Another Strike Against Acid-Blockers – Now Linked to Dementia Risk
Introduction One simple rule that would save a lot of suffering in the world is to “never take a drug that has more severe side effects than your symptoms.” A new study highlights this adage as it shows an extremely popular group of stomach acid-blocking drugs, the...
Another Nail in the Acetaminophen (Tylenol) Coffin: New Study Links its Use to Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity
Introduction Another damning study indicates it is simply time to pull the plug on this outdated drug. The study just published in JAMA Pediatrics once again indicated that women who take acetaminophen during pregnancy are more likely to have a child with attention...
Statistics on ER Visits Due to Dietary Supplements Misleading
Introduction: The media has once again failed to report the whole story or put things into the proper perspective when they reported on a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The headlines and...
Acid-Blocking Drugs Increase Heart Disease Risk
Introduction Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) are a group of drugs whose main action is blocking the secretion of gastric acid. They are dominant medical treatment of peptic ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and indigestion. Popular examples include Nexium,...
Statins Increase the Risk of Diabetes Even Greater than Expected!
Introduction: A new study again highlights the fact that using statin drugs to lower cholesterol levels are not at all risk free. Researchers found that statin use increased the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 46% in men. These results are a little better than...Welcome
July is National Blueberry Month
On May 8, 1999 the United States Department of Agriculture proclaimed July as National Blueberry Month. It is fitting that July is the month of celebration given the importance of blueberries in American history and the fact that the United States produces over 90% of all of the blueberries in the world.
Blueberries are among the most important foods for good health. The diverse and wondrous health benefits of blueberries are primarily due to their high content of specialized pigments known as anthocyanins. These special flavonoids are responsible for the deep blue or purple color of blueberries.
Currently, the most popular medical use of blueberries is their use in improving vision and protecting against age-related macular degeneration. Additional research also points out that blueberries may be protective against the development of cataracts and glaucoma, and quite therapeutic in the treatment of varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and peptic ulcers.
Another very practical application of the antioxidant activity of blueberries is in the protection against Alzheimer’s disease and age related cognitive decline. In animal studies researchers have found that blueberries help protect the brain from oxidative stress and may reduce the effects of age-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. Specifically, when older rats were given the human equivalent of 1 cup of blueberries a day they demonstrated significant improvements in both learning capacity and motor skills, making them mentally equivalent to much younger rats. When the rats’ brains were examined, the brain cells of the rats given blueberries were found to communicate more effectively than those of the other older rats that were not given blueberries.
While blueberries are an excellent food, a blueberry concentrate with all the anthocyanin-power of fresh picked blueberries is a convenient way to gain all of the health benefits. Two 500 mg capsules of a 36:1 blueberry concentrate is equivalent to ¼ cup of fresh blueberries. For general health, take two capsules daily.
For more information, please see the completely revised and updated 3rd edition of The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine.
On the Dr Oz show
On the show I discussed the failure of conventional medicine to address the underlying issues in many health conditions offering little more than drugs as biochemical “band aids.”
