching as they are rolled out across England

A smartphone heart monitor and a groundbreaking genetic research programme are among 17 healthcare inventions to be rolled out to patients across England after winning an NHS competition.

The contest was set up to find more cost-effective solutions to pressures facing the health service. Other inventions to have been selected from more than 120 entries include a tool to diagnose liver disease and a scheme to get more people involved in dementia research.

It is hoped that 100,000 people will be recruited to participate in research projects focusing on dementia after the scheme is rolled out.

A service developed by a nurse consultant at University College London hospital trust that has been helping 2,500 people with multiple sclerosis to self-manage their condition more effectively was also selected by judges. The scheme is to be extended to benefit more than 100,000 patients and adapted to serve people living with other neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s and epilepsy.

The 17 successful projects will receive funding and coaching as they are rolled out to patients, hospitals and GP practices across England. It is hoped that the winning inventions will help prevent diseases, speed up diagnosis, improve safety and efficiency and increase patient participation.

Cancer, mental health, maternity care and cardiovascular disease are other areas that will benefit from the NHS innovation accelerator programme. 

Jo Bibby, director of strategy at the Health Foundation, which will help deliver the projects, said: “It’s hugely exciting to see the potential of this programme and its likely longer-term impact on the experience of patients. We have seen, through a number of Health Foundation projects, how creating a critical mass of experts all with a common goal can yield excellent results for our health service, its delivery and future shape.”

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jul/06/healthcare-innovations-picked-for-nhs-backing