There were benefits reported in this study from the Swami Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation in Bangalore, India. Continue reading More on yoga and menopause
FDA wants to establish offices inside China and India
Asia Food Journal reports that the US Food and Drug Administration has received approval from the US State Department to establish 8 full-time FDA positions at US diplomatic posts in the People’s Republic of China.
All this is depends on authorization from the Chinese government. Continue reading FDA wants to establish offices inside China and India
CAERS reports on supplement safety
The FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition’s Adverse Event Reporting System (CAERS) represents one of the few existing surveillance mechanisms.
Here’s a list of the 6 most frequently used and how they rate for reports of adverse events. Continue reading CAERS reports on supplement safety
Does this mean donuts are healthy?
The latest news is that Dunkin’ Donuts is going trans fat free.
More importantly, I view it as the dipping (err, tipping) point, and an opportunity to see how we got into the trans fat mess, thanks to an article on the Harvard School of Public Health website. Continue reading Does this mean donuts are healthy?
Inositol to treat anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder
Several nutritional supplements are purported to treat anxiety. However, only inositol has evidence of superiority vs placebo and comparability with the SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) fluvoxamine (Luvox; not available in the US).
That’s the conclusion from Dr. Sy Atezaz Saeed and 2 coauthors from East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. Continue reading Inositol to treat anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder
Red yeast rice review
 Dr. Désirée Lie from the University of California in Orange has reviewed the evidence.
Here are the highlights. Continue reading Red yeast rice review
Omega-3 to treat depression in Parkinson’s disease
Researchers from the Universidade Federal do Paraná in Brazil report that Parkinson’s disease “patients taking fish oil, with or without antidepressants, presented improvement in depressive symptoms.” Continue reading Omega-3 to treat depression in Parkinson’s disease
Habit cough and the use of biofeedback
Let’s start by stating that “habit” cough is rare. Don’t jump to the conclusion that a cough lasting a month or so is “just” habit cough. See your doctor.
Because it’s rare there are no large clinical studies of treatment options. Here’s a case report where biofeedback and cognitive coping was effective.
Survival in cancer patients receiving Kampo therapy
Researchers from The University of Tokushima in Japan initially used Kampo to reduce the side effects and improve the quality of life of patients with uterine cervical cancer being treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Continue reading Survival in cancer patients receiving Kampo therapy
Barbers Against Prostate Cancer
In addition to cutting hair, barbers once performed surgery (blood letting) and dentistry. Today, they’re making a comeback as lay prostate educators.
Medscape reports on an abstract presented by researchers at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida during the Cancer, Culture & Literacy Conference. Continue reading Barbers Against Prostate Cancer
More benefits of the traditional Mediterranean diet
People at high risk of heart disease or stroke who changed to the Traditional Mediterranean Diet (TMD) showed significant reductions in LDL (bad) cholesterol. Continue reading More benefits of the traditional Mediterranean diet
Acupuncture in patients with severe knee osteoarthritis awaiting knee replacement
Researchers from The Great Western Hospital in the UK report that acupuncture achieved short-term improvement in function. Continue reading Acupuncture in patients with severe knee osteoarthritis awaiting knee replacement
Thoughts on CAM from Czech pharmacy students
Pharmacy students at Charles University in Prague, The Czech Republic were surveyed for their views of CAM. Continue reading Thoughts on CAM from Czech pharmacy students
Reflecting on the value of reflexology
This review from the Taipei Medical University asks the question, where in medicine might reflexology be useful. Continue reading Reflecting on the value of reflexology
A final nail in the policosanol coffin
Over the past 2 years, researchers from all over the world have failed to confirm the results of early studies in Cuba that reported a cholesterol-lowering effect with policosanol (a mixture of fatty alcohols from waxes of sugar cane).
Here’s the latest study from researchers at the McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Continue reading A final nail in the policosanol coffin
Is there a role for reiki in medicine?
Professor Ernst finds that “The value of reiki remains unproven.” Continue reading Is there a role for reiki in medicine?
First annual Yoga Week
On May 19th, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) premiered its first annual Yoga Week.
Others have held yoga weeks in the past. What’s different is the involvement of the NIH. Continue reading First annual Yoga Week
Limited support for tai chi in rheumatoid arthritis
Although the researchers identified 45 potentially relevant studies, only 5 were good enough to review. And the differences in the studies made it impossible to pool the results for a reanalysis of the data (meta-analysis). Continue reading Limited support for tai chi in rheumatoid arthritis
Fish oil and colorectal cancer risk
Over 22 years, men who ate fish had a lower risk of colorectal cancer, according to the latest findings from the Physicians’ Health Study. Continue reading Fish oil and colorectal cancer risk
Test your knowledge of the glycemic index
Eating foods with a low glycemic index is the way to go if you want to lose weight. That’s the conclusion in the latest Cochrane Review, as reported by Ivanhoe.
What’s your glycemic index IQ? Continue reading Test your knowledge of the glycemic index