Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients articles from October 2003

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients archives from October 2003

Letter from the publisher.(issue contents)
October 1, 2003... Alternative medicine is replete with controversial diagnoses and treatments --candidiasis and chelation are two among many. As debatable as candidiasis may be, it remains a verifiable diagnosis in vaginal moniliasis and infant thrush. Chelation...

Healthy child-rearing.(Winnicott On The Child)(Book Review)
October 1, 2003... Winnicott On The Child by D.W. Winnicott Perseus Publishing 11 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142 USA 800-255-1514 Softcover, 2002, $18 US, $27.50 CAN, 263pp. This beautiful little volume is a collection of lectures and...

Industry petition to FTC for reform of non-public investigations of health benefit advertising.
October 1, 2003... The First Amendment Health Freedom Association filed a petition for rulemaking in April with the Federal Trade Commission, faulting FTC for failing to comply with the strictures of the First Amendment in its nonpublic investigations of health...

BioStar Nutriceuticals Nutrient NetworkLibrary[TM].
October 1, 2003... The NutrientNetworkLibrary[TM] (NNL) was established to expedite the development of better health products and has become a reliable source for nutriceutical scientists to educate and promote good nutrition and health throughout the world. The...

Consumerlab.com finds many cholesterol-lowering supplements poorly made.
October 1, 2003... ConsumerLab.com reported recently that more than half of the cholesterol-lowering supplements that it recently purchased failed to contain their listed ingredients and/or could not adequately break apart to release their contents. One product,...

McDonald's will stop purchasing meat raised with antibiotics.
October 1, 2003... Under pressure from consumers and scientists concerned about overuse of antibiotics on US farms, McDonald's said it will tell its meat suppliers to stop using antibiotics and growth promoters in the food animals the fast-food giant purchases....

Parent coalition for vaccine injured children call on Congress to slow down compensation bill.
October 1, 2003... Americans for Vaccine Safety and Accountability, a coalition of parents and health care professionals concerned about vaccine safety, vaccine injury compensation, and informed consent issues, is calling on Congress to "do the right thing" and...

Series of studies confirm action of homeopathy on childhood diarrhea.
October 1, 2003... The combined results and a meta-analysis of three double-blind clinical trials found that individual homeopathic treatments significantly decrease the duration of acute childhood diarrhea and suggest that homeopathy should be used as an adjunct...

New hope for cancer patients.
October 1, 2003... At a recent American Association of Cancer Research meeting, Eva Zavadova, MD, PhD presented promising discoveries about the role of systemic enzyme therapy for multiple myeloma patients. Dr. Zavadova's findings, which are a continuation of the...

In memory of Robert A. Good.
October 1, 2003... "He was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look for upon his like again." --Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act I, Scene ii Dr. Robert A. Good, MD, PhD, a celebrated cancer researcher, died on June 13, 2003 at the age of 81, after a long...

Autism & gastrointestinal symptoms.(Shorts)
October 1, 2003... Gastroenterologist Andrew J. Wakefield has identified a unique form of inflammatory bowel disease that apparently contributes to aberrant behavior in many autistic children, according to Autism Research Review International (Vol. 16, No. 3)....

Autism-vaccine lawsuits.(Shorts)
October 1, 2003... Parents who claim that vaccines have caused their children to develop autism are bypassing the Vaccination Injury Compensation Program and filing lawsuits. Under current law, vaccine injury claims must be evaluated by the federal compensation...

Belgian fluoride supplement ban.(Shorts)
October 1, 2003... In July 2002, Belgium banned fluoride tablets, fluoride drops, and fluoride chewing gum. Federal Minister of Public Health Magda Aelvoet based her decision on research that has linked fluoride supplements with several negative health effects...

Autism rates in California.(Shorts)
October 1, 2003... A California Department of Developmental Services report, released in May 2093, confirmed a steep rise in the incidence of autism among California children. The report stated that the number of children diagnosed with autism during 1998 was...

Children & overeating.(Shorts)
October 1, 2003... David Ludwig, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Harvard Medical School and director of Boston Children's Hospital's obesity program, led a study that found that eating high-glycemic foods affects hunger and encourages overeating. In a...

Danish autism study.(Shorts)
October 1, 2003... A Danish epidemiological study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine (Vol. 347, No 19: Nov. 7, 2002: 1477-1483), found no link between the MMR vaccine and autism. The eight-year study compared the incidence of autistic disorders in...

Baby formula oils.(Shorts)
October 1, 2003... Martek Biosciences, a company that develops and sells products made from microalgae, has developed fatty acids that are being added to baby formulas. Using controlled fermentation conditions, the company obtains docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) from...

"Energy" drinks.(Shorts)
October 1, 2003... So-called 'energy drinks' (aka functional beverages), such as Red Bull, have become increasingly popular since their introduction in 1997. These drinks, some of which are being marketed toward youngsters, contain up to 5 teaspoons of sugar plus...

Immigrant Latinas & infant health.(Shorts)
October 1, 2003... Research has shown that women with low incomes who do not receive early prenatal care are the ones who are most likely to have unhealthy babies--except in the case of Latina immigrants. Even though they get less prenatal care and are more...

Milk proteins, infectious agents & autism.(Shorts)
October 1, 2003... A study by Aristo Vojdani, PhD and colleagues, published in the Journal of Neuroimmunology (2002; 129 (1-2): 168-177), found high levels of antibodies to neuron-specific antigens in the sera of autistic children. Forty subjects, ages 3-12 years...

Nutrition, learning, & behavior.(Shorts)
October 1, 2003... Despite small class size and creative instruction, the learning environment of Appleton Central Alternative High School (Appleton, Wisconsin) was terrible during its first year. The school had been established in 1996 to help disruptive,...

Pediarix vaccine.(Shorts)
October 1, 2003... In December 2002, the FDA approved a new combination vaccine for use in children under 6 months of age. GlaxoSmithKline's Pediarix is for diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, and polio. Marketers boast that Pediarix cuts down on an...

Hyperactivity/biofeedback v. Ritalin.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)
October 1, 2003... Of 18 males age 10-13 diagnosed as hyperkinetic, 6 underwent biofeedback, 6 took Ritalin 10-15 mg/day and 6 regularly played a game with a research assistant, spending time equivalent to the biofeedback group. Efficacy was determined by pre-...

Attention deficit disorder, neurofeedback and cognitive therapy.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)
October 1, 2003... One-hundred-eleven subjects, 98 children (age 5 to 17) and 13 adults (age 18 to 63) with attention deficit disorder attended forty 50-rain sessions, usually twice weekly, that combined neurofeedback with the teaching of metacognitive...

EEG biofeedback in attention deficit disorder and learning disability.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)
October 1, 2003... Eighteen children with ADD/ADHD, age range 5 through 15, some of whom were also learning disabled, were randomly assigned to experimental work consisting of 40 45-minute sessions of training in EEG feedback to enhance beta activity and suppress...

More EEG biofeedback and ADHD.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)
October 1, 2003... One-hundred children ages 6-19 with attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder, either inattentive or combined types, participated in a study examining the effects of Ritalin, EEG biofeedback, and parenting style on the primary symptoms of ADHD....

The physician and adolescent suicidal ideation.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)
October 1, 2003... This study examined utilization of psychological or emotional counseling by suicidal adolescents to answer questions about the extent to which health services can contribute to the prevention of adolescent suicide. The study used data from Wave...

Smoking and the therapeutic relationship.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)
October 1, 2003... Smoking is a worldwide health problem. Habits begin early during teen age years. Mean age of 883 school students in the study was 15. A self-applied questionnaire was used to collect demographic data, smoking status, school success, nutritional...

Patient objectives.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)
October 1, 2003... Patients want accessibility, affability and ability in that order. They do not care how much you know until they know how much you care. It is much more important to know what sort of a patient has a disease than to know what kind of a disease...

Early intervention.(Psychoneuroimmunoendocrinology Review and Commentary)
October 1, 2003... Between April 1978 and September 1980, 400 consecutive pregnant women with no previous live births were enrolled at baseline. 315 adolescent offspring participated in a follow-up study when they were 15 years old; 89% had been born to white...

The war on cancer.
October 1, 2003... Radiation Advocated After Surgery for DCIS In an article appearing in the Lancet (July 12, 2003), scientists report that radiation therapy after surgery can reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrences in women with ductal carcinoma in situ...

Recent Chinese medical research on the treatment of ADHD.(Chinese Medicine Update)
October 1, 2003... Keywords: Chinese medicine, Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture-moxibustion, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) In the last 10 years, there has been a growing interest in the Chinese medical treatment of attention...

Coenzyme Q10 for chronic renal failure.(Literature Review & Commentary)
October 1, 2003... Ninety-seven patients (mean age, 48 years) with chronic renal failure (serum creatinine > 5 mg/dl), with a history of declining renal function for at least 12 weeks, were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, coenzyme Q10...

Selenium treatment of radiation-induced lymphedema.(Literature Review & Commentary)
October 1, 2003... Forty-eight patients (median age, 54 years) with lymphedema secondary to radiation therapy (12 with edema of the arm and 36 with edema of the head-and-neck region) were treated with selenium, as sodium selenite, for 4-6 weeks. The dose was 350...

Passive smoke causes dental caries.(Literature Review & Commentary)
October 1, 2003... The relationship between passive exposure to cigarette smoke and the prevalence of dental caries was assessed in a cross-sectional study of 3,531 children (aged 4-11 years) participating in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination...

Vitamin B12 for migraine prevention.(Literature Review & Commentary)
October 1, 2003... Twenty patients with a history of migraines for more than one year, with 2-8 attacks per month, received 1 mg/day of intranasal hydroxocobalamin for 3 months. A reduction in migraine attack frequency of at least 50% was seen in 10 (53%) of the...

Garlic effective against warts.(Literature Review & Commentary)
October 1, 2003... Five children (all aged 5 years) with verruca vulgaris (common warts) on the hands (mean number, 2.2 per person) were treated with raw garlic applications. A clove was cut in half each night and the flat edge of the clove was rubbed onto each...

L-carnitine for hyperthyroidism.(Literature Review & Commentary)
October 1, 2003... Fifty healthy euthyroid female volunteers received a fixed TSH-suppressive dose of L-thyroxine for six months. During that time they were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, 1 of 5 regimens: 1) placebo, 2) placebo for 2...

Beta-carotene supplements: where there's smoke, there's fire.(Literature Review & Commentary)
October 1, 2003... Seven hundred-seven patients who had had a colorectal adenoma removed were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, 1) beta-carotene (25 mg/day), 2) vitamin C (1,000 mg/day) and vitamin E (400 mg/day), 3) beta-carotene, vitamin C,...

B-vitamins improve outcomes in heart patients.(Literature Review & Commentary)
October 1, 2003... Five hundred fifty-three patients who underwent successful coronary angioplasty were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, a placebo or a combination of folic acid (1 mg/day), cyanocobalamin (400 mcg/day), and pyridoxine (10...

Irradiated food in school lunches.(Health Risks and Environmental Issues)
October 1, 2003... Ionizing radiation of food reduces the number of disease causing organisms from E. coli 0157:H7, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium botulinum, Listeria monocytogene, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Campylobacter jejuini, Cyclospora, and Taxoplasma...

A case of school phobia.(Healing with Homeopathy)
October 1, 2003... School phobia is a common problem among elementary school children. The condition presents with anxiety, fears and refusal to attend school, or even enter the classroom. The causes of school phobia are varied, and can include problems at home...

Whole food nutrition for ADHD.(Medicinal Properties in Whole Foods)
October 1, 2003... Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most recent name for a complex neurobiological disorder, which can occur in children, adolescents or adults. Symptoms include difficulty with attention, concentration, memory, organization...

The potential role of phytotherapy for ADHD.(Phytotherapy Review & Commentary)
October 1, 2003... Introduction ADHD is typically diagnosed in young children and is estimated to affect millions of children throughout the world. It has been found to occur in "virtually every country in which it has been investigated." (1) ADHD has in...

Shaken baby syndrome or vaccine-induced encephalitis?
October 1, 2003... Shaken baby syndrome (SBS), as reviewed in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine and other journals, (1-3,7) commonly describes a combination of subdural hematoma, retinal hemorrhage, and diffuse axonal injury (DAD as the triad of...

What is coming through that needle? The problem of pathogenic vaccine contamination.
October 1, 2003... In recent times we are experiencing a situation never previously encountered, that being the threat of release of pathogens intended to kill or disable large numbers of people. That danger has prompted certain health agencies to prepare for...

Vaccination: an analysis of the health risks--Part I.
October 1, 2003... For more than a hundred years, two basic assumptions have been put forth by public health officials. One is that vaccines are safe. The second is that vaccines are effective for the conditions for which they're given. The public and our...

Vaccines and genetic mutation.
October 1, 2003... Introduction The writers of this article make no claims of being authorities in the fields of genetics or immunology, but being non-experts may at times carry an advantage in that, viewing more from a distance, one may sometimes perceive...

Beneficial effects of enzyme-based therapy for autism spectrum disorders.
October 1, 2003... Abstract Autism is a developmental disease usually manifesting within the first three years of life. To date, no causative agent has been found. Similarly, treatment options have been limited. Of the treatment options available, a number...

Autism, ADD, ADHD, LD and the power of digital medicine.
October 1, 2003... The "mysterious" rise in autism, ADD, LD, ADHD and other related mental and emotional ailments these days represents indeed a formidable challenge for the physicians and families involved. Conventional medicine resorts to a sophisticated...

Acid-stable probiotics and their application to autism and the other spectrum disorders.
October 1, 2003... Introduction Over the last few years, our group has published papers, articles, and a book covering Autism and the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in various forms. We have been doing experiments and a pilot clinical principle to better...

Nutritional immune modulation therapies for CFIDS--Part II.
October 1, 2003... What does alpha-interferon do? We know that it activates natural killer cells and it activates the (2-5)A synthetase enzyme which in turn raises RNAase L to destroy RNA viruses. And it also stimulates the PKR system with the same effect, to...

Food allergy assessments for children in the autism spectrum.
October 1, 2003... Children with a whole range of problems from typical forms of autism to attention deficits frequently have been observed by their parents to have sensitivities to certain foods. The sensitivities are usually not immediate hypersensitivity...

Autism: causes unknown or causes ignored?
October 1, 2003... Autism, a condition characterized by self-absorption and social withdrawal, was first described as a new type of mental disorder in the 1930's by Leo Kanner at about the same time that mercury, in the form of thimerosal, was introduced into...

Enhancement of exercise performance.
October 1, 2003... Perhaps the best medicine of all is exercise. Physical activity and its benefits are thoroughly described in the medical literature, and when performed regularly, exercise is proven to substantially reduce the risk of developing and/or dying...

Correction notice.(Letters to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... "A Naturopathic Approach to Breast Cancer" in June, 2003 issue by Professor Serge Jurasunas. The correct phone number is 351 (Portugal) 21 (Lisbon) 3471117 (The Institute).

When Herbal Medicine Turns Nasty.(Letters to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... Editor: An important aspect concerning the widely publicized death of pitcher Steve Bechler, who used ephedra for an overweight problem, has not been considered. He probably was also consuming "diet" drinks and other products containing...

Nasty Herbal Medicine.(Letters to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... Editor: In regard to your editorial "When Herbal Medicine Turns Nasty," (May, 2003) the following observations should be noted: Merck 13. Methamphetamine can be produced in three ways: 1) reducing ephedrine or pseudopehedrine; ...

DMSA and DMPS administered orally or IV to detoxify mercury.(Letters to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... Editor: At the 2002 Spring "Think Tank" prior to the DAN conference in Boston, I was dismayed to hear how many people were treating autistic children initially for mercury poisoning with DMSA. That was contrary to what I thought I...

A brief look at Alzheimer's disease.(Letters to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... Editor: Put a drop of the acetylcholine-blocking drug tropicamide into the eye. If the pupil dilates markedly, the patient has an acetylcholine deficiency and is probably suffering from Alzheimer's disease. If the pupil does not dilate,...

Lenair technique defended.(Letters to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... Editor: In response to the email Mort Walker forwarded to me from Dr. Collin at the Townsend Letter, I must say it's most highly unusual to have received a sentiment such as this. As he witnessed personally by sitting in on sessions at our...

Autoimmune diseases caused by mycoplasmas.(Letters to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... Editor: The primary function of the immune system is to distinguish foreign invaders, such as microbes, from the components of host tissues and facilitate in their elimination. Even though there are experimental animal models of...

Kicking the anti-depressant habit.(Letters to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... Editor: I took anti-depressant drugs for many years to combat depression. While these drugs are magic bullets for some people, they never worked well for me. In addition to loss of libido, I experienced "unexplained" nausea for several...

"Safe upper limits" for nutritional supplements: one giant step backward.(Editorials)
October 1, 2003... In May, 2003, the "Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals" (EVM), an advisory group originally commissioned in 1988 by the then Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and subsequently reporting to the Food Standards Agency in England,...

What else could they be wrong about?(Editorials)
October 1, 2003... Recently, new research on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), showed that not only do these man-made hormones not protect against osteoporosis and heart disease as promised by the medical establishment--they actually promote breast cancer in...

Autism is treatable: an open letter to the FDA.(Guest Editorial)
October 1, 2003... The following letter was sent to the FDA in response to the unacceptable FDA policy on autism which appears on the next page. Mark McClellan, MD, Commissioner US Food and Drug Administration Dear Dr. McClellan: As parents of adult...

Become an enlightened consumer.
October 1, 2003... Food & Your Health Beatrice Trum Hunter, Food Editor Consumer's Research Magazine Basic Health Publications, Inc., 8200 Boulevard East, North Bergen, New Jersey 07047 USA; 800-575-8890 Paperback, 2003, $7.95 US/$9.50 CAN, 439 pp. The food...

The good bacteria.
October 1, 2003... The Probiotic Solution by Mark A. Brudnak, PhD, ND Dragon Door Publications, P.O. Box 4381, St. Paul, Minnesota 55104 USA Orders: 1-800-899-5111; Customer service: 651-487-2180; support@dragondoor.com; www.dragondoor.com Paperback, 200 pp,...

Natural therapies for autism.
October 1, 2003... Conquering Autism: Reclaiming Your Child Through Natural Therapies by Stephen B. Edelson, MD Twin Stream Books, Kensington Publishing Corp., 850 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022 USA Hardcover, ISBN 0-7582-0183-4, 2003, 246 pp., $23.00 ($33.00...

Lymph drainage therapy.
October 1, 2003... Silent Waves: Theory and Practice of Lymph Drainage Therapy by Dr. Bruno Chikly Arizona: International Health and Healing, Inc., 2001. 419 p. $65.00. ISBN 0-9700530-5-3. "Bruno Chikly's pioneering and innovative development of Lymphatic...

Caring for a seriously-ill child.
October 1, 2003... Shelter from the Storm by Joanne Hilden, MD and Daniel R. Tobin, MD with Karen Lindsey Perseus Publishing, Eleven Cambridge Center, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142 USA; 617-252-5200; fax 617-252-5265; www.perseuspublishing.com Softbound, ISBN...

A balanced approach to vaccination.
October 1, 2003... The Vaccination Dilemma by Christine Murphy, editor Lantern Books, One Union Square West, Suite 201, New York, New York 10003 USA; 212-414-2275; fax 212-414-2412; www.lanternbooks.com Softbound, ISBN 1-930051-10-7, c. 2002; 125 pp, $15...

The beneficial paleolithic diet.
October 1, 2003... Life Without Bread, How a Low-Carbohydrate Diet Can Save Your Life by Christian B. Allan, PhD and Wolfgang Lutz, MD, foreword by Kilmer S. McCully, MD Keats Publishing, available from Price Pottenger Nutrition Foundation, 800-366-3748 Quality...

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and modern American culture.(Medical Anthropology)
October 1, 2003... Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a controversial condition that is closely tied to culture, environment and lifestyle and yet is heavily medicated with side effect ridden pharmaceuticals. Below we take a look at...

Adrenal exhaustion and chronic fatigue diagnosis.(Highly Effective Treatments for Pain and Fatigue)
October 1, 2003... The adrenal glands, which sit on top of the kidneys, are actually two different glands in one. The center of the gland makes adrenaline (epinephrine) and is under the control of the autonomic nervous system. Although it is known that this part...

Adolescent and School Health program.(Web Page Potpourri: a column devoted to informative alternative health resources on the internet)
October 1, 2003... http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/ This is the main US government agency website on school health. (DASH stands for Division of Adolescent and School Health. The unpronounceable NCCDPHP is the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention...

SOS: Safeguard our Students.(Web Page Potpourri: a column devoted to informative alternative health resources on the internet)
October 1, 2003... A project of the Organic Consumers Association http://www.organicconsumers.org/sos.htm Visit the Organic Consumers Association's Safeguard our Students (SOS) page, to see a more activist approach to school health. While there is some...

PubMed.(Web Page Potpourri: a column devoted to informative alternative health resources on the internet)
October 1, 2003... http://www.ncbi.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi or http://www.pubmed.org/ At some point, I'll devote a whole column to search strategies on PubMed, the National Library of Medicine web database. For a brief but useful mini-tour, Enter: zinc add...

Food is Elementary curriculum.(Web Page Potpourri: a column devoted to informative alternative health resources on the internet)
October 1, 2003... http://www.foodstudies.org/curriculum/ Antonia Demas' Food is Elementary curriculum is an innovative nutrition program which integrates food, culture and the arts. If you don't have the opportunity to hear Antonia Demas speak in...

Serendip.(Web Page Potpourri: a column devoted to informative alternative health resources on the internet)
October 1, 2003... http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/ What do you get when you cross neurobiologists, computer scientists, business people, and educators? You might just get the Bryn Mawr Serendip web site. The Serendip site exudes a love of learning. Its...

Web Page Potpourri.
October 1, 2003... http://www.townsendletter.com/articlesonline.htm#webpage Web Page Potpourri is now on line. Here's a special pointer to the February/March issue, the vaccination column--http:// www.townsendletter.com/FebMar_2003/webpotpourri0203.htm ...

Marketing tips: what is positioning for success?
October 1, 2003... Your web site is an excellent tool for marketing your services and helping to differentiate you from the competition. Unfortunately, a lot of web sites are poorly constructed, have conflicting messages, and do not reinforce the brand. As a...

Calendar.
October 1, 2003... SEPTEMBER 19-20: INTEGRATIVE HEALING SEMINAR presented by Dr. David Satloff in No. Attleboro, Massachusetts. Also, NOVEMBER 21-22, JANUARY 16-17; MARCH 10-20. CONTACT: Sue, 508-695-1078; http://www.biologicdentist.com SEPTEMBER 19-21:...

No link between antiperspirants and breast cancer.(Women's Health Update)
October 1, 2003... In an effort to determine if popular media claims about the link between antiperspirant use and breast cancer held merit, researchers looked at the use of products for underarm perspiration by 813 women with breast cancer (age range, 20 to 74)...