“This is a warning specifically for parents” — Influencer Michael Brown recently released a video warning parents as well as others, about a potentially addictive drink that is easily available at gas stations in the US. He detailed how, during a casual visit to the gas station store for a beverage, he was approached by a young boy who asked him to buy ‘Feel Free’ for him. Despite being refused, the kid persisted and even tried lunging for Michael’s wallet, leaving him shaken up.

While paying at the counter, Michael recalled asking the shop cashier what ‘Feel Free’ was, to which she pointed at little blue bottles on the counter. She said people are so addicted to it that sometimes they visit 5–6 times a day to buy it — “It’s addictive and people lose their minds.” A quick look at the comments section of the post, which now has more than 9 million views on Instagram, had many people shocked at the severity of the drink and its consequences. Different healthcare professionals also detailed their experience with patients. “It’s Kratom! Have had patients with seizures because of this and also babies experiencing withdrawal from maternal use during pregnancy. It’s no joke,” commented Dr. Shilpa, MD, Child Neurologist and Development Specialist.

To know how many people are affected or it continues to affect, you do not have to look too far — a subreddit known as QuittingFeelFree, which has 5k members, and QuittingKratom with 52k members, are prime spots to get first-person accounts of people who struggled for years or months with their addictions.

In one of the stories, Jasmine Adeoye from Austin posted on TikTok that just a few months before June 2024, she drank several bottles of Feel Free a day and found that quitting it was not easy.

Last year, the production company of Feel Free also faced lawsuits, however, many people are not aware of the same. CBS News had reported that Botanic Tonics had also faced a class-action lawsuit filed in 2023. The lawsuit alleged that the company's marketing was misleading and targeted individuals with a history of addiction. In a statement, the company said it had "fallen short of the high standards of transparency" and implemented changes like enhanced labeling and age restrictions.

Feel Free and List of Ingredients

One of the main ingredients listed in the ‘Feel Free’ drinks is ground kratom leaves. Now a regular person would think — how bad can leaves be? — and consume the drink, but it’s these same leaves that are risky and can lead to severe addiction.

Native to Southeast Asia, the US Food and Drug Administration explains that it also carries the risk of addiction, seizures, and, in rare cases, death. Since kratom is unregulated in the U.S., some products are sold in highly concentrated forms and may contain contaminants like heavy metals and harmful bacteria.

What Happens with Unregulated Use of Kratom?

The American Addiction Centers detailed how lower doses of kratom could help people increase energy and alertness, while higher doses could produce effects similar to that of opioid drug abuse. They detailed a 7-year study done from 2011–2017. The study pointed out how there were 1,800 calls to poison control centers about kratom, with most of those calls happening in the last two years of that period. Here are some things that can happen with unregulated use of kratom:

Addiction and Withdrawal

While it's not common, long-term and heavy kratom use can lead to addiction. People who stop using it suddenly might experience withdrawal symptoms that feel similar to the flu, such as nausea, vomiting, body aches, and chills.

Lack of Regulation

The FDA has not approved kratom for any use. This means that kratom products are not regulated and can sometimes be contaminated with dangerous substances like heavy metals and harmful bacteria. The FDA has warned consumers not to use kratom and has seized shipments of kratom-containing products.

Mixing with Other Substances

Taking kratom with other drugs or alcohol can be very dangerous. In rare but serious cases, this combination has led to severe side effects like liver damage and even death.

Overdose

Overdosing on kratom alone is very rare. However, when it is combined with other substances, the risk increases. For example, a CDC report linked kratom to 152 deaths in 2016 and 2017, but other substances were involved in 87% of those cases.

Heart attacks used to be thought of as something that happened to people in their 60s or 70s. But walk into any cardiac ward in India today, and you’ll see a far younger crowd — men and women in their 30s and 40s. It’s a frightening shift, and one that makes us stop and ask: Why are young Indians suddenly facing such a big heart health crisis?

How Heart Disease Are Evolving?

Indian hearts have always been more prone to heart disease than Western hearts, but what's shocking is that it's appearing so early. Some of this is genetic. South Asians are predisposed to heart disease because of the way our bodies metabolize cholesterol and store fat. But genetics don't tell the whole story about why young people are ending up in emergency wards. It's the perfect storm of today's lifestyles, stress, and neglected health that's driving the issue.

Stress, Work Culture, and Sleepless Nights

Take the manner in which we toil and live nowadays. Long office hours, late-night deadlines, endless commutes, and the need to "hustle" are the norm. Throw in sleepless nights, irregular meals, and a perpetual state of being "on", it's no wonder the heart is strained. Chronic stress raises blood pressure, enhances sugar cravings, and fuels inflammation within the body, all of which speed up heart damage.

Lifestyle choices we don’t think twice about

Sedentary lifestyle, weekend binge drinking, and smoking are other major offenders. Hopping from the couch to swiping into the wee hours isn't only bad for your belly, it also decreases your "good" cholesterol and makes your blood vessels more rigid. Teenagers believe they're too active to be concerned, but the reality is, arteries don't distinguish between 35 and 65. Risk factors silently accumulate over the years until something breaks.

Hidden conditions that worsen it

What's most concerning is when young adults don't take seriously any condition like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Most people don't initiate follow-ups with their doctor when they are supposed to, because they feel "too young" to have these conditions. These "silent but deadly" conditions can reduce the function of the heart for years and have no symptoms. By the time you experience chest pain and/or shortness of breath, it may be too late.

The role of diet and pollution

Diets in India are changing too; traditional food is quietly fading into the background and is being replaced by processed foods, sugary beverages, and snacks heavy in trans-fats. Add to that the increasing incidence of air pollution in our cities, which inflames blood vessels and reduces oxygen supply, and now you also add another layer of risk.

What Can Protect Your Heart?

The scary part about this trend is that it feels sudden. The great thing is that a lot of this is preventable. Simple things, such as sensible meals, exercising every day, going to bed at a reasonable time, and reducing smoking and drinking, do make a difference. Routine health checks even simple blood pressure and cholesterol check in your 30s will get you ahead of any issues.". Stress reduction is no longer a luxury; whether yoga, meditation, or simply keeping the screens off for a bit, your heart requires downtime as much as your mind does.

Heart attacks among young Indians are no longer uncommon headlines; they're an expanding reality. But it doesn't have to be our fate. By paying attention to our bodies, honoring our boundaries, and prioritizing heart health every day, we can rewrite this narrative. Because no 35-year-old needs to be struggling to survive in a cardiac ICU when the issue could have been avoided by making tiny but consistent adjustments.

When people hear about “breast cancer genes”, BRCA1 and BRCA2 are usually the first names that come up. These two genes are important; harmful changes or mutations in them can greatly raise the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

But the BRCA genes are only a part of the breast cancer puzzle. Thanks to advances in genetic testing, doctors now understand that there are several other genes that can affect breast cancer risk. Looking at this wider set of genes, and not just BRCA, can give patients and families a more complete picture of their health and prevention or treatment options.

Other Genes That Matter

PALB2: This gene works closely with the BRCA2 gene on repairing damaged DNA. Some harmful mutations in PALB2 can raise the risk of breast cancer almost as much as BRCA mutations do. Wemen with these mutations are often offered extra screening.

CHEK2

This gene regulates cell division. Some mutations in the CHEK2 gene can increase the risk of breast cancer, though usually not as strongly as mutations in the BRCA or PALB2 genes. People with CHEK2 mutations may need to start screening earlier (around 40 years of age) or have more frequent mammograms and magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs).

ATM

This gene is involved in repairing damaged DNA. Harmful mutations in the ATM gene can raise breast cancer risk, usually to a moderate degree.

TP53, PTEN, AKT1

Although mutations in these genes are rare in breast cancer cases, they are important, as such mutations not only increase the risk of breast cancer but also raise the chances of other cancers (like stomach, thyroid, or colon). Families with these mutations often need personalized screening plans.

Why These Genes Matters

Looking beyond the BRCA genes has real benefits:

Better screening and prevention

If you carry a high-risk mutation (in the PALB2 or TP53 genes), doctors may recommend breast MRIs every year starting at a younger age (as early as 25–30 years), or even discuss preventive surgery.

With moderate-risk mutations (like in the CHEK2 or ATM genes), you might not need preventive surgery, but extra screening could help catch cancer earlier.

Treatment options

Some genetic changes can affect how a tumor responds to certain drugs. For example, cancers linked to BRCA or PALB2 mutations may respond well to PARP inhibitors, a type of targeted therapy.

Knowing your genetic status can help doctors choose treatments that work best for your cancer type.

Family impact

If you test positive for a mutation, your relatives can also be tested. If they carry the same mutation, they can take steps early, like increased screening or lifestyle changes, to detect cancer early, if it occurs.

Things To Keep In Mind

Uncertain results: Sometimes genetic testing can find a “variant of uncertain significance” or VUS. This means that it’s not clear if the mutation is harmful or not based on scientific data worldwide. These results can be confusing, but most VUS findings turn out not to be harmful over time.

Different risks

Not all gene mutations carry the same level of risk. Some are high, some moderate. Doctors combine genetic results with family history and personal health factors to make recommendations.

Ongoing updates

Science is moving quickly. What’s considered uncertain today may be better understood in a few years. Staying in touch with your doctors and genetic counselors can keep your healthcare plans up to date.

What Can You Do?

Ask about genetic testing if you or your family members had breast cancer at a young age, ovarian cancer, male breast cancer, or multiple relatives with breast, prostate, or pancreatic cancer, ask your doctor about genetic risk and testing.

Don’t stop at testing for BRCA genes: Multigene panels are now widely available and can uncover risks that single-gene BRCA tests may miss.

Get genetic counseling: A trained and BGCI certified genetic counselor can explain what your results mean for you and your family, help manage uncertainty, and guide decision-making.

Stay proactive: Even if you don’t carry a harmful mutation, healthy lifestyle choices and regular screening are powerful tools for lowering the risk of cancer.

The Bottom Line

BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are only 2 chapters of the hereditary breast cancer story. Genes like TP53, PALB2, CHEK2, ATM, and others also play an important role. Broad genetic testing can give a fuller picture of risk, guide treatment, and empower families to take preventive steps.

Knowledge is power—and by looking beyond BRCA, patients and families can make more informed choices, protect their health, and support one another.

At a recent Times Network Health Summit, a panel of experts explored the mental health challenges facing India’s youth. With increasing pressures from academics, social media, and career expectations, young people are struggling with stress, anxiety, and emotional instability. To have a deeper conversation on this Panelists Major General Vikram Dev Dogra, Dr. Praveen Gupta, Neurologist, and Actor and Wellness Entrepreneur Pooja Bedi, along with our moderator Kalpana Sharma shared insights and practical strategies for coping in an increasingly demanding world.

The Generation of Overload

Major General Vikram Dev Dogra reflected on the differences between his generation and today’s youth. “Today, young people have access to more information, more opportunities, and more distractions,” he said. While this opens doors, it also brings challenges like mental stress, anxiety, and identity struggles. Constant screen time and social media pressure make balance rare, while decision-making and comparison often fuel stress.

Mental Health vs. Mental Illness

Dr Praveen Gupta emphasized that mental health challenges differ from mental illnesses. While mental health struggles affect many young people, clinical conditions require professional care. He noted that stigma and denial often prevent timely intervention, even among educated individuals. He said, "Open dialogue and early awareness are key to preventing crises and promoting long-term well-being."

Building Inner Connections

Panelists talked about the importance of building deep, meaningful connections. Pooja Bedi explained, “Small connections are good, but inner connections, spending time with friends, joining health camps, or even regular meetups, strengthen your mental health network.” These connections improve resilience and emotional adaptability, sometimes adding years to life.

Hobbies, Exercise, and Resilience For Mental Wellness

Developing hobbies and maintaining routines were identified as crucial tools for mental wellness. “When we grow older, routines can become monotonous. Hobbies give your mind something to look forward to daily,” Bedi said. Physical exercise was described as the single most important tool for brain health. Just 50 minutes of activity a day can improve blood flow, enhance cognitive function, and protect against conditions like dementia. Combined with hobbies and social connections, this creates a strong foundation for mental resilience.

Positivity as a Choice

Happiness, the panel emphasized, is a conscious choice. “Positivity is a mindset,” Bedi explained. “Every day, you choose whether to be happy or not. Spreading positivity starts with personal choice.” She also introduced her initiative, Happy Soul, which offers courses, meditations, and practical tools to enhance mental wellness. Interested individuals can visit poojabedi.com for upcoming sessions focused on meditation, manifestation, and personal growth.

The Role of Awareness and Action For Mental Health

The discussion concluded with a reminder that mental health challenges require both awareness and action. Limiting technology, encouraging open dialogue, growing hobbies, exercising, and making genuine social connections are all practical ways to maintain emotional balance. As Dr. Praveen Gupta noted, the key lies in early detection, honest conversations, and building resilience to adapt to life’s changes.