 Spending just 30 minutes with the patient improved adherence to asthma treatment and control over the disease, according to researchers at the University of California, San Francisco. Continue reading Benefits of individualized asthma care
Category Archives: THINGS THAT DON’T FIT ABOVE
ConsumerLab tests turmeric (curcumin) supplements
14 brands were tested.
And, the results are grim. Continue reading ConsumerLab tests turmeric (curcumin) supplements
Consumer Alert: Libimax
 The ingredients are listed here.
But, oops. Nature & Health Co. forgot to mention it also contains tadalafil (Cialis), a prescription drug used to treat impotence (aka erectile dysfunction). Continue reading Consumer Alert: Libimax
Best websites for black cohosh info
 It’s nice when people appreciate your work.
Bessed is a new website that lists the best of this, that, and other things. Here’s their list of the 6 best websites for information about black cohosh. Continue reading Best websites for black cohosh info
Consumer Alert: Turmeric supplements
 The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has recalled 2 brands of anti-inflammatory turmeric food supplements contaminated with nimesulide.
The products are called Fortodol and Miradin. Continue reading Consumer Alert: Turmeric supplements
The limits of choice in selecting healthy meals
Simply “adding 1 or 2 healthy items to a menu is essentially the worst thing you can do,” according to researchers from Duke University, in Durham, North Carolina in a press release.
What are the implications for school food programs? Continue reading The limits of choice in selecting healthy meals
Stop testing Chinese and homeopathic treatments
 For these healing disciplines where the interaction between therapist and patient are so closely entwined and it’s difficult to show consistent benefit over sham or placebo, I propose we stop testing these treatments.
We would do better to test the therapists. Continue reading Stop testing Chinese and homeopathic treatments
Using the Internet to improve diabetes control
Giving people with type 2 diabetes the opportunity to manage their care through the Internet improved long-term blood sugar control, according to this study by researchers at the University of Washington, in Seattle. Continue reading Using the Internet to improve diabetes control
Consumer Alert: Venom Hyperdrive 3.0
 You guessed it. This product contains the prescription diet pill called sibutramine (Meridia). The FDA removed it from the market after laboratory analysis showed that samples contained sibutramine in significant amounts
Documented complications associated with taking “contaminated” diet pills have been reviewed here.
4/13/09 11:12 JR
NIH stimulus funds
 The prevailing view (not shared by me) is that better research in CAM requires more funding.
All righty then. Here are a few opportunities to get the big bucks, thanks to the recent stimulus bill. Continue reading NIH stimulus funds
Contribution of liquid calories to weight control
 Increased drinking of liquid calories from beverages has paralleled the obesity epidemic in the US.
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in Baltimore, Maryland examined how changes in beverage consumption affect weight change in adults. Continue reading Contribution of liquid calories to weight control
Internet-based obesity prevention program
 Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine, in Houston, Texas studied whether an Internet-based program could help young girls at risk for obesity eat more fruit, juice, veggies, and water. Continue reading Internet-based obesity prevention program
FDA recalls Zencore Plus
It turns out that this widely advertised product is not as “natural” as its manufacturer claims. Continue reading FDA recalls Zencore Plus
Warnings expanded for 72 weight-loss products
 The FDA has posted a list with the specific contaminants in each mislabeled product, plus FAQs. Continue reading Warnings expanded for 72 weight-loss products
Text message reminders to use sunscreen
 Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston reported their findings during the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology. Continue reading Text message reminders to use sunscreen
Pediatric oncologists’ views of CAM
Young patients with cancer commonly use CAM, yet only about half of them discuss CAM with their oncologist, according to researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York.
What’s a pediatric oncologist to do? Continue reading Pediatric oncologists’ views of CAM
Quality of chiropractic research of upper extremity conditions
Most publications are anecdotal case histories.
Readers weigh in, and I respond. Continue reading Quality of chiropractic research of upper extremity conditions
Australian pharmacy students rate CAM
Pharmacy students view education about CAM as a core and integral part of their professional degree. Continue reading Australian pharmacy students rate CAM
NIH starts CAM for seniors website
 NIHSeniorHealth is a website that features health and wellness information for older adults from the National Institutes of Health.
Now, it’s added a CAM link. Continue reading NIH starts CAM for seniors website
Cost-effective naturopathic care for low back pain
In this study by researchers in Canada and the US, combining several treatments under the umbrella of naturopathic care was better than simply giving advice. Continue reading Cost-effective naturopathic care for low back pain