Townsend Letter: The Examiner of Alternative Medicine back issues from February 2006:
Letter from the publisher.(Editorial)
Feb 01, 2006; ... I have spent nearly 30 years as a doctor, primarily seeing adult patients. As a rule, I have preferred to recommend diet and exercise lifestyle changes rather than dispense drugs. I have come to favor dispensing homeopathic remedies, vitamin supplements, and herbals before referring the ...
Calendar.(Calendar)
Feb 01, 2006 ... FEBRUARY 18-19: GORDON RESEARCH INSTITUTE presents NEW DIMENSIONS IN MEDICINE ... HEALTH [TM] @ Embassy Suites Phoenix Biltmore in Phoenix, Arizona. A comprehensive analysis of autism: from metals to mutations. CONTACT: 928-472-4263; http://www.gordonresearch.com FEBRUARY 18-20: ...
Douglas Brodie, MD, (1925-2005).(Obituary)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Douglas Brodie, MD, one of the most beloved practitioners of the complementary approach to cancer, died suddenly on November 4, 2005. The cause of death was sepsis (an overwhelming infection in the blood). He was 80 years old. Memorial services were held on Saturday, November 12 at Summit ...
Older men with Parkinson's disease at increased risk of bone fractures.(Brief Article)
Feb 01, 2006 ... Researchers have found that Parkinson's disease (PD) in older men is associated with lower bone mineral density and have suggested that physicians should consider screening older male patients with PD for osteoporosis. This study is published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics ...
New study offers hope for millions of Americans with knee osteoarthritis.
Feb 01, 2006 ... One in three Americans (nearly 66 million) experience joint discomfort on a daily basis due to arthritis (Arthritis Foundation, 2005). Of those, most experience pain in the knees, which can often be debilitating. New study findings from the first published, US-based, double-blind study on ...
Testing by ConsumerLab.com identifies many problems with popular supplements for weight loss, slimming, and blood sugar control.
Feb 01, 2006 ... In a series of reports, ConsumerLab.com revealed test results for supplements used for weight loss, slimming, and blood sugar control. Among the 23 products that ConsumerLab.com selected and tested, only 13 products passed the testing without problem or warning. Six products were ...
Research provides more evidence that chronic fatigue syndrome is a legitimate medical condition: syndrome linked to neurological abnormalities.
Feb 01, 2006 ... Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center have found that chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) may be rooted in distinct neurological abnormalities that can be medically tested. Although the sample studied was small, this research provides objective, physiological evidence that the ...
D-Ribose improves ventilatory efficiency and myocardial performance index in advanced stage heart failure patients and cardiac index in cardiopulmonary bypass patients.
Feb 01, 2006 ... Different studies; different sites; different subjects; same conclusion: D-Ribose helps the heart. An abstract presented at the International Society for Heart Research details what happened to myocardial function when 15 Class III (advanced stage) congestive heart failure (CHF) ...
Raw milk policy threatened in Florida.(Florida Food Safety Act)(Full Circle Farm )
Feb 01, 2006; ... Dennis Stolzfoos, a Weston A. Price Foundation chapter leader and farmer who owns Full Circle Farms in Live Oak, Florida, is under attack from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). The Division of Food Safety (DFS), a branch of FDACS, has filed two ...
Fluoridation--a numbers game.
Feb 01, 2006 ... Although little or no difference in children's cavity rates occur when water supplies are fluoridated, a new Australian study is describing changes in cavity rates post-fluoridation as significant. Fluoride chemicals, expensively added to two-thirds of US public water supplies, are ...
Health Freedom Protection Act introduced in Congress.
Feb 01, 2006 ... On November 9, 2005, Congressmen Ron Paul (Texas), Peter DeFazio (Oregon), Dan Burton (Indiana), Walter Jones (North Carolina), Rob Bishop (Utah), John J. Duncan (Tennessee), Roscoe Bartlett (Maryland), Jeff Miller (Florida), Butch Otter (Idaho), and Tom Tancredo (Colorado) introduced the ...
Quackwatch founder Stephen Barrett loses major defamation trial in hometown.
Feb 01, 2006 ... On October 13, 2005, in a stunning development, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania Judge J. Brian Johnson tossed out nationally known self-proclaimed consumer medical advocate Stephen Barrett's defamation lawsuit just minutes before it was to be considered by a local jury. The lawsuit, filed in ...
Can pomegranate juice improve coronary blood flow?(Literature Review & Commentary)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Forty-five patients (mean age, 69 years) with coronary heart disease and myocardial ischemia were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, 240 ml/day of pomegranate juice or a placebo drink for three months. The placebo was a modified sports beverage (contents not specified) ...
Pantethine lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels.(Literature Review & Commentary)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Twenty-nine patients with hypertriglyceridemia (type IV hyperlipoproteinemia) or elevations of both LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels (type IIB hyperlipoproteinemia), and three patients with an isolated reduction of HDL cholesterol were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind ...
Curcumin for inflammatory bowel disease.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief Article)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Five patients (aged 28-54 years) with ulcerative proctitis or proctosigmoiditis, who had complained of symptoms for 1-32 years, received 550 mg of curcumin twice a day for one month, and then 550 mg three times a day for one month. All five patients improved, with reductions in concomitant ...
Propionyl-carnitine plus acetyl-L-carnitine improves sexual dysfunction ....(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief Article)
Feb 01, 2006; ... One hundred-twenty men (mean age, 66 years) with symptoms of androgen decline (decreased libido and erectile quality, depressed mood, decreased cognitive function, and fatigue) and a low free-testosterone concentration were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, either 1) ...
.... but watch out for "male enhancers" sold on the Internet.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief article)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Seven herbal products marketed for the treatment of erectile dysfunction were purchased via the Internet (n = 6) or at a local health food store (n = 1). Specimens were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry to detect the presence of sildenafil (Viagra), ...
Melatonin for irritable bowel syndrome.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief Article)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Forty patients (mean age, 27 years) with irritable bowel syndrome and sleep disturbances were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, 3 mg of melatonin or placebo at bedtime for two weeks. Compared with placebo, melatonin significantly decreased the mean abdominal pain score ...
Glucosamine relieves diarrhea in autistic children.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief Article)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Six children with autistic spectrum disorders and persistent diarrhea for many years received 500 mg/day of glucosamine spread over the morning and evening meal for 30 days. The children were already being managed with interventions such as avoidance of dairy products and gluten, and use ...
Preventing prostate cancer.(Literature Review & Commentary)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Some 5,141 men (mean age, 51.3 years) were randomly assigned to receive daily a placebo or the combination of vitamin C 120 mg, vitamin E 30 mg, beta-carotene 6 mg, selenium 100 mcg, and zinc 20 mg for eight years. During the study, 103 cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed. Overall, ...
National Education Dialogue prepares for integrated healthcare training.(Pathways to Healing)
Feb 01, 2006; ... In June 2005, more than 70 healthcare educators gathered at Georgetown University for a meeting that could change the course of US healthcare. Participants came from conventional medicine and a wide range of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) disciplines such as chiropractic ...
Obesity in the US.(Shorts)
Feb 01, 2006; ... The considerable rise in severe obesity in the US challenges the belief that the condition is a rare pathological disorder that affects a fixed percentage of the population. In 1986, one in 200 adults weighed at least 100 pounds over the normal weight for their height. By 2000, the number ...
Lifestyle changes, weight loss, & better health.(Shorts)
Feb 01, 2006; ... For years, Weight Watchers and similar organizations have urged clients--usually women--to lose weight so that they look better. As Rosemarie Robotham, senior editor-at-large at ESSENCE, explains in her article, "Diary of My Weight Loss: One Woman's Journey From a Lifetime of Poor Eating ...
Bariatric surgery & complications.(Shorts)
Feb 01, 2006; ... The incidence of severe obesity is increasing, and bariatric surgery is becoming a popular solution. Bariatric surgical procedures increased from 13,365 in 1998 to 72,177 in 2002. Estimates from preliminary data predicted that the number would reach over 102,000 in 2003. At least 80% of ...
National Weight Control Registry.(Shorts)
Feb 01, 2006; ... The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR) tracks people who have maintained significant weight loss for long periods of time. NWCR developers Rena Wing, PhD, from Brown University Medical School and James O. Hill, PhD, from the University of Colorado established this prospective ...
Meal frequency & weight control.(Shorts)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Researchers are trying to identify meal frequency patterns that promote weight loss. So far, when looking at all the studies, one can conclude that eating several, smaller meals is not necessarily better than eating larger, less frequent meals. James J. Kenney, PhD, RD, FACN, suggests that ...
Weight loss & hypnosis.(Shorts)
Feb 01, 2006; ... While hypnosis, in itself, cannot make people lose weight, some people are using hypnotherapy to help them make the lifestyle changes necessary for losing weight. Hypnosis induces an altered state of consciousness, characterized by deep relaxation and highly focused attention. It is being ...
Gastric pacing.(Shorts)(implantable gastric stimulation)(Brief Article)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Implantable Gastric Stimulation (IGS), also called gastric pacing, is being promoted as a possible alternative to current forms of bariatric surgery. IGS, originally developed by Italian surgeon Valerio Cigaina, involves the implantation of a battery-operated, pacemaker-like device under ...
Diet soda & weight gain.(Shorts)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Recent studies indicate that drinking diet sodas may contribute to weight gain, but researchers are not sure why. Terry Davidson and Susan Swithers from the Ingestive Behavior Research Center at Purdue University fed two groups of rats different sweetened liquids. One group received a ...
Duke Fitness Center.(weight management program)
Feb 01, 2006; ... The Duke Fitness Center (DFC) in Durham, North Carolina, has offered a medically-supervised, residential, weight management program since 1969. The center incorporates nutrition, exercise, and behavior modification to help clients make the lifestyle changes necessary to improve health and ...
Exercise & weight.(Shorts)
Feb 01, 2006; ... For people who want to lose or control weight, physical activity is mandatory. Muscles burn calories throughout the day, and muscle mass declines when left unused. Mike Adams, the "Health Ranger" for News Target (online), says that people who are obese must have strong bones and muscles to ...
Herceptin--or deceptin?(The War on Cancer)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Two studies published in October 2005 in the New England Journal of Medicine have sparked a triumphant reaction from both the media and the medical profession. The studies indicated that the addition of the drug Herceptin (Trastuzumab) to standard therapy reduced the risk of recurrence by ...
Hawthorne and the heart: a research update.(Phytotherapy Review & Commentary)(Column)
Feb 01, 2006; ... A number of key studies have been undertaken since my last article in this column covering the cardiovascular research for the herb Hawthorne (Crataegus monogyna or C. laevigata). (1) Significantly, a meta-analysis was published in June 2003 that assessed the evidence from randomized, ...
Helicobacter: a hidden factor in cardiovascular, digestive, autoimmune, and skin disorders.(Phytotherapy Review & Commentary)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Around 20 years ago, a link between bacterial infection and duodenal and stomach ulcers (peptic ulcers) was suggested. The spiral or helical bacterium known as Helicobacter pylori was first cultured from the stomachs of patients with ulcers in 1982 and is now recognized as the most ...
Nutraceuticals that optimize the stress response and protect cardiovascular health.(Therapeutic Nutrition)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Introduction: Stress and Cardiovascular Health Multiple areas of medical research are coalescing to form an integrated picture of chronic disease and aging. Researchers in cardiovascular disease, metabolic diseases (notably type 2 diabetes), degenerative disorders, and nutrition ...
Web Page Potpourri--looking at the heart: a column devoted to informative integrative health resources on the Internet.
Feb 01, 2006; ... The August-Sept 2004 Townsend Letter included my Web Page Potpourri column on cardiovascular disease, available online at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ISW/is_253-254/ai_n6176291. This column focuses on visual resources: charts, animations, pictures, and videos related to the ...
Preventing heart disease exploring the options.(Naturopathic Perspectives)
Feb 01, 2006; ... The statistics surrounding heart disease are astounding, to say the least. In 2003, the most recent year for which complete statistics are available for the US, statistics revealed the following: * 479,305 people died from heart disease, making heart disease the leading cause of ...
Biochemistry of Lyme disease: Borrelia burgdorferi spirochete/cyst.
Feb 01, 2006; ... Abstract -- It has been noted that many of the symptoms of Lyme disease involve the nervous system. It was shown that the spirochete produces a toxin that disrupts normal nerve function. Through the use of DNA manipulations and a database of known protein toxin DNA sequences, a match was ...
Promising cure to URTI pandemics, including the Avian Flu (H5N1): has the final solution to the coming plagues been discovered? (Part I).(uppe respiratory tract infections)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Abstract BACKGROUND: Recently Rentz (2003) published a convincing retrospective, peer-reviewed treatise on a highly advanced, effective and safe virotoxic oligodynamic silver ([Ag.sup.+]) hydrosol, making the case that it is the agent of choice to combat SARS. (1) The works of ...
Fear mongering of the flu, questionable medical treatment, and a homeopathic alternative.
Feb 01, 2006; ... The media, doctors, and drug companies have been impressively effective in instilling great fear into the hearts and minds of the public about the potential bird flu epidemic. And they add fuel to the fear by "warning" the public that inadequate amounts of the flu vaccine exist for people ....
Are you frustrated ... struggling to care for your patients who have increasingly complex and serious symptoms but wish that your treatment methods worked faster with long-lasting results?
Feb 01, 2006 ... What if there was a way ... ... that you could simply and effectively help your patients repair damaged organs, clear deep-seated toxins and rejuvenate their bodies at an accelerated rate? What if there was a way ... ... that you could help your patients ...
The clotting epidemic.
Feb 01, 2006; ... Platelet aggregation--clotting--has long been shown to cause and/or to be associated with many of the major degenerative diseases. In over 30 years of examining patient's charts, I have never seen a report of the status of platelet reactivity, even though more than 90% of all myocardial ...
A new and potent sun vitamin supplement.
Feb 01, 2006; ... Fundamental to a truly salubrious health philosophy must be the understanding that we are integrally linked to our genetic heritage. We are biologically what our genetics dictate, not what we impose upon ourselves by modern artificial circumstances. This concept is a master key to health, ...
L-arginine improves vascular endothelial function--a key component of cardiovascular health.
Feb 01, 2006; ... Elevated cholesterol is widely accepted as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, with the near-hysteria surrounding high cholesterol and its treatment over the past 30 years, a few important pieces of the cardiovascular health puzzle have been ignored. One ...
Thirty years of progress in cardiovascular health.
Feb 01, 2006; ... We are living during an exciting time in the evolution of medical practice. Building upon our medical school understanding of heart disease, drug therapeutics, and surgical interventions, we can now add a vast armamentarium of relatively non-toxic therapies to prevent and reverse our ...
Chelation therapy: yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Feb 01, 2006; ... Chelation (pronounced k-'lt'shun) therapy in medicine is generally regarded to be the use of chelating agents to remove toxic heavy metals from the body. Toxic heavy metals include--but are not limited to--arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. All metals, however, can be toxic when present ...
Heart disease and chelation therapy: my view after 35 years of research.(Column)
Feb 01, 2006; ... I have been involved in the field of chelation for over thirty-five years. I wrote the initial American College of Advancement in Medicine (ACAM) chelation protocol, which, with little modification over the ensuing years, has been successfully and safely used by physicians to treat well ...
Functional lab tests to evaluate immune competencies in chronic illness and chronic infection: Part 2.
Feb 01, 2006; ... [Editor's note: Part 1 of this article appeared in the January 2006 issue of The Townsend Letter.] What are the latest lab tests to monitor immune depletion and the recovery process? Functional List of Clinically Useful Cytokines When are tests for IL-2, ...
The dysox model of coronary heart disease and clinical outcome with an integrative protocol.(Oxygen Homeostasis)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Coronary heart disease (CHD) is, first and foremost, an energetic lesion. Specifically, it begins with rupture of the initial step involving complex I in the chain of oxygen-driven events within mitochondrial ATP generation--and is perpetuated by disruptions of the later steps in that ...
Coley's Toxins: a cancer treatment history.
Feb 01, 2006; ... I am writing this letter to reveal the instructions for making Coley's Toxins, a simple procedure. First, however, I want to offer a bit of history on Coley's Toxins. In 1890, Dr. William Coley was a 28-year-old surgeon in New York City. Much of Coley's history, detailed in this ...
Dimercapto-1-propanesulfonic acid (DMPS).(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the Editor)
Feb 01, 2006 ... In the July/August 2005 edition of the American College for the Advancement of Medicine's (ACAM) Update, an opinion was published that inaccurately concluded that Dimercapto-1-propanesulfonic Acid (DMPS) for use in compounding became illegalwhen Section 503A of the Food And Drug ...
Chelation therapy: remove the metals and bypass the bypass.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the Editor)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Julio was a 74-year-old architect who had suffered from chronic angina for several years. As a result, he made repeated visits to his cardiologist only to be told that the cardiologist could not offer him much more help. Understandably disappointed, Julio began to read about some of the ...
Aspartame.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the Editor)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Aspartame, a common sweetener in diet drinks, derives just part of its notorious toxicity from its 11% methanol fraction, always fully and freely released into the body. Many people drink six cans of diet soda each day--that's two quarts. In the process, they imbibe a quantity of aspartame ...
Antibiotic resistance kills.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the Editor)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Thanks to Michael Bennett for such a powerful expression of outrage over the senseless death of his father from MRSA.* Three years ago, my aunt checked into a Southern California hospital for elective back surgery to relieve pain from spinal stenosis, a condition that may have been caused ...
The critical role of minerals in inflammation.(Letters to the Editor)
Feb 01, 2006; ... There is no need to revisit the events leading up the removal of Vioxx and other prescription anti-inflammatory drugs from the market. The story of how the entire class of COX-2 inhibitor drugs increases the risk of a heart event has been an ongoing drama in both the professional and lay ...
Correction notice.(Correction Notice)
Feb 01, 2006; ... I have just received the December 2005 issue of the Townsend Letter. It is well done with timely articles for all. It just gets better and better! Unfortunately, an important paragraph of my article, "Multiple Sclerosis--A Cure in Search of Doctors," was omitted. The missing ...
It's time to bring tryptophan back.(Editorial)(Editorial)
Feb 01, 2006; ... The British government has recently reversed its 16-year ban of the amino acid tryptophan and will allow its sale once again as a food supplement. The United Kingdom joins other countries such as Japan and the Netherlands in letting the public have access to this valuable nutrient, which ...
Clinically tested herbal medicine.(The Handbook of Clinically Tested Herbal Remedies)(Book Review)
Feb 01, 2006; ... The Handbook of Clinically Tested Herbal Remedies (Vol. 1 & 2), edited by Marilyn Barrett, PhD Haworth Press, 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, New York 13904-1580 USA ISBN: 0789027240; Hardbound; c. 2004; 1435 pp; $159.95 www.haworthpress.com; 800-429-6784 or ...
Noninvasive treatment for heart disease.(Heal Your Heart with EECP: The Only Noninvasive Way to Overcome Heart Disease)(Book Review)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Heal Your Heart with EECP: The Only Noninvasive Way to Overcome Heart Disease by Debra Braverman, MD Celestial Arts, P.O. Box 7123, Berkley, California 94707 USA ISBN: 1587612445; Paperback; 2005; 215 pp; $18.95 Heart disease stands as the ...
A homeopath's guide to autism.(A Drug-Free Approach to Asperger Syndrome and Autism: Homeopathic Care for Exceptional Kids)(Book Review)
Feb 01, 2006; ... A Drug-Free Approach to Asperger Syndrome and Autism: Homeopathic Care for Exceptional Kids by Judyth Reichenberg-Ullman, ND, LCSW; Robert Ullman, ND; and Ian Luepker, ND Picnic Point Press, www.drugfreeasperger.com, 800-398-1151; 290 pp., $22.95 ...
Vitamin A & Avian Flu.(Townsend's New York Observer)
Feb 01, 2006; ... The world must form a better understanding of the potential for the emergence of a pandemic influenza strain. A pandemic is coming. It could be caused by H5N1 or by another novel strain. It could happen tonight, next year, or even ten years from now. The signs are alarming: the ...
Stress management training.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Of 40 men hospitalized with a heart attack, 20 were randomly assigned to cardiac education and 20 to stress management training. The education group had one individual session, followed by eight sessions of didactic teaching about coronary artery disease, health habits, and stress. The ...
Patient education by groups.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)(Brief Article)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Optional selective patient inclusion in a group setting for follow-up visits offers many advantages: vicarious learning, group support, and extended physician-time efficacy and productivity. Sessions may be disease-oriented (e.g., cardiac disease, diabetes) or process-oriented (e.g., ...
Cardiac arrhythmias and biofeedback.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)(Brief Article)
Feb 01, 2006; ... In a case history of a 23-year-old male patient with recurrent sinus tachycardia, the patient's baseline mean pulse of 103 fell to 66 after eight biofeedback sessions. At 12 months, mean resting pulse was 73/min. Janssen K. Treatment of sinus tachycardia with heart-rate ...
Hypertension and emotional training.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)(Brief Article)
Feb 01, 2006; ... Thirty-eight hypertensives randomly assigned to a 16-hour stress-intervention program (instruction in positive emotional refocusing and restructuring techniques to reduce stress, sympathetic nervous system arousal, and negative affect; increase positive affect; and improve performance) ...