Here is a list of the top four myths surrounding the health and medical benefits of sharks and the facts behind the myths that pharmacy technicians can share with their friends, family, co-workers and fellow shark enthusiasts.

1. Shark cartilage helps cure cancer: This is one of the most recent myths about the health benefits of sharks, and it started with the 1992 publication of the book Sharks Don’t Get Cancer by I. William Lane. According to the book, sharks have powerful immune systems that protect them from cancer, viruses and many other kinds of human diseases. Humans can take a piece of that immune system by taking shark cartilage. The cartilage is often extracted from the heads and fins of sharks and sold as a dietary supplement under the names Carticin, Cartilade™, BeneFin™, Neovastat (AE-941). Researchers are still looking into the possible health benefits, if any, of shark cartilage, but little to no evidence exists that shark cartilage has any effect on cancer. Also, modern studies have proven that sharks actually do get cancer like everyone else.




2. Shark fin soup increases virility and is full of nutrition: Shark fin soup is a dish served in Asian countries, but no scientific studies have proven that it has any significant health benefits.  In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency has issued advisories for consumers to avoid eating shark due to the fact that it can contain high levels of mercury.




3. Shark liver oil will protect against any disease: Shark liver oil has been used for centuries as a folk remedy to treat wounds. In fact, some formulations of Preparation H contain shark liver oil. Some proponents claim that shark liver oil is rich in vitamins, omega fatty acids and alkylglycerols (all of which are believed to help boost the immune system) and will protect against any disease from the common cold to Alzheimer’s disease to cancer. While shark liver oil does have some common uses,  researchers have yet to find a definitive link between shark liver oil and increased immune function.




4. Capsaicin works as a shark repellant: As many pharmacy technicians know, capsaicin is often used in topical creams to relieve arthritis and other pains, but it is also the chemical that gives chili peppers their spice. For this reason, capsaicin was featured on a special Shark Week edition of Mythbusters. The myth was that Kuna people of Panama used the capsaicin that gives chili peppers their spice as a shark repellant. The Mythbusters put the myth to the test by filling balloons with a special mix of water and habanero pepper juice and attaching the balloons to a bait box inside a shark swimming pool. Unfortunately, the capsaicin did nothing to make the bait any less desirable to the sharks.

Have you heard a myth about the health benefits of sharks or other animals? Share some of the most interesting myths you’ve heard about animals and medicine with NPTA on Facebook, Twitter or the comments section of this blog!

My blogging was put on hold while the Schipulites worked on a fresh, new look for the site.

Major props (Did I just say that? I’m pretty sure I’m too old to use that term.) to @dstagg, @fayza and also to NPTA’s new creative director, Laurel Goodroe. Additional features will be added to www.rxmike.com over the weeks ahead, so if you have any suggestions, leave a comment.

Of course my friends and my followers never missed a beat.

Cotton candy may have found a new role: helping scientists grow replacement tissue for people.

The flossy stuff may be just right for creating networks of blood vessels within laboratory-grown bone, skin, muscle, or fat for breast reconstruction, researchers suggest. Dr. Jason Spector of New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York and Leon Bellan of Cornell University present their preliminary research online this week in the journal Soft Matter.

Here’s how their technique would work: First, you pour a thick liquid chemical over a wad of cotton candy. Let the liquid solidify into a chunk, and put that in warm water to dissolve the candy. That leaves tiny channels where the strands of candy used to be. So you have a chunk of material with a network of fine channels within. Next, line these channels with cells to create artificial blood vessels. And seed the solid chunk with immature cells of whatever tissue you’re trying to make. The block is biodegradable, and as it disappears, it will be replaced by growing tissue.

(Boston Globe/AP)

NPTA will be hosting the Official Celebration Gala this fall – to coincide with the 10th anniversary of opening the NPTA Home Office. More details to come…

Of course moderation is key when enjoying food and wine, but there are components in tart cherries, grapes and wine that can lower blood pressure and protect heart muscle. And a glass wine and massage can do wonders for lowering stress and anxiety.

“There are many fruits associated with Valentine’s Day, most commonly cherries, of course,” says Steven F. Bolling, M.D., professor of cardiac surgery at the U-M medical school. “In cherries there are compounds called anthocyanins, which also can be very good for your heart. Perhaps we could even take the cherries and dip them in chocolate to make a very good, heart-healthy Valentine’s snack.”

Not any chocolate will do. Dark chocolate is the kind that contains flavonoids credited with being good for the heart.

As for tart cherries, both animal studies and new clinical studies have examined their benefits. “A ‘tart, heart-smart diet’ has shown to be very beneficial in terms of heart health, heart function and also really reducing belly fat and changing your metabolic obesity syndrome, all very helpful,” Bolling says.

Animals that received powdered tart cherries in their diet had lower total cholesterol, lower blood sugar, less fat storage in the liver, lower oxidative stress and increased production of a molecule that helps the body handle fat and sugar. Cherries were found to alter these factors that can lead to heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.

There are other activities associated with Valentine’s Day that are heart-healthy, including massage. In the hospital setting, massage therapy is used to help patients and their families relax and reduce anxiety. Reducing stress and anxiety has long been linked with benefiting the heart.

It’s possible to set the mood for a romantic and heart-healthy Valentine’s Day.

“All of these indulgences really do not have to be limited to Valentine’s Day itself and certainly will lead to a much better heart-health status if we practice them everyday,” Bolling says.

Regardless of your political persuasion, Obama’s optimistic leadership style can not be denied. I have long held the belief that there are two types of leaders – those who focus on the positive and those who focus on the negative; those who are effective and create true legacies and those who are ineffective (respectively). Negative leaders may be able to create a buzz or following, but their impact will always prove to be short-lived. Only time will tell if Obama will govern with a positive leadership style or if it was simply campaign trail antics…

What legacy do you wish to create?