empowereddoctor.com - alternativemedicine

Study Finds Ginkgo Biloba Ineffective

2008-12-01

The herb ginkgo biloba's reputation as a fountain of mental acuity has been tarnished by a recent six-year study, which showed it has no effect on the onset or progression of dementia or Alzheimer's disease. The research, which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, was performed on 3,069 people between the ages of 75 and 96. Of those, 1,545 took a red pill containing 120 milligrams twice a day of the ginkgo extract EGb 761, the same used in Ginkgold products sold by Nature's Way. The other 1,524 participants took a red pill containing only placebos. Neither group knew what they were taking. All the pills were came from Schwabe Pharmaceuticals, a large German maker of supplements.

Study Will Examine Black Cohosh and Tamoxifen

2008-11-25

Women with breast cancer, who frequently take the anti-cancer drug tamoxifen, are often at the age when they're also experiencing the uncomfortable symptoms of menopause - hot flashes and night sweats. So they need relief. But they can' take estrogen, which is the centerpiece of traditional anti-hot-flash hormone replacement therapy, because it has been shown to fan the fire of breast cancer. So to get relief, women often turn to the herbal supplement black cohosh. But the extent of chemical interplay in the body between black cohosh and tamoxifen isn't known, so a new study will determine whether, and what sort of, interactive effect there is between the two.

A Cure-all Oil?

2008-11-20

Oil of oregano has been touted as curing everything from diarrhea to rheumatism. Various authorities have praised its supposed ability to relieve intestinal gas, sore throat, sinusitis, breathing difficulties, dandruff, diaper rash, bee stings and venomous bites. And experts have lauded it for its apparent power to reduce fever, relieve cramps, mitigate the effects of measles and mumps, and benefit indigestion, nervous tension, toothache, earache and coughs due to whooping cough and bronchitis.

Acupuncture Outperforms Drugs on Hot Flashes

2008-11-18

Acupuncture does as well and is longer-lasting than drug therapy in handling the hot flashes and sweating that afflicts 80 percent of women who are treated for breast cancer, according to recent research. In addition, the study showed, treatment with acupuncture engenders none of the nasty side effects associated with conventional drugs. In fact, it produces some very attractive benefits, including a greater sense of well-being, increased energy, and, occasionally, a higher sex drive.

Another Five Predictors of Long Life

2008-11-17

Being conscious of fat and sugar in your diet, and working out at the gym, may seem like the keys to a long and healthy life. But you may easily tire of calorie counting and workouts. It seems the real signs of whether you will be blessed with considerable longevity is if you've adopted certain lifelong healthy lifestyles and attitudes - some of which you can still start. Here are five of them.

Chelation Therapy Would Be Great, if It Works

2008-11-13

Chelation therapy, in which a chemical agent improves one's health by latching on to excess metal atoms in the body, forming complexes that are then excreted in the urine, so far has only limited proven effectiveness. Claims are often made that chelation therapy is a good treatment for cardiovascular disease, multiple sclerosis, mercury poisoning, chronic fatigue syndrome and other long-term conditions. But there is no scientific evidence for any of these

Seven Anxiety-Fighting Foods

2008-11-11

Step aside, Prozac and Valium, and make way for some natural alternatives that, while they might not do as dramatic a job at relieving anxiety, certainly have the anxiety-relieving benefit that they have no nasty side effects whatever. Berries. Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries - any berries at all are loaded with vitamin C and other beneficial plant chemicals that counteract the human stress hormone cortisol. And the carbohydrates they contain are the good, complex kind. The body breaks them down into sugar slowly, so you don't experience a blood-sugar crash.

Hypnosis Helps Control Hot Flashes

2008-11-11

Hot flashes can make life hell for women going through menopause. And they'e especially torturous for those who are being treated for, or who have just finished treatment for, breast cancer. So the federal government funded a five-week study at Baylor University in which 51 survivors of breast cancer were divided into two groups - one of 26 women who were given about an hour of hypnosis five times a week, and another of 25 women who served as a control group. All of the women had no further sign of cancer and were experiencing up to 14 daily hot flashes - in which a woman's heart rate skyrockets, she goes into a sweat, and then is racked by the chills.

Donna Karan to Fund Alternative Cancer Research

2008-11-07

The foundation run by fashion designer Donna Karan, founder of the DKNY clothing line, is partnering with Beth Israel Medical Center, in New York City, to test yoga, meditation and aromatherapy treatments against cancer over the course of a year. The alternative approaches will be used to supplement conventional chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Medical staff at Beth Israel will keep close tabs on the results of the Eastern-oriented treatments in order to provide the world with some much-needed empirical evidence of their efficacy or lack thereof.

Can Ginseng Fight Cancer?

2008-11-05

In a new research effort, a University of Chicago team will investigate to what extent ginseng can kill cancer cells and will identify the herb's active biochemicals that may be responsible. In another project, the researchers will undertake to learn how ginseng extracts may alter tumor cells' gene expression. And in a third study, they will focus on how ginseng affects the intracellular signals that determine cell growth and death.