Les Effets Secondaires des Stéroïdes Anabolisants

Les stéroïdes anabolisants, bien que souvent utilisés pour améliorer la performance sportive et augmenter la masse musculaire, comportent de nombreux risques pour la santé. Il est essentiel de comprendre les effets secondaires des stéroïdes anabolisants avant de décider d’en faire usage.

Les Effets Physiques

Les effets secondaires physiques peuvent varier d’une personne à l’autre, mais incluent généralement :

• Augmentation de la pression artérielle
• Problèmes cardiovasculaires (risque accru de crises cardiaques et d’ AVC)
• Modification du cholestérol (augmentation du LDL et diminution du HDL)
• Acné et problèmes de peau
• Retenue d’eau et gonflement
• Changements dans la libido

Effets sur le Système Endocrinien

Les stéroïdes anabolisants peuvent également perturber le système endocrinien, entraînant :

• Atrophie testiculaire chez les hommes
• Menstruations irrégulières chez les femmes
• Développement excessif des seins chez les hommes (gynécomastie)
• Risque accru de troubles hormonaux

Les Effets Psychologiques

En plus des effets physiques, les effets secondaires des stéroïdes anabolisants https://steroidesfr24.com/ peuvent être psychologiques :

• Augmentation de l’agressivité
• Dépression et sautes d’humeur
• Dépendance psychologique
• Modifications de l’estime de soi

Impact sur la Santé Mentale

Il est important de noter que l’utilisation abusive des stéroïdes peut conduire à des problèmes de santé mentale, y compris :

• Anxiété
• Paranoïa
• Comportements obsessionnels

FAQs sur les Effets Secondaires des Stéroïdes Anabolisants

Quels sont les signes d’une utilisation abusive de stéroïdes ?

Les signes incluent une hypertrophie musculaire rapide, des changements d’humeur extrêmes, et des problèmes de peau comme l’acné sévère.

Est-il possible de reverser les effets secondaires des stéroïdes ?

Dans certains cas, une cessation de l’utilisation peut permettre aux effets secondaires de s’estomper, mais certains dommages, notamment ceux au cœur ou au foie, peuvent être permanents.

Qui est le plus susceptible d’expérimenter ces effets secondaires ?

Les utilisateurs de stéroïdes anabolisants, en particulier ceux qui commencent à un jeune âge ou qui en abusent, sont les plus susceptibles de ressentir des effets secondaires graves.

Conclusion

Bien que les stéroïdes anabolisants puissent offrir des résultats rapides en termes de performance physique et de développement musculaire, les effets secondaires des stéroïdes anabolisants sont importants et souvent dangereux. Il est crucial d’évaluer soigneusement les risques avant d’envisager leur utilisation.

Team Metabolic Health

Despite the govt’s efforts to reduce out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, people in Punjab bear a substantial portion of costs directly at the point of treatment. This indicates a heavy reliance on out-of-pocket payments.

Alarmingly, Punjab has one of the country’s highest out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure rates, surpassing the national average. To meet medical expenses, the people are forced to either deplete their savings or resort to borrowing. In Punjab, the average medical expenditure for hospitalised treatment over the last 365 days was Rs 8,306 for rural households, compared to Rs 8,272 for urban households, according to the Comprehensive Annual Modular Survey conducted for the period between July 2022 and June 2023 by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation.

At Rs 2,110, per person expenditure on hospitalised treatment, however, was higher in urban areas as compared to Rs 1,891 in rural areas. For non-hospitalised treatment over the last 30 days, the average medical expenditure per household was Rs 1,161 in rural areas and Rs 950 in urban areas, while per person expense was Rs 264 in rural areas and Rs 242 in urban areas. The average out-of-pocket medical expenditure per household on hospitalisation over the last one year was Rs 7,374 in rural areas and Rs 6,963 in urban areas, compared to the national average of Rs 4,129 in rural areas and Rs 5,290 in urban areas. The average per person out-of-pocket expense stood at Rs 1,679 in rural areas and Rs 1,776 in urban areas. Additionally, the average out-of-pocket medical expenditure per household on non-hospitalisation over the last one month was Rs 1,139 in rural areas and Rs 916 in urban areas, against the national averages of Rs 539 and Rs 606, respectively.

To determine the total health expenditure incurred by households, the survey collected data at disaggregated levels across various components, including package and non-package expenses such as doctor’s fees, medicine costs, diagnostic tests, bed charges, other medical expenses, and transport expenses. Expenditures were recorded when initially borne by the patient’s household, regardless of whether they were reimbursed later.
Prof Aswini Kumar Nanda, department of economics, Central University, Jammu, attributed the high out-of-pocket expenditure on healthcare to heavy reliance on private health facilities. This is largely due to inadequate public health services, he said.
Even in areas where public health facilities exist, people often choose private facilities due to better services and health insurance coverage, Prof Nanda explained.
Since insurance coverage is generally insufficient to cover all expenses, especially for chronic diseases like cancer, people end up paying out of pocket. For financially vulnerable individuals, this can lead to dire consequences, such as forgoing essential treatment or resorting to desperate financing options. “Improving public healthcare by enhancing the coverage and quality of services can help reduce out-of-pocket spending,” said Prof Nanda.

Credit: The Times of India

Team Metabolic Health

A growing number of tech startups are using AI to advance pharmaceutical research. Iambic, which has previously won investment from tech giant Nvidia, published details of its new AI drug discovery model, named “Enchant”.

The company said its model set a new benchmark, with a 0.74 accuracy prediction score.

Biotech firm Iambic Therapeutics unveiled on Tuesday what it says is a breakthrough artificial intelligence model that could drastically reduce the time and money needed to develop new drugs.

A growing number of tech startups are using AI to advance pharmaceutical research. Iambic, which has previously won investment from tech giant Nvidia, published details of its new AI drug discovery model, named “Enchant”.

Enchant was trained on large troves of pre-clinical data, derived from laboratory tests conducted on drugs before they were ever tested on humans. The model has been designed to predict how a given drug will perform at the earliest stage of development.

In a white paper published by Iambic, Enchant showed a high degree of accuracy when predicting how well the human body would absorb certain drugs, with results cross-referenced to real-world outcomes.

The company said its model set a new benchmark, with a 0.74 accuracy prediction score. By comparison, earlier models had only achieved as high as 0.58.

Iambic co-founder and chief technology officer Fred Manby told Reuters that researchers using Enchant could potentially halve the investment needed to develop some pharmaceuticals, as they could see how successful a drug is likely to be at the earliest stage.

“The cost of getting a product to market is often quoted at around $2 billion, and a lot of that isn’t about the programme costs, but the failure rates. The costs of getting a product all the way to a marketed medicine derive from a high chance of late-stage failure,” he said.

“If you make a 10% improvement in each stage of clinical development, you would basically halve the cost, because it applies cumulatively.”

Frances Arnold, who won the chemistry Nobel Prize in 2018 and sits on Iambic’s board, told Reuters the development represented a major advance in the use of AI for drug discovery.

Citing Google DeepMind’s AlphaFold program, which recently won its developers the chemistry Nobel Prize, Arnold said Enchant addressed a different challenge in the drug discovery pipeline.

“AlphaFold predicts the 3D structure of how a molecule binds to a protein target, but structure is not enough,” she said.

“The success of a drug candidate is determined by its pharmacokinetic, efficacy, and toxicity properties. Enchant addresses these distinct and important challenges.”

Credit: NDTV

Team Metabolic Health

Just about every child gets tonsillitis at least once. But sore, red, inflamed tonsils can happen to anyone, including adults of any age. Here’s what you need to know about tonsillitis symptoms, treatment, and self-care methods you can use at home for much-needed relief.

What is tonsillitis?

Tonsillitis is inflammation and swelling of the tonsils, the two round or oval, slightly pinkish lymph glands in the top back part of your mouth.

These glands help prevent viruses and bacteria from infecting you. But when an infection takes hold in the throat, it can cause your tonsils to swell. By far, the most common bacterial cause of tonsillitis is Streptococcus (known as strep throat).

Symptoms of tonsillitis

Common tonsillitis symptoms include: difficulty or pain with swallowing, sore throat, fever

visible redness or swelling in the back of the mouth, swollen lymph glands in the neck, white or yellow patches or pus on your tonsils, bad breath, breathing through your mouth or snoring, feeling tired or lethargic.

Any throat infection can lead to swelling of the tonsils. Reasons to suspect strep throat is the likely cause are a very sore throat, marked difficulty swallowing, fever, and body aches along with tonsillar swelling.

Acute versus chronic tonsillitis

The symptoms of acute tonsillitis usually come on suddenly, with the onset of an infection, then go away after a few days to one week. Symptoms of chronic tonsillitis or recurrent tonsillitis linger for weeks, or resolve but come back repeatedly.

Experts don’t yet understand what makes some people more likely to develop chronic tonsillitis or recurrent tonsillitis.

If you have chronic tonsillitis, you might feel like your sore throat never goes away. The lymph nodes in your neck may remain tender to the touch, and you might notice debris on your tonsils called tonsil stones. Tonsil stones look like small white or yellow pebbles and may cause bad breath in addition to a sore throat.

In some severe (but rare) cases of tonsillitis, adolescents and adults may develop what’s called a peritonsillar abscess, a pocket of pus within one tonsil. This can make your sore throat even worse. It can also cause drooling, trouble opening your mouth, or changes in the sound of your voice.

Diagnosing tonsillitis

Call your doctor’s office or go to urgent care if you have sudden onset of a very sore throat, fever, body aches, and marked pain or difficulty when you swallow. Otherwise, you can call for advice if symptoms persist or are getting worse over the next two to three days.

If you do need medical evaluation, the clinician will start by asking about your symptoms and health history. They will examine your throat looking for inflammation and redness, and check both sides of your neck for swelling or tenderness.

Most likely, the clinician will perform a rapid strep test with a result available while you are in the office. If it is positive, the clinician will prescribe antibiotics. You can have strep throat with a negative rapid test. If your symptoms and throat exam are highly suggestive of strep, the clinician will send out a culture and may choose to still recommend antibiotics.

Adolescents and adults may also be tested for certain sexually transmitted infections that could cause tonsil swelling.

Treating tonsillitis

Your test results help determine the best tonsillitis treatment for you. If you have strep throat, you’ll be prescribed an antibiotic to fight the bacterial infection. You’ll usually start to notice your symptoms improve within two to three days of starting the antibiotics.

If your doctor thinks it’s more likely you have a viral infection, you won’t be prescribed antibiotics. Your doctor might recommend over-the-counter treatments to manage throat discomfort.

Treating chronic tonsillitis

Surgically removing the tonsils used to be more common. Now, surgery is typically only recommended for people with chronic tonsillitis or many episodes of recurrent tonsillitis. Called a tonsillectomy, the procedure doesn’t require a hospital stay. An otolaryngologist, or ear, nose, and throat specialist, will help determine if you’re a good candidate for tonsil removal.

If you develop a peritonsillar abscess, you might need to have the pus surgically drained from around your tonsil.

Home remedies: While you’re waiting for antibiotics to kick in or for a viral infection to pass on its own, you can try the following home remedies for tonsillitis symptom relief, Drink lots of fluids, Try warm liquids or cold, soft foods to soothe your throat, Get plenty of rest, Gargle with saltwater, Suck on lozenges or cough drops (this generally isn’t recommended for young children), Consider over-the-counter pain relievers, Don’t smoke or do anything else that could irritate your throat.

Preventing tonsillitis

Tonsillitis itself isn’t contagious, but cold viruses or strep bacteria that may cause a sore throat and tonsil inflammation certainly are. One of the best ways to avoid these infections is to wash your hands frequently.

Try to avoid close contact with people you know are sick, or consider wearing a mask if you have to be around them. And avoid sharing food and drinks with others to limit your exposure to germs that could spark tonsillitis.

Credit: health.harvard.edu

Team Metabolic Health

Harvard Medical School is building artificial intelligence into the curriculum to train the next generation of doctors

Within a few weeks of its public launch in November 2022, ChatGPT was already beginning to feel ubiquitous, and Bernard Chang, MMSc ’05, was thinking about what that meant for the future of medical education. “Maybe once every few decades a true revolution occurs in the way we teach medical students and what we expect them to be able to do when they become doctors,” says Chang, HMS dean for medical education. “This is one of those times.”

By 2023, studies found that the initial public version of ChatGPT could perform at a passing level on the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam. A more powerful version of ChatGPT, released in March 2023, exceeded the performance of medical students, residents, and even practicing physicians on some tests of medical knowledge and clinical reasoning, and today there are a number of large language models that match ChatGPT’s abilities. So how will this affect today’s medical students — and the institutions educating them?

Chang says that the last such revolution in medical education occurred in the mid-1990s, when the internet became widely accessible. “Initially we just played games on it,” he says. “But it soon became indispensable, and that’s what’s happening with generative AI now. Within a few years it’s going to be built into everything.”

HMS is getting a jump on this shift by building generative AI (also called genAI) into the curriculum today. “The time is right to respond to this call,” Chang says. “We didn’t hold back and wait to see what other schools are doing, both because as an institution we wanted to be at the forefront of this and because it’s the right thing to do for our students.”

Incorporating AI

Among the changes incorporated this fall is a one-month introductory course on AI in health care for all incoming students on the Health Sciences and Technology (HST) track. “I don’t know of any other med school doing that,” says Chang. “Certainly not in the first month.” The course examines the latest uses for AI in medicine, critically evaluates its limitations in clinical decision-making, and crucially, he adds, “grounds students in the idea that medicine is going to be different going forward. In this day and age, if they want to be a physician-scientist or a physician-engineer, which is the goal of the HST curriculum, they won’t just need to be a good listener and a good medical interviewer and a good bedside doctor. They’ll also need good data skills, AI skills, and machine-learning skills.” About thirty students each year enroll in the HST track, and many of them will get a master’s degree or PhD in addition to their MD.

A PhD track that starts this semester, AI in Medicine (AIM), is taking AI-integrated education even further. “Bioinformatics students were increasingly saying they were excited about AI and asking if we could offer a PhD in it,” says Isaac Kohane, the Marion V. Nelson Professor of Biomedical Informatics and chair of the Department of Biomedical Informatics in the Blavatnik Institute at HMS. “We didn’t know how much demand there would be, but we ended up with more than 400 applications for the seven spots we’re offering.”

“As with any big technological eruption,” Kohane says, “for a few years there will be a huge gap in the workforce. So we want to train researchers who know a lot about medicine and understand real problems in health care that can be addressed by AI.”

Also to that end, HMS has opened a third avenue for medical students and faculty who are interested in the technology: the Dean’s Innovation Awards for the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Education, Research, and Administration, which were announced last year and offer grants of up to $100,000 for each project selected (see “Advancing Innovation in Medical Education,” below). “These grants really show HMS is leading the way in trying to integrate these amazing new tools into the way we work and learn,” says Arya Rao, an MD-PhD student and a co-recipient of an award to study AI for clinical training. “I’m grateful to have this experience to take forward into my medical career.”

Hospitals affiliated with HMS are also incorporating AI into their clinical workflows. Brigham and Women’s Hospital, for example, is testing the use of an ambient documentation tool that takes clinical notes so that doctors can spend more of their time interacting with patients. As these kinds of tools are implemented, Chang says, they will allow students to focus on talking to patients “instead of constantly turning away to look at a screen. It will also help them shift sooner to higher levels of learning and more advanced topics and things we want our doctors to do, like listen.”

“GenAI is often viewed as taking the humanity out of communication,” says Taralyn Tan, the assistant dean for educational scholarship and innovation within the Office for Graduate Education. “But I actually see it as being a mechanism to reincorporate a human dimension to clinical practice by taking the burden of many administrative tasks off of doctors.”

Rao agrees. “The real beauty of medicine, the reason to be in it, is the bonds you’re able to make with patients,” she says. “If you look at the amount of time doctors spend digging through medical records and writing notes, it’s hours and hours a day. AI can free up some of that time so we can devote it to what we’re really here for, which is helping people.”

Richard Schwartzstein, chair of the Learning Environment Steering Committee and the Ellen and Melvin Gordon Distinguished Professor of Medical Education, sees the value in corralling record-keeping and other such duties, but he warns that taken too far, AI use may lead to deficits in a student’s preparedness. “We need to put it in the context of real-world bedside medicine and how you work as a physician by emphasizing reasoning and critical thinking,” Schwartzstein says. “What does the bedside clinician use it for well? What does the clinician have to be wary of? What does the clinician still need to be good at to use AI appropriately?”

Schwartzstein points out, for example, that AI can help doctors track down pathogens from places around the world that a patient may have been exposed to but that the physician is unfamiliar with. “I can do that now just with the internet,” he says, “but AI can do a broader and faster search. One of the drawbacks, though, is that it doesn’t tell you what sources it’s looking at, so you can’t be sure if the information comes from a journal you trust.”

Double-checking AI’s results is key, he says, as is being able to match the options it provides with a patient’s actual symptoms and history. “AI isn’t good at problem-solving, which is one of the toughest parts of medicine,” Schwartzstein notes. A study from researchers at HMS and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center found that although ChatGPT was accurate when making diagnoses, it made more errors than physicians in reasoning — tasks like considering why certain questions should be asked rather than just what to ask — than its more experienced human counterparts, doing better than residents but not attending physicians.

Schwartzstein says another area where students may be susceptible to overusing AI is in analyzing lab data. “Interpreting tests and working in inductive mode helps them learn critical thinking,” he says. “The majority of malpractice cases arising from possible diagnostic error are not weird cases. They’re basic cases that people make mistakes on — thinking errors. So while using AI for a case like that would be great for a nurse practitioner in an under-resourced area without the backstop of a physician nearby, it would be problematic for a physician to not have that training and competence in thinking skills.”

Once doctors have some years in practice behind them, though, “having a consistent AI agent overseeing our actions and catching errors would be a huge win,” Kohane contends. “Sometimes rookie errors are made by experienced physicians because they’re tired or not feeling well, so having our work checked by AI might significantly improve mortality and morbidity in hospitals.”

Practical applications

But isn’t AI, too, famously prone to error? ChatGPT’s “hallucinations” — such as providing a detailed but very wrong answer by glossing over the obvious error in a prompt like “What is the world record for crossing the English Channel entirely on foot?” — are the stuff of memes. This problem is expected to improve over time, says Kohane, but even today, he notes, “AI makes different kinds of errors than the ones humans make, so it can be a good partnership.” Not only is the underlying technology improving, he notes, but it also massively expands the data pools physicians can draw on to arrive at diagnoses. For instance, a machine-learning model trained on close to one million electrocardiograms was able to perform as well as or better than cardiologists in diagnosing thirty-eight types of conditions. “Imagine what that could be in the hands of primary care doctors,” Kohane says.

Such gargantuan datasets can be made even more comprehensive when they’re supplemented by electronic health records (EHRs) and input from patient wearables, Kohane points out. “GenAI doesn’t have to draw only from trials and medical journals,” he says. “If real-life data is gathered with consent and transparency, that extra information can help physicians see things they might not see otherwise.”

That type of data is already being used in a pilot program for internal medicine students at Brigham and Women’s. “When they’re on the wards,” says Chang, “students can only learn from patients who happen to be in the hospital at that time. But this tool has access both to curriculum objectives and patient EHRs, so it can compare what the student actually encounters with our learning objectives.” Within a few years, Chang believes, such use cases will be commonplace. “Before going into rotations, students will access an app on their phones that will say, ‘Good morning, I suggest you see these three patients,’ because those patients represent gaps in the students’ knowledge.”

The problem of bias in AI training data is also well documented. And as Schwartzstein and colleagues point out in a paper published in the journal CHEST, not only is AI itself prone to reproducing the biases inherent in the human-generated materials it learns from, but also at least one study has shown that that loop can circle back and pass AI biases on to humans.

At the same time, there is evidence that feedback can work in the other direction as well. A recent study from Brigham and Women’s shows that including more detail in AI-training datasets can reduce observed disparities, and ongoing research by a Mass General pediatrician is training AI to recognize bias in faculty evaluations of students.

“There are a lot of biases no matter where the information is coming from,” says Tan, “so we have to keep an attentive eye on that. But AI can be a useful tool in our tool kit for promoting equity in education if we can leverage it in synergistic ways — putting in specific articles, citations, tools we know are effective, for example, and asking it to draw from the resources that reflect the latest in the field while remaining aware of these issues.”

Part of the solution then, is being aware of the data used to create AI tools. Chang mentions HMS “tutorbots,” which are trained on homegrown curricula. “We’re using ChatGPT as the engine,” he says, “but constraining it using the language and the course information we’ve given it. If we didn’t, what would be special about coming to HMS?”

Given all the changes happening, what will be special about an HMS degree when it comes time for this year’s cohort to move on?

If the students in the AIM PhD program graduated today, “they would be immediately approached with top job offers in all the competitive hospitals and universities,” Kohane says. “I would estimate that 60 percent of the graduates will go into industry. But when they get out in five years or so they’ll find plenty of green fields in academia and research, too.”

The reason for that lies, in part, in the adaptability of students trained in these technologies, says Tan. “It’s hard to predict how far this will go,” she says. “But tomorrow’s most successful physicians and researchers will be the ones who can harness genAI for innovation and strategic planning. The people who come up with solutions will be the ones who are using these tools.”

Advancing Innovation in Medical Education

In March 2024, HMS announced thirty-three recipients of the Dean’s Innovation Awards for the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Education, Research, and Administration. Below is a sample of the projects related to medical education.

The future patient persona: An interactive, large language model–augmented Harvard clinical training companion
Arya Rao, Marc Succi, and Susan Farrell

Providing opportunities for students to practice their clinical skills on standardized patients is an important part of medical school, says Rao. When the “visit” is over, students are graded by both the actor portraying a patient and their professor on their clinical reasoning, communication skills, and more. But the expense and time this takes can limit these opportunities. So Rao, Marc Succi, an HMS assistant professor of radiology at Mass General, and Susan Farrell, associate dean for assessment and evaluation and director of the comprehensive clinical skills OSCE exam, are developing customized large language models that can serve as standardized patients. They are reinforcing these models, which they call SP-LLMs, with material specific to the HMS curriculum. Students will be able to interact with the models using both text and voice, gathering patient histories, obtaining diagnostic information, and initiating clinical management, all while practicing their communication skills.

“One nice feature is that when the visit is over,” says Rao, “the SP-LLM also provides the student with feedback on the encounter, acting as both patient and preceptor. Since the tool is available anytime, anywhere, students can get a lot more practical experience before they start seeing real patients.”

HMS’s Pathways curriculum track emphasizes independent study and case-based collaborative classwork. Schwartzstein and colleagues have developed a system that enables bulk auto-grading of short-answer questions to summarize students’ strengths and weaknesses, identify conceptual challenges, and suggest tailored teaching strategies. It takes Schwartzstein, who chaired the steering committee that developed the Pathways curriculum in 2015, about eight hours to grade responses to a single open-ended question for all 170 students in a class, not including providing feedback. “I can’t possibly do that with homework,” he says, “but it would be really helpful to them if AI could.” Streamlining the process, he adds, will allow students to do more exercises and hence “get more practice at figuring out whether they’re correctly applying the principles they’ve learned to case studies.”

Tan and Krisztina Fischer, an HMS assistant professor of radiology, part-time, at Brigham and Women’s, are studying the use of AI in Tan’s Teaching 100 course to develop and pilot a tool that uses generative AI to create syllabi, with the goal of having it adopted by other HMS faculty. In the course, Tan’s students first try to create learner-centered, evidence-based syllabi components on their own, and then they work with AI to do the same thing. “The class has a very meta dual purpose,” Tan says, “because the students are experiencing it both in their own teaching and from a learner’s perspective.” Tan also allows her students to use AI in the classroom outside of this capstone assignment. “The most common response I get when I ask about this is that they didn’t know how to use it,” she says. “So that speaks to the need for basic competencies for engaging our learners with it.”

Credit: magazine.hms.harvard.edu

Team Metabolic Health

Expanded access to addiction treatment and the overdose-reversal med naloxone likely prompted a 37% reduction in OD deaths linked to opioids taken with meth or other stimulant drugs, a new study suggests.

OD death rates were 8.9 deaths per 100,000 in communities with expanded access to treatment and naloxone, compared to 14.1 deaths per 100,000 in communities that didn’t have this increased access, researchers report.

“It was nice to see that we were able to achieve reductions in overdose deaths involving this combination of opioids, primarily fentanyl and psychostimulants, not including cocaine, because that’s the most recent wave in the epidemic that we’re seeing,” said lead researcher Bridget Freisthler, a professor at Ohio State University.

For the study, researchers analyzed the effects of the HEALing Communities Study, a National Institutes of Health effort to address opioid-related OD deaths.

Adobe Stock

Based on the needs of their specific area, local agencies selected from three “menus” of evidence-based practices focused on overdose education, naloxone distribution, medication to treat opioid addiction and safer opioid prescribing.

Initially, this program did not result in a statistically significant reduction in opioid OD deaths. Communities with the program had an 8% lower rate of all drug ODs compared to those that didn’t participate.

But researchers noted that more than 40% of OD deaths in the study involved the combination of at least one opioid and a stimulant, most frequently fentanyl mixed with meth.

Given that, the program adjusted its community education efforts, Freisthler said. Messages focused on the threat of this drug combination, as well as on the fact that naloxone can prevent OD deaths in people who use multiple drugs, researchers said.

“We were already shifting to where psychostimulants had fentanyl in them and messages weren’t reaching the right folks because people who use psychostimulants think of themselves as using meth or cocaine, not opioids,” Freisthler said in a news release. “So, we had to make it clear that fentanyl could be in every drug and that nobody was really immune from the possibility of an overdose. Communities emphasized that this is a multiple-drug issue, not just a fentanyl issue or an opioid issue.”

As a result, OD deaths from a mix of opioids and stimulants significantly declined in participating communities.

Credit: healthday.com

Team Metabolic Health

This is an excerpt of the Health Rounds newsletter, where we present latest medical studies on Tuesdays and Thursdays. To receive it in your inbox for free sign up here, opens new tab.

Hello Health Rounds Readers! Today we highlight long-term data that found a laser procedure has significant benefits over the current standard treatment for the most common form of glaucoma. We also report on the latest evidence of treatment inequities between white and Black patients in the U.S., and a study that found limited benefits of adding fluoride to water supplies in high-income nations.

A technician performs a glaucoma test in this illustration, in Virginia, U.S., July 22, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo 

Laser procedure slows glaucoma progression better than drops

New data support a change in management of the common eye disease glaucoma from eye drops, the current standard of care, to a laser procedure, researchers reported at a medical meeting this week.

The laser procedure had already been shown to be at least as effective as eye drops in a clinical trial of 700 recently diagnosed patients.

Six years later, progression of the disease was found to be 29% slower in trial participants who underwent selective laser trabeculoplasty than in those who received eye drops, according to data presented at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting, opens new tab in Chicago.

The laser-treated patients were also less likely to need glaucoma surgery.

“Selective laser trabeculoplasty should not only be considered an effective and safe alternative to medications as a first-line treatment for primary open-angle glaucoma, but can also offer an advantage in reducing vision loss,” study leader Dr. Giovanni Montesano of Moorfields Eye Hospital in London said in a statement, referring to the most common form of the disease.

Glaucoma is a chronic eye disease in which fluid builds up in the eye, causing pressure that damages the optic nerve and can result in vision loss or blindness.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology has said, opens new tab selective laser trabeculoplasty can be used as a replacement for eye drops or in addition to them.

A recent analysis published in JAMA Ophthalmology, opens new tab estimated that as of 2022, some 4.2 million U.S. adults age 40 or over had glaucoma, with Black individuals disproportionately affected.

Anesthesia doctors report inequities for Black patients

Multiple teams of researchers are reporting on some largely unrecognized racial health inequities at the American Society of Anesthesiologists meeting, opens new tab in Philadelphia.

For example, severely injured Black, Asian and Hispanic children and adults are less likely than white patients to receive potentially life-saving helicopter ambulance services, according to U.S. data.

“Current efforts to expand helicopter ambulance programs have yet to result in equitable care for patients of different races and ethnicities,” study leader Dr. Christian Mpody of Montefiore Medical Center in New York said in a statement.

Using data from more than 900 trauma centers, his team analyzed hospital transport records for 307,589 adults and 42,812 children who required urgent surgery or ICU admission for life-threatening injuries between 2017 and 2022.

All of the injuries had occurred more than 15 miles (24 km)from the nearest trauma hospital. Overall, 82.4% of patients transported by helicopter ambulance survived compared with 80.6% of those transported by ground ambulance.

After accounting for insurance status and other factors that might influence the decision to call for a helicopter, the researchers found that rates of air transport were 25.4% among white adults versus 12.6% among Black adults, 13.5% among Asian adults and 15.9% among Hispanic adults.

Air transport rates were 33.6% among white children, 20% among Black children, 22.4% among Asian children and 24% among Hispanic children.

Separately, a review of medical records presented at the meeting found that Black patients are less likely than white patients to receive multiple pain management options after surgery.

Multimodal analgesia, which uses multiple types of pain medication to reduce pain, is more effective at treating postsurgical pain than a single medication alone, particularly after complex surgeries such as lung or abdominal cancer surgery and hernia repair, the researchers noted.

The researchers reviewed data on 2,460 white patients and 482 Black patients treated in their hospital’s intensive care unit after complex, high-risk surgeries. They found that Black patients were 29% less likely to receive multimodal anesthesia using a combination of four drugs than white counterparts.

“We know that multimodal analgesia provides more effective pain management with less need for opioids, which are highly addictive,” study leader Dr. Niloufar Masoudi of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore said in a statement. “It should be standard practice, especially in high-risk surgical patients.”

Adding fluoride to water provides little benefit today

The benefits of adding fluoride to water supplies may be minimal now that most toothpastes contain fluoride, new research suggests.

The practice has long garnered controversy, although the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in May said panels of international experts “have not found convincing scientific evidence linking community water fluoridation with any potential adverse health effect.”

A federal judge in California recently ordered the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to strengthen regulations for fluoride in drinking water, although he did not conclude with certainty that adding fluoride to drinking water presents unreasonable risks to developing brains.

Since the mid-1940s, governments worldwide have been adding fluoride to public drinking water supplies to prevent tooth decay. In the mid-1970s, toothpaste manufacturers also began to add fluoride to their products.

As reported in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, opens new tab, researchers reviewed data from 157 studies comparing communities that had fluoride added to their water supply with those that do not.

“Studies conducted in 1975 or earlier showed a clear and important effect on prevention of tooth decay in children” from adding fluoride to drinking water.

More recently, studies show that while water fluoridation may still slightly reduce tooth decay in children, a large benefit “is unlikely,” the researchers said.

They were unable to determine whether there would be effects on tooth decay if fluoride is removed from a water supply or whether fluoride reduces differences in tooth decay in lower-income nations.

The contemporary studies were conducted in high-income countries, and the impact of community water fluoridation in low- and middle-income countries is less clear, the researchers said.

Credit: Reuters

Team Metabolic Health

At-home brain stimulation therapy can safely and effectively treat severe to moderate depression, a new clinical trial shows.

Rates of treatment response and depression remission were three times higher in people receiving the noninvasive brain stimulation, researchers said.

“The study results bring promise that an innovative treatment modality may become available for patients suffering from mood disorders some time in the near future,” said co-lead researcher Dr. Jaire Soares, chair of psychiatry with the University of Texas McGovern Medical School.

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For the study, 174 people diagnosed with depression were randomly assigned to receive or forego brain stimulation during a 10-week course of treatment.

Those receiving brain stimulation got five 30-minute sessions a week for the first three weeks, followed by three 30-minute sessions a week for the next seven weeks.

The therapy is called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), in which a current of between 0.5 to 2 milliampere is applied to the scalp through two electrodes. This amount of electricity causes at most a slight tingling sensation along the scalp.

The stimulation was self-administered by patients in their own homes, researchers said.

About 45% of people receiving the stimulation wound up with their depression in remission, compared with 22% of the control group, researchers found.

“The burden of depression is mostly keenly felt by the 280 million people worldwide currently managing symptoms. While a combination of antidepressants and therapy generally proves to be effective for many people, medication can have side effects that some can find disruptive,” said senior researcher Dr. Cynthia Fu, a professor of affective neuroscience and psychotherapy at King’s College London.

“Our study has demonstrated that tDCS is a potential first-line option that could help those in need,” Fu added in a University of Texas news release.

The study was funded by Flow Neuroscience, the manufacturer of the stimulation device.

Credit: healthday.com

Team Metabolic Health

Key Takeaways

• Nearly 6 in 10 American adults eat foods that promote disease-causing inflammation
• Researchers say less inflammatory foods could help prevent chronic disease 
• Certain spices and components of a Mediterranean diet are anti-inflammatory 
• Most Americans are eating their way to inflammation that puts them at risk of cancer, heart disease and other serious health problems, a new study shows.

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“Overall, 57% of U.S. adults have a pro-inflammatory diet and that number was higher for Black Americans, men, younger adults and people with lower education and income,” said lead study author Rachel Meadows, a visiting faculty member at Ohio State University’s College of Public Health.

Her team used a tool known as the dietary inflammatory index, which includes 45 components, to examine the self-reported eating habits of more than 34,500 adults included in a federal health and nutrition survey between 2005 and 2018. 

While other dietary measures look at intake of food groups like fruit, veggies or dairy or nutrients like fats, proteins and carbs, Meadows said inflammation is important to consider.

Using the tool, they assigned inflammation values ranging from -9 to 8, with 0 representing a neutral diet.

In all, 34% had anti-inflammatory diets, according to findings published Sept. 27 in the journal Public Health Nutrition.

Meadows said overall balance of the diet is important.

“Even if you’re eating enough fruits or vegetables, if you’re having too much alcohol or red meat, then your overall diet can still be pro-inflammatory,” she said, adding that she wants people to think about anti-inflammatory foods as tools to boost health.

Garlic, ginger, turmeric and green and black tea all have anti-inflammatory properties, Meadows said. 

Other anti-inflammatory foods include whole grains, leafy green veggies, legumes such as beans and lentils, fatty fish such as salmon and berries — which are all found in the popular Mediterranean diet regimen. 

“Moving toward a diet with less inflammation could have a positive impact on a number of chronic conditions, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease and even depression and other mental health conditions,” Meadows said in an Ohio State news release.

She cited several obstacles to eating a less inflammatory diet, including poor access to fresh produce and its cost — a barrier to folks with low incomes. Many people also have chronic inflammation due to non-dietary factors, she said.

“There are a lot of factors that contribute to chronic inflammation, and they all interact — even sleep is a key component,” Meadows said. “Diet can be used as a tool to combat that.”

Credit: healthday.com

Choosing between these positions for your profession finally is determined by your interests and talent set. If you’re more comfortable with managing the company’s tech direction than its processes, then you might technical lead developer be better fitted to the tech lead position. On the other hand, if you’re excited by the prospect of overseeing the direction of multiple groups and projects, then you would be an excellent lead engineer. If you take pleasure in mentoring others and seeing them succeed, then you could take pleasure in being a senior engineer. Junior managers are at the early levels of their management careers, usually with limited experience and smaller team/project duties.

Why Mastering Efficient Communication Is The Important Thing Skill

The ability to work successfully with stakeholders ensures that projects align with enterprise aims and meet consumer expectations. A senior developer is a software professional with intensive technical experience Conversation Intelligence and expertise. Their primary position entails deep knowledge of specific technologies and programming languages, enabling them to tackle advanced coding and technical duties. As an integral a half of a typical engineering team, senior builders often mentor and information junior developers, sharing their insights and expertise to foster progress and development among their peers. Lead builders and technical leads usually need to have a bachelor’s degree in pc science or one other related field.

Dev Teaching: Drive Developer Productivity & Operational Excellence

While this could be environment friendly in the early stages, as the corporate grows, it often becomes useful to separate these roles to ensure specialised focus and avoid potential burnout. It’s clear that each one three positions have some overlap in their responsibilities. Though they’re technically expert and are sometimes required to remain on top of industry developments, they are not hands-on engineers or energetic contributors to projects. Their primary precedence is to manage the individuals, processes and methods by setting goals, creating production schedules and executing strategies.

Understanding The Roles: Group Lead Vs Tech Lead In Software Development

• Practicing project management involves implementing methodologies such as Agile, defining clear project goals, and creating sensible timelines.
• Generally, these two professions differ in both positions’ major focus and technical training, regardless of sharing some responsibilities.
• Lead builders, however, have a extra complete scope of influence that encompasses technical management, project management, group coordination, and communication with stakeholders.
• A senior programmer normally works in an organization’s IT department, creating and managing numerous computing infrastructures and software program methods.

As you advance in your software program engineering profession, ultimately you’ll need to resolve whether or not to pursue technical management or engineering management.Both roles demand a sure degree of technical knowledge and collaboration. However, there are key differences in how you’re anticipated to use these abilities. A technical lead, or tech lead, is somebody with management obligations on a group focused on technical features of software growth. Lead builders usually use their technical skills to supervise the work of other developers on a project. They could present guidance and support to junior builders, evaluate code changes or assist debug points. Technical leads normally have extra duty for the technical aspects of a project than lead developers.

The distinction between a Team Lead and a Tech Lead hinges on their primary areas of focus and key duties. Tech Leads are technology-centric and are prioritise technical solutions, whereas Team Leads are people-centric and prioritise nurturing the staff. The obligations of a Team Lead are centred more across the team dynamic, the individuals, encouraging and nurturing a culture of collaboration and cohesion. They are answerable for orchestrating the collective efforts of the team to achieve their goals efficiently. In the Push Team, within Core Systems at Bet365, we’ve differentiated and divided the key duties between these two roles whereas other groups, other departments and other firms usually combine them. For us, we recognise them as two distinct roles with overlapping and supportive duties and goals, with the important thing distinction lying of their major focus.

Lead developers have broader responsibilities, including project administration, team coordination, and technical management, whereas senior builders primarily give attention to technical execution and experience. Tech Lead is considered one of the profession paths and a logical development in the firm of skilled developers who’ve a deep understanding of the code and a worldwide vision of product development and its launch. For most firms, there is a distinction of a lead developer vs technical lead, where the primary one is a senior engaged on a project, and the letter manages the team engaged on it. Some specialists outgrow their stage of data and senior status to become a chief software program architect. The most necessary factor to consider when answering this query is the construction of the project and organization, which must be clarified before beginning a project to avoid miscommunication between team members. In many circumstances, the place of Lead Developer is completed by a Senior Developer because of the amount of knowledge and experience required for the place.

Because technical lead isn’t really a formal place, an engineering supervisor can be considered a higher place. Technical leads who wish to advance of their career without stepping into administration can work toward turning into a technical architect or a Chief Technical Officer. In distinction, project planning is a pivotal aspect of a lead developer’s role, encompassing a variety of responsibilities that are vital for the successful execution of software program growth initiatives. Tech leads act as a bridge between technical and non-technical stakeholders, partaking in project planning.

In addition, specific communication must be promoted so each team member can understand the project’s goals and align their very own individual targets accordingly. The distinction between lead software engineer and technical lead is normally expressed in the same terms. In some languages, the position of lead software program engineer is known as “Software Architect”, while “Technical Manager” is the commonest time period used to refer to the technical lead function. Other languages could use “Software Lead” or “Team Lead” to check with both of the 2 roles. As discussed, the principle distinction between senior developers and lead developers is by means of management. If your staff needs a frontrunner who guides the IT department inside the initiatives serving to design and coordinating with different departments, then a lead developer is the right match for you.

A lead programmer sometimes stories to a principal who manages numerous teams. Tech leads and engineering managers have overlapping obligations at some organizations. Both are key roles that have a major impression on the success of engineering initiatives and groups. While exact necessities range across teams and firms, every position has distinct areas of focus and required skills. When in search of a senior developer, it’s essential to consider particular abilities that set them apart.

What are the key metrics for evaluating the efficiency of a Lead Software Engineer versus a Technical Lead? Lead Software Engineers may be evaluated on code high quality, project supply timelines, and technical innovation. Technical Leads may be judged on broader standards like project success, group effectivity, and alignment with enterprise objectives. Senior developers write simple code and assume in a special way than lead developers. You must be taught more than routine and day-to-day activities to go from a senior developer to a lead developer.

A lead developer, also recognized as a technical lead, primarily focuses on the technical aspects of software growth. They usually have a deep understanding of coding, systems architecture, and design patterns. Yes, the function of a lead developer is typically higher than that of a senior developer.

Cultivating a mindset of steady enchancment throughout the team promotes adaptability as a shared value. The Senior Developer is the one that can get the hard unsolvable duties that come up in the course of the completion of a project and their job is to seek out solutions to fix them. Their role often requires a considerable amount of time spent coding and dealing with different group members. The Senior Developer is necessary in seeing the massive image of the project and contemplating how the staff can work most effectively to satisfy the customer’s wants. According to Zippia, the average lead engineer salary within the United States is round $84,927 and tends to vary between $60,000 and $120,000 relying on place, experience, location and other factors. From defining job necessities to finalizing paperwork, we deal with every little thing.

A Technial Lead (Tech Lead) typically has sturdy technical expertise with management and communication abilities and performs an necessary position within the technical elements of project planning and management. Their responsibilities could include code evaluate, mentoring staff members, and ensuring that the technical solutions align with the overall objectives and requirements of the project. Together with staff leads and product owners, tech leads play a management position in a software or engineering department; every chief focuses on a unique facet of the manufacturing course of. A product owner will concentrate on total product growth and a group lead will concentrate on folks improvement; a tech lead focuses on technical growth. The tech lead position is answerable for making architectural choices and guiding the path of initiatives, which requires collaborating and working with different departments.

Think of them as a senior developer with a specialised space of curiosity, either technical or organizational. Lead builders, on the other hand, have a more complete scope of influence that encompasses technical leadership, project management, staff coordination, and communication with stakeholders. A senior developer excels in technical experience, and their major job duties depend upon coding and growth tasks, besides offering mentorships and steering. They are often concerned in implementing complex options, and their main function bases within the improvement of processes.

The interpretations of specializations inside the hybrid and dynamic IT sphere are limitless. I would spotlight this as one of the necessary obligations of a tech lead, significantly when your staff contains much less skilled developers. This talent requires patience and the flexibility to supply constructive feedback. Additionally, you’re there to provide steady help and encouragement to your staff, motivating them to deal with challenges independently and learn continuously.

Transform Your Business With AI Software Development Solutions https://www.globalcloudteam.com/ — be successful, be the first!

Team Metabolic Health

Key Takeaways

• The Body Roundness Index (BRI) can help predict heart problems
• People who developed a high BRI were 163% more likely to suffer heart health problems
• BRI compares waist circumference to height

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“Body roundness” could be a better measure than BMI at predicting how excess weight might affect a person’s heart health, a new study finds.

People who developed a high Body Roundness Index during a six-year period had a 163% increased risk of heart disease, researchers found, and even a moderate BRI was linked with a 61% increased risk.

“Our findings indicate that six years of moderate-to-high stable BRI appeared to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, suggesting that BRI measurements may potentially be used as a predictive factor for cardiovascular disease incidence,” said senior investigator Dr. Yun Qian, a researcher of chronic non-communicable disease control at Nanjing Medical University’s Wuxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Body Roundness Index (BRI) compares a person’s waist circumference to their height, providing an estimate of their excess abdominal fat.

By comparison, body-mass index only compares a person’s weight to their height. Some have criticized the BMI as an inaccurate measure of obesity — for example, very fit athletes can have a high BMI due to their heavy muscle mass.

For the study, researchers tracked the BRI of nearly 10,000 adults in China 45 and older during the 2010s.

BRI reflects not just a person’s belly fat, but also their amount of visceral fat — the fat packed in around the organs that’s thought to do the most damage related to excess weight, experts said.

Researchers analyzed how people’s BRI changed over time, and found that increasing and higher BRI was significantly associated with a risk of heart disease, stroke, heart attack and other heart-related diseases.

This risk persisted even after researchers accounted for other risks associated with heart health like blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels, results showed.

“Obesity has also been shown to lead to inflammation and other mechanisms in the body that can affect the heart and cardiac functioning,” Qian said.

Credit: healthday.com

Team Metabolic Health

The gut is home to a network of over 100 trillion microorganisms, creating a vast microbiome that helps the body break down food and absorb nutrients. However, the gut does a lot more than just digest food. The overall state of a person’s gut can affect other aspects of health, making it important to maintain gastrointestinal (GI) well-being.

Below, explore expert advice on how to support the digestive system with 11 of the best vitamins and supplements for gut health.

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Seed Daily Synbiotic

Combines 24 probiotic strains and prebiotic

Supports regularity, eases bloating, strengthens gut barrier, and enhances gut-skin axis

Ensures probiotic survival through digestion for targeted release in the colon

Backed by clinical studies for efficacy in promoting digestion, skin health, heart health, and immune function

Why Is Gut Health Important?

The gut affects overall health in many ways, explains Neil Paulvin, D.O., a functional medicine specialist based in New York City. It has a direct connection to the brain via the gut-brain axis, meaning GI health could influence mental health, he says. Some scientists even refer to the gut as “the second brain.”

Research also indicates that the digestive system may affect or play a role in immune health, sleep, nutrition and metabolism, autoimmune diseases and other disorders, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

“To sum it up, the gut is connected to your entire body, and if it’s functioning well, it can help your overall health,” says Dr. Paulvin.

What Are the Signs of an Unhealthy Gut?

A weakened or unhealthy gut can potentially have a negative impact on overall health. Signs of an unhealthy gut may include digestive issues like diarrhea, gas, bloating or constipation, weakened immunity, sleep disturbances, fatigue and increased stress and anxiety.

How Can You Improve Gut Health?

There are several ways to improve or maintain gut health, says Kyle S. Eldredge, D.O., a colorectal and general surgeon based in Florida. Common methods for improving gut health include:

Eating a high-fiber diet containing fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts, exercising regularly, getting adequate sleep and reducing stress.

Additionally, Dr. Eldredge says supplements can provide “extra help” to achieve gut health goals.

However, it’s best to first rely on dietary and lifestyle changes to improve gut health, as supplements aren’t regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and may not be effective, says Supriya Rao, M.D., a board-certified gastroenterologist in Chelmsford, Massachusetts. “Talk to your physician before you take any supplements,” she advises.

The Best Supplements and Vitamins for Gut Health

Research and expert advice suggest the following vitamins and supplements could potentially bolster gut health. Remember to consult with a health care professional for recommended dose information and a list of potential drug interactions before making a purchase or consuming any supplement.

Probiotics

Probiotics are live microorganisms that can change the composition of microflora in the gut. “A healthy gut is considered to have a balanced amount [and variety] of probiotics,” says Amy Lee, M.D., chief medical officer of Lindora, a weight loss clinic based in southern California.

Probiotics are found naturally in fermented food sources, such as Greek yogurt, kombucha and kimchi. They can also be consumed in supplement form, such as powders, capsules and tablets.

Prebiotics

Prebiotics are fibers that the body can’t digest but instead uses as fuel for probiotic bacteria to support their growth in the gut.

“Prebiotics are typically higher in fiber and can be found in most fruits and vegetables,” explains Dr. Lee. “Eat as much prebiotics through fruits and vegetables as possible to optimize one’s amount of probiotics.” Beyond food sources, prebiotics also come in supplement form and can be combined with probiotics.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is a vinegar made from the fermented juice from apples. “It contains pectin, which is considered a prebiotic,” explains Dr. Lee. Additionally, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar “with the mother” may contain probiotic bacteria that are beneficial for the gut microbiome.

However, no significant clinical research in humans directly connects ACV with potential benefits for gut health.

Psyllium Husk

It’s generally best to consume fiber from food sources, says Dr. Rao. However, if a person doesn’t meet their recommended fiber intake each day, a fiber supplement like psyllium husk can help, she adds.

Psyllium husk creates a gel-like mass when it comes into contact with water, which can help move waste through the intestines and potentially alleviate constipation. Psyllium husk also helps bulk up stool, which can provide relief from diarrhea.

Vitamin D

“Vitamin D deficiency is very common, especially in the northeast U.S. (and other areas without lots of sunshine) and in people with darker skin tones,” explains Dr. Rao. In cases of low vitamin D, a health care provider may suggest trying a vitamin D supplement.

One 2020 research review indicates that vitamin D may have anti-inflammatory properties in the digestive tract and help regulate balance in the gastrointestinal wall. However, some of the studies in the review relied on animals instead of human participants, so further research is needed to confirm this connection.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, which means the body excretes excess amounts rather than storing them, and it must be consumed daily via food or supplements. Vitamin C can potentially increase the body’s production of short-chain fatty acids that can act as mediators in the gut-brain connection and provide protection for the intestinal barrier.

Vitamin C is readily available in citrus fruits like oranges and in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, as well as in supplement form.

Butyrate

Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid that can potentially benefit gut health by feeding and bolstering the cells lining the colon, says Dr. Paulvin. Butyrate is produced naturally when gut bacteria break down fiber, but it’s also available in supplement form.

With that said, clinical studies on butyrate supplementation in humans yield mixed results.

Glutamine

Glutamine is a non-essential amino acid that may have beneficial effects on the gut. A 2021 research review in Food Science and Human Wellness suggests glutamine might support the gut microbiome, modulate inflammatory responses and promote the integrity of the gut mucosal wall.

Additionally, a 2019 clinical trial in the journal Gut exploring glutamine supplementation in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) found that glutamine helped improve IBS symptoms like abdominal pain and bloating more than the placebo. However, larger randomized trials are needed to confirm these effects.

Ginger

Ginger is a root that may possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. A 2020 study in Frontiers in Microbiology suggests short-term intake of ginger juice may have a positive impact on gut microbiota. In the study, 123 healthy men and women drank either fresh ginger juice or a sodium chloride placebo for two week-long periods. At the end of the study, researchers found those in the ginger group had greater bacterial diversity in their gut microbiomes.

With that said, further research and long-term studies are needed to explore ginger’s potential as a gut health supplement.

Curcumin

Curcumin, a polyphenol most commonly found in the spice turmeric, is known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Research in the journal Nutrients also suggests that curcumin may promote the health of beneficial gut bacteria strains, but other studies yield mixed results in humans, so further research is needed.

In general, experts suggest first attempting to improve digestive health through lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise, before trying other methods. However, evidence suggests certain supplements may prove useful in enhancing the gut microbiome. Just remember to consult with a health care professional before adding any new supplements to your routine.

Credit: Forbes

Team Metabolic Health

BOULDER, COLO. — Not far from the majestic Rocky Mountains is an ordinary suburban neighborhood, a tree-lined street and a modest light gray home.

It’s not the kind of place you’d imagine an investigation into black market Ozempic would lead. But it did.

A CNBC investigation into counterfeit weight loss drugs revealed an international illegal marketplace where criminals either brazenly alter the drugs or ship the real product from overseas — what’s known as drug diversion and against federal law.

The operations mainly involve phony or illegal versions of Novo Nordisk’s diabetes drug Ozempic and its obesity drug Wegovy as well as Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro and Zepbound. All four drugs are in a class of wildly popular weight loss drugs known as GLP-1s. The skyrocketing demand for the treatments has led to criminal schemes attempting to capitalize on the surge.

CNBC bought a drug marketed as Ozempic from a company called Laver Beauty, which on its website and corporate documents listed its address on that quiet residential street in Boulder. The drug cost $219 for a month’s supply, a fraction of the list price of $968 for a month’s supply of Ozempic in the U.S.

The owners of the home in Boulder say they have no connection to the company — though they’ve received mail and a 1099 IRS tax form addressed to Laver Beauty.

The drug CNBC purchased was shipped via DHL from an office building in Shijiazhuang, China, about a four-hour drive from Beijing. The package that arrived at CNBC headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, was a plain cardboard box with no refrigeration except for two melted ice packs. Ozempic is supposed to be stored refrigerated. The drug packaging, which appeared authentic, featured Chinese writing and the Novo Nordisk logo.

In an email, Novo Nordisk said the drug appeared to be “diverted legitimate product that was produced for, and distributed to, the Chinese market during late ’23 and early ’24. Therefore, it would be unauthorized/unapproved for the US market.”

The company added that it “cannot confirm the sterility, which may present an increased risk of infection for patients who use the counterfeit product.”

Law enforcement sources told CNBC that the Ozempic received from China is part of a larger ongoing federal investigation into Ozempic packages being shipped to the U.S.

Laver Beauty did not respond to CNBC’s request for comment, but a person who identified himself as a company representative told CNBC in a WhatsApp chat, “All our products are genuine. We don’t sell fake ones.” The person acknowledged that the product CNBC purchased was intended for the Chinese market.

The representative also messaged that the Boulder address “is the previous address of our U.S. warehouse.” A day after CNBC inquired about the Boulder address, it was removed from the company’s website.

Counterfeit medication

The Ozempic that CNBC purchased is considered an illegally diverted drug. A separate but related growing problem is the rise of counterfeit drugs — fake products purporting to be the real thing.

In the United Kingdom, authorities last year seized hundreds of counterfeit Ozempic pens — insulin pens that had been relabeled as Ozempic.

“We saw that the demand increased and quite often as it happens in these situations, criminals try and fill a gap where the supply and demand aren’t balanced for a particular product, and we started seeing real counterfeit versions of the Ozempic product on the market,” said Andy Morling, deputy director of criminal enforcement for the U.K.’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.

Morling spoke to CNBC from a warehouse outside London where the counterfeits are stored. A total of 869 Ozempic counterfeit pens were seized in 2023.

Counterfeit weight loss drugs have serious health risks, according to the pharmaceutical companies and federal officials. In some cases they could be fatal to someone using them.

Eli Lilly, the maker of Mounjaro and Zepbound, said it is actively fighting the counterfeits.

“We have a very elaborate and rigorous system to test medicines before they’re allowed to be used in patients. But unfortunately [counterfeits] don’t go through that system at all,” said Dr. Daniel Skovronsky, Eli Lilly’s chief scientific officer and president of Lilly Research Labs.

He showed CNBC a sophisticated fake that was labeled as Mounjaro but that contained a different medication entirely — one for Type 2 diabetes that doesn’t cause weight loss.

“It looks to all the world like Mounjaro, comes in a box that’s labeled as Mounjaro,” he said. “And it has pens that are labeled as Mounjaro. But it’s not Mounjaro at all.”

Counterfeiters are already trying to cash in on a weight loss drug that the company hasn’t even put on the market yet: retatrutide. CNBC found it’s being sold online.

“We’re testing it in Phase 3 clinical trials today. We don’t know yet, but I hope to get those results next year and we’ll find out,” Skovronksy said.

Asked about sites selling what they claim is retatrutide, Skovronksy said, “Yeah, that’s crazy … Even the real retatrutide is not ready for patient use outside of clinical trials.”

Port seizures rising

Finding fake or diverted Ozempic and other obesity drugs is common at the sprawling international mail facility located on the grounds of John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. More than 60,000 seizures of counterfeit and illegal goods were made last year at the facility.

“I am not surprised, unfortunately, any of these new type of drugs that we’re seeing, whether it be weight loss drugs or other drugs,” Sal Ingrassia, the port director overseeing U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at JFK, told CNBC. “We’ll see them either diverted, counterfeited or illegally shipped through this facility.”

According to CBP, since Jan. 1 the agency has made more than 198 seizures of medication labeled as Ozempic. Nine shipments of medication labeled as Wegovy were also seized, as well as one shipment labeled as Mounjaro.

The CBP seizures data doesn’t specify how much of that medication was real and diverted to the U.S. or counterfeit.

CNBC showed Ingrassia the Ozempic that it purchased from Laver Beauty, the package lacking the required refrigeration, and he said it was clear the shipment had “broken the legal supply chain.”

“This to me, is something that if we see, we are going to intercept and take action on. This is a dangerous product,” he said.

Ingrassia said he expects the number of interceptions of weight loss products to double this year over last.

And what happens to the seized items? Unless they’re part of an active investigation by the FDA, Ingrassia said, U.S. Customs isn’t allowed to destroy them, because the injection pens are categorized as medical devices. They are then sent back to the foreign supplier.

Illegal websites crackdown

Ingrassia said that for the most part, diverted products are ordered online or via social media.

“These are mostly individuals that are ordering this, going online and looking for a deal. And obviously taking a big risk by doing that. But we’ve also seen these products being ordered by doctors’ offices,” he said.

To go after the sellers of counterfeit or illegally diverted drugs, the pharmaceutical industry has teamed up with BrandShield, a cybersecurity company.

BrandShield CEO Yoav Keren showed CNBC various sites that the company flagged and that ultimately got shut down, including a Facebook account and a TikTok account that impersonated GLP-1 makers and sold versions of the drug.

Spokespeople for Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, and TikTok said their platforms do not allow the sale of prescription drugs and that the companies take action to remove those listings.

A Meta spokesperson in an email to CNBC said, “This is a challenge that spans platforms, industries, and communities which is why we work with law enforcement, regulators, and private industry to combat this problem. We continue to invest resources and further improve our enforcement on this kind of content.”

Keren said 250 sites identified by BrandShield as related to bogus weight loss products were removed last year, eight times the number in 2022.

“It’s kind of a whack-a-mole, but we’re on them. We’re chasing them, this is our technology, we find them very quickly,” he said.

The Turkey connection

Counterfeit Ozempic has been reported in 15 countries, according to the World Health Organization, which issued a global alert in June warning of the health risks of purchasing fake products.

For the U.S. government, it’s a big problem.

“We are seeing a lot of diverted medicines coming in from Europe and South America,” said Nicole Johnson, national program manager for the Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center, which fights counterfeiting. “But for counterfeits, a lot of what we’re seeing currently in the United States is just the reuse of old Ozempic pens — so people can actually just take the original packaging and fill it with saline.”

Johnson said the top countries where counterfeits and diverted drugs originate are India, China, the United Kingdom, Mexico and Turkey. In Turkey, she says, government-subsidized pharmaceuticals have fueled the counterfeit drug market.

Istanbul may be known for the beauty of the Bosphorus, surrounded by stunning palaces and mosques. But it’s also one of the epicenters of the lucrative counterfeit drug trade, according to U.S. authorities who track counterfeit drugs.

“What the criminals normally do is they find something to exploit to make more money. So the pharmaceuticals were then bought up, and then sold throughout the world — something that was supposed to help people, and it’s being exploited,” Johnson said.

Last fall, the Turkish National Police conducted raids throughout Istanbul as part of a coordinated international crackdown.

Maziar Mike Doustdar, executive vice president of international operations for Novo Nordisk, agreed that Turkey has become a hot spot for pharmaceutical crime.

Counterfeiters have acquired sophisticated packaging equipment that is “on par with the original company equipment,” Doustdar said.

“They source the equipment from pretty much the same place as we or our competitors are sourcing it. So, they make the packaging look very, very, similar to the original product,” he said.

Direnc Bada, an Istanbul-based attorney who represents major pharmaceutical companies in Turkey, pointed to “an increasing amount of online channels promoting these products … and it’s forbidden in Turkey actually to sell these through online channels.”

FDA alert, complaints

In the U.S., the FDA announced in an alert in December that it had seized “thousands of units of counterfeit” Ozempic in the “legitimate U.S. supply chain.”

Asked about the status of the investigation into the counterfeit Ozempic, an FDA spokesperson said there were no updates to the original alert.

The risks in purchasing counterfeit drugs can be high. Given the delicate nature of the formulation and the specific shipping requirements for the drugs, consuming illegal versions can be dangerous to a person’s health.

“It’s one thing to counterfeit a luxury bag. It’s a very, very different thing when you counterfeit a medicine,” Doustdar said.

Reports of issues with weight loss drugs containing semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic, or tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro, have seen a sharp rise since 2019.

“This is a very serious problem for us as a pharma company, as an industry, because patient safety is our license to operate. And you’re playing with people’s safety,” Doustdar said.

“There is no good counterfeit,” he said.

— CNBC’s Eunice Yoon and Paige Tortorelli contributed to this report.

Credit: CNBC

Team Metabolic Health

They’re a common cause of bad breath and sore throats — and apparently a well-kept secret.

Recently, a friend asked me about tonsil stones. He has sore throats several times a year, which are instantly relieved by gargling to remove them. When I told him I thought tonsil stones were pretty rare, he asked: “Are you sure about that? My ear, nose, and throat doctor says they’re common as rocks.” (Get it? stones? rocks?)

It turns out, my friend and his doctor are on to something. Tonsil stones are surprisingly common and often quite annoying. Here’s what to know and do.

What are tonsil stones?

Tonsil stones (medical term: tonsilloliths) are small white or yellow deposits on the tonsils. They develop when bacteria, saliva, food particles, and debris from cells lining the mouth get trapped in tiny indentations called crypts.

They vary considerably between people, including:

Size. They may be so small that you can’t see them with the naked eye. Or they may grow to the size of gravel or, rarely, much larger.

Consistency. They’re often soft but may calcify, becoming hard as a rock. Hence, the name.

How long they last. Tonsil stones can last days to weeks, or may persist far longer before they break up and fall out.

How often they occur. New tonsilloliths may appear several times each month or just once or twice a year.

While they’re more likely to form if you have poor oral hygiene, good oral hygiene doesn’t provide complete protection. Even those who brush, floss, and see their dentists regularly can develop tonsil stones.

How common are tonsil stones?

You’ve heard of kidney stones and gallstones, right? Clearly, those conditions are better known than tonsil stones. Yet tonsil stones are far more common: studies suggest that up to 40% of the population have them. Fortunately, unlike kidney stones and gallstones, tonsil stones are usually harmless.

What are the symptoms of tonsil stones?

Often people have no symptoms. In fact, if tonsil stones are small enough, you may not even know you have them. When tonsil stones do cause symptoms, the most common ones are:

1. Bad breath
2. Cough
3. Discomfort with swallowing
4. Throat infections.

Who gets tonsil stones?

Anyone who has tonsils can get them. However, some people are more likely than others to form tonsil stones, including those who have tonsils with lots of indentations and irregular surfaces rather than a smooth surface

1. Smoke
2. Drink lots of sugary beverages
3. Have poor oral hygiene
4. Have a family history of tonsil stones.

How are tonsil stones treated?

That depends on whether you have symptoms and how severe the symptoms are.

If you have no symptoms, tonsil stones may require no treatment.

If you do have symptoms, gargling with salt water or removing tonsil stones with a cotton swab or a water flosser usually helps. Avoid trying to remove them with sharp, firm objects like a toothpick or a pen, as that can damage your throat or tonsils.

If your tonsils are inflamed, swollen, or infected, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics or anti-inflammatory medications.

Is surgery ever necessary?

Occasionally, surgery may be warranted. It’s generally reserved for people with severe symptoms or frequent infections who don’t improve with the measures mentioned above.

Surgical options are:

1. Tonsillectomy, which is removing the tonsils
2. Cryptolysis, which uses laser, electrical current, or radio waves to smooth the deep indentations in tonsils that allow stones to form.

Can tonsil stones be prevented?

Yes, there are ways to reduce the risk that tonsil stones will recur. Experts recommend the following:

1. Brush your teeth and tongue regularly (at least twice a day: in the morning and before sleep).
2. Floss regularly.
3. Gargle with salt water after eating.
4. Eliminate foods and drinks that contain a lot of sugar, which feeds bacteria that can help stones form.
5. Don’t smoke, because smoking irritates and inflames tonsils, which can encourage stone formation. The same may apply to vaping, though there is limited research to rely upon.

The bottom line

Considering how common tonsil stones are and how bothersome they can be, it seems strange that they aren’t more well known. Maybe that’s because they often get better on their own, or people figure out how to deal with them without needing medical attention.

I hope you aren’t one of the many millions of people bothered by tonsil stones. But if you are, it’s good to know that they’re generally harmless and can be readily treated and prevented.

Now that you know more about them, feel free to spread the word: tonsil stones should be a secret no more.

Credit: health.harvard.edu/blog

Team Metabolic Health

It is often the tiniest of interventions that may deliver some respite. One of the most undervalued vegetables happens to be broad beans, which scientists have highlighted for their potential mental health benefits. This article examines these findings, glancing at how a broad bean may be an ally in supporting mental wellness.

What are broad beans?

Broad beans are nutritious green legumes that belong to the pea family. Generally known as the fava beans, these earthy-flavored legumes have been cultivated for thousands of years for their higher protein content, and the believed broad spectrum of potential health benefits they may bring to the table.

Image by JIANG HONGYAN via Shutterstock

Broad beans’ nutritional benefits

Among their vast nutritional content, broad beans are packed with plant protein. In fact, one cup of cooked fava beans provides approximately 12.9 grams of protein, which is essential for the repair and growth of our muscles.

Around 9.18 grams of fiber can be found in a single cup of cooked broad beans. Nutritional health science has shown ample evidence of the role of fiber in digestion, the support of our gut health, and the potential contribution to blood glucose level regulation.

Broad beans’ nutritional value is emphasized by their abundance in folate, which has an array of functions such as DNA synthesis, infant development during pregnancy, and support for brain health. These beans also contain vitamin C, a nutrient treasured by many of us today for its potential immune system support.

Further highlighting their benefits, fava beans are high in iron, magnesium, and potassium. These minerals are research-proven to play an essential role in preventing anemia, supporting muscle and nerve functioning, and regulating blood pressure, respectively.

Broad beans’ nutrition gains are quite vast, as they’ve also been established to contain some useful antioxidant compounds, which include flavonoids and phenolic acids that are important in supporting the management of oxidative stress and are recognized as compounds that may have anti-inflammatory properties.

The science behind broad beans and mental health

Leading the charge in integrating broad beans into everyday nutrition is Nadia Mohd-Radzman, a Cambridge research scientist. Her research highlights the resilience of broad beans in agriculture and their potential contribution to the health of their rich nutrient profile.

In advocating for the nutritional benefits of broad beans, Mohd-Radzman seeks to highlight their potential as a complementary part of a healthy and balanced diet that may support both our physical and mental well-being.

We have a major problem with growing numbers of young people experiencing mental health problems in the UK today, and helping them eat a proper, healthy diet is going to be crucial in tackling this. The broad bean will be our first line of attack.

Stress often creeps into our lives, potentially affecting our cognitive function and emotional health. The nutrients in broad beans hence show promise to potentially contribute to the reduction of stress. The nutritional properties of these beans may work to support stress, cognitive performance, and supporting our overall mental health.

Associations between some of the micronutrients found in board beans and mental health exist in some of the scientific literature. Broad beans are relatively high in magnesium, with some literature reviews suggesting that magnesium may help relieve perceived stress levels in adults with moderate to severe stress levels and hypomagnesemia. Moreover, it is noted that nearly 30% of severely depressed inpatients have folate deficiency, and some studies suggest that folate may play a role in cognitive health maintenance.

However, the scientific evidence on these certain micronutrients is too limited to validate their efficacy in mental health support. Also, most of the current research is focused on the specific micronutrient supplementation in certain groups rather than the intake of micronutrients from broad beans; thus the potential mental health effects of increased natural sources of the micronutrients are less scientifically assessed.

It is crucial to recognize that while these micronutrients show some promise in supporting mental well-being, they may be just one piece of a much larger picture. Depression, anxiety, and other mental health challenges are far more complex, usually requiring a multifaceted strategy that involves medical treatment, therapy, and support from our loved ones. Broad beans can only be a small addition to a healthy and balanced diet with nutritional properties to support overall mental health, but they are not a way to manage or treat any mental health disorders.

Important

If you experience mental health challenges, it is important to consult with a medical professional who can assess your mental health and provide personalized advice on the best methods for managing your specific situation.

Broader implications for mental health

Let’s dig a bit deeper into the suggested potential benefits of broad beans and how they may extend beyond well-known micronutrients.

Broad beans represent a rich source of levodopa, otherwise known as L-Dopa, an amino acid that acts as a precursor to dopamine. Some scientific literature associates low dopamine levels and dysregulation of dopamine with depressive disorders. Therefore, as a precursor to dopamine, L-Dopa may play a role in supporting mental health.

Some studies suggest that L-Dopa may play a role in reward circuitry in people with depressive disorders and anhedonia (reduced ability to experience pleasure). However, another study discussed that although L-Dopa levels may increase from broad bean intake, consuming extremely large quantities of fava beans may cause digestive side effects like flatulence.

Due to the current lack of comprehensive scientific evidence, the significance of broad beans for mental health or neurodegenerative disease management requires further exploration. Therefore, the effectiveness of broad beans in supporting mental health cannot be fully verified at this time.

Practical ways to incorporate broad beans into your diet

Think about starting your day with a vibrant broad bean salad, its fresh mint and tangy lemon dressing waking up your senses. Or picture a creamy broad bean hummus, perfect for a mid-day snack that nourishes your body and mind. For dinner, a quick broad bean stir-fry can bring comfort and joy after a long day with its flavors dancing on your tongue.

You don’t need to be a master chef to enjoy broad beans in your diet. Many recipes online can guide you step-by-step in preparing broad beans in delicious ways, whether in soups, stews, or simply sprinkled over toast. The possibilities are endless!

Dietary recommendations

Balance is key to everything in life. To fully gain the potential nutritional benefits of broad beans, it’s important to remember that when incorporating them into your diet.

Some of the dietary recommendations include:

Serving size. A typical serving is about 1/2 cup of cooked broad beans. The nutrient content can vary with the preparation method (e.g., cooked vs. raw), so adjust based on your needs and consult a healthcare professional for personalized advice.

Balanced diet. Embrace broad beans as a part of a balanced diet that contains a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.

Hydration. Staying hydrated is crucial, as water supports metabolism, digestion, and overall health.

Broad beans vs. other nutritional choices

When considering diet’s impact on mental health, specific foods can play a unique role. Legumes, including broad beans, offer a range of nutrients that may contribute to mental well-being. In particular, broad beans stand out among their leguminous counterparts for their potential cognitive and mental health benefits.

Broad beans vs. other legumes

Intake of raw vegetables, including legumes, is found to have a strong association with better mental health. Among legumes, broad beans stand out alongside lentils, chickpeas, and black beans. While each of these foods offers unique benefits and should be included in a healthy diet, broad beans may provide specific advantages for mental health when combined with a balanced diet and other healthy lifestyle practices.

While lentils and chickpeas excel in protein and fiber and contain decent amounts of magnesium and folate, they lack the L-Dopa found in broad beans that may contribute to cognitive function and mental health.

Broad beans vs. supplements

Nutritional supplements can be beneficial, particularly in cases of nutrient deficiency. But while supplements can help fill nutritional gaps and may be recommended by a healthcare provider in certain situations, it is generally advised to prioritize a balanced diet with a variety of nutrient-rich foods to support overall health, including mental health.

In the case of whole foods like broad beans, there is a symphony of nutrients backing their consumption. Their fiber, protein, folate, magnesium, and antioxidants are all acting collectively to potentially support mental health.

Holistic approach to mental health management

Acupuncture, mindfulness, and dietary changes can be extremely impactful in the management of mental health. Adding broad beans to the punch alongside a balanced diet may fit well into a CAM strategy and provide a natural and holistic approach to dealing with mental health issues.

Potential side effects and precautions

Moderation is important, as even beneficial foods can have negative effects if consumed in excess or without considering their impact. Broad beans are no exception. While they offer several potential benefits, it’s important to be aware of possible side effects and take necessary precautions.

Allergies and sensitivities

On rare occasions, broad beans can elicit allergic reactions and cause symptoms like itching, swelling, hives, and even anaphylaxis. Always read labels to avoid unexpected surprises. It’s advisable to consult with your healthcare provider before incorporating any new foods into your diet.

Additionally, fava beans can trigger a genetic condition called favism, named after the very beans themselves. This genetic condition stems from a deficiency in an enzyme known as glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), which turns these beans into possible health hazards for some people by inducing hemolytic anemia.

G6PD deficiency precaution

If your family history hints at G6PD deficiency, or if you’ve been diagnosed with the disease, broad beans should be avoided, as they can have serious negative implications on your health.

Interaction with medications

The high mineral content in broad beans can be a blessing or a challenge. For those on blood pressure medications, this means monitoring your potassium levels carefully. Additionally, although they may help support dopamine levels, broad beans may interact with Parkinson’s medications. If you’re on any such medications, it’s best to consult with your healthcare provider before making any dietary changes.

Bottom line

Nutrition and mental health are closely connected. While there is some promising evidence regarding the potential role of micronutrients and L-Dopa found in broad beans for mental health, the research is still too limited to confirm their impact. However, due to their nutritional content, broad beans can be a beneficial addition to a healthy and balanced diet.

FAQ

• Can broad beans be eaten raw?
• Broad beans should not be eaten raw. The raw pods contain certain compounds that hinder nutrient absorption and are relatively tough to digest. Proper cooking helps in neutralizing these compounds, making them more palatable and easier for digestion.
• Can eating broad beans improve sleep quality?
• Although broad beans have no direct association with better sleep, the high content of magnesium may support the nervous system. This alongside other sleep hygiene practices may help with a good night’s sleep.

Key takeaways:

• Broad beans are green legumes rich in useful nutrients such as folate, magnesium, protein, and fiber, among others. These nutrients provide well-rounded support for overall physical health and may contribute to mental well-being.
• The L-Dopa in broad beans may increase dopamine levels, providing a natural way of supporting your mood.
• Enjoying the benefits of broad beans while being mindful of potential allergic reactions and medication interactions is the best approach. Consult with your healthcare provider for safe and balanced consumption.

Credit: healthnews.com