There are doctors in Germany who are working overtime to convince us that black cohosh is a valuable treatment for menopausal symptoms.

I’m not buying it. But then, I’m not in menopause. (more…)

These recommendations, from a group of experts, take a narrow view of Alzheimer’s disease. They focus on early detection and the use of existing prescription drugs.

That’s fine as far as it goes, but what about those with advanced Alzheimer’s? Why not develop a more comprehensive approach?

If I might quote Paul Harvey, “here’s the rest of the story.” (more…)

It’s is the third time this year the FDA has identified a “natural” product sold via the Internet for the treatment of impotence (erectile dysfunction) that was adulterated with the prescription drug tadalafil (Cialis). (more…)

Has your worst nightmare become real, or is this the start of sanity for the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA)?

It’s not necessary to comment on this. More importantly… (more…)

This review was presented previously at the American College of Clinical Pharmacology meeting and is reported here. It’s now been published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

However, since there’s no abstract available, I’ve used the article published on Inthenews.co.uk. (more…)

Drs. Victoria Catenacci and Holly Wyatt from the University of Colorado at Denver reviewed the literature and came to the following conclusions. (more…)

The Consumer Reports website rates volumetrics as the number one diet in terms of sustainable weight loss.

And, of course, there’s a book to get you started. Lynda Lippin reviewed The Volumetrics Eating Plan by Dr. Barbara Rolls (photo), and was impressed.

(more…)

SARS, of course, is severe acute respiratory syndrome — a viral pneumonia. There was one major epidemic in late 2002 where about 10% of those infected died.

In this study, a concoction of natural herbal medicines (NHM) plus routine western treatment appeared to be safe, with evidence of benefit over western treatment alone. (more…)

Time Magazine named the Himalayan Goji berry as the breakout superfruit of the year!

It’s promoted to

• protect the liver
• help eyesight
• improve sexual function and fertility
• strengthen the legs
• boost immune function
• improve circulation
• promote longevity

Wow! That’s enough for me..

(more…)

With financial support from the Australian government, the institute will develop national priorities for complementary medical research and coordinate work on these priorities with other research bodies. (more…)

Researchers have cloned a gene from wild wheat that increases its protein, zinc, and iron content. The impact of this research could improve nutrition, worldwide.

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An anal fissure is a painful condition affecting the far end of the intestines. The antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and pain relieving properties of clove oil provide a rationale for its use in this study. (more…)

There’s growing interest in the potential effect of omega-3 fatty acids on depression and subsequent afflictions such as heart disease.

Here’s a study using the granddaddy of omega-3 formulations — cod-liver oil. (more…)

So many options, so little success.

You can follow any program you want. But here are some common sense recommendations from NutritionData.com. (more…)

ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors are a group of drugs used to treat high blood pressure and congestive heart failure. In most cases they are drugs of first choice.

Now, a study by Dr. Frank Flachskampf and colleagues concludes that acupuncture likely represents an attractive option. (more…)

Health Canada has advised consumers not to use these products.

They contain clonazepam (Klonopin), a benzodiazepine drug (think Valium, Atavin, Restoril), which can be habit-forming when used for as little as a few months. (more…)

At the end of 2006 I listed milk thistle as a supplement worth additional research. This was because of a study in people with diabetes where milk thistle was associated with a decline in A1c circuclating in blood.

Now, ConsumerLab.com has tested 12 milk thistle products. (more…)

PRNewswire-USNewswire reports that the Appeals Court for the State of Pennsylvania has ruled against Stephen Barrett (photo), a long-time critic of chiropractic and alternative health care. The judge refused to overturn a 2005 decision against Barrett.

Here’s the history behind the case. (more…)

On the positive side, green tea is cheap, widely available, and has low toxicity. Now, we just need some good studies of efficacy.

Writing in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 5 researchers summarized what we know so far. (more…)

The New York Times reports, “The [FDA] advisory panel voted unanimously, 14 to 0, against recommending the drug [rimonabant, Acomplia, Zimulti], saying there was inadequate evidence of its safety. The FDA is not required to follow this advice, but it typically does.”

The report is interesting to this blog because rimonabant works by blocking cannabinoids receptors in the brain. (more…)