Alternative Medicine

A recently completed study at The University of Arizona may have implications for the thousands of scientists worldwide who use "knockout" mice in their research. The researchers suggest that environmental factors may play a large part in research findings that investigators assume are due simply to genetic differences. Further, the study research indicates that appropriate environments may counteract the effects of some genetic deficiencies. »»»

In an article in PLoS Medicine, Gert Meijer (University Medical Centre Utrecht, the Netherlands) and colleagues discuss what kind of progress there has been in restoring the function of diseased or damaged bone by bone tissue regeneration. »»»

Women with hirsutism grow hair on their faces, breasts and stomachs. This can cause great distress. The hair grows because they have abnormally high levels of the "masculinising" androgen hormones. Androgens travel around the body in the blood stream, and a key way of treating hirsutism is to reduce the level of these androgens. Data just published in Phytotherapy Research shows that drinking two cups of spearmint tea a day for five days could reduce the level of androgens in women with hirsutism. »»»

For the one in 18 men and women who will be diagnosed with cancer of the colon and rectum during their lifetime and over 150,000 people diagnosed on a yearly basis, today's genetic research news offers some optimism. »»»

New results in the field of RNA research establish that the RNA splicing factor SF2/ASF can act as a cancer-causing protein by changing the alternative splicing of other genes critical for growth-control of cells. »»»

Talented people often choke under pressure because the distraction caused by stress consumes their working memory. Highly accomplished people tend to heavily rely on their abundant supply of working memory and are therefore disadvantaged when challenged to solve difficult problems, such as mathematical ones, under pressure, according to research by Sian Beilock, assistant professor of Psychology at the University of Chicago. »»»

The herbal supplement black cohosh, whether used alone or with other botanical supplements, didn't relieve hot flashes in postmenopausal women or those approaching menopause. »»»

In the February 15th issue of Genes & Development, Dr. K. John McLaughlin and colleagues report on their success in using uniparental embryonic stem cells to replace blood stem cells in mice. Uniparental embryonic stem cells are an appealing alternative source of patient-derived embryonic stem cells, as they have several advantages over embryonic stem cell lines generated by somatic cell nuclear transfer (also known as therapeutic cloning). »»»

Long-term exposure to marijuana smoke is linked to many of the same health problems as tobacco smoke, such as increased respiratory symptoms like cough, phlegm and wheeze, according to a new study by researchers at Yale School of Medicine. »»»

Members of the public urged not to buy or use a proprietary Chinese medicine called Xiaokeshuping Jiangtangning Jiaonang. »»»

Researchers from the Weizmann Institute of Science report the discovery of two new properties of the genetic code. Their work, which appears online in Genome Research, shows that the genetic code -- used by organisms as diverse as reef coral, termites, and humans -- is nearly optimal for encoding signals of any length in parallel to sequences that code for proteins. »»»

Nearly 95 percent of patients admitted to hospital intensive care units are affected by anemia. Consequently, these patients receive a large number of red blood cell (RBC) transfusions in order to restore proper hemoglobin levels. New research shows that alternative treatments may lead to fewer transfusions, conserving critical blood supplies in hospitals. The report is published in Seminars in Dialysis. »»»

A new study has found how one of the most commonly used anesthetics may produce Alzheimer's-like changes in the brain. Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and colleagues describe the mechanism by which the anesthetic isoflurane may induce both the cell-death process known as apoptosis and the generation of amyloid-beta protein in cultured neural cells. »»»

So why do patients take alternative medicines? Why is science disregarded? Complementary medicine therapists offer something that doctors cannot offer: hope. »»»

This past holiday season, University of Wisconsin-Madison nutritionist Sherry Tanumihardjo made brownies with butter, not margarine. Like a lot of us, she wanted to avoid artificial trans fats. Tanumihardjo knows a thing or two about fats. She developed educational materials about fats for the Wisconsin Nutritional Education Program, which aims to help Wisconsin citizens make healthier dietary choices. »»»

According to a new study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, erectile dysfunction is highly prevalent across white, black and Hispanic populations in the United States. For the first time in an adequately-sized, nationally representative probability sample, the effect of health and lifestyle variables on the odds of having ED were determined in order to estimate prevalence by race and ethnicity. »»»

Garlic has been hailed a wonder drug for centuries and has been used to prevent gangrene, treat high blood pressure, ward off common colds and is even believed by some to have cancer fighting properties, garlic may also fight infections. »»»

Using plants to produce useful proteins could be an inexpensive alternative to current medicine production methods. Researchers from VIB at Ghent University have succeeded in producing in plant seeds proteins that have a very strong resemblance to antibodies. They have also demonstrated that these antibody variants are just as active as the whole antibodies that occur naturally in humans. By virtue of their particular action, antibodies are very useful for therapeutic and diagnostic applications. »»»

I've been determining which fats work best for epilepsy cases with muscle testing for years. The addition of fat usually DOES work for most seizure cases. Sadly, for some cases it doesn't work, but it wouldn't hurt you to try. Two other helpful things to add to the program are Carob powder (to bind heavy metals which can often be responsible for seizure activity) and Burdock Root (to cleanse the liver.) Doses vary from individual to individual. Min Chex by Standard Process labs helps control the electrical activity in the brain and works quite well. »»»

It's amazing how many people don't understand the difference between colds and flu and viral vs. bacterial infections, so lets review that first. Bacterial infections are often associated with colds: Bacterial signs and symptoms include. Viral infections are usually responsible for flu symptoms: Flu symptoms include. So, here's what's working for most people. »»»