Townsend Letter: The Examiner of Alternative Medicine back issues from December 2007:
Letter from the publisher.
Dec 01, 2007; ... I generally reserve this space to comment on medical matters, particularly those related to alternative medicine. However, last month, I became particularly worked up by a scam in which I had become entangled and from which I finally extricated myself, and I decided that I needed this ...
Corrections & Clarifications.(Correction notice)
Dec 01, 2007 ... In our August/September issue, text from a Dominican University of California press release as well as information gathered from a student poster was used in the Chelation Corner column, "Toxic Metals and Breast Cancer: New Research and Development," without proper reference citations. In ...
Susan Samueli Center adds naturopathic treatments to integrative medical services.
Dec 01, 2007 ... The Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), dedicated to advancing patient care through education, evidence-based research, and applied integrative medical therapies, recently announced that it has added naturopathic treatments to its ...
Emord named Humanitarian of the Year.(Jonathan W. Emord)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2007 ... On September 1, 2007, the Cancer Control Society named Jonathan W. Emord, principal in Emord & Associates, P.C., the Humanitarian of the Year, for his quarter-century of litigation and scholarship in defense of civil liberties. The award, bestowed on Emord at the annual convention of the ...
Dr. Mark Pimentel answers questions about Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Dec 01, 2007 ... Today, over 60 million people of all ages are suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), making it the most common chronic medical condition. IBS is characterized by abdominal pain, bloating, and altered bowel habits. Dr. Mark Pimentel, Director of the Gastrointestinal Motility Program ...
Pain expert offers free website to help heal chronic pain sufferers.(Rebecca Rengo, PainReliefExplained)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2007 ... Rebecca Rengo, MSW, LCSW, and author of Beyond Chronic Pain: A Get-Well Guidebook to Soothe the Body, Mind & Spirit, has been helping people handle and heal themselves from chronic pain for more than 25 years. She has just unveiled a new website (http://www.PainReliefExplained.com) that ...
Special report aims to inform consumers about cosmetic or plastic surgery alternative.
Dec 01, 2007 ... Cynthia Rowland, anti-aging expert and founder of Facial Magic, announces the publication of the long-awaited special report on debunking the myths regarding the subject of facial exercise. In her seven-page report, Ms. Rowland cautions consumers to be aware of the deliberate brainwashing ...
ConsumerLab.com produces series of free online seminars about dietary supplements: first seminar on "Joint Health" now available.
Dec 01, 2007 ... ConsumerLab.com announced on March 6, 2007 that it is producing and webcasting a series of free, online audio seminars, or "webinars," that explain the use of popular types of dietary supplements. The educational webinars feature guest medical experts along with experts from ...
Consumerlab.com finds some alpha lipoic acid supplements come up short: improper formulation may cause ingredient degradation.
Dec 01, 2007 ... ConsumerLab.com announced that two of eleven alpha lipoic acid supplements that it recently chose to test contained significantly less ingredient than promised on their labels. Alpha lipoic acid is a natural antioxidant that can help diabetics by reducing symptoms of peripheral neuropathy ...
SinuCleanse[R] Squeeze hits shelves in time for cold and flu season: nasal wash offers relief for America's 70 million sinus sufferers.
Dec 01, 2007 ... Autumn has arrived, and temperatures are beginning to dip, marking the beginning of cold and flu season. While in years past, that meant time to stock up on chicken soup, cough drops, and lotion-laden tissues, this year the SinuCleanse[R] system is offering shoppers another option for ...
Detoxing the liver.(Shorts)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Many proponents of natural health care recommend liver flushes, involving lemon/citrus juice or apple juice, water, and garlic, ginger, or cayenne to promote liver function. A simple way to gauge liver function is through stool color. Stools should be dark brown, according to International ...
Alpha-lipoic acid (thioctic acid) and the liver.(Shorts)
Dec 01, 2007; ... For over 30 years, Burton M. Berkson, MD, PhD has investigated the use of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) to treat liver damage. His interest began while attending a patient with acute hepatic necrosis due to mushroom poisoning. The department chief told Berkson, then an internal medicine ...
Physician satisfaction.(Shorts)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Time pressures and changes in family structure and expectations have created a crisis in medicine, according to Louis Weinstein, MD and Honor M. Wolfe, MD. In their article "The Downward Spiral of Physician Satisfaction," they say that young physicians are unwilling to dedicate all their ...
Glycan test for liver cancer.(Shorts)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Cuiying Chen, PhD and colleagues at Ghent University (Ghent, Belgium) are investigating the use of serum N-glycan profiling to diagnose liver cancer in patients with cirrhosis. The researchers profiled N-glycan levels (carbohydrate concentrations) in the blood samples of 440 patients with ...
Hepatitis and ascorbate.(Shorts)
Dec 01, 2007; ... "Viral hepatitis of all types, in my experience, is one of the easiest diseases for ascorbic acid to cure," Robert F. Cathcart III, MD wrote in a 1981 article for Orthomolecular Psychiatry. Dr. Cathcart began using high doses of ascorbic acid to treat a variety of acute viral illnesses in ...
Liver disease and parenteral nutrition in infants.(Shorts)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston discovered that fats hold the key to preventing and repairing life-threatening liver damage that develops in some young children with short bowel syndrome. These children require intravenous feedings with two different solutions for months or years ...
Coffee and liver cancer risk.(Shorts)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Drinking coffee is associated with a lower risk of liver cancer, even in people with hepatitis. (Hepatitis is the biggest known risk factor for liver cancer.) As little as one or two cups of coffee a day appear to reduce cancer risk among people with hepatitis B and C, according to a ...
"An epidemic of diagnoses".(Shorts)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Drs. H. Gilbert Welch, Lisa Schwartz, and Steven Woloshin assert in a powerful New York Times essay that American medicine's disease orientation has created "an epidemic of diagnoses." Physical and emotional sensations that were once viewed as a normal part of living have become signs of ...
Carbohydrates and fatty liver disease.(Shorts)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Low-fat (high-carbohydrate) diets appear to increase the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and liver inflammation, according to small research studies. NAFLD, which is more common in obese people or in those with diabetes, can eventually lead to fibrosis and then cirrhosis ....
Edward F. Hutton, DDS on a multidisciplinary approach to dental diagnosis and treatment.(Townsend's New York Observer)
Dec 01, 2007; ... "In my experience," stated Dr. Edward F. Hutton, "if the clinician permits the patient to tell his or her story--even before a detailed examination is made--the patient will tell you not only what is wrong, but also exactly how it should be treated. The dentist needs only to listen." ...
A trophoblast from the past.(War on Cancer)
Dec 01, 2007; ... I spent my summer reading and thinking about trophoblasts. Trophoblastic cells form the layer of embryonic tissue that attaches the embryo or fetus to the wall of the mother's uterus. Trophoblasts provide protective armor by completely surrounding the embryo, while also carrying nutrients ...
Nutrition and exercise for alcohol and substance abuse treatment?(Web Page Potpourri)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Here is a small collection of resources, including links to research on nutritional deficiencies prevalent in the sickest of alcoholic patients. Alcohol and Nutrition http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa22.htm Alcohol and Nutrition is an interesting, ...
Is the "gallbladder flush" beneficial?(Literature Review & Commentary)
Dec 01, 2007; ... The "gallbladder flush" is a popular remedy among some herbalists that is said to promote the passage of gallstones. One recommended regimen is to ingest four tablespoons of olive oil, followed by one tablespoon of lemon juice, repeating every 15 minutes, for a total of eight treatment ...
Magnesium and fatty liver.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2007; ... The mean serum magnesium concentration was significantly lower in 25 patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease than in healthy controls (0.65 vs. 1.02 mmol/L; p < 0.001). The mean plasma albumin concentration was nonsignificantly higher in patients than in controls, indicating that ...
"Liver herb" beneficial for type 2 diabetes.(Literature Review & Commentary)(milk thistle)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Fifty-one patients (mean age, 54 years) with type 2 diabetes who were not receiving insulin were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, 200 mg of silymarin three times per day or placebo, in addition to conventional therapy, for four months. The mean fasting blood glucose ...
Can DHEA supplementation boost growth hormone levels?(Literature Review & Commentary)(dehydroepiandrosterone)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Twenty-six women and 18 men with hypopituitarism were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, 50 mg per day of DHEA or placebo for six months. Thereafter, each patient received 50 mg per day of DHEA in open-label fashion for an additional six months. The dose of growth ...
Does "Beano" prevent gas?(Literature Review & Commentary)(dietary supplement)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Eight healthy volunteers ingested, on three different days separated by at least a week, 300 or 1,200 galactosidic units of the enzyme alpha-galactosidase or placebo, along with 420 g of cooked beans. As compared with placebo, the higher dose (but not the lower dose) of alpha-galactosidase ...
Melatonin for sarcoidosis.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Eighteen patients (mean age, 41.6 years) with chronic sarcoidosis refractory to glucocorticoids were treated with melatonin. The initial dose was 20 mg per day; this was decreased after the first year of treatment to 10 mg per day. Melatonin was administered as a single daily dose between ...
Don't overcook your vegetables.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Twelve healthy volunteers consumed 150 g of lightly cooked broccoli (microwaved for two minutes) or fully cooked broccoli (microwaved for 5.5 minutes). The estimated yield of sulforaphane in vivo was about threefold higher after consumption of lightly cooked than fully cooked broccoli. ...
Trace minerals aid burn patients.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Forty-one severely burned patients (mean age, 42 years) hospitalized with burns on a mean of 46% of their body surface area were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, intravenous zinc (26.2-31.4 mg/day), copper (2.5-3.1 mg/day), and selenium (315-380 mcg/day) or placebo ...
Healthful gifts.(Health Risks & Environmental Issues)(Directory)
Dec 01, 2007; ... For the past eight years, this column has focused on helping readers recognize the myriad ways in which we are exposed to toxic substances in our daily lives--from pesticides on food, toxic chemicals in personal care products, EMF exposure from cell phones, and other assaults to our health ...
Hospitals pioneer patient-centered care.(Pathways to Healing)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Dealing with a hospital can be difficult. Hospitals are large, complex organizations, with their own rules and hierarchies. As a patient you interact with nurses, physicians, social workers, plus many other professionals, yet they don't necessarily share information with each other. ...
Be aggressive in lowering triglyceride levels.(Optimizing Metabolism)
Dec 01, 2007; ... A Little Bit of Fat Infiltration Is a Lot Those of us specializing in alternative medicine frequently find ourselves to be resort doctors, that is, doctors of last resort. Patients who seek our care often bring more medical concerns than can be addressed in one clinic visit ....
Milk thistle and the liver: recent findings.(Phytotherapy Review & Commentary)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is native to the Mediterranean region but has been introduced to most areas of the world, where it is often regarded as a weed. Its use as a liver herb appears to have originated from Germany, (1) and more recently, a concentrated, standardized extract has ...
A woman with autoimmune hepatitis.(Healing with Homeopathy)(Case study)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Homeopathy Treats People, Not Diagnoses Yes, this is an issue about liver disorders, and so we chose a case appropriate to the theme. However, it is important to point out from the start that one of the features that makes homeopathy, at least classical homeopathy, different ...
Time for some continuing education and another quiz!(The Vitamin D Quiz)
Dec 01, 2007; ... 1) Most of the infants born in the northern half of the US are at risk for rickets, especially if they are breast-fed. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A) True B) False True. Dr. Joyce Lee, at the University of Michigan, has recently confirmed that both ...
Alpha lipoic acid and liver disease.(Case study)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA, thioctic acid, pyruvate oxidation factor) was first discovered by bacteriologist Irwin C. Gunsalus in 1948 when he observed that aerobic (oxygen-requiring) bacteria could not grow without it. Later, Gunsalus and Lester Reed determined the true structure and named it ...
Natural interventions for treating hepatitis C: reprinted with permission from Alternative & Complementary Therapies.(Reprint)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Chronic hepatitis C, caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV), is occurring at epidemic proportions. It is estimated that 3.9 million individuals are infected in the United States. There are four times more people infected with HCV than with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), with more than ...
The nature of vitamin C: the position of the Vitamin C Foundation on natural vitamin C and so-called vitamin C-complex.
Dec 01, 2007; ... There are a surprising number of well-intentioned people among the alternative medical community who now believe that ascorbic acid isn't the real vitamin C. The dietary substance that causes scurvy when missing and cures scurvy when present is by definition vitamin C. Linus Pauling was ...
Natural approaches to clinical trauma and medical procedure recovery.
Dec 01, 2007; ... Introduction The use of herbs, botanicals, nutrients, topical natural agents, or homeopathic remedies to support wound healing or trauma recovery has emerged as a very important medical intervention in integrative medicine. While acute trauma due to common accidents has most ...
A classic herbal formulation's clinical research for modern-day liver disease.(Clinical report)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Introduction The growing use of herbal medicines in treating conventional pathology has increased tremendously in the last few decades, sparking interest from the Western scientific community. In an attempt to understand individual herbs and formulas, research has been focused ...
Liver Chi: a Chinese herbal supplement for hepatitis and liver repair.
Dec 01, 2007; ... Introduction Many vital processes rely on the proper functioning of the liver. This organ stores proteins, carbohydrates, and other substances and converts them into energy that can be used by the body. It filters toxic substances, such as alcohol, and converts these into forms ...
Vaccination: an updated analysis of the health risks--Part 3.
Dec 01, 2007; ... In Parts 1 and 2 of this series, we examined factors countering the belief that vaccines are safe and effective. We also discussed the effects of specific vaccines, including those for diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, chickenpox, hepatitis B, measles, mumps, and rubella. In this ...
Roy Kupsinel, MD, November 19, 1928-September 10, 2007.(In Eternal Loving Memory)(Obituary)
Dec 01, 2007 ... For some, February 3, 1959, the day that Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and JP "the Big Bopper" Richardson were killed in a plane crash has been known as "The Day The Music Died." Although Roy Kupsinel MD was no rock star--to the best of my knowledge, he was not even a singer--I feel as if my ...
Misleading copy.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
Dec 01, 2007; ... I was disturbed to read today the article titled "Chelation Corner Toxic Metals and Breast Cancer: New Research and Development" from the August/September 2007 issue of your publication. The article contains outline information about my breast cancer research at Dominican University of ...
Reversal of burn scars.(Letters to the Editor)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2007; ... In November 2003, a 77-year-old male suffered a fire burn to his right thigh. The area burned extended from the right gluteal crease to three inches below the knee. The hospital burn center determined the burn covered eight percent of his body and was a third-degree burn in severity. He ...
Cancer Is A Fungus.(Letters to the Editor)(preventing cancer)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Tullio Simoncini is a medical doctor whose medical practice is in Rome, Italy. Since the early 1990s, he has been instrumental in helping hundreds of his patients to overcome various forms of cancer. Aside from being inexpensive and without side effects, the cancer treatment that he offers ...
Multivitamins and prostate cancer.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
Dec 01, 2007; ... I read Dr. Jonathan Collin's article on multivitamin-mineral use and prostate cancer (Townsend Letter. August/September 2007). I think there are at least two reasons for the finding. One is that multivitamins, such as Centrum, use vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) rather than D3 ...
Unexplained illnesses.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Martin Pall (Townsend Letter. June 2007) has called for other scientists to consider and comment on his theory that depends on what he calls the NO/NOO cycle. In my opinion, and that of other scientists, he is right on key. There is evidence that the epidemic of autism falls into this ...
Buprenorphine: perils and promises.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
Dec 01, 2007; ... I read with great interest the "Letter from the Publisher" in Townsend Letter's June 2007 issue and realized that my experience with buprenorphine (Buprenex) is probably quite unique, and I should share it. My first, and only, experience with this drug was with a patient who ...
Does dietary fructose cause non-alcoholic fatty liver disease?(Editorials)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common condition, affecting 10% to 24% of the general population in various countries and 57.5% to 74% of obese individuals. (1) NAFLD includes hepatic steatosis (fatty liver) and steatohepatitis (fatty liver with hepatitis) and is diagnosed ...
Natural laws put homeopaths and medical scientists in harm's way in the political arena: Americans' access to health care innovations blocked.(Editorials)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Americans Demand Two Forms of Health Care Innovations of safe, non-toxic, effective medicines are sorely needed. (1) The United States ranks lowest in quality-of-life, longevity, and health care among first-world countries. (2) New pharmaceutical drugs entering the market are ...
The good microbes.(The Power of Probiotics)(Book review)
Dec 01, 2007; ... The Power of Probiotics by Gary W. Elmer, PhD, Lynne V. McFarland, PhD, and Marc McFarland Published by The Haworth Press, Inc.: 800-429-6784 Softcover; c.2007; $19.95, 236 pp. All bugs are not bad. You would never guess this from the constant advertising ...
Rooted.(Video recording review)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Rooted (DVD), produced and directed by Robert Gammal Robert Gammal, Suite 102 Piccadilly Court, 222 Pitt St., Sydney, NSW, Australia 2000; Robert@lammag.com; www.rooted.tv One-hour DVD; c. 2006; $25 (Australian), plus $8 for shipping. What is root canal ...
The clinical role of hepatocyte and commensal-probiotic cell physiology in the successful detoxification of carcinogenic toxicants.(Quantum Medicine Update)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Clinicians practicing in today's toxic world are faced with many opportunities and challenges, with new emerging paradigms dramatically changing the process of how to properly nourish, cleanse, and detoxify the body. New clinical approaches based on understanding the polarity functions of ...
Interesting Chinese articles on hepatitis & Chinese medicine.(Chinese Medicine)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Keywords: Chinese medicine, Chinese herbal medicine, hepatitis Chronic Hepatitis B and Hidden Evils Many years ago, I was the first person I knew of who applied the hidden or deep-lying evils theory from the warm disease school of Chinese medicine to the disease ...
The liver cleanse and gallbladder flush: separating fact from fiction.(Naturopathic Perspectives)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Liver support and cleansing are popular topics in alternative medicine. Liver support is perhaps one of the most widely employed therapeutic options in standard-of-care naturopathic medicine. It would seem that treating the liver is an integral step in the journey from disease to wellness ...
Calendar of events.(Calendar)
Dec 01, 2007 ... CALL FOR ABSTRACTS for "Telemedicine in Developing Countries," a special session of the 3rd International Conference on Information & Communication Technologies. Deadline DECEMBER 9, 2007. CONTACT: ictta@enst-bretagne.fr; http://conferences.enst-bretagne.fr/ictta/ NOVEMBER ...
Editorial calendar 2008.
Dec 01, 2007 ... January: Alternative Laboratory Diagnosis. Alternative laboratory testing, diagnostics and monitoring. The argument for/against alternative laboratory testing. Food allergy screening, liver function testing, stool and parasite analysis, toxic element testing of the hair, blood, urine, and ...
Obesity research news.(Women's Health Update)
Dec 01, 2007; ... The incidence of obesity is increasing in America at a disturbing and alarming rate. Since 1980, obesity in both men and women has increased by over 50%. It is estimated that 33% to 40% of American women are trying to lose weight at any given time, as well as 20% to 24% of the men. ...
Weight loss diets.(Women's Health Update)
Dec 01, 2007; ... The A-to-Z weight loss study randomized 311 overweight women aged 25-50 to one of four controversial diets: the very low-carbohydrate Atkins diet, the low-carbohydrate Zone diet, the low-fat, high-carbohydrate LEARN diet of lifestyle, exercise, attitudes, relationships, and nutrition, and ...
Conjugated linoleic acid and weight loss.(Women's Health Update)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2007; ... A randomized, double-blind controlled trial examined the use of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in 118 overweight subjects with a body mass index (BMI of 28-32 kg/[m.sup.2]). Study subjects were mostly women and were given 3.4 g/day of CLA or placebo for six months. Measurements included ...
Calcium and weight loss.(Women's Health Update)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2007; ... This current study evaluated the effect of dietary calcium and supplemental calcium on the ten-year weight change in 5250 men and 5341 women from the Vitamins and Lifestyle (VITAL) study. All participants were aged 53-57 and completed questionnaires about their supplement use for the ...
Vitamin [B.sub.12] in the treatment of liver disease.(Nutritional Influences on Illness)
Dec 01, 2007; ... Several diseases of the liver, such as acute hepatitis, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and metastatic liver disease, may be accompanied by an increase in circulating cobalamin (vitamin [B.sub.12]) levels. (1) Elevation of vitamin [B.sub.12] in the circulation is accompanied by an ...