Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients back issues from July 2004:
Letter from the publisher.
Jul 01, 2004; ... For the last few days I have been ill. There have been the typical flu symptoms, but the nausea and abdominal cramping are the worst. It has always been remarkable to me that it is so very difficult to transition back and forth between "being" a doctor and "being" a patient. Probably the ...
ConsumerLab.com shares insights from 2 years of testing supplements for athletic banned substances: athletes and manufacturers urged to learn how to avoid problems.
Jul 01, 2004 ... Two years after initiating the first program to test dietary supplements for substances banned from athletic competition, ConsumerLab.com has released a short advisory summarizing problems uncovered to-date from its testing. The company hopes that the information will help athletes and ...
AAHP protects industry interests.(American Association of Homeopathic Pharmacists)
Jul 01, 2004 ... In April of 2003, one of the actions taken by Mr. Mark McClellan, the still somewhat new Commissioner of Food and Drugs, was to direct the FDA to clear its docket of proposed rules and actions which had not been made final. Among these FDA docket items is the FDA's response to a 1979 ...
Medicare drug discounts offer no savings for savvy consumers according to PharmacyChecker.com: US wholesale pharmacies and licensed Canadian pharmacies average 60% savings over Medicare prices.
Jul 01, 2004 ... A review by PharmacyChecker.com of the discounted prices recently released on the new Medicare drug card website found that US consumers save significantly more by shopping at US wholesale pharmacies and Canadian pharmacies. Compared to the best prices on the Medicare website, prices on ...
Destination anti-aging: tips on offering rejuvenation and regeneration at the 21st century medical spa.
Jul 01, 2004 ... Just as cold cream has taken a back seat to Botox[R], today's spa industry makes way for a revolutionary new trend. Day spas, offering superficial services to improve the way people look on the outside, are now passe. These facilities, which cater primarily to women of moderate income, are ...
Government trivializes the dispute against the vitamins directive.
Jul 01, 2004 ... The new research study on vitamin B6 by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition submitted to the Government's Food Standards Agency was a 'waste of time.' This study showed no harm and considerable benefit from B6 supplements ten times higher than the upper safety level recommended by the ...
Hearing aids.(health care costs)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Dr. Mead Killion, whom The Wall Street Journal calls "a hearing aid pioneer," is petitioning the FDA to relax its regulations on hearing aids so that the devices can become more affordable. Dr. Killion contends that aids for mild-to-moderate hearing loss could be sold over-the-counter for ...
Stossel takes on homeopathy.(John Stossel)
Jul 01, 2004; ... ABC News 20/20 aired a piece on homeopathic medicine on its January 30, 2004 program. The story behind the segment (see www.homeopathic.com) is far more interesting than the eight-minute segment engineered to conclude with John Stossel's signature "Give me a break." Initially, a producer ...
Palliative care.(Shorts)(Excerpt)
Jul 01, 2004; ... In May 2000, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center opened an 11-bed palliative-care unit that has become a model for other US hospitals. Slow to gain acceptance in the US, palliative care has been a recognized medical specialty in Britain since 1987. Palliative-care physicians ...
Soil.(Shorts)(Book Review)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Soil and Your Health, a Basic Earth Guide book written by Beatrice Trum Hunter, explains how organisms contribute to the quality and fertility of the Earth's soil and how farming/gardening practices affect the soil and food quality. "Soil formation is dynamic, a living process," writes Ms ....
The Sun Safety Alliance.(on a public health safety campaign)
Jul 01, 2004; ... The Sun Safety Alliance (SSA), a nonprofit coalition, is preparing to inundate practitioners and the public with information about skin cancer prevention, according to the group's web site (www.sunsafetyalliance.org). The bulk of the advice focuses on the need to apply sunscreen ...
Toxoplasma gondii.(Shorts)(Excerpt)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that produces eggs (oocysts) in the digestive tract of cats. The eggs are excreted in feces and remain in that form until a mammal or bird eats them. If the next host isn't a cat, the eggs hatch, and the parasites migrate to various tissues where they form ...
Jungle virus.(Shorts)(Nipah virus)(Brief Article)(Excerpt)
Jul 01, 2004; ... The origin of Nipah virus, which killed 40% of the 257 Malaysians who got it in the late 1990s, is the subject of a study organized by the Consortium for Conservation Medicine (Palisades, New York). The four-year study is trying to determine if human-induced environmental changes caused ...
News from the cancer war: "back to square 1 on the CAM front"; "metronomic therapy" advances on the mainstream line.(Townsend's New York Observer)(Interview)
Jul 01, 2004; ... At lunch with my good friend Bob Houston in April, he showed me an article from the latest issue of the American Cancer Society's pseudo-scientific monthly, Ca, a Journal for Clinicians. The article was a tedious put-down of nonconventional cancer therapy, written by a junior associate of ...
Comprehensive group support leads to pain relief.(Pathways to Healing)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Comprehensive pain programs can help us manage pain and dramatically improve our quality of life, says Stewart Barbee, 57, who lives in Larkspur, California. Barbee spent three months in the Pain Rehabilitation and Education Program at the Integrative Medical Center of Santa Rosa, and he ...
A friendly skeptic looks at Escozul.(The War on Cancer with the help of traditional medicines)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Escozul is a folk remedy for cancer, made from the diluted venom of the Caribbean blue scorpion (Rhopalurus junceus). Escozul is gaining popularity in Cuba, its birthplace, and in many other countries as well. Since the early 1990s, even some US citizens have gone to that "forbidden ...
Podophyllum: a nearly routine medicine for traveller's diarrhea.(Healing with Homeopathy)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Those of you familiar with our column may catch your jaws dropping at the mere mention of the phrase "routine medicine," given our tendency to regularly harp on the notion that there are two-thousand-plus homeopathic medicines and more being proven every day. If you bristle at needing to ...
Food intolerance as a cause of irritable bowel syndrome.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Excerpt)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Twenty-one patients with irritable bowel syndrome followed a strict elimination diet, consisting of a single meat, a single fruit, and distilled or spring water, for one week. Symptoms disappeared in 14 of the 21 patients. Subsequently, individual food challenges identified the following ...
Case of the month: heartburn and esophageal reflux.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief Article)
Jul 01, 2004; ... A 28-year-old male presented with a several-year history of heartburn and symptoms of esophageal reflux. Treatment with various H-2 blockers or proton-pump inhibitors had controlled the symptoms, but they would recur if he discontinued these medications. He avoided alcoholic beverages, as ...
Coenzyme Q10 following myocardial infarction.(Literature Review & Commentary)
Jul 01, 2004; ... One hundred forty-four patients with acute myocardial infarction were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, 60 mg of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) twice a day or "placebo" (B vitamins providing daily: thiamine 12 mg, riboflavin 12 mg, pyridoxine 4 mg, and niacinamide 100 mg) for ...
Probiotic supplement prevents infantile colic.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief Article)(Excerpt)
Jul 01, 2004; ... One hundred-eighteen infants (mean age, 7 months) were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, either 1) a standard milk-based formula containing 1 X [10.sup.7] colonyforming units (CFU)/g each of Bifidobacterium lactis and Streptococcus thermophilus, 2) a formula containing ...
Fear of frying.(Literature Review & Commentary)(case study analysis of two types of home cooking oils)(Brief Article)
Jul 01, 2004; ... In a cross-sectional study of 1,226 people (aged 18-65 years) living in Pizarra, Spain, the presence of excess concentrations of polar compounds (defined as > 20%) in home cooking oil was associated with an increased risk of hypertension (p < 0.01). Of the two main oils available in Spain ...
Cinnamon beneficial for diabetics.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief Article)(Excerpt)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Sixty people (mean age, 52.2 years) with type 2 diabetes who were not on insulin therapy were randomly assigned to receive cinnamon (1, 3, or 6 g/day) or placebo for 40 days. Compared with baseline, all three doses of cinnamon reduced the mean fasting serum glucose (18-29%), triglyceride ...
Lactoferrin aids in Helicobacter eradication.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief Article)(Excerpt)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Fifty patients with dyspepsia and gastritis who were infected with Helicobacter pylori were randomly assigned to receive open treatment for one week with standard triple therapy (rabeprazole, clarithromycin, and tinidazole), either alone or in combination with lactoferrin (200 mg twice a ...
Gamma-linolenic acid for dry eyes.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief Article)(Excerpt)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Twenty-six patients (mean age, 58.8 years) with dry-eye syndrome (aqueous-deficient keratoconjunctivitis sicca) were randomly assigned to receive a placebo or a combination of linoleic acid (57 mg/day) and gamma-linolenic acid (30 mg/day) orally for 45 days. All patients used substitute ...
The latest research on irritable bowel syndrome from China.(Chinese Medicine Update)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Keywords: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Chinese medicine, Chinese herbal medicine, gastroenterology, constipation, diarrhea ********** Irritable bowel syndrome is a common research topic for clinical trials in the People's Republic of China, at least every other ...
A bowel flora protocol for dysbiosis management.(Phytotherapy Review & Commentary)
Jul 01, 2004; ... In previous articles in the Townsend Letter a protocol has been advanced for the management of autoimmune diseases. (1,2) A central part of this protocol is the management and correction of intestinal dysbiosis. Phytotherapy can play a valuable role in achieving a healthy gut flora by ...
Breast cancer, toxic exposure and detoxification.(Therapeutic Nutrition)
Jul 01, 2004; ... "Functional foods," "nutraceuticals," "designer foods" and "medicinal foods" are terms that describe foods, and key ingredients isolated from foods, that have non-nutritive or tertiary functional properties. Researchers, healthcare practitioners, laypersons, and the popular media use these ...
The role of probiotics in irritable bowel syndrome, food allergies, and detoxification of the bowel.
Jul 01, 2004; ... Abstract Irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease are two diseases of the intestinal tract. They share some common symptoms such as pain and discomfort among other issues. While IBS has usually been characterized as a functional disease or syndrome with a ...
Successful management of complicated high-risk obese patients using a comprehensive program including a soy-based medical food: case reports.
Jul 01, 2004; ... Abstract The rising prevalence of obesity is a major health concern due not only to its direct, extraordinarily high personal and societal costs, but also to the related health concerns of dyslipidemia, hypertension, Metabolic Syndrome, diabetes, and other associated conditions ....
New ideas about the cause, spread and therapy of Lyme Disease.
Jul 01, 2004; ... Lyme Disease was initially regarded as an uncommon illness caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb). The disease transmission was thought to be solely by the bite from a tick infected with this spirochete. The Bb spirochete is able to burrow into tendons, muscle cells, ligaments, ...
Colonics.
Jul 01, 2004; ... Ancient Origins Colonic irrigation is an ancient method of healing and it would never have survived until the present scientific age if it were without value. It is a curious fact that medical practitioners seem to be either in favor of this treatment (and usually quiet about ...
Immunology, nutrition, and the athlete--Part II.
Jul 01, 2004; ... In Part I of Immunology, Nutrition and the Athlete, we addressed the phenomenon of exercise-induced immunosuppression and discussed how immunity is affected by endurance exercise in athletes in general. This article will focus on the known effects of diet, nutritional factors, and ...
The environmental origins of TSEs: the ferrimagneto-prion theory.(transmissible spongiform encephalopathy)(usage of ferrimagnetic substances for the treatment of mad cow fever)
Jul 01, 2004; ... The White Sands Missile Range is an extensive spread of US military controlled cacti country that spans the southernmost extremes of the San Andres mountain ridge. There is an eerie atmosphere to the place. A Department of Natural Resources truck kicks up the dust across the ...
The unseen epidemic: the linked syndromes of achlorhydria and atrophic gastritis.
Jul 01, 2004; ... Introduction It is commonly assumed that the decline in gastric acid production observed through later adult life (approximately 30% of the population over 65 years are hypochlorhydric) is a "normal" and very common consequence of the ageing process. Recent evidence, however, ...
Anti-aging medicine at eleven years: reflections and projections as a new era begins.(American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine)(American Academy for the Advancement of Science)
Jul 01, 2004; ... "The end of the beginning" The American Academy for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) proclaims in Science magazine's February 28, 2003 issue that current aging research has reached its concluding point. Explaining that "[Scientists who study aging] have focused on physiological ...
The potential hazard of aspartame absorption from within the mouth.(Letters to the Editor)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Editor: Aspartame disease is being increasingly encountered in medical practice. (1-4) Over two-thirds of the population currently consumes the chemical aspartame, most commonly as "diet" sodas and "sugar-free" products. I have detailed the serious neurologic, psychiatric, ...
The diagnosis and effective treatment of candida overgrowth.(Letters to the Editor)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Editor: The candida genus is a dimorphic fungus that can exist as a yeast or in mycelial form. There are many species of candida but the main species affecting humans is candida albicans. Other species rarely affect humans but include, tropicalis, parapilosis, and krusei. ...
Irradiated Food in School Lunches.(Letters to the Editor)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Editor: Rose Marie Williams discussed Irradiated Food in School Lunches in her October 2003 column. I would like to comment on food irradiation based on thesis research I conducted in June, 1963 at Oregon State University. My thesis title was: Use of Radiation Resistant ...
An appreciation of George Goodheart, DC, originator of applied kinesiology.(Letters to the Editor)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Editor: In 1964, Dr. George Goodheart, a Detroit chiropractor, began making a series of revolutionary observations about muscle function, health and disease states that became applied kinesiology. Goodheart is now in his 80's and still teaching and practicing. His influence is ...
Shingles and anemia.(Letters to the Editor)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Editor: The letter in the May 2004 issue regarding shingles and anemia by Judy Kitchen, requires some clarification. It is true that any chronic inflammation or infection may result in anemia. The body must withhold iron from germs or sites of inflammation since loose (free) ...
More on the soy debate.(Letters to the Editor)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Editor: As an update to the ongoing debate on soy foods, we have compiled two lists of studies showing adverse effects of soy. One lists adverse effects of isoflavones in soy in studies from 1953 to the present. The other lists adverse effects from soy foods in general in ...
Hold on to that hernia.(Letters to the Editor)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Editor: A few years ago I wrote an article for the Townsend Letter whose thesis was that operations for inguinal hernia (the most common form in men) are unnecessary because there exists a truss which is sufficiently effective to allow the wearer to do almost anything without ...
Outcomes from the Kadile case.(Letters to the Editor)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Editor: What was accomplished by defending Eleazar Kadile under the excellent counsel of attorneys Frank Recker and Ray Roder, with the advisory team of Tim Bolen, Bob Waters, and Terry Chappell, and with the financial backing of Wally Simons and many others? A settlement was ...
Acupuncture is effective for IBS.(Letters to the Editor)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Editor: An increasing number of dissatisfied individuals with IBS are seeking alternatives to conventional treatment. IBS is the most common condition that a physician faces in the gastrointestinal (GI) clinic. (1) Of the general population, 10-25% suffer from symptoms judged to ...
Carbohydrates and your health.(Letters to the Editor)
Jul 01, 2004 ... Editor: I read your piece "Carbohydrates and Your Health" with interest. Whilst you make some very valid points, I feel that you also left some important ones out. The Atkins diet is not only low carbohydrate, but also high protein and often high fat. Whilst cutting ...
A new epidemic of vitamin D deficiency.(Editorial)
Jul 01, 2004; ... The widely circulated rumor that Kurt Vonnegut told newly graduating MIT students to "wear sunscreen" is actually a myth. Had he really made such a recommendation, it would have been necessary for his "Breakfast of Champions" to include a vitamin D supplement. Vitamin D ...
"The Eating Alive System".(BookCorners)(Book Review)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Eating Alive II by Jonn Matsen, ND Goodwin Books, Ltd., 156 West 3rd Street, North Vancouver, BC Canada, V7M 1E8 Paperback, ISBN 0-9682853-1-7; $24.95 Can, [c] 2002, 710 pp. Dr. Matsen chose a most fitting introduction to this, his second in a ...
Essential Ayurveda--what it is & what it can do for you.(Universal Health Principles)(Book Review)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Essential Ayurveda--what it is & what it can do for you by Shubhra Krishan New World Library, 14 Pamaron Way, Novato, California 94949 USA Softcover, 2003, $14US/$22.95 CAN, 269 pp. Ayurveda, from India, may be the world's oldest intact system ...
Ayurveda and Marma Therapy.(Universal Health Principles)(Book Review)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Ayurveda and Marma Therapy by Dr. David Frawley, Dr. Subhash Ranade & Dr. Avinash Lele Lotus Press, P.O. Box 325, Twin Lakes, Wisconsin 53181 USA; fax 262-889-8591 Quality paperback, 2003, $21.95, 259 pp. Marmas are special Ayurvedic energy ...
An essential element?(BookCorners)(Book Review)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It by David Brownstein, MD Medical Alternatives Press, 4173 Fieldbrook Rd., West Bloomfield, Michigan 48323 USA; 888-647-5616 or www.drbrownstein.com ISBN: 0-9660882-3-9, 136pp. $15.00 Iodine: ...
Reference for medicinal plants.(BookCorners)(Book Review)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Medicinal Plants of the World, Volume 1: Chemical Constituents, Traditional and Modern Medicinal Uses, Second Edition by Ivan A. Ross, PhD Humana Press, Inc., 999 Riverview Drive, Suite 208, Totowa, New Jersey 07512 USA Hardback, 2003, $99.50, 476 pp. ...
Eat Fat, Look Thin, A Safe and Natural Way to Lose Weight Permanently.(The Good Oils)(Book Review)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Eat Fat, Look Thin, A Safe and Natural Way to Lose Weight Permanently by Bruce Fife, ND Picadilly Books, Box 25203, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80936 USA; 719-550-9887 Quality paperback, graphs, recipes, 287 pages, $16, 2002 No, Eat Fat, Look ...
Briefly Noted: Healthier food for Busy People.(The Good Oils)(Book Review)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Briefly Noted: Healthier Food for Busy People. by Jane Hersey Pear Tree Press, Box 30146, Alexandra, Virginia 22310 USA Oversized paperback, 37 pages, 2003, $5 plus $1 postage, wholesale 50% discount This compressed book offers 20 rules to help the consumer ...
The Guts & Glory Program.(BookCorners)(Book Review)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Restoring Your Digestive Health by Jordan S. Rubin, NMD & Joseph Brasco, MD Twin Streams--Kensington Publishing Corp., 850 Third Avenue, New York, New York 10022 USA; www.kensingtonbooks.com Softbound; ISBN 0-7582-0282-2; 2003; 400 pp; $15/$21 ...
Forbidden medicine.(BookCorners)(Book Review)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Women and Cannabis: Medicine, Science and Sociology Ethan Russo, MD, Melanie Dreher, PhD, & Mary Lynn Mathre, RN, MSN, Editors The Haworth Integrative Healing Press, 10 Alice St., Binghamton, New York 13904 USA; orders@haworthpress.com Softcover, 2002, ...
Supplementing with probiotics.(BookCorners)(Book Review)
Jul 01, 2004; ... The Probiotic Solution by Dr. Mark A. Brudnak Dragon Door Publications, Inc., P.O. Box 4381, St. Paul, Minnesota 55104 USA; 651-487-2180; www.dragondoor.com Softbound; ISBN 0-938045-75-X; 2003; 164 pp; $24.00 Humans have had a long-time, ...
The chemical anthropology of antimicrobial plants.(Medical Anthropology)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Introduction Traditional people have been using powerfully antimicrobial plants for thousands of years as part of their diet and pharmaceutical arsenal. Recently, people in industrialized nations have begun to express interest in these natural products. However, Hospital-based ...
Eliminating spastic colon by treating hidden bowel infections.(Highly Effective Treatments for Pain and Fatigue)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Medical science has known for quite some time that chronic fatigue syndrome is associated with changes in the body's immune system. In fact, the acronym CFIDS stands for chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome. People with CFIDS can have several different and unusual infections at ...
Web Page Potpourri: a column devoted to informative alternative health resources on the internet.(Column)
Jul 01, 2004; ... In Part 1 of my Web Page Potpourri column on raw foods (June #251) I included resources for finding books, recipes, potlucks, and people. In Part 2, I'll share web pages that will connect you to local produce, along with raw-related listservs, magazines, health retreats, restaurants, and ...
Food and chemical sensitivities and illness.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)(Author Abstract)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Four-hundred ninety college students, mean age 19, were studied for symptom patterns and psychological profiles and self-reported reactions to several common foods (wheat, milk, eggs) and chemicals (pesticides, car exhaust, paint, perfume, new carpets). Those with greater reported ...
Learning, emotional reactions and food elimination.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)(Brief Article)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Sixteen children age 5-15 referred for remedial reading and behavior modification were each placed on a diet to reduce sugars, refined foods and toxins and given an individually designed vitamin-mineral supplement. Nutritional intake of 16 matched-pair control children was not changed and ...
Stress and irritable bowel syndrome.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)(Brief Article)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Colonic smooth muscle spike potentials and contractility were recorded by a bipolar electrode-perfused catheter apparatus placed in the rectosigmoid colon in 6 healthy volunteers and 11 patients with irritable bowel syndrome during periods of stress. The 3 standardized stressful conditions ...
Stress and irritable bowel syndrome.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)(Brief Article)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Thirty-one subjects with chronic symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome were studied for the relationship of their symptoms to day-to-day stress; 28 women and 5 men completed daily logs for 7 IBS symptoms, as well as a daily hassles questionnaire: 14 showed significant same-day relationships ...
Irritable bowel syndrome and emotions.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)(Brief Article)
Jul 01, 2004; ... Hypnosis can be used safely to induce specific emotional states of considerable intensity. In 18 irritable bowel syndrome patients age 20-48, the effect on distal colonic motility of three hypnotically-induced emotions (excitement, anger, and happiness) was studied. Colonic motility index ...