The most important concept in medicine, I think, is the Law of Parsimony. It dictates that when explaining the cause for an event or series of events, the simplest explanation is likely to be most valid.
Immune system function tends to diminish with advancing age, leaving many elderly people more susceptible to influenza, common colds, and pneumonia, as well as various cancers. A new study shows Active Hexose Correlated Compound (AHCC), a mushroom-derived compound used in Japan as an adjunct in treatment of cancer and hepatitis, can boost T-cell mediated immune function in otherwise healthy elders.
Thyroid hormone plays a central role in energy metabolism and immune competence. Accurate diagnosis and treatment of hypothyroidism is essential to restoring health. But most physicians rely too much on questionably reliable blood tests, and not enough on what their eyes and their patients are telling them. This photo gallery, compiled by Roby Mitchell, MD, reveals the common clinical signs of hypothyroidism.
Use of bioidentical hormones – estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone derived from plants such as soy or yam – has grown rapidly over the last decade. According to a new FDA rule, claims that bioidentical hormones are safer or more effective than conventional HRT are false and misleading. The issue has become one of the hottest women’s health controversies.
In the first head to head comparison of a botanical therapy versus a drug for management of menopausal symptoms, a standardized formulation of Black Cohosh was equally effective as tibolone, a drug widely used in Europe and Asia; the herbal formula had fewer adverse effects. Pycnogenol, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory derived from the bark of French Maritime Pine trees, can reduce menopausal symptoms while improving women’s lipid profiles.
A new vanguard of “metabolic” cardiologists contends that cholesterol elevation has been overstated as a cause of heart disease, and that physicians should pay more attention to the heart muscle itself. A quartet of nutrients magnesium, co-enzyme Q10, L-carnitine, and D-ribose can profoundly improve the heart’s pumping ability and reduce risk of death, even in very ill patients.
Essential oils of Sage, Lavender, Rosemary and a number of other aromatic medicinal plants contain compounds that have direct stimulatory effects on memory formation, while at the same time helping to reduce stress, a major contributor to memory loss.
A recent metanalysis by Tufts researchers shows a clear correlation between vitamin D deficiency and increased likelihood of type 2 diabetes. The data also suggest that combined supplementation with vitamin D and calcium may prevent progression to diabetes in high-risk individuals.
Two new studies provide fresh data showing that deficiencies in vitamin D and vitamin C are strongly associated with increased risk of myocardial infarction and stroke. The big-and still unanswered question—is whether supplementing with these vitamins will reduce that risk.
A new study of 89 people with osteoarthritis shows that a triterpene extract from Shea nut butter can markedly reduce inflammation and collagen breakdown, leading to improvement in symptoms and better joint function.
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