Townsend Letter back issues from May 2009:
Letter from the publisher.(usage of appropriate term for alternative medicine)
May 01, 2009; ... In 1969, it was very difficult to concentrate on college studies while campuses were being overrun by demonstrations and student sit-ins. The fervor of fighting the draft and opposing the Vietnam War led to constant disruption in academic life. Of course, violent protest was not limited to ...
Adulteration suspected with some 'memory' supplements.
May 01, 2009 ... Tests by ConsumerLab.com of Ginkgo biloba supplements show that few products meet quality standards. Among the products selected for review, two appeared to contain adulterated material and two others contained less ginkgo than claimed on their labels, one of which was contaminated with ...
Potassium loss from blood pressure drugs may explain higher risk of adult diabetes.(Report)
May 01, 2009 ... Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered that a drop in blood potassium levels caused by diuretics commonly prescribed for high blood pressure could be the reason why people on those drugs are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The drugs helpfully accelerate loss of fluids, but also ...
Vitamin experts condemn Harvard study.
May 01, 2009 ... On January 12, the American Association for Health Freedom (AAHF) and the Alliance for Natural Health (ANH) together sharply criticized research, published on January 7 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, that claims that vitamins do not prevent cancer. (1) ...
Studies refute claim against homeopathy.(Report)
May 01, 2009 ... Two new studies conclude that a review which claimed that homeopathy is just a placebo, published in the Lancet, was seriously flawed. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] George Lewith, professor of health research at Southampton University (UK), commented: "The review gave no ...
Weight-loss products found tainted with drugs.(Shorts)(www.fda.gov/cder/consumerinfo/weight_loss_products.htm)
May 01, 2009; ... On January 8, 2009, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned that more than 60 over-the-counter weight-loss products contain active pharmaceutical ingredients. These drugs are not reported on the products' labels. In some cases, the product claims to be "natural" or totally herbal ...
Alzheimer's and insulin resistance.(Shorts)(Report)
May 01, 2009; ... In October, 1997, a Finnish study in British Medical Journal reported an association between insulin resistance syndrome and Alzheimer's disease, unrelated to genetic predisposition. Since then, other studies indicate that diabetes increases the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's, even among ...
'Dirty electricity' affects blood sugar.(Shorts)(Report)
May 01, 2009; ... Dr. Magda Havas, an authority on the biological effects of electromagnetic frequencies at Trent University (Ontario, Canada), has found evidence that "dirty electricity" elevates blood sugar in a subset of diabetics (Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine. 2008;27[2]:135-146). '"Dirty ...
Adjustable gastric banding for diabetes.(Shorts)(Report)
May 01, 2009; ... Weight loss reduces morbidity and mortality among type 2 diabetics who are overweight, but achieving and maintaining weigh loss is often challenging. Adjustable gastric banding is being promoted as an effective way to control weight. This laparoscopic surgical procedure limits food intake ...
New fats raise blood sugar.(Shorts)(Report)
May 01, 2009; ... Now that trans-fats are being phased out of baked goods and other processed foods, the food industry is turning to interesterified fats. These fats, like trans-fats, have a long shelf-life and a solid consistency that works well in baked goods. Interesterification replaces a ...
Osteocalcin, leptin, and diabetes.(Shorts)(Report)
May 01, 2009; ... Recently, Gerard Karsenty, MD, PhD, and colleagues at Columbia University Medical Center discovered that osteoblasts (bone-forming cells) secrete a hormone that regulates insulin production and enhances insulin sensitivity. This hormone, called osteocalcin, tells beta cells in the pancreas ...
Low-glycemic diet found more effective.(Shorts)(Report)
May 01, 2009; ... For years, weight-loss advice has focused on low-fat diets and calorie restriction--a dreary prospect that is difficult to maintain over a long period. Recent studies have found that eating low-glycemic carbohydrates is a better tactic for losing weight and controlling blood sugar than ...
N-acetylcarnosine helps cataracts.(Shorts)(Report)
May 01, 2009; ... Eyedrops containing N-acetylcarnosine (NAC) reduce glare sensitivity and improve eyesight in people with cataracts, according to published studies. Dr. Mark A. Babizhayev has studied the optical effect of carnosine and its analogue, NAC, for over 15 years. He and his colleagues observed ...
Splenda affects gut.(Shorts)(Report)
May 01, 2009; ... In January 2008, researchers at Duke University Medical Center (Durham, North Carolina) reported that Splenda negatively affected gastrointestinal flora and the cytochrome P-450 detoxification system in male rats. The Duke team is particularly concerned that the artificial sweetener will ...
It's reasonable to be both scientific and spiritual.(Pathways to Healing)
May 01, 2009; ... Charles Tart, PhD, is the well-known author/editor of classics such as Transpersonal Psychologies and Waking Up: Overcoming the Obstacles to Human Potential. His most recent book, published in April, is The End of Materialism: How Evidence of the Paranormal Is Bringing Science and Spirit ...
Study points to effectiveness of Standard Process 'Purification Program'.(Brief article)
May 01, 2009 ... A recently published research article in the September 2008 peer-reviewed Journal of Chiropractic Medicine discussed the clinical effectiveness of Standard Process's Purification Program. The results from 28 chiropractic patients strengthened the concept that a calorie-restricted ...
Chromium and biotin for type 2 diabetes.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Report)
May 01, 2009; ... Four hundred forty-seven overweight or obese patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes (HbA1c [greater than or equal to] 7.0%) were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, 600 [mu]g per day of chromium (as chromium picolinate) plus 2 mg per day of biotin or placebo for ...
Vitamin D for diabetic neuropathy.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Report)
May 01, 2009; ... Of 51 patients with type 2 diabetes and typical neuropathic pain, all were vitamin-D insufficient (defined as a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration < 24 ng/ ml [< 60 nmol/L]). Each patient received vitamin D3 at a mean dose of 2,059 IU per day for three months. The mean pain score ...
Vitamin B12 for diabetic retinopathy.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Report)(Brief article)
May 01, 2009; ... Fifteen patients with type 1 diabetes received 100 [mu]g per day of vitamin B12 subcutaneously along with insulin for two years. The mean duration of diabetes prior to vitamin B12 treatment was 11.8 years, and all of the patients had retinopathy. After one year of treatment, signs of ...
Air pollution and vitamin D deficiency.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Report)(Brief article)
May 01, 2009; ... In a cross-sectional study of postmenopausal women (mean age, 65 years) living in Belgium, urban residents were exposed to ozone levels three times higher than were rural residents. Compared with rural residents, urban residents had a higher prevalence of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels > ...
Antioxidants for Chronic Pancreatitis.(Literature Review & Commentary.)(Report)(Brief article)
May 01, 2009; ... One hundred twenty-seven patients (mean age, 30.5 years) with chronic pancreatitis (35 due to alcoholism, 92 idiopathic) were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, a daily antioxidant supplement (containing 600 [mu]g of selenium, 540 mg of vitamin C, 9,000 IU of ...
Cranberry extract lowers cholesterol levels.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Report)(Brief article)
May 01, 2009; ... Thirty patients (mean age, 65 years) with type 2 diabetes who were taking oral hypoglycemic medication were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, a cranberry extract (500 mg 3 times per day after meals) or placebo for 12 weeks. The mean LDL cholesterol level decreased by ...
Ginkgo biloba extract for treatment-resistant schizophrenia.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Report)(Brief article)
May 01, 2009; ... Forty-two patients with chronic, treatment-resistant schizophrenia who were maintained on optimal doses of clozapine were randomly assigned to receive 120 mg per day of Ginkgo biloba extract (ginkgo; standardized to contain 24% flavone glycosides and 6% terpene lactones) or placebo in ...
Good nutrition enhances recovery from strokes.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Report)(Brief article)
May 01, 2009; ... One hundred-sixteen undernourished patients admitted to a stroke rehabilitation service were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, 120 ml of a standard nutritional supplement or an intensive nutritional supplement every 8 hours in addition to the hospital diet. Each 120 ml ...
War on Cancer: conventional German oncologists endorse hyperthermia.
May 01, 2009; ... Some people have been led to believe that in Germany all cancer care is holistic. In one Internet report it states that "Germany's top cancer doctors ... literally cook cancer out of your body while you nap." This is a gross exaggeration of both the power of hyperthermia (heat therapy) and ...
Start packing, Sylvia.(Cartoon)
May 01, 2009 ... "Start packing, Sylvia. The boss gave me til sundown ...
Townsend's New York observer: ordeal of Christine Maggiore, HIV dissenter, ends with her untimely death--part one.(Column)
May 01, 2009 ... <Pre> If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart, Absent thee from felicity awhile, And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain, To tell my story.Hamlet, 5.2.360-363 </Pre> Christine Maggiore, a stalwart among questioners of "orthodox" beliefs about the cause and ...
John Weeks' Integrator blog: Bhaswati Bhattacharya: lessons from an Ayurvedic experience of sustainable integration.
May 01, 2009; ... Bhaswati Bhattacharya Last January, at the Integrative Healthcare Symposium in New York City, I met Bhaswati Bhattacharya, MD, MPH, MA. Bhattacharya has an interesting resume. She's been in integrative care since 1989. Bhattacharya runs the division of complementary medicine for ...
Long-term consequences of diabetes.
May 01, 2009; ... Diabetes is associated with an increased risk for numerous serious complications. According to the American Diabetes Association, there are an estimated 23.6 million people in the US, approximately 8% of the population, with diabetes, which is an increase by 13.5% from 2005. It is ...
The argument for a vegetarian diet part one.
May 01, 2009; ... In recent decades, vegetarianism has shed its image as an offbeat lifestyle choice and attracted many Americans who want to take advantage of the benefits offered by plant-based eating. These people are adopting a vegetarian diet to improve their health, avoid the chemicals used in animal ...
Agave nectar: the high-fructose health food fraud.
May 01, 2009; ... Here is an incredible article by Ramiel Nagel. Remi has done an enormous service to us all via his deep research in the field of nutrition. Much of his work is revealed in a great book, Cure Tooth Decay, which, contrary to the prevailing self-serving dogma, teaches you how to heal and ...
Salish culture, foods and medicines: indigenous traditions and CAM for the prevention and treatment of diabetes type 2.
May 01, 2009; ... Introduction Diseases previously unknown to the population of native peoples of the north Pacific Coast of the US and Canada were introduced by colonizing peoples and ravaged the Salish peoples for more than 225 years. Similarly, market economic policies contributed to the ...
A scientific review of the oncogenic effects rice bran arabinoxylan compound (RBAC).
May 01, 2009; ... Introduction Rice bran arabinoxylan compound (RBAC) is derived from the principal constituent of the hemicellulose B found in rice bran known as arabinoxylan, which is composed of arabi nose and xylose. It is then hydrolyzed by a beneficial carbohydrase enzyme complex obtained ...
The wellsprings of healing: on the doctor as artist.(Report)
May 01, 2009; ... <Pre> For all its technological power, medicine is not a technological enterprise. The practice of medicine is a special kind of love. --Rachel Naomi RemenOne of the most important tools of medicine is the person of the physician himself. Medicine is concerned with the care ...
Amyloban 3399 product study for cognitive function improvement.(Letters to the Editor)
May 01, 2009; ... Amyloban 3399 is a dietary supplement for brain health made from a medicinal mushroom called Lion's Mane [Hericium erinaceum]. It contains ingredients that stimulate growth of nerve cells and protect nerve cells from toxicity of neuronal toxins. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...
Chronic caffeine poisoning.(Letters to the Editor)
May 01, 2009; ... Based on my experience as a convalescing victim of chronic caffeine poisoning, and because caffeine is probably the most common cause of panic disorder, I present my theory of the mechanism of panic disorder as a symptom of caffeine-dependency-induced chronic caffeine poisoning. I do ...
Genes, DNA, diet, heredity, and disease.(Letters to the Editor)(Report)
May 01, 2009 ... New findings about genetics, diet, and disease are both startling and encouraging. Thus in Matt Ridley's Nature via Nurture: Genes, Experiences, and What Makes Us Human (2003), experiments are reported which show that a mouse's brain cells are affected by external stimuli. In a way, this ...
Can dietary changes prolong life?(Editorial)
May 01, 2009; ... One of my college roommates happened to be Dean Pitchford, who later became famous for writing the Academy Award-winning song "Fame": "I'm gonna live forever, I'm gonna learn how to fly." His lyrics captured mankind's ageless quest for agelessness, a quest that has engendered in recent ...
Hope for Healing connective tissue.(Tendon and Ligament Healing: A New Approach to Sports and Overuse Injury)(Book review)
May 01, 2009; ... Tendon & Ligament Healing: A New Approach to Sports and Overuse Injury, 2nd edition by William Weintraub Paradigm Publications, 202 Bendix Drive, Taos, New Mexico 87571; 505-758-7758 or 800-873-3946. Softbound; c. 2003; 236 pp; $22.95. Tendon & ...
Right-minded mental health-care.(How to Use Herbs, Nutrients, and Yoga in Mental Health Care)(Book review)
May 01, 2009; ... How to Use Herbs, Nutrients, and Yoga in Mental Health Care by Richard P. Brown, MD; Patricia L. Gerbarg, MD; and Philip R. Muskin, MD W.W. Norton & Co., 500 Fifth Ave, New York, NY 10110; 800-233-4830 Hardcover, c. 2009; $34.95 US, $38.50 Canada; 441 pp. Drs. Brown, ...
Anti-aging medicine: an anti-aging medical approach to diabetes and metabolic syndrome.
May 01, 2009; ... Metabolic syndrome is characterized by a group of health risk factors that includes enlarged waist circumference, high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, low HDL ("good") cholesterol, and high fasting glucose levels. In combination, these factors increase the risk of cardiovascular ...
Water from lourdes $10.(Cartoon)
May 01, 2009 ... WATER FROM LOURDES $10. ...
Exercise is medicine: exercise and metabolic syndrome.
May 01, 2009; ... Exercise is arguably the best, safest, and most clinically useful medicine for metabolic syndrome because of its ability to sensitize the body to insulin's action. Understanding the mechanism by which different exercise modalities work is an important first step in understanding how to ...
Optimizing metabolism: preventing age-related macular degeneration with leafy greens.
May 01, 2009; ... Introduction "Take two cups of kale and call me in the morning" may be among the emerging clinical suggestions to prevent a leading cause of blindness in adults: age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Like diabetes, the main topic in this issue of Townsend Letter, macular ...
Healing with homeopathy: a woman with severe allergies and anxiety: successful homeopathic treatment over 11 years.(Personal account)
May 01, 2009; ... I Get These Attacks. ... Carol first consulted us for homeopathic care, by telephone, in early 1998 at the age of 38. What follows is not her entire case, but the most important information, in her own words. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] <Pre> I have all kinds of ...
Calendar of events.(Conference news)(Calendar)
May 01, 2009 ... CANCELED: AMERICAN BIOLOGICS' 21st INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM--INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE, scheduled for July 21-24, in Budapest, Hungary is being postponed until 2010. For more information, see www. americanbiologics.com. The DANUBE RIVER CRUISE on JULY 25-AUGUST 1, however, has NOT been canceled ....
Women's health update: soy as a prevention strategy for osteoporosis.
May 01, 2009; ... The potential for soy protein or soy isoflavones to alter bone metabolism and bone resorption is currently contradictory and inconclusive. (1) The lack of agreement in the literature is thought to be related to variations in study design. These variations include dosage and form of soy ...
Nutritional influences on illness: cataract: the antioxidant enzymes.
May 01, 2009; ... The development of senile cataract, especially nuclear cataract, is associated with progressive oxidative changes in the intrinsic membrane fraction and membrane-related components of the lens, which eventually extends beyond them to also involve the soluble components of lens proteins ....