Recently added articles from Women's Health Letter:
Why women over 65 are losing their memory.
May 01, 2009; ... Gloria, a patient of mine, was a college professor and brain function was at the top of her list of health concerns. She depended on remaining sharp to conduct research, teach, and write books. Gloria had already noticed a very slight decline in her memory. And she wanted to take ...
Finally--an accurate vitamin D test you can do at home without a doctor's prescription.(Editorial)
May 01, 2009; ... It seems like every week we hear new information on the importance of vitamin D. This hormone plays a critical role in your health. It guards against cancer and memory problems and it protects you from osteoporosis, heart disease, and autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis. And much, ...
Found: a solution to painful arthritis.(NUTRITION DETECTIVE)(Column)
May 01, 2009; ... It's maddening, I know. No matter which medications or supplements many people try, they still have debilitating pain, swelling, and stiffness from arthritis. Medications like NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) have side effects that can be worse than the pain. In fact, more ...
How to be successful on a gluten-free diet.(Editorial)
May 01, 2009; ... When my doctor told me I had a gluten intolerance and had to avoid all traces of wheat, rye, and barley, I said, "Oh no, not me!" I told Elaine Weil, my nurse-practitioner, friend, and colleague that I'd go on a gluten free diet for a few months to see how it affected my health ....
Ask Dr. Nan.(Ultimate Bone Support)(Column)
May 01, 2009; ... Q: I noticed that Ultimate Bone Support contains a hops extract. Does it contain gluten? I asked two medical doctors, and they didn't know if hops or any other ingredient in this formula contains gluten.--L.S., e-mail A: Hops is a flower. Gluten is a protein found in several ...
Getting rid of parasites is not enough--you need to get rid of this as well.
Mar 01, 2009; ... Last month, I stressed the importance of using a good laboratory to identify pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and worms. These labs often give suggestions to eliminate parasites. But while anti-parasitic medications and herbal formulas can kill off parasites, they often leave you with another ...
Can Vitamin C protect your heart? Conflicting studies have different conclusions ... what's the real answer?
Mar 01, 2009; ... Scientific studies can be confusing. One concludes that vitamin C doesn't reduce the risk of heart attacks or stroke. Another shows it's just as protective as statins in lowering inflammation associated with heart disease. What's going on? These conflicting results may fill the media's ...
How important are calcium supplements?(Nutrition Detective)
Mar 01, 2009; ... Very--if you listen to the people who sell them. After all, the sale of calcium supplements is a multi-million dollar business. However, over the years there have been studies that found that taking calcium supplements doesn't do much to prevent osteoporosis. Now, a new analysis ...
How bottled water can make chemotherapy ineffective.
Mar 01, 2009; ... We live in a complex world where researchers are constantly discovering chemical interactions. Certain drugs and supplements don't combine well with other drugs and supplements. And everyday chemicals interact with everything from drugs to nutrients to other commonly used chemicals. Some ...
Ask Dr. Nan.(drug interactions)
Mar 01, 2009; ... Q: You say we should take PectaSol in the a.m. and p.m. Will it interfere with the other medications or supplements I take at those rimes?--E.W., e-mail A: It could. Dietary fibers, like those in pectin and alginate, have the potential to bind to drugs and could, conceivably, ...
Why your doctor can't find the cause of your chronic fatigue or digestive problems.
Feb 01, 2009 ... I've said many times that it's vital to find the cause of your disease in order to treat it right. Unfortunately, doctors often fail to find the cause of chronic fatigue and digestive problems. My friend Margaret recently experienced this. She had been bloated for years. She had ...
When "nothing" works better than "something".
Feb 01, 2009 ... Some of the best scientific studies compare a drug, nutrient, or other therapy with absolutely nothing. The results of these studies then become the foundation for the medical treatments doctors use in their practices. Pharmaceutical companies make fortunes based on this ...
The answer to all your household odor problems.(Nutrition Detective)(PureAyre, natural odor eliminator )(Brief article)
Feb 01, 2009 ... There's a big difference between masking an odor and eliminating it. I grew up with the former. I remember that my mother used the best solution she could find: Air Wick. But all that did was leave a chemical smell that combined with cooking odors or the "accidents" our pets left for us. ...
This popular drug may protect you from heart disease and stroke ... if you're a man.
Feb 01, 2009 ... It's one of the most widely used over-the-counter medications ever sold. People take around 40,000 tons of these pills each year worldwide. In fact, you probably have a bottle of it sitting in your medicine cabinet. And millions of people take it every day, believing it protects them from ...
Ask Dr. Nan.
Feb 01, 2009; ... Q: I read that it's useless to take resveratrol capsules because they are inactivated by exposure to oxygen. The source I read said it's better to drink red wine because the fermentation process that produces the wine yields carbon dioxide that protects the resveratrol from the effects of ...
The only drug you should ever take for osteoporosis.
Jan 01, 2009 ... I've found that most women can avoid osteoporosis with regular bone-stressing exercises, dietary changes, and bone-conserving supplements. But there are still a few women who need more support no matter what they do. They may have waited too long before making healthy changes in ...
Warning: these healthy drinks can make your blood pressure medications and antibiotics worthless.
Jan 01, 2009 ... You may already know that grapefruit juice shouldn't be taken with certain medications because it increases their absorption and makes them stronger. These higher doses can be extremely toxic--even fatal. Many drug manufacturers now put a warning on these medications to avoid grapefruit. ...
Why HRT doesn't work--and can hurt you.(Nutrition Detective)(hormone replacement therapy)
Jan 01, 2009 ... At one time, we thought conventional hormone therapy was the answer to every menopausal woman's prayers. But now we know that it increases your risk for dementia and having a stroke. And it doesn't help your memory. Why is this a surprise to researchers when basic science should have ...
I warned you about this sweetener six years ago--now the news is even worse.
Jan 01, 2009 ... It's 600 times as sweet as ordinary table sugar and has no calories. These are two primary reasons why you see little packets of this popular artificial sweetener in restaurants all across the country. You can cook with it or bake with it, unlike some other artificial sweeteners that are ...
If you think pain is a symptom of arthritis, think again.
Jan 01, 2009 ... Most people believe that pain is a symptom of arthritis--an age-related deterioration due to wear and tear on joints. I've explained to you before that diseases ending in "itis" contain a common factor: inflammation. And the heat and irritation from inflammation is painful. So I wouldn't ...