Who’s in Bed with the IOM? Vitamin D Report Prompts Conflict of Interest Suspicion

The Institute of Medicine’s Nov. 30 consensus statement claiming most Americans do not need supplemental vitamin D—a position that runs counter to the views of many clinicians and researchers⎯has some folks wondering if committee members had preexisting biases or vested interests against supplementation.

It turns out that at least two members of the committee hold patents on synthetic vitamin D analogs in development or already on the market as prescription drugs, and significant relationships with companies involved in vitamin D drug development.

Telomeres, Aging, & Disease Prevention: Do Telomere-Targeted Treatments Have a Role in Clinical Practice?

Telomeres—segments of chromosomes that prevent aberration or loss of genetic information during cell division—are among the hottest research topics these days, and they’ve become the focus of “anti-aging” and chronic disease prevention strategies. Like many areas of genetic research, the work on telomeres raises as many questions as it answers. Anti-aging specialist Dr. Stephen Holt explores the many nuances of telomere and telomerase research, offering his own clinically tested recommendations.

Restoring Digestive Health is Key to Optimizing Weight Loss

The problem with most medical weight loss programs is that they focus too much on weight loss and not nearly enough on overall health. Somae Health is a new 12-week, medically guided weight management program that begins with restoration of healthy gastrointestinal function.

Popularity of Bioidentical Hormones Puts Spotlight on Compounding Pharmacies

The rising popularity of bioidentical hormones, HCG-based weight loss protocols, and chelation has fostered a resurgence of compounding pharmacies in recent years. Regulation and quality control in the compounding industry are tighter than many doctors realize.

H1N1 is No Match for a Well-Primed Immune System

Maintaining the functional integrity of the innate immune complex through a vegetable-rich diet, and immune enhancing vitamins & minerals obviates the need to fret over which strain of flu virus will predominate. A competent immune system will defend against them all.

Digital Pulse Wave Analysis Offers Non-Invasive Early Heart Risk Assessment

Central Aortic Systolic Pressure (CASP) is one of the most powerful early predictors of cardiovascular risk. New digital pulse wave analysis technology is putting this valuable test in the hands of preventive primary care doctors.

A Role for Probiotics in Preventing, Treating Bacterial Vaginosis

Say the word “probiotic” and people think, “gastrointestinal health.” That’s natural, since probiotics are invaluable in the management of digestive system problems. But they are also helpful for other health challenges, including infections of the female urogenital tract, like bacterial vaginosis, vulvovaginal candidiasis and related problems.

Functional Approaches to Pain Management: Highlights of the 15th Symposium on Functional Medicine

Pain is a highly individual experience, and therefore demands a personalized approach for its management. For each patient, various psychosocial, biomedical, and environmental factors converge to produce pain that is unique to that individual.

Oximation in Practice: Listen for the Fuse, Don’t Wait for the Bomb

Whether you’re looking at arthritis or atherosclerosis, psoriasis or sinusitis, asthma or acne, the “usual suspects” of inflammation and oxidative damage, aka “oximation” show up in the affec

Some of the most important things I learned in medical school I learned from an oncologist, Dr. Phillip Perriman. He stressed the importance of keeping up with medical research by reading journals, and gave me my first exposure to the power of fruits and vegetables to influence cancer risk.

GGT: An Accurate, Inexpensive Predictor of Cardiometabolic Risk

Gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) is a hepatic enzyme that indicates levels of oxidative stress in the liver. A large body of research suggests that it can also predict onset of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. At under $10 per test, it could be a very valuable asset in clinical practice.