Category Archives: In The News

What’s New with Natural Medicine?

The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine just underwent its first revision in 15 years. In this broadcast of Five to Thrive Live, coauthor Michael Murray, ND, describes what surprised him most when updating the book and explains why curcumin, proteolytic enzymes and beta glucans are among his top favorite nutrients. Dr. Murray also provides some practical dietary and lifestyle advice for those wishing to gain optimum health.

[audio:http://doctormurray.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/FiveToThriveLive-8-2-2012.mp3]

Dr. Murray is interviewed by: Karolyn A. Gazella. Karolyn is the publisher of Wellness Times. She is also the publisher of Natural Medicine Journal, a peer-reviewed e-journal for healthcare professionals and open access website. Karolyn has been publishing wellness information for nearly 20 years and is the author or coauthor of several books including her latest book with Dr. Lise Alschuler, Five to Thrive: Your Cutting-Edge Cancer Prevention Plan (Active Interest Media, 2011). She is also the co-host of the Five to Thrive Live! radio show featured on The Cancer Support Network. For more information, visit FivetoThrivePlan.com.

Stress Relieving Advice From Dr. Murray

In this day and age, it’s nearly impossible to get rid of stress entirely. In fact, many people are desperate to find healthy ways to cope with their stressful lives. In this interview, Michael T. Murray, ND, shares some practical stress-relieving tips and discusses specific nutrients and herbs that may help. Whether your stress is caused by a particular event or the pressures of daily living, this advice from a leading expert will help.

Listen to the interview with Dr. Murray

[audio:http://doctormurray.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/MikeMurrayStress.mp3]

Congratulations Dr. Murray!

Winner of the prestigious 2012 “President’s Award” from the Natural Products Association

Dr. Murray may have educated you, talked shop with you, given you personal health advice or even played golf with you! In one way or another, he has impacted the lives of so many in our industry through his dedication to improving the health of our nation. Widely regarded as one of the world’s leading authorities on natural medicine, Dr. Murray has published over 30 books and has been instrumental in introducing many natural products to North America including PGX®, Pharma GABA®, Curcumin and Glucosamine Sulfate. At Natural Factors, we have been honored to have Dr. Murray lead our scientific team for more than ten years as Director of Product Development.

We are delighted that Dr. Murray’s long time contribution to the natural products industry has been recognized with the President’s Award.

Congratulations Mike!

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Diuretic Do’s And Don’ts

Diuretics are primarily used for people who have high blood pressure or heart failure. Best-selling author and Wellness Times Editorial Advisor, Michael Murray, ND, gives some critical advice to people taking diuretics. He also describes some natural substances that can be taken safely with diuretics. This is important information for anyone taking a prescription or over-the-counter diuretic.

Listen to the 10 minute interview with Dr. Murray [audio:http://doctormurray.com/MMDiuretics.mp3]

Lower Your Blood Pressure with Purple Potatoes, Black Tea and Magnesium

Want to lower your blood pressure without the harmful side effects of pharmaceuticals? Boost your intake of magnesium, black tea and, surprisingly, potatoes.

An Australian study published in January 2012 in the Archives of Internal Medicine analyzed the effect of black tea on 95 men and women with normal to high-normal blood pressure levels. Half of the participants drank 3 cups of black tea daily for six months, and the other half drank a placebo drink with a similar flavor and caffeine content.

At the end of the study, the black tea–drinking group had an average reduction of two to three points in their systolic (the top number in a blood pressure reading) level, and about two points in their diastolic (the bottom number) level. Although this doesn’t sound like much, the researchers said it’s enough to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke by 7 to 10 percent.

The researchers believe black tea’s hypertension benefits may be due to several reasons: Recent studies have shown that the beverage improves the function of the endothelial cells that line the interior of blood vessels and affect blood pressure. Other research suggests that the flavonoids in black tea can improve the tone of blood vessels, helping them channel blood more efficiently.

Meanwhile, a British analysis of 22 studies found that boosting your magnesium intake may decrease your blood pressure reading even more than black tea. The research, published in February 2012 in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that taking at least 370 mg of magnesium per day reduced systolic blood pressure by three to four points and diastolic pressure by two to three points in 1,173 study subjects.

This is key because research shows that many adults don’t get the recommended dietary allowance of at least 320 mg of magnesium for women and 420 mg for men, and that for every 100 mg increase in magnesium intake, the risk of stroke is reduced by about 9 percent.

Finally, a February 2012 study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that regular servings of purple potatoes decreased systolic blood pressure by an average of 3.5 percent and diastolic blood pressure by 4.3 percent.

Eighteen overweight study participants with high blood pressure ate six to eight small microwaved purple-skinned potatoes twice a day for four weeks. Not only did they decrease their blood pressure, but they also didn’t gain weight.

“The potato, more than perhaps any other vegetable, has an undeserved bad reputation that has led many health-conscious people to ban them from their diet,” noted lead researcher Joe Vinson, MD, of the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania.

Researchers said purple potatoes have high levels of disease-fighting antioxidants, along with substances that affect the body in the same way as certain kinds of blood-pressure drugs.

Read more about high blood pressure, including Dr. Murray’s scientifically proven suggestions to lower your blood pressure.

New Study Shows Many Restaurant Patrons Want Smaller Portions

Noting that studies show that calorie postings in fast-food restaurants do little to deter diners from overeating, two university professors wondered what would happen if restaurant staff simply asked customers if they would like to downsize rather than supersize their meals.

Janet Schwartz, an assistant marketing professor from Tulane University, and Dan Ariely, a behavioral economist at Duke University, conducted three field experiments in Chinese fast-food restaurants in which servers asked customers if they wanted to downsize portions of rice or noodles. The researchers discovered that as many as a third of all diners were happy to limit their portion size if asked. Findings from the research were published in the February 2012 issue of the journal Health Affairs.

Large portion sizes are a key contributor to obesity, and research shows the average portion served in restaurants has ballooned during the last decade. In particular, Schwartz said, restaurants pile on inexpensive yet caloric starches like pasta, rice or French fries to persuade patrons that they’re getting a good deal.

Schwartz’s and Ariely’s research encompassed 970 customers who ordered rice or noodles to accompany their Chinese entrée. When asked: “Would you like a half-order to save 200 calories?” between 14 and 33 percent of the diners said yes.

Surprisingly, accompanying the offer with a 25-cent discount didn’t spur any more takers, nor did posting the calorie content of the rice or noodles. In fact, the researchers found that significantly more customers—21 percent versus 14 percent—accepted the downsizing offer without being provided calorie information.

The patrons who opted for the smaller portions also didn’t compensate by ordering more caloric entrees, nor did it change the amount of uneaten food at the end of the meal.

Schwartz hopes the study will help restaurants to understand that limiting portion size won’t alienate customers. “I think the restaurant industry may find this counterintuitive, but it’s an interesting and easy strategy to implement that could help their customers make healthier choices,” she said.

Read Dr. Murray’s recommendations to help combat obesity