Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients articles from November 2005

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients archives from November 2005

Letter from the publisher.
November 1, 2005... Six weeks ago Katrina came through and destroyed one of the world's most fantastic cities--wreaking havoc and devastation to a surrounding countryside the size of Great Britain. Selfishly I reflect that beyond the wholesale destruction of...

Boiron Laboratories responds to British Journal's questioning of homeopathy.
November 1, 2005... Boiron Laboratories in its continued educational and research efforts for the advancement of homeopathy, have rejected editorial commentaries and an article published in The Lancet's August 27, 2005 edition, on the basis it has methodological...

FDA issues OTC drug status for a new saliva-stimulating lozenge.
November 1, 2005... Scandinavian Formulas, Inc., announced that the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has issued over-the-counter (OTC) drug status for its product SalivaSure[R], a saliva-stimulating lozenge for relief of dry mouth. Dry mouth (xerostomia),...

Search the entire research literature on Qigong and energy medicine.
November 1, 2005... The Qigong... Energy Medicine Database[TM] provides the only information in English that records the vast clinical and experimental research on Qigong and Energy Medicine. Multiple-term searches are possible to learn how a given therapy has...

ConsumerLab.com finds quality of most nutrition powders and drinks high, but identifies five protein powders with excess sodium or cholesterol.
November 1, 2005... ConsumerLab.com has released its latest report on the quality of nutrition powders, shakes and drinks. These products are used for general nutrition, dieting, and meal-replacement and are frequently used by athletes and bodybuilders. All...

The cancer causing facts about "hormone pills" and why bio-identical hormone therapies (BHRT) are a safe alternative.
November 1, 2005... Simply put... like a key into a lock, the human body does not recognize the molecular structure of synthetically modified hormone drugs. Synthetic hormones manufactured by pharmaceutical companies, such as Premarin or Prempro, have a slightly...

Fluoride linked to bone cancer, again.
November 1, 2005... Newly available research out of Harvard University, links fluoride in tap water, at levels most Americans drink, to osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. (1) The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a highly-regarded Washington DC-based...

Head lice: smothering vs lice treatment shampoos.
November 1, 2005... News of a new head lice treatment which relies on applying a substance for eight hours and smothers head lice, has been generating excitement. However, the effectiveness and desirability of smothering lice has been studied in the past with poor...

Childhood asthma "epidemic" among inner-city youths seen in absence of steps to curb global warming, fossil fuel use.
November 1, 2005... Millions of poor and minority children in America's cities likely will suffer even higher rates of asthma as the result of a "powerful one-two punch" of higher levels of pollen and changes in the types of molds spurred by global warming, along...

Air quality index.(Shorts)
November 1, 2005... News media regularly gives us the air quality index (AQI). But what exactly is it? And who, other than people with asthma and other serious respiratory conditions, needs to pay attention to the warnings? The answer is everyone. Five major air...

New view of cystic fibrosis.(Shorts)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Medical perception of cystic fibrosis (CF) is that the body overproduces a thick mucus in the lungs, plugging up airways and digestive systems; but new research from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) shows that...

Chemtrails: another source of pollution.(Shorts)
November 1, 2005... Once upon a time, the only contrails in the sky were thin lines, high in the air, that quickly disappeared. These contrails form when the warm vapor trail produced by airplane engines meets the cold air found at high altitudes, over 30,000...

CODEX & CAFTA alarms.(Shorts)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Before the passing of CAFTA in August 2005, panicky messages that the bill would reduce access to nutritional supplements sped throughout the internet. A statement from Alex Schauss, distributed by the supplement retailer iherb.com, calls the...

Reducing dust mite exposure.(Shorts)
November 1, 2005... If a person is allergic to dust mites and shows signs of asthma, taking measures to control the mite population in the home can reduce respiratory problems and halt asthma progression. Dust mite avoidance is particularly helpful when signs of...

Flu-vaccine shortage.(Shorts)
November 1, 2005... By law, the FDA is responsible for inspecting all plants that manufacture drugs and medicine for the US market. However, globalization of the pharmaceutical trade is straining FDA's resources. As of 2000, almost 80% of ingredients for US...

Chronic sinus infection & fungi.(Shorts)
November 1, 2005... Mayo Clinic scientists have found a connection between chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and a person's response to common airborne fungal spores. Their research is shifting attention away from the bacterial infections that characterize CRS and...

Guaifenesin & sinusitis.(Shorts)
November 1, 2005... Guaifenesin, an expectorant found in OTC cold medications like Robitussin, may be helpful for people with chronic sinusitis. An article by Wellington S. Tichenor, MD, refers to the Mayo Clinic findings that Major Basic Protein (MBP) found in...

Environmental tobacco smoke & African-Americans.(Shorts)
November 1, 2005... Environmental tobacco smoke contributes to low birth weight, SIDS, and asthma in children. A new study published by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences investigates the relationship between African-American children with...

Calendar.(Calendar)
November 1, 2005... NOVEMBER 1: METAGENICS presents ENHANCING MEN'S STRENGTH, SEXUAL ENERGY AND HEALTH in San Jose, California. How to conquer the challenge of male hormone imbalance and decline. Also, NOVEMBER 2 in Sacramento, California; NOVEMBER 3 in San...

AIDS in Africa: puzzling, harrowing pictures.(Townsend's New York Observer)
November 1, 2005... The descriptive statistics for Africa indicate how poor African countries are. With poverty on the African scale, malnutrition, an unambiguous cause of compromised immunity, is widespread. In tropical Africa, AIDS and HIV sero-positivity are...

Are you worried ... about prions in animal glandular products? Is there risk from taking nutritional supplements with bovine organs and glands?
November 1, 2005... Organ-Gland Targeting without animal glandulars ** Clinically proven organ and gland support using synergistic nutraceutical complexes which provide pinpoint-targeting to specific organs and glands* ** No risk of prions from commercial...

Bromelain for sinusitis.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Forty-nine patients with severe sinusitis (48 acute, 1 chronic) were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, bromelain (Ananase[R]; 2 tablets 4 times a day) or a placebo for six days, in addition to antibiotics and other standard...

Is sinusitis caused by allergy to fungus?(Literature Review & Commentary)
November 1, 2005... Two hundred-ten consecutive patients with chronic sinusitis, of whom 101 were treated surgically, were studied. Fungal cultures of nasal secretions were positive in 202 (96%) of the patients. Candida albicans was cultured in 15.4% of patients,...

Glutathione aerosol for chronic lung disease.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Nineteen patients (aged 6-19 years) with cystic fibrosis were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, inhaled, buffered reduced glutathione (GSH) or placebo (sodium chloride with a hint of quinine) for 8 weeks. The treatments...

Diet influences tuberculosis outcome.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Twenty-one HIV-negative adults with newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis were hospitalized for 8 weeks and randomly assigned to receive a cholesterol-rich diet (800 mg/day of cholesterol) or a normal diet (250 mg/day of cholesterol). The...

Higher doses of vitamin D needed for fracture prevention.(Literature Review & Commentary)
November 1, 2005... A meta-analysis was performed of 5 randomized double-blind trials (n = 9,292) of vitamin D3 supplementation for hip fracture prevention and 7 randomized double-blind trials (n = 9,820) of vitamin D3 supplementation for prevention of...

High- or low-carbohydrate diet for obesity?(Literature Review & Commentary)
November 1, 2005... Twenty-one obese nondiabetic women (aged 23-53 years) were randomly assigned to consume for 16 weeks a low-calorie diet that was either 1) high in carbohydrate (60% of energy) and low in fat (20% of energy) (HC/LF) or 2) low in carbohydrate...

The gallstone cure that wasn't.(Literature Review & Commentary)
November 1, 2005... A 40-year-old woman with multiple 1- to 2-mm gallstones documented by ultrasound underwent a "liver cleansing" regimen at the advice of an herbalist. The regimen consisted of free intake of apple and vegetable juice until 6 p.m., but no food,...

Coenzyme Q10 to prevent migraines.(Literature Review & Commentary)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... Forty-two patients (mean age, 38.7 years) with recurrent migraines were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, 100 mg of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) 3 times a day or a placebo for 4 months. The primary outcome measure was the change in...

Treating infections without antibiotics.(Highly Effective Treatments for Pain and Fatigue)
November 1, 2005... Many people do not realize how many things they can do before resorting to using an antibiotic to clear an infection. If your patient is coming down with a respiratory infection such as a cold or the flu, I recommend that you try the following:...

New book offers tools for Optimal Digestive Health.(Pathways to Healing)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... A just-published book from Healing Arts Press will benefit anyone who has digestive problems--and according to the National Institutes of Health, more than 90 million of us fall into that category. Optimal Digestive Health offers a...

ACS myths: Part 2.(The War on Cancer)
November 1, 2005... Last month, I discussed an influential article by an American Cancer Society (ACS) spokes-person, detailing what he felt were persistent 'myths' that the public held about cancer. I conclude my discussion in this month's column. ...

Superior supplements innovative science.
November 1, 2005... When it comes to the health and well-being of your patients, compromise simply isn't an option. Like you, they demand the best of the best. This is the very thinking that continually inspires our own team of scientists and PhDs. By integrating...

Naturopathic treatment of respiratory infections.(Naturopathic Perspectives)
November 1, 2005... Infections involving the lung (or any other tissue, for that matter) are well treated by naturopathic principles and therapies. Numerous factors play into the individual infectious process that each person experiences; the attributes of the...

Sinusitis and bronchitis: two winter conditions successfully treated by homeopathy.(Healing with Homeopathy)
November 1, 2005... Sinusitis and bronchitis are two very common conditions to watch out for in the damp and cold conditions of the winter months, especially in northern climates. Sinus pressure and headaches, nasal discharge, post-nasal drip, and deep, racking...

Hospital-spread infection.
November 1, 2005... Until recently, I knew very little about medical matters and had even less interest in the subject. When my father was admitted to the hospital, in February of 2004 for a respiratory virus, neither he nor anyone in our family had any inkling...

Nosocomial Infections.(Web Page Potpourri)
November 1, 2005... I encourage Townsend Letter readers to pay special attention to the epidemic of nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections. There is virtually no area of healthcare that is safe from antibiotic resistant bacteria, and anyone who is exposed to...

The use of Natural Microdose DNA and synthetic minidose DNA for respiratory disease and immunotherapy.
November 1, 2005... In the first half of this article I will talk about my clinical experience with Natural Microdose DNA, as well as the experience of two other physicians. In the second half I will summarize some of the published data from over 30 published...

Microdose DNA (Mucolyxir) for alleviating symptoms of acute and chronic respiratory diseases and otitis media.
November 1, 2005... Microdose DNA: Background, Product Description and Proposed Mechanisms of Action Acute and chronic respiratory diseases, including common colds, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, bronchitis, mucositis, asthma, emphysema, chronic obstructive...

The myth of 100% complete pet foods.
November 1, 2005... Every day, people by the millions pour food from a package into their pet's bowl. Day in and day out, meal after meal, pets get the same fare. This strange phenomenon is widely practiced by loving pet owners who believe they are doing the right...

Evaluation of nutritional therapy on respiratory diseases.(Original Research)
November 1, 2005... Summary Objectives. The objectives of this study were to gather information about patients with respiratory diseases (asthma/allergy/respiratory infections) who used nutritional therapy (NT), and to evaluate patient-experienced outcomes of...

The importance of IgA.(Immunoglobulin A)
November 1, 2005... Immunoglobulin A (IgA) has been a special interest of mine as a major yardstick in assessing and treating endocrine-immune diseases. IgA is the most abundant antibody and is especially important in mucosal immunity. It is an essential...

Vitamin E in clinical studies.(Letters to the Editor)
November 1, 2005... A recent New England Journal of Medicine article (1) found Vitamin E 2000 IU daily did not slow the clinical progression of mild cognitive impairment. The authors unfortunately did not reveal their formulation of Vitamin E. Vitamin E...

Treating liver cancer with urea.
November 1, 2005... I was more than pleased with the review by Alan Gaby MD that was in the Townsend Letter in the July 2005 issue, on treating liver cancer with oral urea. He had told of a report by Professor Evangelos Danopoulos of Athens Greece that was in...

Pressured back to health: hyperbaric oxygen therapy.(Letters to the Editor)
November 1, 2005... Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) places patients in an oxygen-rich, pressurized chamber. This significantly increases the amount of oxygen in the body. At normal atmospheric pressure, it is almost exclusively the red blood cells that carry...

Protect your access to purchase supplements, vitamins & minerals.
November 1, 2005... Congress is considering new legislation that would take away your access to safe, effective and affordable dietary supplements, and your help is needed to urge your elected officials to Save Our Supplements. Similar bills have passed in...

Alternative medicine gets battered by a dull object.(Editorial)
November 1, 2005... It was inevitable that the proponents of toximolecular medicine would find a new Terminator to take the place of the late Victor Herbert. They can take comfort that Dr. Wallace Sampson's alternative-medicine-bashing message, though not as...

The fall of Royal Rife.(Video Recording Review)
November 1, 2005... The Rise and Fall of a Scientific Genius (video) written & directed by Shawn Montgomery. Zero Zero Two Productions, 3 Baldoon Rd., Toronto, Ontario, Canada M1B 1V6; www.zerozerotwo.org 74 minutes; available in North American...

A revolutionary approach to self-acceptance and healing.(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... The Gift of Our Compulsions by Mary O'Malley New World Library, 14 Pamaron Way, Novato, California 94949 USA Quality paperback, 2004, $14.95, 335 pp. To some degree, we are all compulsive--not so severe as to interfere with...

Alternative treatment of Lyme Disease.(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... When Antibiotics Fail: Lyme Disease and Rife Machines, with Critical Evaluation of Leading Alternative Therapies by Bryan Rosner ISBN 0-9763797-0-8 Available from: http://www.lymebook.com Lyme Innovations Press, 2074 Lake...

Phytotherapy for lower respiratory disease: basic principles.(Phytotherapy Review & Commentary)
November 1, 2005... Traditional herbal strategies for treating lung disease are founded on supporting and tonifying the innate protective resources. This is one area where the divide between traditional and modern approaches is particularly great. There are very...

An anthropology of air.
November 1, 2005... Air is a perfect subject for anthropological analysis because it is so differently defined depending on who you speak to. While people in rural areas may prize the purity and quiet of their air, those in cities prefer it filled with human...

Preventing asthmatic attacks with Chinese medicine.(Chinese Medicine Update)
November 1, 2005... Keywords: Chinese medicine, Chinese herbal medicine, preventive medicine, asthma ********** Asthma is characterized as a chronic, relapsing-remittent respiratory disease with indeterminate periods of remission punctuated by acute...

Antibiotics and urinary infections: too much too often?(Therapeutic Nutrition)
November 1, 2005... Introduction Women have a 50% lifetime incidence of urinary infections, and an 80% chance of recurrence. There are millions of incidents every year in the United states alone. The cost is over $1 billion. (1) These infections are always...

Calendar.(Calendar)
November 1, 2005... OCTOBER 29-NOVEMBER 6: BIOLOGICAL MEDICINE TOUR TO GERMANY. Join us for our 32nd group tour including the world famous "Medicine-Week" in Baden-Baden. Other special features include clinic & pharmacy visit; private OIFR English-language...

Vulvovaginal candidiasis: an update.(Women's Health Update)
November 1, 2005... One of the most common reasons women seek health care is vaginitis. Although it is often assumed that it is due to a yeast infection, only 33% of these women will have vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC). [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] VVC...

The influence of vitamins on infection.(Nutritional Influences on Illness)
November 1, 2005... Vitamin A [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] During a serious infection, there is increased urinary excretion of vitamin A; thus the daily requirement is substantially greater. (1) At the same time, vitamin A status is strongly inversely...