Once thought to be relatively rare, celiac disease is actually very common, and physicians need to pay more attention to it. A naturopathic physician who has the condition herself offers insights on diagnosing, treating and living with this complex digestive disease.
Statins are very effective at reducing LDL and total cholesterol, but they also deplete coenzyme Q10, a naturally occurring substance that is essential for normal muscle and heart function. Citing evidence that a major statin manufacturer knew the risks in the early ’90s but took no action, Dr. Julian Whitaker sent a petition to the FDA to put a black box warning on all statin labels stating the dangers of CoQ10 depletion.
The food and beverage industry spends on the order of $30 billion each year on advertising for processed convenience foods, far outstripping public health funds allocated for obesity prevention. For the most part, their message is “Eat more.” According to author Marion Nestle, medicine must reckon with the realities of food industry economics in order to have any impact on the obesity problem.
The role of natural progesterone creams for prevention of osteoporosis in menopausal women is highly controversial. While many practitioners report that their patients do show increases in bone mineral density following extended use of progesterone creams, the only controlled trial on this topic found no significant difference.
Natural medicine has much to offer individuals with hepatitis C (HCV) infection and other chronic liver disorders. And that’s a good thing, because the burden of HCV, in terms of individual morbidity and socioeconomic cost, is growing at a disturbing rate. Antiviral pharmacotherapy, while clearly better than it was a decade ago, still leaves much room for improvement.
Few American communities have been as hard-hit by diabetes as the Native American communities in the Southwest, where Type-2 diabetes affects up to 50% of all adults. Don Warne, MD, an Oglala Lakota physician, approaches the problem with a combination of allopathic medicine and traditional healing practices aimed at addressing the spiritual, cultural and social factors that drive the epidemic.
Most of the nation’s medical schools now have some coursework in natural medicine, but to date, there are no residency training programs for up-and-coming MDs and DOs wishing to practice holistic health care. Demand from recent medical school grads is very strong, and the University of Colorado’s department of family medicine is attempting to lay the groundwork for a holistic residency.
Data from the National Weight Control Registry, a database tracking 3,200 formerly obese people who lost weight without drugs, indicate that there is no single “magic” diet that will ensure weight loss. However, all successful dieters reduced intake of fats, especially saturated fats, and regularly engaged in moderate-intensity physical exercise.
Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome are often insulin resistant and prone to hyperglycemia. Leah Morton, MD, a holistic gynecologist, has found that controlling the insulin problem by reducing intake of high-glycemic foods often leads to marked improvement of the ovarian and hormonal problems.
What exactly is Progestin? How does it differ from Progesterone and Progestogen? Find out as Dr. Deborah Moskowitz clarifies the terminology surrounding this group of female hormones.
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