Four people remained hospitalized Monday — two critically ill, two in serious condition — following a weekend overdose cluster involving Wesleyan University students and, apparently, a drug called "Molly."
Health experts and police were working to pinpoint the source of those drugs and confirm the precise chemical that caused 10 students and two visitors at the Connecticut college to require emergency medical attention early Sunday.
Molly might be a mystery to some Americans. But millions are believed to have used one form of it recreationally, experts say. Here are five crucial questions about what may sound like a harmless drug — but a substance with possibly life-threatening side effects.
What is Molly, and what is it not?
Many people have heard of the drug ecstasy. It's synthetic and, at least in the lab, it's known as MDMA, short for 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Ecstasy gained popularity at nightclubs in 1980s and '90s. The pills gave users the euphoric high of amphetamines and the psychedelic effects of hallucinogens.
Molly, experts say, contains all MDMA in a crystalline powder contained in a capsule. So, it's a concentrated form of ecstasy, but users don't always know if it's truly "pure." Like all synthetic drugs, it could be diluted with other psychogenic substances.Read Full Article
Boost your metabolism
It’s true: Certain foods have a very high thermogenic effect, so you literally scorch calories as you chew. Other eats contain nutrients and compounds that stoke your metabolic fire. Feed your metabolism with these.
1. Whole grains
Your body burns twice as many calories breaking down whole foods (especially those rich in fiber such as oatmeal and brown rice) than processed foods.
2. Lean meats
Protein has a high thermogenic effect: You burn about 30% of the calories the food contains during digestion (so a 300-calorie chicken breast requires about 90 calories to break it down).
3. Low-fat dairy products
Rich in calcium and vitamin D, these help preserve and build muscle mass—essential for maintaining a robust metabolism.
4. Green tea
Drinking four cups of green tea a day helped people shed more than six pounds in eight weeks, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports. Credit EGCG, a compound in the brew that temporarily speeds metabolism after sipping it. To up your intake, keep a jug of iced tea in the fridge.
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Cancer patients and survivors who felt tired or sluggish reported feeling noticeably better after taking ginseng supplements for two months, in a new study.
"Nearly all patients with cancer can suffer from fatigue at some point; either at diagnosis, during treatment and even after treatment, and (fatigue) can linger for several years," said lead author Debra Barton, from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
"The issue with cancer-related fatigue is that it can be a profound fatigue that is not relieved by sleep or rest and that it can significantly impact the ability of people to accomplish the things they are used to doing every day," Barton told Reuters Health by email.
Ginseng had shown promise for fatigue in earlier studies as well, researchers said.
Tired cancer patients and survivors often turn to that and other dietary supplements such as Coenzyme Q-10, L-Carnitine and guarana, but not all are supported by evidence.
