The latest recommendations for the routine care of people with pre-existing cardiovascular disease were published last month in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
If you have coronary heart disease, here is what you can expect to hear from your primary care physician or cardiologist.
The new goals of complementary therapies
Continue reading New complementary goals for patients with heart disease
The most balanced review of craniosacral therapy comes from the University of California, San Diego Medical Center, Moores Cancer Center website.
But the punch line is in the 4th paragraph.
Continue reading Anyone who relies on craniosacral therapy needs their head examined
It’s hard to believe they’re serious, but go to the website and see for yourself.
Sleep Well Formula Sweet Dreams contains
You just add the vodka!
Caution during pregnancy.
9/3/06 2:30 JR
John and Lori Johnson have sold their excellent website, NitritionData, to Conde Nast. My first thought is congratulations to them. Second, let’s hope the new owner doesn’t screw it up.
In case you haven’t been there, NutritionData is a great website for comparing the nutritional content of foods – and much more. It’s graphically oriented and has an extensive list of foods – including the most complete list of fast foods I’ve seen.
My favorite page is the comparison of apples to oranges, which proves they aren’t really as different as some would have you believe.
9/3/06 13:53 JR
As a Chinese herbal, it was sold over-the-counter as Salt Spring Herbals Sleep Well Dietary Supplement capsules. But, it contained estazolam, a habit-forming sedative, sold by prescription only in the U.S. under the trade name, ProSom.
Now, the distributor’s website says, “Despite assurances from our supplier that the formula was all natural herbs, to our shock, disappointment and concern we have been advised by Health Canada that laboratory testing indicates the presence of ? estazolam.”
The distributor advises, “If you have unused product we ask that you send it back to us no later than October 1st for a full refund of postage, outbound and return, as well as $1.00 per capsule plus GST. Refunds will be issued by October 15th.”
Continue reading Sleep Well Herbals, “shocked” over estazolam recall
Not in Barcelona, apparently.
Among more than 600 people studied, fidelity to the classic Mediterranean diet was lacking.
On the other hand, fish and white meat was about right.
Can you say, “Crispy Chicken Sandwich?” I think its part pf the Mc-dieting of the world’s population.
9/2/06 12:34 JR
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reports that, regardless of brand, the amount of nicotine that is actually delivered to the smoker’s lungs has increased significantly over the past 6 years.
Here are the high (low) points of the report.
Continue reading Increased nicotine content in cigarettes
Here are some findings on magnesium levels in drinking water that suggest more magnesium (harder water) is healthier. The data have implications for the calcium/magnesium ratio in supplements.
Continue reading Correlating magnesium with death due to heart disease
Here is another in our ongoing series on recent marijuana-related medical research.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a major product of the marijuana plant. It lacks marijuana’s psychological effects, and it has been suggested that CBD might be effective as an antipsychotic. The aim of this study was to investigate the response to CBD in treatment-resistant schizophrenia.
Continue reading Cannabidiol not effective in treatment-resistant schizophrenia
For this study, researchers created a computer-simulated community of 100,000 people that resembled the population of Olmsted County, Minnesota, in 2000.
By raising omega-3 fatty acid levels among all the Olmsted cyber-citizens, the researchers estimated that the overall death rate could be reduced 6.4%. By contrast, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) reduced death rates by 0.8%, and implanted defibrillators reduced deaths by 3.3%.
Don’t laugh. Computer-simulated research could be the next big thing, especially where the cost of healthcare is concerned.
For example?
Continue reading Omega-3 fatty acids better than defibrillators to prevent sudden death!
It has everything needed to become a cult health food icon.
Historical context: Edmund Szekely translated an ancient manuscript in the Vatican’s secret archives, which stated, “Wheatgrass is a good food for man.”
A villain: “In my desperation … I turned to the medical profession only to have most doctors I went to uninformed about my illness. One doctor even said … I may as well learn to live with it.”
Rebirth: “Ultimately, I accepted the responsibility of getting myself well.”
A happy ending: “I integrated raw (living) food and chlorophyll into my diet. The chlorophyll I use comes from wheatgrass. I grow the grass indoors.”
Lovely. But what’s in wheatgrass that warrants so much attention?
Continue reading Wheatgrass juice: The nectar of rejuvenation?
This is a bit technical, but I think it’s important because it documents the ability of peppermint to act as an antispasmodic agent in the small intestine.
Continue reading Peppermint oil as an antispasmodic in the small intestine
Diets rich in lutein plus zeaxanthin may protect against intermediate age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in healthy women younger than 75 years, according to a study just published in the Archives of Ophthalmology.
The findings are significant because there is no cure for AMD, only limited treatments are available, and there is no established means of prevention. Therefore, any intervention that lowers the risk for AMD is potentially important.
But what are lutein and zeaxanthin, and where can you get them?
Continue reading Sources of lutein and zeaxanthin to help prevent age-related macular degeneration
According to the distributor’s website, “Raindrop combines the art of aromatherapy with the techniques of Vita Flex and massage in the application of essential oils to various areas of the body to bring structural and electrical alignment.” A description of the treatment is described here.
Structural and electrical alignment?
Get serious.
The latest issue of the International Journal of Impotence Research included several articles of interest from a CAM perspective, here and here. Here’s one more.
Men in Hong Kong who smoked more than 20 cigarettes daily had a significantly greater risk of erectile dysfunction than men who never smoked. Nothing new here. Similar results have been reported in other groups.
However, it raises the question of just how smoking can cause erectile dysfunction.
A just published survey of the medical literature found that moderate to high physical activity was associated with a lower risk of erectile dysfunction (ED).
The authors rightly caution, “the apparent ‘protective’ effect of physical activity on ED should be further investigated.” But, considering the many benefits of increased physical activity, it’s probably not too early to reconsider the disadvantages of a sedentary lifestyle.
8/28/06 21:19 JR
In an earlier post, the positive effect of the Mediterranean diet on erectile dysfunction in men with the metabolic syndrome was discussed. Now, another positive study has appeared.
Continue reading More positive data on the Mediterranean diet for impotence
There is evidence that abnormal concentrations of positively-charged metal ions (eg, copper, iron, and zinc) interact with beta-amyloid in the brain during the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, correcting these abnormal levels might help people with this disease. (The photo shows yellow amyloid plaque surrounded by black neurofibrillary tangles.)
One option for treatment is chelation.
Everybody in the west knows that lead is toxic, right? We spend lots of money removing lead paint from the walls of old houses. So, what is the logic that justifies adding lead to ayurvedic medicines?
Dr. Annapoorna Chirra from the Department of Medicine at UCLA has the answer.
Advocates of imagery