Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients articles from July 2002

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients archives from July 2002

Letter from the publisher.
July 1, 2002... When I was first introduced to alternative medicine 25 years ago I was impressed with the breadth of therapies all claiming to be effective in treating illness. I was intrigued that the medical school curriculum all but ignored these...

Duane Morris attorney successfully argues on behalf of pharmacies before the US Supreme Court: Court rules that the FDA Modernization Act of 1997 is unconstitutional on the grounds that it restricts commercial speech.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... An attorney from the Chicago office of Duane Morris LLC, successfully argued on behalf of seven pharmacies before the US Supreme Court, which on April 29, 2002, upheld a ruling of the United States 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that the Food and...

Make smallpox vaccine available now, study says.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Concern has been growing about the possibility of a bioterrorist attack on the United States using a virus such as smallpox. Government preparations for such an attack focus on containing, rather than preventing, an outbreak of this deadly...

Metagenics introduces new flavorful options for healthcare practitioners to help patients improve health.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Metagenics, Inc. announces three new additions to its clinically tested UltraMeal [R] line: new Mocha and Orange Dream flavors; and convenient single-serving packets in Dutch Chocolate. At less than two dollars per serving, UltraMeal is a...

Kraft uses genetically engineered ingredients in its products.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... On February 6th, Genetically Engineered Food Alert joined consumer advocates in over 170 cities around the United States, Canada, and Australia to launch a new campaign that calls on Kraft Foods to remove untested, unlabeled genetically...

Dr. Kyl Smith files phosphatidylserine health claim petition with the FDA.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Kyl Smith, DC, filed a health claim petition with the Food and Drug Administration in April asking the agency to approve the following two health claims for use on labels and in labeling of dietary supplements that contain phosphatidylserine:...

After 28 years, New Age Journal changes its name to Body & Soul.
July 1, 2002... In 1974, a small group of dedicated editors and writers created a new magazine to help each of us rethink the way we live. They called it New Age Journal and it was remarkably ahead of its time. Mythologist Joseph Campbell; spiritual teacher...

Genetic factors in Alzheimer's disease. (Shorts).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... An article in Time (July 17, 2000) by J. Madeleine Nash discusses genetic and biochemical factors that have been linked to Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's is characterized by two types of brain lesions: plaques and/or stringy tangles. The...

Marketing Aricept for Alzheimer's. (Shorts).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Aricept, a FDA-approved drug to alleviate the symptoms of mild to moderate Alzheimer's, is being promoted as having an effect on late-stages of the disease as well, according to a Wall Street Journal (January 7, 2002) article by Ann Davis....

Ghostwritten medical journal articles. (Shorts).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... An article published in Britain's The Guardian says that "Ghostwriting has become widespread in such areas of medicine as cardiology and psychiatry, where drugs play a major role in treatment. Senior doctors, inevitably very busy, have become...

McDonald's orders egg producers to change. (Shorts).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... An American Radioworks[R] report by Daniel Zwerdling, broadcast on NPR in April 2002, talked about an improvement in the lives of chickens. On commercial egg farms in the US, farmers usually put 8 or more chickens into a cage that measures 20...

Parkinson's disease & pesticides. (Shorts).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... An article from the Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) says that pesticides contribute to the development of some cases of Parkinson's. The symptoms of Parkinson's disease appear when 60 to 80% of the brain cells that produce...

Pig feed for bipolar disorder. (Shorts).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Crime Times (Vol. 8, No. 1, 2002) contains an article about a vitamin-mineral supplement that is being tested on people with bipolar disorder (manic depression). A preliminary study by nutrition researcher Bonnie Kaplan and colleagues at the...

Predicting Alzheimer's. (Shorts).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... An article in Science News (May 18, 1996) by Kathleen Fackelmann says that researchers are trying to predict the development of Alzheimer's with two different methods: writing samples and brain scans. The first method is based upon a person's...

Immunological treatment for Alzheimer's. (Shorts).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... In an interview conducted by Sam Biser, published in 1993, H. Hugh Fudenberg, MD, stated that biologically-produced 'transfer factor' could reverse the decline found in Alzheimer's patients whose disease is immunological. Dr. Fudenberg says:...

Brain scans & chemical injury. (Shorts).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... G. Heuser, MD, PhD, and J.C. Wu, MD at the Brain Imaging Center (University of California, Irvine) studied PET brain scans from 7 adults who had chronic symptoms after being exposed to solvents, pesticides, or other neurotoxic agents. The...

L-arginine for dementia. (Literature Review & Commentary).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Sixteen elderly patients (mean age, 79 years) with cerebrovascular disease who had been living in a nursing home for 2-4 years received 1.6 g/day of L-arginine for 3 months. Cognitive function was determined by a revised version of Hasegawa's...

Unexplained dialysis dementia/encephalopathy caused by thiamine deficiency. (Literature Review & Commentary).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Ten patients on dialysis (9 hemodialysis) with altered mental status, the cause of which was unidentified after an initial work-up, were studied. Manifestations included confusion, chorea, acute visual loss, rapidly progressive dementia,...

Dementia and Alzheimer's disease: environmental illnesses? (Literature Review & Commentary).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... A total of 2,459 community-dwelling Yoruba residents of Ibadan, Nigeria, without dementia, and 2,147 community-dwelling African-American residents of Indianapolis, Indiana without dementia (all aged 65 years or older) were followed...

Choline, parenteral nutrition, and cognitive decline. (Literature Review & Commentary).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Eleven patients who had received total parenteral nutrition (TPN) for more than 80% of their nutritional needs for at least 12 weeks were randomly assigned to receive their usual TPN regimen (n = 6; mean age, 34.0 years) or their usual TPN...

Nutritional supplement enhances cognitive function in the elderly. (Literature Review & Commentary).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Ninety-six apparently healthy Canadians older than 65 years of age (mean age, 75 years) were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, a nutritional supplement containing modest doses of vitamins and trace minerals or a placebo for...

St. John' wort flunks another test: or does it? (Literature Review & Commentary).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Some 340 adults with major depression and a score on the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D) of at least 20 were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, either 1) Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort; SJW) extract LI-160, 2)...

Calcium-fortified orange juice blocks absorption of ciprofloxacin. (Literature Review & Commentary).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Fifteen healthy volunteers participated in a randomized, crossover study in which they consumed single doses of oral ciprofloxacin with water, with orange juice, and with calcium-fortified orange juice. Compared with water, the peak serum...

More on the vitamin A/osteoporosis connection: margarine and vitamin K. (Literature Review & Commentary).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... During the hydrogenation of phylloquinone (vitamin K1) rich oils (such as soybean and canola oil), phylloquinone is converted to its hydrogenated form, dihydrophylloquinone. The mean intake of dihydrophylloquinone by US adults is approximately...

The War on Cancer.
July 1, 2002... Fish Protects Against Cancer and Heart Disease In March, 2002, a group of Swedish scientists discovered a relationship between eating fish and preventing cancer. Women who ate six to eight ounces per week of fatty fish, such as herring and...

Pesticide neurotoxicity. (Health Risks and Environmental Issues).
July 1, 2002... During WWII nerve poisons were developed as chemical warfare to be used against the enemy. When peace was restored, the government helped the chemical companies find other uses for their products. Formulas that were designed to kill humans were...

Alzheimer's disease and cognitive disorders. (Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary).
July 1, 2002... Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology is the term describing the unity of mental, neurological, hormonal and immune functions with its many potential applications. PNIE addresses the influence of the cognitive images of the mind (whatever its elusive...

Alzheimer's disease & Chinese medicine. (Chinese Medicine Update).(Excerpt)
July 1, 2002... Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, Chinese medicine, Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, senile dementia In Chinese medicine, Alzheimer's disease is not yet recognized as a separate disease entity. Instead, it falls under the generic...

The cultural biology of sleep. (Medical Anthropology).
July 1, 2002... Sleep disorders plague millions of Americans. Western treatments focus on medications, routine setting and other tactics that in some cases can be highly effective. However, recently, anthropologists have looked at sleep from an evolutionary...

Herbal and other strategies for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. (Phytotherapy Review & Commentary).
July 1, 2002... Introduction According to Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, dementia is a syndrome with many causes. The term is applied when a deterioration in cognitive abilities impairs the previously successful performance of activities of...

Alzheimer's disease -- a functional approach.
July 1, 2002... As the 20th century comes to a close, we are witnessing a staggering increase in dementing illnesses. At present, approximately 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease. By the year 2030, it has been estimated that this number will...

West Nile Virus positives and MTBE analysis of NYSDEC Wildlife Pathology Unit's West Nile Virus database 1999.(New York State Department of Conservation)(Statistical Data Included)
July 1, 2002... Abstract In the New York City region, a public health disaster was recognized during the summer of 1999. That recurring seasonal phenomena is referred to as the "West Nile Virus Epidemic" and a virus was said to have caused the human...

Bio-energetic medicine is sufficiently mature to be incorporated into standard medical practice.
July 1, 2002... This is a summary of the material presented at the International Institute for Advanced Studies in Systems Research and Cybernetics at their meeting in Baden Baden, Germany on August 2-7,2000 where Dr. Schuldt was one of the panelists. ...

On "allergy elimination" and so-called permanent kinesiological "cures" towards a science of kinesiology.
July 1, 2002... In my last article in the TLfDP, (1) I wrote of my research on the role of Protozoan parasites and other microorganisms, and other toxins, as triggers of severe permeability states, in susceptible individuals. That article then linked this...

Cell phones and the brain.
July 1, 2002... During the past century, electricity has become the driving force of civilization, yet much mystery still surrounds this primal energy. We don't really know to what extent biological processes are being influenced by the electromagnetic fields...

Beating chemotherapy-induced immune suppression.(Active Hexose Correlated Compound developed by Amino-Up Chemical Co.)
July 1, 2002... Individual victory in the war against cancer often means winning the baffle against therapy-induced side effects, particularly immune suppression. Surgery, radiation and chemotherapies weaken immune system defenses, leaving many patients...

Haelan951 a novel fermented soya beverage and safe nutritive adjunct in prostate cancer therapies: is there a possible chemopreventive role?
July 1, 2002... Fermentation is the oldest known form of food biotechnology; records of barley conversion to beer date back more than 5000 years. The traditional fermentation process serves several functions, including the enrichment of food substrates...

Reforming New York's OPMC: curative or cosmetic surgery? -- Part 4.(Office of Professional Medical Conduct)(standards of medical care)
July 1, 2002... Since the summer of 2001 the Townsend Letter has published three installments of a series about the state boards that discipline physicians. (Every state has at least one.)(1) The series has used New York's board, the Office of Professional...

Correction notice. (Letters to the Editor).
July 1, 2002... Editor: The following is my correction notice to my review of Fateful Harvest. First, the author Duff Wilson broke the story for the Seattle Times, not the Seattle PI. Most importantly, former Mayor Patty Martin has informed me that...

Dr. Emanuel Revici's Grand-Nephew becomes resident physician at Revici Treatment Center in New York City. (Letters to the Editor).
July 1, 2002... Editor: We are pleased to announce that Radu Kramer, MD, a grand-nephew of the late Dr. Emanuel Revici, is now the resident physician at the Revici Clinic in Manhattan. Revici brought Dr. Kramer out of Romania (their native country),...

Nutrients and HIV. (Letters to the Editor).
July 1, 2002... Editor: I read with interest the past issue dedicated to "Nutrients and HIV" (April 2002, #225). I wrote an article on the topic of nutrients for HIV and examined some of the controversies surrounding this virus, which was published in the...

Need for unbiased medical reporting. (Letters to the Editor).
July 1, 2002... Editor: The April 10, 2002 issue of JAMA had a major story that the media misunderstood. This was a report on a random controlled study evaluating the effectiveness of St. John's wort in the treatment of major depression (Davidson et al.)....

Coxsackie virus and myocardial infarction. (Letters to the Editor).
July 1, 2002... Editor: This may be of interest with regard to heart attacks. In The Lancet for April 23, 1977 was a report from The King Edward VII Hospital in Sussex, England suggesting that Coxsackie virus infections were causing heart attacks. Of 38...

Carcinoid Syndrome. (Letters to the Editor).
July 1, 2002... Editor: I have read your Townsend Letter with great interest for many years. Little did I expect that I would need your help some day. Now I do. My daughter-in-law in Atlanta, Georgia has been diagnosed with Carcinoid Syndrome with...

HIV not causative in AIDS. (Letters to the Editor).
July 1, 2002... Editor: I was very surprised to read your comment in the April 2002 issue of the Townsend Letter that "it appears somewhat counterproductive to hold to the theory that HIV is not causative in AIDS.... I think it is time to move on beyond...

Genetically engineered soy a factor in soy debate? (Letters to the Editor).
July 1, 2002... Editor: Have been following the soy debate with bated breath, because like good little type A's trying to follow the gospel according to the wise D'Adamo, we are recommended to eat this stuff. The differences in what both sides are...

The true story of FDA terrorism. (Letters to the Editor).
July 1, 2002... Editor: Recent figures released by the MS Society estimate the annual cost of MS in the US at $10 billion, higher than the cost of asthma (about $5 billion) and all infectious diseases (nearly $8 billion) despite a much higher incidence of...

New health books from Haworth Press.(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2002... Editor: We are immensely gratefull for the many positive reviews afforded Haworth Press for its several books on fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. The Townsend Letter certainly stands apart from the crowd in the entire area of...

Filling a need for mercury-amalgam facts. (Letters to the Editor).
July 1, 2002... Editor: Dentistry has perpetrated an uncontrolled multi-generational mercury experiment on the American people. Mercury-amalgam dental fillings have never been subjected to the kind of regulatory scrutiny and approval process demanded of...

Oppose water fluoridation in Tacoma. (Letters to the Editor).
July 1, 2002... Editor: I have read with concern the news that Tacoma/Pierce County (Washington State) plans to fluoridate the area's public water supply. In spite of what fluoridation proponents assert, medical! toxicological works describe fluoride as a...

White bean extract safely decreases starch absorption, promotes weight loss.(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2002... Editor: The recent article, "Natural Weight-Loss Supplements: Are Safe Alternatives Available?" appearing in the May 2002 issue of this Letter, unfortunately contains several errors about potential toxic side effects associated with...

Circumcision education. (Letters to the Editor).
July 1, 2002... Editor: I believe this brief questionnaire explains a lot in a small space about the circumcision issue. It can help both doctors and patients to better understand what is going on. It can be especially helpful to patients who believe...

Ear candling ineffective. (Letters to the Editor).
July 1, 2002... Editor: In support of the letter entitled "Ear Candles Not Effective," I'd like to add my voice as to their ineffectiveness. In January 1994, at a friend's hearty recommendation, I visited an ear candling practitioner/teacher. About 10 of...

Togetherness. (Letters to the Editor).
July 1, 2002... Editor: For six years I have cared for my wife who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Some little success has been achieved by weaning her off pharmaceutical, doctor-prescribed drugs and substituting natural products. However, my report...

Organic beef. (Letters to the Editor).
July 1, 2002... Editor: As a Clinician and forage/grass-fed beef producer, I would like to share with fellow clinicians and patients some relevant information. Having been a clinician focusing on optimizing one's health potential via non-invasive methods...

Thoughts on adaptation and evolution. (Editorial).(Brief Article)(Editorial)
July 1, 2002... Investigating the dietary patterns of various cultural groups around the world has sometimes given scientists insight into how populations can survive on nutritionally-deficient diets or thrive despite genetic weakness. Several decades...

Can psychiatry heal itself? (Book Corners).(Out of Its Mind: Psychiatry in Crisis)
July 1, 2002... Out of Its Mind: Psychiatry in Crisis by J. Allan Hobson & Jonathan A. Leonard Perseus Publishing, HarperCollins, 10 East 53rd Street, New York, New York 10022 USA; 212-207-7528 2001, hardcover, $26US/$39.50CAN, 292 pp. No one...

Anti-depressant drugs: are they safe? (Book Corners).(The Anti-Depressant Fact Book)
July 1, 2002... The Anti-Depressant Fact Book by Peter R. Breggin, MD Published by Perseus Books Group, 11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142 USA; 617-252-5298 2001, Softcover, $13 US/$19.95 CAN, 225pp. Peter R. Breggin, MD is a...

"Embracing the End of Life". (Book Corners).(Sacred Dying: Creating Rituals for Embracing the End of Life)
July 1, 2002... Sacred Dying: Creating Rituals for Embracing the End of Life by Megory Anderson Prima Publishing, 3000 Lava Ridge Court, Roseville, California 95661 USA; 916-787-7000; fax 916-787-7001; www.primapublishing.com Hardcover, ISBN...

Improving the quality of one's life. (Book Corners).(Natural Detoxification, The Complete Guide to Clearing Your Body of Toxins)
July 1, 2002... Natural Detoxification, The Complete Guide to Clearing Your Body of Toxins by Jacqueline Krohn, MD and Frances Taylor, MA Hartley & Marks, P.O. Box 147, Pt. Roberts, Washington 98281 Quality paperback, 590 pp., $24.95/US;...

Taking control of epilepsy. (Book Corners).(Treating Epilepsy Naturally)
July 1, 2002... Treating Epilepsy Naturally by Patricia A. Murphy Keats Publishing (a division of McGraw-Hill), Two Penn Plaza, New York, New York 10121 USA Softbound, ISBN 0-658-01379-3, c. 2002, pp. 322, $16.95 Shortly before her 21st birthday,...

Using inositol for promoting brain wellness: an interview with Robert Belmaker, MD. (Nutritional Medicine Update).(Interview)
July 1, 2002... Robert Crayhon: Joining us now to discuss his groundbreaking research on inositol and mental health is psychiatrist and researcher Robert H. Belmaker, MD. Dr. Belmaker, would you please give us your educational background? Robert Belmaker:...

Interview with Mikelann Valterra, holistic financial counselor.(Interview)
July 1, 2002... In our continuing series on "Other Faces of Holism," in this issue we talk with Mikelann Valterra, a holisticially-oriented financial counselor. Mikelann Valterra has a private practice in Seattle, Washington, and she's also the director of...

What is the safety and benefit of Kava? (Ask the Herbalist).
July 1, 2002... Kava, also known as Kava Kava, has been used for medicinal and ceremonial purposes in the South Pacific for at least two thousand years. It is one of the world's most popular herbs. It is used by up to 90% of the population in many Pacific...

Whole food protection from age-related cognitive and neurodegenerative disorders. (Medicinal Properties in Whole Foods).
July 1, 2002... "Functional foods," "nutraceuticals," "designer foods" and "medicinal foods" are terms that describe foods, and key ingredients isolated from foods, that have non-nutritive or tertiary functional properties. Researchers, healthcare...

The art of homeopathic casetaking. (Healing with Homeopathy).
July 1, 2002... Back to Hahnemannian Roots There is much controversy these days, which we find unnecessary and divisive, about who among the classical homeopaths is truly "Hahnemannian" and who is not. All of us who practice homeopathy in any form are...

Two Florida dental conferences converge on the poisonous practices of allopathic dentistry. (Medical Journalist Report of Innovative Biologics).
July 1, 2002... The unhealthiest and most unwholistic-practicing of all health professionals are conventionally-practicing allopathic dentists who employ the usual or standard methods of oral treatment for their patients. The proofs of such a startling...

Mycotoxicosis: A new emerging cofactor in Alzheimer's, environmental illness, and treatment-resistant syndromes. (Quantum Medicine Update).
July 1, 2002... Today, much attention has been directed to the dangers associated with stealth infections with little attention being directed toward the diverse mechanisms by which mycotoxins affect nerve action, cause immunosuppression, and may contribute as...

Calendar.
July 1, 2002... JULY 6-7: BioSET - Total Healing System Basic Principles (Level II-Immune Disorders) with Dr. Ellen Cutler in Atlanta, Georgia. Also, NOVEMBER 9-10 in Las Vegas, Nevada. CONTACT: BioSET, 415-927-0741; fax 415-945-0465;...

Alzheimer's disease and women. (Women's Health Update).
July 1, 2002... Dementia -- a decline in cognitive function that is severe enough that thinking, remembering and reasoning, interfere with one's job or social functioning -- is considered to be a major medical condition. There are many causes of dementia, but...

Vitamin B complex and dementia. (Nutritional Influences on Illness).
July 1, 2002... Nutritional deficiencies are common in the elderly. Perhaps 10 to 20 percent of dementias in the elderly are reversible, and malnutrition is an important cause of reversible dementia. In addition to inadequate nutrient intake, other factors --...