Townsend Letter: The Examiner of Alternative Medicine back issues from December 2006:
Letter from the publisher.(Editorial)
Dec 01, 2006; ... In my October 2006 Letter, I asked a rhetorical question: why, I wondered, is it wrong for a husband to beat a wife, but okay for a sovereign nation to bomb apartment buildings and kill husbands, wives, and children? No one responded to this unanswerable question, although my brother ...
Corrections & clarifications.(Correction notice)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2006 ... The byline and biographical note for co-author Keoni Teta, ND, was inadvertently omitted from "Exercise is Medicine: The Anti-Inflammatory Effects of High-Intensity Exercise," which appeared in our November 2006 issue. We regret the omission. Dr. Teta is a board certified and licensed ...
The International College of Applied Kinesiology--USA (ICAK-USA) awards George J. Goodheart Scholarship in Applied Kinesiology at namesake's Alma mater.
Dec 01, 2006 ... The International College of Applied Kinesiology--USA (ICAK-USA) awarded the George J. Goodheart Scholarship in Applied Kinesiology (AK) at the National University of Health Sciences (NUHS) Homecoming festivities on June 24, 2006. Amy Berglund was named the winner of the $2500 scholarship ....
Dr. Channing C. Bolick receives Miracle Award for Clinical Excellence from Palmer College of Chiropractic.(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2006 ... Dr. Channing Bolick, Director of The Bolick Clinic and Physical Therapy of Maitland, Florida, (www.bolickclinic.com), has been awarded Palmer College of Chiropractic's Miracle Award for Clinical Excellence for 2006. Presented at the school's Davenport, Iowa campus on August 12, the award ...
The Institute for Functional Medicine is "Accredited with Commendation" by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education.
Dec 01, 2006 ... The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) has been surveyed by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) and awarded the status of "Accreditation with Commendation" for six years as a provider of continuing medical education for physicians. ACCME ...
Nutraceutical Corporation Appeals 10th Circuit ephedra decision.
Dec 01, 2006 ... On September 28, 2006, Nutraceutical Corporation filed its Petition for Rehearing or Rehearing en Banc in the United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit. The petition calls on the entire 10th Circuit to rehear the case, explaining that the three-judge panel of the court violated ...
Hot peppers may relieve Katrina Cough in Cajun country.
Dec 01, 2006; ... Hurricane Katrina victims have called upon SiCap Industries, makers of the world's first Hot Pepper Nasal Spray, to help put an end to the dreaded "Katrina Cough." After one Katrina victim beat her own symptoms by using Sinus Buster hot pepper nasal spray, she immediately got together with ...
Toxic mercury taints tuna in Chicago sushi restaurants findings suggest women and children should avoid tuna, affirm efforts to reduce mercury pollution.
Dec 01, 2006 ... An investigation of tuna served in Chicago sushi restaurants adds to a recent stream of bad news about high levels of mercury in storebought tuna, locally caught sport fish, and other seafood available to Illinoisans. Fourteen of 20 tuna sushi samples tested, or 70%, exceeded Illinois ...
New reports show a return of asbestos concerns for mechanics.
Dec 01, 2006 ... More than a decade after most US automakers stopped installing brakes containing asbestos, rising concerns have resurfaced in regards to brakes imported to the US from countries where using asbestos in auto parts is still the norm. According to recent reports and a Baltimore Sun article, ...
Medical doctor uses Emotional Freedom Techniques to thwart a common cold: Emotional Freedom Techniques, a do-it-yourself version of acupuncture neutralizes the common cold in 80% of cases studied.
Dec 01, 2006; ... Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is an innovative new approach to healing that is gaining attention from medical professionals and laypersons all over the world. It is being popularized for its simplicity and drug-free effectiveness in eliminating the symptoms associated with illnesses ...
New research: maximizing flu immunity.(Active Hexose Correlated Compound used in treating flu)
Dec 01, 2006 ... A recent scientific study, completed at Drexel University and published in the November issue of the Journal Of Nutrition, has found that a hybridized mushroom extract, AHCC, increases survival and decreases the severity and recovery time following influenza infection. The reason for the ...
Pharmaceutical charities.(financial support for the insured patients)
Dec 01, 2006; ... A short-term fix for individuals may actually be contributing to the exorbitant cost of some pharmaceutical drugs, according to a Wall Street Journal article. Drug companies have programs that provide expensive medicine, at no cost, to poor, uninsured patients. These programs do not, ...
Flu vaccine efficacy.
Dec 01, 2006; ... Are the flu vaccines that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) promotes each year as effective as the agency insists? At least two studies indicate that they are not. Part of the reason is the time-consuming method for making the vaccines, whose formulations change every ...
The business of academic research.(Shorts)(research grants)
Dec 01, 2006; ... An article about the conflict between George Robert Pettit, a tenured chemistry professor and respected academic scientist, and the administration of Arizona State University dispels any illusions about colleges being the cornerstone of pure research. Arizona State University, like other ...
Natural remedies from Lilipoh.(Special Edition: New Light on Children's Health)(Periodical review)
Dec 01, 2006; ... If you are interested in non-allopathic remedies for children's health challenges, get a copy of Lilipoh Publishing's holistic wellness guide, "Special Edition: New Light on Children's Health." The 52-page magazine gives home care recommendations for dealing with over 75 common problems, ...
Dealing with pandemics.(Shorts)
Dec 01, 2006; ... About three times every 100 years, an influenza pandemic occurs, affecting communities around the world. These pandemics result when a new influenza A virus, to which most people have no immunity, spreads quickly from person to person. Previous experience in 1918, 1957, and 1968 indicates ...
Ascorbic acid, glucose, & the immune system.(Shorts)
Dec 01, 2006; ... Back in 1942, Cowan, Diehl, and Baker reported, in the Journal of the American Medical Association, that 200 mg/day of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) reduced the severity and the incidence of head colds among a group of college students. At the time, the nutritional guidelines recommended just ...
Neuraminidase inhibitors to treat flu.
Dec 01, 2006; ... Neuraminidase inhibitors (NIs), which include oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza), are antiviral drugs that are designed to lessen flu symptoms. These drugs prevent the influenza virus from spreading to healthy cells by blocking the action of neuraminidase, an enzyme that helps ...
Coughs, cough medicines, & upper respiratory infections.
Dec 01, 2006; ... Francis Brinker, ND, has an informative article, posted at HealthWorld Online, about the use of herbs to treat coughing due to upper respiratory infections. Normally, small hairs on the inner lining of the respiratory tract move mucus-trapped waste and inhaled particles up from the lungs ....
Hospital charges, health insurance, & Anabaptists.(Shorts)
Dec 01, 2006; ... Anabaptists (Amish and Mennonites) forgo health insurance, including Medicare, as part of their religious practice. Because US hospitals typically charge people without insurance more than they charge insured patients for the same treatment, Anabaptists often travel to Mexican hospitals, ...
Rethinking AIDS answers critics of Celia Farber's Harper's article: update on Christine Maggiore.(Townsend's New York Observer)(Acquired Immuno Deficiency Virus)(Column)
Dec 01, 2006; ... "Correcting Gallo" is the response to a rebuttal submitted to Harper's after that monthly's March 2006 issue featured an article that was sharply critical of HIV-AIDS research. Celia Farber, an investigative journalist who has reported on AIDS for two decades, wrote the article, titled ...
National Cancer Institute press release distorts results on raloxifene: Part One.(The War on Cancer)
Dec 01, 2006; ... Tamoxifen (sold in the US as Nolvadex[R]) is a useful drug. It can reduce the chance of developing breast cancer in women who are at high risk of that disease and can also diminish the chance of recurrence in some patients who have been successfully treated for breast cancer. ...
Steven Sles: facing the big questions.(achievements of an artist)
Dec 01, 2006; ... I knew Steven Sles in college, although I didn't know him well. I was studying political science; he was an artist. You might see him at any time, navigating the corridors in a wheelchair, talking with friends. He'd had cerebral palsy since birth and couldn't use his hands or arms; he used ...
Elderberry and raspberry for influenza.(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2006; ... Sixty Norwegian patients (aged 1854 years) suffering from influenza-like symptoms for 48 hours or less were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, 15 ml of a syrup containing extracts of black elderberries and red raspberries (Sambucol[R]) or placebo four times per day ...
Cold-cocking a cold with intravenous nutrients.
Dec 01, 2006; ... A 40-year-old male came to my office with a cold and a one-day history of fatigue, nasal congestion, and runny nose. He was given an intravenous infusion containing 3.5 g of vitamin C, 600 mg of magnesium chloride hexahydrate, 1.5 ml of 10% calcium gluconate, 1,000 mcg of vitamin B12, 100 ...
Grapefruit for periodontal disease.(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2006; ... Fifty-eight patients (mean age, 45 years) with chronic periodontitis were assigned (apparently without randomization) to consume two grapefruits per day for two weeks (n = 38) or to serve as a control group (n = 20). Prior to treatment, the mean plasma vitamin C concentration was ...
Essential fatty acids for atopic dermatitis.
Dec 01, 2006; ... Sixteen patients (mean age, 38.1 years) with atopic dermatitis were randomly assigned to receive, in single-blind fashion, 30 ml/day of hempseed oil or placebo (olive oil) for eight weeks. After a four-week washout period, each patient received the alternate treatment for an additional ...
Probiotics increase Helicobacter pylori eradication rate.(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2006; ... One hundred thirty-eight patients with Helicobacter pylori infections that had been resistant to conventional triple therapy were randomly assigned to receive quadruple therapy alone (amoxicillin, metronidazole, omeprazole, and bismuth) for one week or quadruple therapy plus pretreatment ...
Does vitamin D prevent cancer?
Dec 01, 2006; ... The association between multiple determinants of vitamin D exposure (dietary and supplementary vitamin D, skin pigmentation, adiposity, geographic residence, and leisure-time physical activity) in relation to cancer risk was examined in men participating in the Health Professionals ...
B vitamins don't work ... again.(vitamins and cognitive function)
Dec 01, 2006; ... Two hundred seventy-six healthy volunteers (mean age, 73.5 years) with plasma homocysteine concentrations of at least 13 micromol/L were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, placebo or 1,000 mcg of the calcium salt of L-5-methyltetrahydrofolate (the biologically active ...
Fish oil for exercise-induced asthma.(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2006; ... Sixteen patients (mean age, 23 years) with asthma and exercise-induced bronchoconstriction were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, fish oil capsules (providing 3.2 g/day of eicosapentaenoic acid and 2.0 g/day of docosahexaenoic acid) or placebo for three weeks. Fish oil ...
Advances in the clinical use of Echinacea for the prevention and treatment of rhinovirus infection.(Interview)
Dec 01, 2006; ... I have had the opportunity to spend time with Ric Scalzo, Master Herbalist, Founder and President of Gaia Herbs, Inc., and Omar Cruz, Clinical Director of Gaia Professional Solutions. They have been involved in compelling research regarding the identification and appropriate use of various ...
Treating respiratory diseases with acupuncture.
Dec 01, 2006; ... The following acupuncture formulas have been taken from Sticking to the Point, Vol. 2 compiled by my husband, Bob Flaws (Blue Poppy Press, 1990). In turn, they have been abstracted from some of the most famous classics of Chinese acupuncture. These formulas are divided into two ...
Black cohosh and liver injury.
Dec 01, 2006; ... On February 9, 2006, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) announced the following: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] <Pre> The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) recently reviewed the safety of Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) following reports of ...
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?
Dec 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 ...
Health impacts of air pollution.(website lists)
Dec 01, 2006; ... Health Impacts of Air Pollution http://EduGreen.teri.res.in/explore/air/health.htm The Energy and Resources Institute in New Delhi, India offers a primer on the health impacts of air pollution on its EduGreen site. Health and Clean Air Newsletter ...
Preventative homeopathy a historical perspective.
Dec 01, 2006; ... The use of homeopathic preparations to prevent disease is a controversial issue. In the strictest classical sense, homeopathy is the treatment of an existing condition with a remedy that creates the same set of symptoms in a healthy individual, not a remedy that prevents disease ....
Three years of HCl therapy, as recorded in The Medical World.(hydrochloric acid )(Reprint)
Dec 01, 2006; ... The use of hydrochloric acid therapy for the purpose of strengthening key components of the immune system is such an important and inexpensive treatment that the whole of this wonderful booklet form the 1930s is hereby reproduced. We know that hydrochloric acid therapy works. We know ...
Examination of immune response modifiers in healthy individuals as compared to refined lacteal complex.
Dec 01, 2006; ... Abstract Background Many substances are known to affect the structure and function of the immune system. Refined lacteal complex (RLC) has demonstrated in small clinical trials and reports from health care practitioners the apparent ability to optimize the modulation ...
Hoodia gordonii: Part II; separating science from speculation.
Dec 01, 2006; ... Introduction Hoodia gordonii is a succulent plant from South Africa that has appetite-suppressant properties. (1-3) Hoodia has been used as a dietary supplement, derived by drying the aerial parts of the plant, (3) or as a source of extracted steroidal glycosides to induce ...
A magic bullet at last?
Dec 01, 2006; ... Selling the Magic Bullet Billions of dollars are spent each year in an attempt to convince the public (and doctors) that a magic bullet "breakthrough" is in the offing. Just a few more billions, another decade or two for "proper" research, the brightest research crew, and ...
A warning on vitamin D dosage recommendation.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
Dec 01, 2006; ... In his article "Questions & Answers about Vitamin D Supplementation," Dr. Cannell states, "If your doctor prescribes 50,000 units of ergocalciferol [vitamin D2] once or twice a week, obtain a bottle of cholecalciferol [vitamin D3] ... and take them instead. Take one or two per week until ...
Clinical trials for the Coley Vaccine.(www.mbvax.com)
Dec 01, 2006; ... In recent years, thanks in part to Wayne Martin and the Townsend Letter, there has been a resurgence of interest in the historical cancer treatment variously known as Coley Vaccine, Coley Toxins, Coley's Mixed Fluid, and Multi Bacterial Vaccine. In 1982, published research ...
New explanation for the cause of atherosclerosis: the Acidity Theory.
Dec 01, 2006 ... Research at the Infarct Combat Project has resulted in a new theory that explains the development of atherosclerosis. According to the new hypothesis, acidic pH, evoked by stress, provokes mechanical forces in coronary flow, leading to atherosclerosis. Recent findings were ...
Intravenous vitamin C for respiratory viral infections.
Dec 01, 2006; ... I have two things in mind as I write this letter: one is the report by Ralph Moss, PhD, in the October 2004 issue of the Townsend Letter on the possibility of vitamin C as a cancer therapy; and the other is the shortage we may face in not having enough flu vaccine this year. It is time to ...
Preventing mold growth in the workplace or the home.
Dec 01, 2006; ... Because it is relevant and we learn from each other's experiences, let me tell you what happened to us sixteen years ago. During a night of very heavy rain, our home was completely flooded. About two-to-four inches of rainwater stood throughout the house and garage. The road directly above ...
Defending aspartame.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
Dec 01, 2006; ... The Calorie Control Council is an international association representing the low-calorie and reduced-fat food and beverage industry. Companies that make and use low-calorie sweeteners are among the Council's members. The Council is writing in regard to misinformation about aspartame, which ...
Skinned by the American Academy of Dermatology.(role of diet in atopic dermatitis)(Editorial)
Dec 01, 2006; ... In the process of reviewing published research for an article I was writing on nutritional treatments for atopic dermatitis (AD), also called eczema, I came across a Practice Guidelines paper written by a "panel of experts" and published in 2004 in the Journal of the American Academy of ...
Coronary heart disease, stroke, cardiovascular disease, and vitamin C deficiency.(Stop America's #1 Killer- Reversible Vitamin Deficiency Found to be Origin of ALL Coronary Heart Disease )(Book review)
Dec 01, 2006; ... Stop America's #1 Killer--Reversible Vitamin Deficiency Found to be Origin of ALL Coronary Heart Disease by Thomas E. Levy, MD, JD LivOn Books, LivonBooks.com, 800-334-9294, ISBN 0-9779529-0-2 Paperback, c. 2006, $29.95, 320 pp. The same crime is committed every day ...
Ampalaya, Nature's Remedy for Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes.(Book review)
Dec 01, 2006; ... AMPALAYA, Nature's Remedy for Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes by Frank Murray Basic Health Publications, 28812 Top of the World Drive, Laguna Beach, California 92651; 800-575-8890 Quality Paperback, c. 2006, $14.95, 217 pp. Ampalaya, a dark green vegetable ...
The Type 2 Diabetes Breakthrough: A Revolutionary Approach to Treating Type 2 Diabetes.(Book Briefs)(Book review)
Dec 01, 2006; ... The Type 2 Diabetes Breakthrough: A Revolutionary Approach to Treating Type 2 Diabetes by Frank Shallenberger, MD Basic Health Publications, 28812 Top of the World Drive, Laguna Beach, California 92651; 800-575-8890 Quality paperback, c. 2006, $14.95 ($19.95 CAN), 228 ...
Learning disabilities: a mother's memoir.(Book review)
Dec 01, 2006; ... A Special Education: One Family's Journey Through the Maze of Learning Disabilities by Dana Buchman Da Capo Press, Perseus Books Group, 11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142 Hardcover, c. 2006, $21.95, 224 pp. The term learning disabilities ...
A mind-body approach to acupuncture.(Acupuncture Imaging)(Book review)
Dec 01, 2006; ... Acupuncture Imaging by Mark D. Seem, PhD, DIPL.AC. (NCAA) Healing Arts Press, One Park Street, Rochester, Vermont 05767; www.lnnerTraditions.com Softbound, ISBN 0-89281-187-0, c. 2004, $12.95, 111 pp. Until I read Acupuncture Imaging, my understanding of ...
Viral networks.(Medical Anthropology)
Dec 01, 2006; ... Abstract This paper examines the parallels between information networks and the spread of viruses such as avian flu (H5N1). It argues that a better understanding of localized, traditional medicine and practices made possible by increased distributed knowledge management via ...
A case of Oxalis (wood sorrel or sleeping beauty).(Healing with Homeopathy)
Dec 01, 2006; ... Many believe that the only solutions for chronic back pain are pain medications and surgery. This case, though it has had only eight months of follow-up, shows clearly that the patient has responded well solely as a result of homeopathic treatment. We had never before prescribed this ...
The dysox model of respiratory viral infections the lessons of the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic.(Oxygen Homeostasis)
Dec 01, 2006; ... Will there be an other catastrophic bird flu pandemic? Yes. Will that pandemic match the killing capacity of the 1918 Spanish flu--100 million or more people killed worldwide? Possibly. Will such an apocalypse occur in the next few decades? That's anyone's guess. [ILLUSTRATION ...
Upper respiratory infections and beliefs.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)(Column)
Dec 01, 2006; ... Harvard psychologist David McClelland advised 13 Harvard undergraduates to go to a psychic healer within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms of upper respiratory infection. The psychic healer saw each briefly and stated to each "you're healed." McClelland listed 32 symptoms for subjective ...
Respiratory infections and stress.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2006; ... Thirty percent of well children spontaneous harbor group A streptococci; 75% of well children harbor Mycoplasma pneumoniae; and 42% harbor pneumococci. Fifty-eight children from a daycare complex, mean age 4.3 years, were observed five days a week for signs and symptoms of respiratory ...
More on respiratory infections and stress.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2006; ... For six months, 235 adults from 94 families were followed. High- and low-stress groups were identified by median splits of scores on the Life Events Inventory, the Daily Hassles Scale, and the General Health Questionnaire administered at the inception of the study and repeated during and ...
Influenza and stress.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2006; ... Two hundred and forty-six family members in 55 families kept logs of daily stresses; psychological instruments employed included the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scores, Family APGAR, and the Schedule of Recent Stressful Events. Those experiencing flu symptoms were assessed ...
Influenza vaccine antibody response and loneliness.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2006; ... Antibody response to the influenza immunization was investigated in 83 first-semester, healthy university freshmen. Elevated levels of loneliness throughout the semester and small social networks were both independently associated with poorer antibody response to the vaccine. Those with ...
Immune responsiveness and meditation.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2006; ... CD[2.sup.+] (total T cell) counts are known to be increased immediately after V[O.sub.2max]-level exercise (exercise at the level of maximal O[.sub.2] uptake). CD[8.sup.+] suppressor cell counts are also known to markedly increase post-exercise. Pre-exercise and post-exercise CD[2.sup.+], ...
Meditation and response to influenza vaccine.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2006; ... This controlled study evaluated 41 healthy subjects whose brain activity was assessed at baseline, followed by mindfulness meditation training in 25 subjects, while 16 in a wait-list group served as controls. At the end of the eight-week meditation training program, subjects in both groups ...
Qigong and cellular immunity.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2006; ... Qigong is a type of Chinese psychosomatic exercise integrating meditation, slow physical movements, and breathing. Of 29 untrained subjects, 16 were allocated to qigong training (one-half hour daily) for 30 days and 13 to a non-training control state. The qigong group finished with ...
Chronic rhinosinusitis and humming.
Dec 01, 2006; ... Rhinosinusitis is inflammation and/or infection of the nasal cavity and sinuses above, below, and between the eyes that connect with the nose through tiny ostia (openings). Rhinosinusitis can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi (molds), and allergens. Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is an ...