Not all commercially available probiotics are effective in children with acute diarrhea, according to this study from researchers at the University of Naples Federico II in Italy. (more…)

Results from the Invecchiare in Chianti (InCHIANTI) Study indicate that low selenium blood levels are independently associated with poor skeletal muscle strength — at least in Tuscany.

But should older people take selenium supplements? (more…)

Using a scale of 1 to 4 stars, the proposed regulation will help consumers identify the level of UVA protection offered by a product. (more…)

My pharmacist tells me that the prescription strength omega-3 fatty acid product called Omacor is having its name changed. (more…)

This report provides a reason to review the past few months of CAM studies and reviews on depression. (more…)

Reports from chiropractic journals say that manipulating the neck region helps reduce blood pressure in some people.

Prof. Jim Deuchars from the University of Leeds in the UK and coworkers have examined pathways between the neck and the brain to help define how neck muscles could play a crucial role in controlling blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing. (more…)

A spray has been developed from the major components of marijuana (cannabis), including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) in alcohol. The formulation is sprayed under the tongue or in the cheek to relieve pain in multiple sclerosis.

This small study examined effects on the mucus membrane of the mouth. (more…)

Bulk prices of vitamin C have quadrupled since the first quarter of the year. It’s mainly due to cutbacks in production by Chinese suppliers who control as much 70% to 90% of the market. (more…)

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has selected the first 2 fellows for the NCCAM Director’s Fellowship in CAM Research. (more…)

This is way off topic for this blog, but my son-in-law, Jason LaFortune of Temper-Mental Racing, will participate in this rally at the end of this month.

The rally starts Friday, August 24th near Darwin and heads south to Perth finishing September 1st.

They will blog the rally here.

Please enjoy it with us.

8/17/07 19:40 JR

In a previous entry it was reported that over 7 years, patients visiting chiropractors and other CAM-oriented primary care doctors had 60% fewer hospitalizations, 62% less outpatient surgery, and 85% lower pharmaceutical costs compared with total network HMO (health maintenance organization).

These findings are important, but there were some questions, which lead researcher, Dr. Richard Sarnat, graciously agreed to address. (more…)

Almost all supplements tested in this study contained measurable amounts of genistein and/or daidzein — known estrogenic agents. (more…)

No additional improvement in pain scores was reported in this study. (more…)

Earlier study results have been inconsistent. In this study, researchers from Nippon Medical School in Tokyo use higher doses to treat active Crohn’s disease (CD). (more…)

“We expect that the trend towards high-end [chocolate] products, especially those touting wellness benefits, will be the life force in this market for the next several years.”

That’s the conclusion from Tatjana Meerman, publisher of the report, The US Market for Chocolate.

What’s this got to do with probiotics? (more…)

Relatively high doses of omega 3-rich fish oil supplements during the second half of pregnancy appear safe and beneficial to the baby.

(more…)

This is for residents of San Diego County in California. (more…)

A long-time reader and valued critic of this site believes this post was not fair. OK. I accept the criticism and challenge him to do better, as stated in the comments below.

The preparation of treatments in homeopathy is based on extremely high dilutions (low concentrations) of substances in water — far lower than detectable. For this reason, it has been suggested that water could retain a “memory” of substances that have been dissolved in it before the successive dilutions.

The journal, Homeopathy has dedicated an entire issue to try to explain the concept. (more…)

About 23% or 62 million Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease (CVD; eg, heart disease, stroke, atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, angina, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, or heart failure).

The Women’s Antioxidant Cardiovascular Study concluded, “There were no overall effects of ascorbic acid [vitamin C], vitamin E, or beta carotene on cardiovascular events among women at high risk for CVD.”

But read on to see those who did benefit. (more…)

The FDA warns to avoid these “natural” treatments for high cholesterol. (more…)