Fantastic Fungi: New Film Explores Mushrooms, Medicine & the Human Condition

They were the first multicellular organisms to emerge from the oceans and take hold on dry land.

They’ve lived and thrived for ages, molding every environment they touch. They’ve survived ice ages, extinctions, and the most extreme conditions this planet can generate. They underpin the great Web of Life—a web in which we humans are but a thread. “They” are fungi, and they’re the subject of a fascinating new film that reveals much about their vast but little understood kingdom.

Visually magnificent, emotionally touching, and intellectually challenging, Fantastic Fungi explores the fundamental role that mushrooms, molds, and the like have had in shaping the world as we know it. The film also posits the hopeful message that fungi can help us solve some of our most vexing problems.

Heat Rises, Blood Pressure Drops in New Hot Yoga Study

In a new study of yoga as a therapeutic intervention, patients with stage 1 hypertension showed clinically relevant drops in blood pressure following three months of regular hot yoga practice.

Webinar: CBD for Anxiety & Depression–Case Studies & Clinical Pearls

  VIEW WEBINAR Information about CBD (cannibidiol) and the endocannabinoid system is everywhere these days. So are claims about the health benefits of CBD. As compelling as these topics may be, the information presented is rarely clinically applicable. What practitioners want–and need–is more information and guidance on how to use CBD safely and effectively in […]

A Guide to the Endocannabinoid System

Interest in the medical use of phytocannabinoids from Cannabis Sativa L. (Cannabis) has reached an all-time high. These exogenous, plant-derived ligands interact with endogenously produced proteins, receptors, enzymes and endogenous ligands, in one of the most evolutionarily preserved biological systems known to the life sciences: the endogenous cannabinoid signaling system, better known as the endocannabinoid system (ECS).

Integrative Pain Program Proves Effective Among Bay Area’s Indigent & Underserved

New findings from researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) show that an integrative approach to managing chronic pain improves treatment outcomes among patients also taking prescription opioids.

Is Holistic Lifestyle Change a Key to World Peace?

How can we turn the vision of world peace from a cherished ideal into an actual reality? Is it possible that the principles of holistic medicine could play a vital role in quelling the strife plaguing our planet? The visionaries at HeartMath are betting on it.

Hemp & CBD: Evidence, Evangelism & Extreme Exuberance

If you are confused about the therapeutic value of hemp oil, cannabidiol (CBD), and other cannabis-related substances, and you’re scratching your head trying to figure out what’s legal and what’s not, that’s good: It means you’re paying attention.  Yes, there is some evidence, but there’s also a lot of evangelism. Clinicians face the challenge of separating the scientific realities from the hype. 

In “How to Change Your Mind,” Michael Pollan Explores Resurgence of Psychedelic Medicine

After decades on the margins of both polite society and medical research, psychotropic compounds such as psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, and the like, are once again the focus of serious clinical investigation as potential therapies for a host of psychological and neurological conditions. In his newest book, How to Change Your Mind, popular author explores the resurgence of psychedelic medicine without bias, agenda, or pretense.

War, Inflammation, and One Doctor’s Medical Path for Peace

War is chronic inflammation writ large, says Dr. Decker Weiss reflecting on his last 4 years of work in refugee camps throughout the Middle East. Weiss believes the principles of natural medicine have much to offer not only the victims of war and strife but to the larger policy dialogs aimed at engendering peace.

SAMe Equals Rx Drugs in Treatment of Depression

A recent literature review of S-Adenosyl-methionine (SAMe) is shedding new light on this unique compound in the treatment of depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders. In some studies, SAMe was equivalent in efficacy to Tricyclic Antidepressants (TCAs) and Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) in reducing symptoms and improving quality of life.