Epidemic of Absence
I am making my way through “Epidemic of Absence” by Moises Velasquez-Manoff. (love the exotic name.) It is a fascinating look at the research and thinking behind the theories that autoimmune conditions, including autism, may be because we’ve eradicated parasites, bacteria and some mycobacteria from our everyday environments. I would like to recommend the…
Read MoreRenaming Cancer to Reduce Patient Risk
We discussed this on the blog a few years ago here. In a nutshell, there are findings or dysplastic cells that when found on testing are called “cancer.” The problem is that once that term is out there, both doctor and patient will go to great and sometimes dangerous lengths to get rid of the…
Read MoreParasitic Infections: Help Joint Inflammation?
This article lays out the possibility that certain helminths (worms) may prove to be beneficial for joint disease. It is very early in the science, but from my uninformed reading of the material, there may be a link between autoimmune disease and parasites but in a beneficial way. We discussed the possible link between…
Read MoreWhy Bacteria are Your Friends
I majored in Biochemistry in college and spent a year before Medical School working in the lab of Dr. Daniel Koshland. He was a great scientist and a wonderful man. After a 3 month trip to India, I was telling him and the group about my adventures, and how I had gotten sick at each…
Read MoreAcupuncture Works for High Blood Pressure
Acupunct Electrother Res. 2013;38(1-2):1-15. The effect of acupuncture on high blood pressure of patients using antihypertensive drugs.Cevik C, Iseri SO. Dept. of Clinical Biochemistry, Director of The Acupuncture Clinic & The Coordinator of The Acupuncture Certificate Courses, Gazi University Medical Faculty, Ankara/Turkey. Abstract Blood pressure control is an important component of cardiovascular disease prevention. Despite…
Read MoreA Lone Researcher Casts Doubt on Lucrative Diabetes Drug
One of the key researchers who worked on Januvia, a new diabetes drug, is convinced that it can lead to pancreatic cancer. This article describes the increible pressure the doctor is under. Be careful out there. Too bad they can’t invest in exercise spaces and good food instead. A Lone Voice Raises Alarms on…
Read MoreStatins Interfere with Exercise Fitness?
This post on a study showing that statins, for some reason, can undercut the fitness benefits of an exercise regimen. They have no idea why, but it underscores the hazards of taking medications with far reaching effects. As readers of this blog know, I worry about statins for that very reason. What can it…
Read MoreDepression AND Antidepressants Associated with Gut Infection
It only seems logical that drugs with such broad reaching effects as antidepressants would have an effect on the gut. In this study, the correlation was with Prozac, Remeron, and Trazodone. Why they might lead to Clostridium difficile, is the question. But it may be because the antidepressants effect the “normal” bacteria that live in…
Read MoreProgess. Hazard Warning for Bisphenol A
Bisphenol A, chemical endocrine disruptor might get a hazard warning. We’ve been discussing this on the blog for a few years now. (Here, here and here.) (“A flurry of research”, showing it to be harmful may cause “flurries of lawsuits.” Funny.) By now, many environmentally conscious consumers are wary of bisphenol A, a…
Read MoreHazards of Robotic $urgery
I’m getting quite crabby posting on the “Follow the Money” theme. Who would have guessed that these expensive robots not only are no better, but can be dangerous? First, Do No Harm. I got a bit of snarky satisfaction from the NYTimes title, “Salesmen in the Surgical Suite.” Click through for the whole thing,…
Read More