Okay, elderberry, elderberry… You know, as a child of the 1970’s, the word ‘elderberry’ has a strong ‘Monty Python’ association for me. My family was never into herbals, so the only place I’d ever heard about elderberry is the scene in the film ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’ where the French Knight is taunting King Arthur, and says, “Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries”. Which I always assumed meant elderberry wine, which is actually a thing. Oh Monty Python. You so crazy.

Links:

• Sambucus - Wikipedia
• Sambuca - Wikipedia
• Luxardo - Sambuca dei Cesari
• Monty Python - Wikipedia
• French Taunter - Monty Python and the Holy Grail - YouTube
• Rheumatism - Wikipedia
• Arthritis - Wikipedia
• ELDERBERRY: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions and Warnings - WebMD
• Materials Used In Construction And Repair Of Watches
• Sambucus L.
• elderberries nutritional info - Google Search
• blueberries nutritional info - Google Search
• Elderberry | University of Maryland Medical Center

One of the most common instances of self-infection (as I'm choosing to phrase it) is in children, who are often a lot less discriminating about what - and where - they touch. Kids - or adults for that matter, that transfer microbes from their nose to their butt can end up with ‘Proctitis’ which is an inflammation of the anus.

Links:

• Contact Us: Level 989
• Proctitis - Wikipedia
• Symptoms & Causes of Proctitis | NIDDK
• Mucous membrane - Wikipedia
• Perianal Streptococcal Dermatitis - American Family Physician
• My son has strep where? - My Mom Recycles
• Streptococcus - Wikipedia
• Rapid strep test - Wikipedia
• Amoxicillin - Wikipedia
• Viral infection in nose can trigger bacterial infection in the ear

The exact way that a person becomes allergic to something is still a mystery. But for whatever reason, your body identifies a substance it deems problematic and then begins producing specialized immune-system receptors tuned to the allergen that has been identified.

Links:

• Contact Us - Level 989
• GoLocalProv | Dept. of Health Investigating Allergic Reactions of Students to Kiwi Fruit at 14 Schools
• Outbreak - Wikipedia
• Kiwifruit - Wikipedia
• Actinidain - Wikipedia
• Bromelain - Wikipedia
• Allergy - Wikipedia
• Kiwifruit allergy: The facts
• California Kiwifruit Commission - Frequently Asked Questions
• Can I eat the skin of kiwifruit? - Zespri Kiwifruit North America
• Why do pineapple and kiwi fruit hurt my mouth? - I Quit Sugar
• Kiwi allergies to open up synthetic flavour market?

Most people’s first thought if you were to tell them “I’m an addict” would be that the person is addicted to drugs - and these days, the number one addiction is… well, SURPRISE, it’s complicated. It...Depends. There are a series of tiers breaking down age groups, substances, and behaviors.

What is addiction? Actually, most of the snooty web sites call it Substance Use Disorder, or Substance Dependence, right? But that’s confusing! I could be addicted to... gambling, or addicted to binging old episodes of Murder, She Wrote. Those... are not substances!

Links:

• Contact Us: Level 989
• Understanding Addiction
• Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Recovery News | Resources – The Fix
• About the Epidemic | HHS.gov
• The Anonymous People Film
• Amazon.com: The Anonymous People: Kristen Johnston, Patrick Kennedy Chris herren, Jim Ramstad, Tara Conner: Amazon Digital Services LLC
• ‘The Anonymous People’ Looks at the Recovery Movement - The New York Times
• Eva's Village comprehensive NJ anti-poverty nonprofit, located in Paterson, NJ
• Opioid Overdose Recovery Program
• Peer support specialist - Wikipedia
• Substance Use Disorders | SAMHSA - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• Appendix C DSM‐IV‐TR Material - Clinical Guidelines for the Use of Buprenorphine in the Treatment of Opioid Addiction - NCBI Bookshelf
• Substance use disorder - Wikipedia
• Addiction - Wikipedia
• Behavioral Health Trends in the United States
• DrugFacts: Nationwide Trends | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
• Statistics on Drug Addiction
• How I Overcame TV Addiction and Reclaimed My Life
• Is binge-watching bad for your mental health? | Opinion | The Guardian
• Ancient humans were taking drugs up to 10,600 years ago | Daily Mail Online
• Humans Have Been Getting High Since Prehistoric Times, Research Shows | HuffPost
• The Science of Drug Abuse and Addiction: The Basics | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
• DSM 5 Criteria for Substance Use Disorders
• The Diagnostic Criteria for Substance Use Disorders (Addiction)
• DSM-5 Now Categorizes Substance Use Disorders in a Single Continuum :: Rogers Behavioral Health
• DSM-5 Changes: Addiction, Substance-Related Disorders & Alcoholism | Psych Central Professional
• What's The Likelihood Of Dying From Too Much Caffeine?
• Energy Drinks Can Be Deadly for Young Children: Study
• Caffeine Use Disorder: A Comprehensive Review and Research Agenda
• Caffeine - Wikipedia
• Caffeine dependence - Wikipedia
• Caffeine overdose is extremely rare — but here’s how it can happen - Vox
• Withdrawal syndrome - Wikipedia
• Delirium tremens - Wikipedia
• War on drugs - Wikipedia
• War on drugs - Wikipedia
• Addiction - Wikipedia
• Drugs and the Brain | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
• Addiction and the brain: the role of neurotransmitters in the cause and treatment of drug dependence | CMAJ
• Addiction and the brain: the role of neurotransmitters in the cause and treatment of drug dependence
• How Addiction Lights Up the Brain: Dopamine (and Other Neurotransmitters) 101
• Impacts of Drugs on Neurotransmission | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
• Addiction: The View from Rat Park (2010)
• Review of "The Globalisation Of Addiction: A Study In Poverty Of The Spirit" by Bruce K. Alexander
• 22 selected items - PubMed - NCBI
• Gateway drug theory - Wikipedia
• Ready for Retirement: The Gateway Drug Hypothesis. - PubMed - NCBI
• Adderall - Wikipedia
• Amphetamine - Wikipedia
• Alcohol as a gateway drug: a study of US 12th graders. - PubMed - NCBI
• “Gateway hypothesis” and early drug use: Additional findings from tracking a population-based sample of adolescents to adulthood
• [The concept of "gateway drug"]. - PubMed - NCBI
• Is cannabis a gateway drug? Testing hypotheses about the relationship between cannabis use and the use of other illicit drugs. - PubMed - NCBI
• Illicit Drug Use in the United States - Preventing Drug Abuse - NCBI Bookshelf
• Ecstasy and Gateway Drugs: Initiating the Use of Ecstasy and Other Drugs
• A Molecular Basis for Nicotine as a Gateway Drug
• The role of Gateway drugs and psychosocial factors in substance dependence in Eastern India. - PubMed - NCBI
• What Is a Gateway Drug? (Marijuana, Alcohol & Other Drugs)
• Do Gateway Drugs Exist? | Two Dreams Drug and Addiction Treatment
• Opiod Addiction Facts
• Opioid - Wikipedia
• Oxycodone - Wikipedia
• Heroin - Wikipedia
• Fentanyl - Wikipedia
• “I Am in Pain!”—A Case Report of Illicit Use of Transdermal Fentanyl Patches
• What to Do If You Have a Problem with Drugs: For Teens and Young Adults | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
• Chapter 1 Substance Abuse Treatment and Family Therapy - Substance Abuse Treatment and Family Therapy - NCBI Bookshelf
• Can You Cure Yourself of Drug Addiction? - Scientific American
• 4 Treatment Protocols - Clinical Guidelines for the Use of Buprenorphine in the Treatment of Opioid Addiction - NCBI Bookshelf
• Cannabis - Wikipedia
• Recreational drug use - Wikipedia
• Recreational Drugs. What are recreational drugs? Advice | Patient
• Is marijuana addictive? | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
• Why hardly anyone dies from a drug overdose in Portugal - The Washington Post
• Chart of the day: Drug overdose deaths per million persons. Can the US learn something from Portugal? - AEI
• Overdose Death Rates | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
• Canada has just approved prescription heroin - The Washington Post
• Girl Scout sells cookies outside pot dispensary: 117 boxes in 2 hours
• Here’s how legal pot changed Colorado and Washington - The Washington Post
• Economic Impact of Cancer
• Prohibition | Definition, History, Eighteenth Amendment, & Repeal | Britannica.com
• Traditional Chinese medicine in treatment of opiate addiction. - PubMed - NCBI
• Traditional Chinese Medicine and Addiction Recovery - The River Source
• Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture for addiction
• Chinese Herbal Medicine for the Treatment of Drug Addiction - ScienceDirect
• A Meta-Analysis of Chinese Herbal Medicine in Treatment of Managed Withdrawal from Heroin
• Traditional medicine in the treatment of drug addiction. - PubMed - NCBI
• Chinese Herbal Medicine for the Treatment of Drug Addiction. - PubMed - NCBI
• Acupuncture for the Treatment of Opiate Addiction
• Traditional Chinese medicine in treatment of opiate addiction | Acta Pharmacologica Sinica
• Best Herbs For Opiate Withdrawal, Tapering, and PAWS - Opiate Addiction Support
• Herbal 'Opioid Alternative' Leads to Addiction, Severe Withdrawal Symptoms - MPR
• Self-treatment of opioid withdrawal using kratom (Mitragynia speciosa korth)
• Kratom and Future Treatment for the Opioids Addiction and Chronic Pain: Periculo Beneficium? - PubMed - NCBI
• Following “the Roots” of Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa): The Evolution of an Enhancer from a Traditional Use to Increase Work and Productivity in Southeast Asia to a Recreational Psychoactive Drug in Western Countries
• Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) dependence, withdrawal symptoms and craving in regular users. - PubMed - NCBI
• XuanXia (Weinicom) Presentation
• A Single Dose of Kudzu Extract Reduces Alcohol Consumption in a Binge Drinking Paradigm
• Traditional Chinese and Indian medicine in the treatment of opioid-dependence: a review
• Gavin Menzies - Wikipedia
• 1421: The Year China Discovered America: Gavin Menzies: 9780061564895: Amazon.com: Books
• Alcoholics Anonymous - Wikipedia
• Harold Hughes - Wikipedia
• 69 years ago, a president pitches his idea for national health care | PBS NewsHour
• Florida Drug Treatment Center Operators Busted in Crackdown
• The Dangers of Quitting Drinking Cold Turkey:  Grand Mal Seizures, Dehydration, and More
• Is Quitting Heroin Cold Turkey a Good Idea?
• Is this ‘complicated’ opioid withdrawal?
• Cold turkey - Wikipedia
• 12 Powerful Home Remedies for Drug Addiction | Organic Facts
• Opiate Withdrawal: 6 Remedies To Deal With It Naturally
• Tae Bo - Wikipedia
• Zumba - Wikipedia
• Ibogaine - Wikipedia
• Ibogaine Therapy for Drug Addiction
• What Is the Success Rate for Ibogaine?
• A Psychedelic Can Cure Heroin Withdrawal But Not Addiction - The Atlantic
• Baclofen - Wikipedia
• Is Baclofen Addictive or a Treatment for Addiction?
• Finally, the Addiction Cure Is Here, Right? | Psychology Today
• NCPRSS
• Passaic hospital gives overdose patients a boost — Passaic hospital gives overdose patients a boost
• Cardiovascular Effects | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

In its most basic form, yogurt is milk that has been fermented by carefully chosen bacterial cultures, giving it a thicker texture more tart taste than milk.

Links:

• Contact Us: Level 989
• Yogurt - Wikipedia
• All about the Dairy Group | Choose MyPlate
• What health benefits, exactly, is Activia yogurt supposed to offer?
• The most popular Greek yogurt brands, ranked - Business Insider
• Probiotic - Wikipedia
• Greek | Plain | Non-Fat | Chobani®
• Regular Whips!: Cherry Cheesecake – Yoplait.com
• 4 Yogurts That Are Worse Than Ice Cream - Eating Made Easy
• Curd - Wikipedia
• Coagulation - Wikipedia

There’s a surprisingly wide variation in the shapes, styles and formulations of incense - - thousands of them in fact - - but in its most basic form, it’s a mixture that produces fragrant smoke when burned. Cultures all over the world have a long history of burning incense, often in religious ceremonies, and many of these traditions continue to the present day, but there are numerous non-religious uses of incense as well.

Links:

• Contact Us: Level 989
• Incense - Wikipedia
• Health Risks From Incense
• Smoke - Wikipedia
• Passive smoking - Wikipedia
• Incense smoke: clinical, structural and molecular effects on airway disease
• Incense Use and Cardiovascular Mortality among Chinese in Singapore: The Singapore Chinese Health Study
• Incense Burning during Pregnancy and Birth Weight and Head Circumference among Term Births: The Taiwan Birth Cohort Study
• Burning joss sticks 'as deadly as traffic fumes or cigarette smoke' | World news | The Guardian
• How incense stick is made - material, manufacture, history, used, components, industry, History, Raw Materials, Design
• Control of fire by early humans - Wikipedia
• Life before artificial light, by Jon Henley | Life and style | The Guardian
• Pulmonary alveolus - Wikipedia
• Products > Aromatherapy
• Nag Champa - Wikipedia

If you’re the squeamish sort of listener, this episode might not be for you. It might actually be better to rephrase the question asking ‘why does caffeine’ have this effect, rather than specifically coffee. You can ingest caffeine from a variety of sources...

Links:

• Contact Us - Level 989
• Caffeine - Wikipedia
• 12 Surprising Sources of Caffeine - Health
• Stimulant - Wikipedia
• Plants spike nectar with caffeine
• When NASA Wasn't Sure if Astronauts Could Swallow in Space - Gastro Obscura
• Lactose intolerance - Wikipedia
• Influence of caffeine on gastrin and acid secretion
• Coffee Makes You Poop: Who, When & Why

Many of us non-farming folks have very quaint ideas of what modern agriculture is. We might imagine that, unless there is an obvious problem in a crop field, it’s largely left alone - but in fact, there’s a lot of preventative pesticide use.

Links:

• Contact Us: Level 989
• NIH: Pesticides
• Removal of 16 pesticide residues from strawberries...
• What’s On My Food :: Pesticides on Strawberries
• The Dirt on Dirt - Potting Soil | Proven Winners

I’ve been eating unwashed produce my entire life, I’ve never had a problem… But have I ever taken the time to research it? No.

It turns out that many of these fruits and veggies - especially those that are eaten raw - like bean sprouts, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, and strawberries - can easily transmit bacteria like Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli, along with a whole host of other nefarious critters, including tiny parasites usually carried by snails, which can lead to meningitis - that is, inflammation of the brain.

Links:

• Contact Us: Level 989
• Consumer Updates > 7 Tips for Cleaning Fruits, Vegetables
• Consumers > Produce: Selecting and Serving it Safely
• Here's Why The FDA Says You Shouldn't Use 'Produce Wash' | HuffPost
• Is Buying Organic Really Worth It? | HuffPost
• Effects of Washing Produce Contaminated with the Snail and Slug Hosts of Angiostrongylus cantonensis with Three Common Household Solutions
• Meningitis - Wikipedia

Today we describe and discuss three interesting studies/news articles. We have not spent the many hours of research that our typical episodes require, so prepare yourself or an ‘off the cuff’ discussion.

Links:

• Contact Us: Level 989
• Risk of acute myocardial infarction with NSAIDs in real world use: bayesian meta-analysis of individual patient data
• Farmers must stop antibiotics use in animals due to human health risk, warns WHO | Environment | The Guardian
• Scientists Develop Drug That Can 'Melt Away' Harmful Fat | Fortune
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug - Wikipedia
• Naproxen - Wikipedia
• Antimicrobial resistance - Wikipedia
• Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus - Wikipedia
• Multiple drug resistance - Wikipedia