In a 3 month study of 50 female breast cancer patients comparing acupuncture to the drug Venlafaxine (Effexor) acupuncture proved to be as good if not better in all categories of measured outcomes.   Both groups had significant improvements in “hot flashes, depressive symptoms, and other quality-of-life symptoms, including significant improvements in mental health”.     Two weeks post treatment the acupuncture group still had minimal hot flashes whereas the Effexor group had an increase in hot flashes.   Also there were no adverse effects (“side effects”) in the acupuncture group, whereas the Effexor group had 18 adverse reactions.    The acupuncture group also increased the sex drive of women whereas the Effexor group had no effect. Read the rest of this entry

There are several studies showing that maternal diet plays an important role in the health of offspring:

• Vegetables are beneficial to fetal growth
• Fish oil during pregnancy can reduce asthma in offspring
• Fish oil during pregnancy and lactation reduces risk of infant allergies
• Fast food negates breast feeding benefit

An interesting study was just published to determine if a particular strain of probiotic  supplementation can reduce the incidence of eczema in infants that are born into a family history of allergies and eczema.  There were 68 infant/mother pairs separated into a study group receiving the probiotic and a control group receiving a placebo. Read the rest of this entry

Today I was reminded about cinnamon’s incredible health benefits when reading a newly released study about cinnamon’s effect on blood glucose in diabetics. People with diabetes have trouble controlling their blood sugar levels so using insulin helps reduce the blood sugar and the insulin spike. Research has shown that cinnamon imparts multiple health benefits (as do just about all spices).

A few of cinnamon’s health benefits include:

• Reduces LDL in people with Type II diabetes
• Reduces free radical damage that can cause cardiovascular disease
• Lowers blood sugar even in healthy subjects.  (so great to add on sweets!)

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More than a decade ago (even just a few years ago) alternative MDs that used supplements and suggested patients take Vitamin D above the RDA of 400IU/day were called quacks.    The inaccurate ‘truth’ stated over and over again is that above 400IU/day you can get Vitamin D toxicity.    Read the rest of this entry

Know your birth rights….Christine Northrup http://retwt.me/ZNvl

Osteoarthritic knee pain? Get acupuncture! Latest research from “Pain” http://bit.ly/4rUZyB

A little known Chinese herb has been receiving a lot of attention for its benefits for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, inhibiting tumor growth and now for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). In PinYin (the Romanization of Mandarin) it is known as Lei Gong Teng. Its botanical name is Tripterygium Wilfordii . Two thousand years ago the Chinese classified this herb as one that “dispels wind and dampness”. RA is often known as a wind and damp condition in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Read the rest of this entry

“Clinical and endocrinological changes after electro-acupuncture treatment in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee” Sadia Ahsinab et al, Pain, Sept 2009
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Watch: acupuncture helping dogs and cats http://tinyurl.com/nnhg68 reduces pain, increases vitality and flexibility

I know so many friends, especially ones with young kids, that have such a fear of sunlight. We need sun and it is my belief that children need to be in the sun, not coated with chemicals that are toxic and cause cancer! Yes sunscreen can cause cancer because we are lathering on chemicals that then cause oxidative damage to our DNA. The current medical thinking is that the most important reason we want to be in the sun is to increase our Vitamin D levels. Michael Holick MD a researcher at Boston University (an alma mata of mine) has a great presentation about Vitamin D and sunlight. Read the rest of this entry