Recently there has been reports stating that supplementation with synthetic beta-carotene caused an increase in lung cancer in women who had ever smoked (including current and former smokers). It is possible that chemicals in cigarette smoke reacts with beta-carotene, causing the formation of compounds that have deleterious effects on human health. Such a toxic interaction …
The other day I was reading in a medical journal of a novel approach for treating phobias. In this particular article researchers from Switzerland and Germany postulated that because fearful situations can trigger the release of cortisol in the brain and as cortisol is also known to impair memory retrieval, then giving cortisol before exposure …
It is not uncommon for me to prescribe a certain supplement or remedy for a patient’s ailment and have they return with remarkable stories of how it helped with a slew of other symptoms. One such case is that of a middle age woman I saw who was having some digestive problems. I suspected that …
I enjoy talking with my older patients as they often have interesting stories of home remedies that their mothers or grandmothers used on them. Yesterday I had a patient who grew up in the Great Smokies who shared how his mother would use milk to take away the pain of sun burns. He said she …
Alan, a patient of mine who had debilitating arthritis told an extraordinary story of his experience with a rheumatologist. In between his first and second visit with the rheumatologist he had seen a chiropractor who had recommended that he try the Gerson Therapy. Trying something natural like this made sense to him and offered a …
Although more and more calcium supplements include magnesium there are still some patients that come in and are taking only calcium. Magnesium deficiency has been shown more than once to be related to osteoporosis. The magnesium has a major influence in the type of calcium crystals present in the bones, and therefore a deficiency is …
Calcium supplementation has been shown to decrease bone loss by as much as 50% at nonvertebral sites. The effects are greatest in women whose baseline calcium intake is low, in older women, and in women with osteoporosis. Generally, it is recommended that women take 1000-2000 mg of calcium/ day. But which calcium is best? Calcium …
It is obvious that our parenting styles do effect our children in many ways. A recent study published in Pediatrics June 2006 found that parenting style can affect our children’s weight. The study followed 872 children from the time of their birth in 1991, and divided them into groups according to their parents’ style ( …
The Encarta Dictionary defines the noun “counsel” as “advice sought from or given by somebody, especially somebody who is wise or knowledgeable.” Similarly, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, “counsel” is an “opinion as to what ought to be done given as the result of consultation; aid or instruction for directing the judgment; advice, direction.” …
Should I get the flu shot this fall? When I am asked this question my reply generally is no. There has been evidence published that indicates the flu vaccine is far less effective than originally thought. In people older than 65 years or older influenza vaccines reduced flu-like illnesses by no more than 23% in …