Prescription Drugs
FDA Issues New Warning on Anti-inflammatory Drugs
Introduction: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is strengthening an existing label warning that non-aspirin nonsteroidal…
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…
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Introduction Another damning study indicates it is simply time to pull the plug on this outdated drug.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…
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…
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…
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…
Saying “No” to Statins
Maintain a healthy cholesterol balance without potentially harmful drugs Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs such as Crestor (rosuvastatin), Lipitor…
Tamiflu for Flu Symptoms and Viral Infections? The Emperor has No Clothes!
Introduction Oseltamivir, brand name Tamiflu, was released onto the market in 1999 for the treatment of influenza. Despite is wild popularity –…
Why Are Drug Companies Sponsoring Studies on Natural Products? Taking a Closer Look at a Recent Evaluation on Glucosamine/Chondroitin in Osteoarthritis
Introduction: In the late 1990s, St. John’s wort (SJW) extract rocketed to tremendous success in the United States and Europe as a natural…
Antidepressant Drugs Blunt Feelings of Love and Sexual Function
Introduction: A recent study raises a new issue with long-term antidepressant use, adding another reason for consumers to seek alternatives. The…
Is Your Medicine Making You Sick?
Ever since we were children, we’ve been told to take pills when we feel bad—for headaches, insomnia, indigestion, aches and…
Unbelievable! FDA Approves New Sleep Drug Despite Lots of Questions Unanswered
Introduction: The FDA recently announced the approval of a new type of sleeping pill from Merck known as Belsomna® (suvorexant) despite…
A Baby Aspirin a Day is a BAD Prescription for Most
Introduction One of the most popular recommendations for preventing a heart attack or stroke in healthy people is the recommendation of a baby…
Blood Pressure Drugs Increase Risk for Breast Cancer
Introduction: More than 60 million Americans have high blood pressure (high BP) including more than half (54.3%) of all Americans age 65 to 74 years…
Does Tylenol Help Or Hurt You?
When most people think of Tylenol (acetaminophen), they consider it a gentle pain reliever — safe enough for their children to take. Here’s the…
The Dangers of Acetaminophen (Tylenol): Is it Time for the FDA to Remove it from the Market?
Introduction Most people consider acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol) as being an extremely safe pain reliever for both children and adults. The reality…
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.”
