Steer clear of protein-boosting powder
People seem to love to use powders (and pills), even when they’re downright dangerous. Think of Lance Armstrong taking erythropoietin to boost his red blood cell production and baseball allstars Steve Howe and Dwight Gooden, who ruined their careers with cocaine.
But we want to call your attention to the health-threatening powders used by millions of Americans who are concerned about eating enough protein as they age, or those who are pushing hard to bulk up their muscle mass and strength. A new lab study in Nature Metabolism found that micethat consume protein powders that are rich in branched-chain amino acids or BCAAS — and most are — put themselves at risk for mood swings caused by shifts in serotonin levels, uncontrolled hunger, obesity and even early death.
So, to boost your strength, stick with plant-based proteins from legumes, 100 percent whole grains, nuts, seeds and veggies like broccoli and kale. Choose safe, lean, animal-based proteins from foods such as salmon and sea trout.
Getting high lowers sperm count and blocks ovulation
In an article published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, researchers say they want docs and patients trying to conceive to be aware that smoking marijuana may make it more difficult. How?
1. THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, acts on receptors in the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and reproductive organs, making it more difficult to conceive.
In women, the hypothalamus produces gonadotropin-releasing hormone, which leads to a cascade of other hormones needed for ovulation and to prepare the uterus for a fertilized egg. Pituitary problems can contribute to erectile dysfunction in men and infertility in women.
2. Another problem: decreased sperm count. A Danish study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that smoking marijuana more than once a week reduced sperm count by 29 percent in guys 18 to 28 years old!
3. Marijuana may delay or prevent ovulation if smoked more than three times in the past three months.
One more caution: Authors of a study called “Not Your Mother’s Marijuana,” published in Clinical Perinatology, point out that if you’re pregnant and smoke today’s superpowered weed, prenatal exposure to marijuana can result in problems with your child’s executive functioning skills, attention, behavior and school achievement later on.
Email questions for Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen to youdocsdaily@sharecare. com.