Two upcoming conferences in Germany and France will focus on ingredients, products, and trends in fighting obesity.
Slimming Germany has graciously permitted The C.A.M. Report to blog their meeting.
Continue reading Innovations and trends in weight loss and weight management
Dr. Richard MacDermott is head of the division of gastroenterology at Albany Medical College in New York. He has specialized in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) for 30 years and has an impressive resume.
Here are his dietary recommendations for people with IBS. My favorites are in italics.
Continue reading What to eat and not eat if you have inflammatory bowel disease
Dr. Ferid Murad (he’s the one on the right) won the 1998 Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology.
In January 2007 he was selling his book, The Wellness Solution, on QVC, a home shopping television station.
Continue reading From Nobel laurate to QVC in less than 10 years
Earlier studies on this topic suggested it’s necessary to drink 6 or 7 cups per day in order to lower the risk of diabetes.
Now, a study reports, “The amount of coffee consumption was not significantly predictive of incident diabetes.”
Continue reading Another look at the effect of coffee on the risk of type 2 diabetes
It claims to be “the most comprehensive, current, well-balanced, and trustworthy information available from both a scientific and a biblical perspective.”
Here’s the premise for Alternative Medicine: The Christian Handbook, by Donal O’Mathuna and Walt Larimore, MD
This is the second study in 2 months to report a positive effect with biofeedback to treat pelvic floor dyssynergia-type constipation.
It’s pretty easy to find recommendations for duct tape to remove common warts.
But this study concludes there is “no statistically significant difference between duct tape and moleskin for the treatment of warts in an adult population.”
In pre-menopausal women, total fiber intake protects against breast cancer.
In fact, according to this study, those with the greatest intake of fiber cut their risk of breast cancer in half.
Details here.
Continue reading Huge study supports fiber as a way to lower breast cancer risk
V-Max advertises itself as “a totally natural product containing herbal preparations scientifically proven to increase sexual performance and pleasure.”
Apparently, one of the “natural” ingredients is aminotadalafil, similar to tadalafil (Cialis), an FDA-approved drug used to treat erectile dysfunction.
Here’s a study of the change in spirituality and religiousness among alcoholics during treatment and the associated changes in drinking outcomes.
Half of the 10 measures of spirituality changed significantly in 154 adults who participated in an Alcoholics Anonymous treatment program over 6 months.
Continue reading Changes in spirituality and religiousness during treatment of heavy drinking
Infant formulas are designed to lower the chances of developing allergy or food intolerance.
But do they?
Continue reading Soy formula vs cow’s milk formula to reduce allergies in infants and children
This is relevant because of the importance of animal-assisted therapy, and because I love little kittens and puppies.
Specifically, we’re talking about women with lung cancer and people with diabetes.
First, women with lung cancer.
Continue reading Two surveys of CAM use in people with health care problems
When Tufts|ebcam reviewed this topic, they concluded, “while the results of some RCT [randomized clinical trials] and case series suggest some benefits of acupuncture for managing hypertension, the results must be treated with caution because of serious methodological limitations.”
To address these shortcomings the NIH funded a rigorously designed study titled “Stop Hypertension with the Acupuncture Research Program” (SHARP).
Continue reading Acupuncture: Complementary or alternative blood pressure therapy?
Although the definition is self-evident, CAMophobia is the unfortunate failure by otherwise reputable journals and other evidence-based media to uphold evidence-based standards regarding CAM.
Here is the latest example.
At the Chinese University of Hong Kong 180 men and women participated in tai chi or resistance training 3 times a week. The results were compared to a control group. The objective was to examine the effects on bone mineral density, muscle strength, balance and flexibility in independently living seniors.
I know, you’ve heard this song before. But this time the researchers hit some flat notes.
Continue reading Discrepant results on the benefits of tai chi in the elderly
Maculopathy refers to any pathological condition that affects the part of the eye that contains color-sensitive rods at the central point of sharpest vision.
A study of more than 22,000 adults concludes that after 12 years of treatment, beta carotene 50 mg taken every other day did not affect the risk of age-related maculopathy.
In this survey, most medical students expressed an interest in learning more about CAM in order to make informed recommendations to their patients.
Continue reading More evidence of interest in CAM among medical students
Did you hear the story about Angel Raich who wants to take marijuana every few hours, under her doctor’s advice, to control pain and give her an appetite? Her doctor claims without it she would “starve to death.”
I think she needs a second opinion.
Participation in a support group helps people with head and neck cancer feel less alone and improves their ability to deal with the uncertainties and challenges of this disease.
It’s good news, as head and neck cancer, places a terrible burden on patients and their family.
Continue reading Head and neck cancer support groups improve quality-of-life for patients