Big Pharma is attempting to use a legal version of pre-emption to protect itself against lawsuits filed by patients who have been harmed by side effects associated with pharmaceutical products.
Q: My grandson was recently diagnosed with autism. Isn’t there anything that could help improve his condition?
The drastic upswing in antibiotic use that has occurred over the past few decades is just as much a public health issue as it is a personal one.
07/30/2008 - High stakes for low risk
Q: My daughter’s pediatrician told me about the vaccines she should get before she starts school. One of the ones he listed was a hepatitis B vaccine. Should I let her have the vaccine for it?
The headline alone made my blood boil, and the rest of the article didn’t make me any less angry. It read “Cancer patients should steer clear of antioxidants,” and the rest of the article went on to explain (less-than-convincingly if you ask me) why.
Q: If the large doses of folic acid you recommend are safe, why do all the supplements come in smaller doses?
07/24/2008 - New study shows that wine may actually protect against liver disease.
According to a recent study conducted at the San Diego School of Medicine, red wine may actually protect against liver disease.
07/24/2008 - The sum of its parts
Q: I am interested in trying bio-identical hormone replacement therapy for my hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms, but I am nervous to use testosterone. Do I really need the testosterone?
A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine stated that the majority of men with low testosterone levels aren’t receiving treatment.
07/23/2008 - Write for your rights
Q: I agree that the government has a strong bias against natural medicine, but since these treatments are still available, can it really be considered a violation of our rights? And does writing to Congress really help?
07/21/2008 - Statin drugs lower PSA levels in men, but may not actually reduce prostate cancer risk.
Statins apparently have the ability to lower PSA levels in men, and, in the process, possibly reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
07/21/2008 - Sick to your stomach
Q: You mention that heartburn is usually caused by a lack of stomach acid, rather than too much. Do low levels of stomach acid cause any other problems in the body outside the stomach and esophagus?
07/17/2008 - New study claims statin drugs may reduce the risk and severity of gum disease.
According to a Reuters Health article I read recently, “Statins may reduce periodontal disease severity.”
07/17/2008 - A better way to prevent heart attacks
Q: My doctor recommended that I take an aspirin each day. He said it’s the simplest approach for keeping the blood flowing smoothly and protecting against heart attacks. What do you think?
07/16/2008 - NSAIDs may protect against dementia and Alzheimer’s disease — but at what cost?
Imagine someone told you that you could protect one of your children from a horrible disease, but only by poisoning the rest of your family.
07/16/2008 - Missing information leads to bad advice
Q: I’ve seen some articles recently saying that low-fat diets are actually bad for you. Is that true?
07/14/2008 - Celebrities have teamed up to raise funds for cancer research.
The American Association for Cancer Research will sift through all of the research proposals sent in by the supposed scientific “dream teams” and award research grants to the ones they like best.
07/14/2008 - Give cold sores the cold shoulder
Q: I keep getting cold sores on my upper lip. My dermatologist says it looks like it’s a viral infection like herpes and she gave me a prescription for an antiviral drug but I was wondering if there are any natural things I can try first?
According to research conducted at the American University of Beirut Medical Center in Lebanon, the current vitamin D recommendations for children are 10 times too low.
07/10/2008 - Pain, pain go away
Q: I try to choose natural medicine as often as I can, but when I have an occasional headache, it seems simpler to take ibuprofen. Can you explain why you don’t recommend over-the-counter painkillers?
07/09/2008 - Coca-cola plans to remove a preservative from Diet Coke.
Coca Cola is reformulating Diet Coke in an attempt to keep up with “consumer demand for more natural products.”
07/09/2008 - Banish bursitis once and for all
Q: I have bursitis in my shoulder. My doctor prescribed me some medication for it, and it helped for awhile, but when I stopped taking it the pain came back. Is there anything that will get rid of it for good?
07/07/2008 - New guidelines call for aggressive cholesterol screening and drug therapy in children.
The medical industry released new guidelines that call for wider cholesterol screening and more aggressive use of statin drugs — in children.
07/07/2008 - Several common fruits and vegetables can help reduce smokers’ risk of lung cancer.
A new study conducted at UCLA found that smokers who eat three servings of fruits and vegetables per day and drink tea have less risk of developing the potentially deadly disease than those who ate less produce and didn’t drink tea.
07/07/2008 - Lightening your load
Q: I’ve read about heavy metal toxicity in several health publications, but when my doctor tested my blood, the results were negative. Does this mean I’m in the clear and don’t need to worry about heavy metals?
With the bad news that continues to be revealed about synthetic forms of HRT, more and more women are opting for safe, natural versions. Wyeth obviously has quite a lot to lose from BHRT’s rise in popularity.
Q: I keep getting white heads called sebaceous cysts on my face and have had some removed surgically by a dermatologist. What causes them, and how can I get rid of them?
According to a recent analysis, most medical news stories are frighteningly inadequate when it comes to addressing all the pertinent details involved in any given health-related topic.
07/02/2008 - Your built-in dose calculator
Q: Is the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C a good daily dose for adults?
