🥦 CBD's Pain Benefits Called Into Question

Welcome back to Optimize Me— the health and wellness newsletter for evidence-based advice on how to 🥦 eat better, 🏋️ workout smarter, and 🧑‍💻 be more productive.

We have a colossal call-out of CBD products, a look at what may be the new (and questionable) hot trend in wellness, a concerning recent study and a rundown of some food to throw away ASAP.

Let’s get to it.

🥦 Don't buy the hype

Cannabidiol products are marketed as an effective remedy for seemingly any issue an adult, child or pet could have. But surveys have found about 50% of CBD users do so to treat some form of chronic pain.

A new study is calling BS, though, declaring the products "a waste of money" that can do more harm than good for those afflicted with severe pain.

What you need to know: 

• CBD is a chemical found in the cannabis plant, but it is not psychoactive like Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.

• Researchers at the Universities of Bath, Oxford and Alberta examined 16 trials that explored the link between pain and pharmaceutical-grade CBD.

• 15 of those trials found no evidence CBD had better results treating pain than a placebo.

• Only medical CBD products are regulated in most countries, and they are typically not prescribed to treat pain. Non-medical CBD products are largely unregulated and sold as long as they have negligible THC content. Many products have inconsistent CBD levels, as well as other chemicals (including THC).

• The findings on CBD "purity" were damning. The researchers examined 105 U.S. products. Only 25% were accurately labeled, while 20% contained less CBD than advertised and 50% had over 110% more CBD.

• Intake of large quantities of CBD have been connected to increased liver toxicity. CBD use has been tied to other health problems, including anxiety, cannabis addiction, fatigue and sleep disruption.

There have been studies that found CBD possessed anti-inflammatory qualities and was effective at short-term pain management, but those studies examined products that also contained THC. And other studies have agreed with the above findings.

So how and why do such claims get made? The lead researcher editorialized that healthcare regulators are wary of interfering with the booming legal weed industry -- projections expect the global industry will be worth $30B by 2030. There may be some truth in that, but the FDA has already conceded more should be done to reign in CBD products.

The more pressing issue: Chronic pain is a real problem. Past studies have found 20% of American and European adults deal live with moderate-to-severe pain, and some have found even higher rates. At the same time, society is well aware of the dangers of prescription painkillers amid the opioid epidemic. It is understandable people seek out alternatives, and CBD products present themselves as such, but researchers say more focus must be put on studying chronic pain, finding effective treatments and protecting consumers.

🦾 The next big thing?

People with diabetes have used at-home glucose monitors to measure blood sugar levels for decades, but anyone will be able to get one soon due to a recent government decision.

• The FDA has approved the first over-the-counter continuous glucose monitor, allowing all people over 18 to buy one without a doctor's prescription. Insurance providers will not initially cover the device; sensors last for about two weeks.

• Dexcom's Stelo glucose biosensor system is designed for people who do not take insulin. It can be used by people treating diabetes with oral medication or people who do not have diabetes, but want to monitor their blood for health and preventative purposes. The device does not warn users about low blood sugar levels.

• It could be helpful for people who are pre-diabetic or at a higher risk of developing diabetes, or patients working with their doctors to make significant lifestyle changes.

• The tech could spot signs of early insulin resistance. A 2018 Stanford University study found some relatively healthy people unknowingly experience glucose spikes similar to a diabetic person, and there are concerns about the rate of pre-diabetics slipping through traditional medical screening.

• CGMs could be paired with a weight-loss drug regimen. Past studies have concluded CGMs assist with weight loss success for people with diabetes. CGMs are also a new tool for people who are intensely tracking biometrics to live longer, similar to organ aging and other methods.

Health professionals are skeptical about making CGMs available to all, though. The device's screening benefits are no more significant than well-established blood tests. Doctors are also concerned about the consequences of CGM misuse -- The American Association of Clinical Endocrinology does not recommend them for anyone who does not have diabetes.

• Glucose data is complicated. Normal blood sugar level fluctuations can be significant. There is fear uneducated patients will be spooked by their readings and potentially make adverse diet decisions. Healthy foods like fruit can raise blood sugar, for example.

• Patients with CGMs can become obsessive about the data. They are also not recommended for people with eating disorders. 

• Some CGM tech (not the device recently cleared by the FDA) is designed for people with diabetes; functions have sparked panic in non-diabetic users, including unnecessary hospital visits.

• A Harvard Medical School analysis found only a study commissioned by a medical device manufacturer concluded that non-diabetic CGM usage is beneficial.

Around 12-15% of Americans have diabetes and an estimated 33% of U.S. adults have pre-diabetes, so there is a real public health concern. But a clear consensus has emerged among experts: There are more cons than pros when it comes to using CGMs as a non-diabetic, and they should not necessarily become as commonplace as other health tracking trends like step counting -- especially when they will cost over $1K annually for patients once they hit the market.

💪 Potential HPV breakthrough

High-risk human papillomavirus strains are proven to cause cervical cancer in women. A new study is sounding the alarm about HPV's impacts on cardiovascular health as well.

• HPV is a group of over 100 related viruses; they are among the most common STDs and can cause various types of cancer, but can be prevented by vaccine. HPV can also resolve itself without causing health issues or symptoms, but persistent infection with high-risk strains spurs cancer development.

• The European Society of Cardiology conducted a research project involving just over 163K young and middle-aged women in South Korea, conducting annual or biannual HPV screenings over an average span of 8.5 years. 

• After correlating the participants' data with national cardiovascular mortality rates, the researchers concluded women exposed to the high-risk strains were close to four times more likely to die of heart attack and almost six times more likely to die of stroke.

The researchers cautioned the overall mortality rate among the participants was still relatively low, given the group is relatively healthy and young, but the data was striking after other risk factors were accounted for. Past studies established a link between HPV and the buildup of plaque in arteries (this study found a 4X greater risk). But this is the first time HPV has been tied to CV issues.

More replication and research are needed, but this could be a breakthrough discovery. The researchers said about 20% of heart disease cases have no obvious conventional risk factor. This could be a step toward explaining some of those instances.

The study also contributes to growing research on whether HPV can be found in the bloodstream. Some studies have found HPV DNA in the blood of both cancer patients and healthy patients, while animal studies have suggested blood transmission is possible. The researchers hypothesized HPV may cause inflammation in blood cells that blocks and damages arteries, leading to CV issues.

The next steps: Determining whether HPV vaccines can be as effective at CV prevention as at cancer prevention, and whether the efficacy extends to any HPV occurrence in blood. If so, public health strategies could change drastically. Specifically: Could HPV be triggering CV issues in men as well, and at what rate? In the meantime, HPV screening and treatment is advised for all people.

❌ Don’t Eat This: Recalls

• Lidl's Deluxe brand has recalled its Macarons Party Edition due to a slew of undeclared allergens (apparently the labels were not in English)

• Tropicale Foods has recalled its Helados Mexico variety mango bars due to potential salmonella contamination

• Geissler's Supermarket has recalled all sushi products due to potential undeclared egg, milk and wheat

• Food Club's 5-pound all-purpose flour has been recalled due to potential undeclared egg and milk

🔗 Links

• Peanut butter and ... carrots 🥦

• Combating stress can cause early death in men 🧠

• What you can absorb through your skin 💇