Harvard Study Confirms Fluoride Reduces Children’s IQ
March 28th, 2013 | 
Author: The Huffington Post (huffingtonpost.com) – by Dr. Joseph Mercola
Friday, January 25, 2013
A recently-published Harvard University meta-analysis funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has concluded that children who live in areas with highly fluoridated water have “significantly lower” IQ scores than those who live in low fluoride areas.
A recent report from the U.S. National Research Council (NRC 2006) concluded that adverse effects of high fluoride concentrations in drinking water may be of concern and that additional research is warranted. Fluoride may cause neurotoxicity in laboratory animals, including effects on learning and memory …
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Integrative Medicine: Get the Best of Both Worlds for Your Loved One
The Huffington Post (huffingtonpost.com) - by Tory Zellick
Friday, January 25, 2013
We live at an exciting crossroads in the world of health care. Ancient medical systems like Ayurveda and traditional chinese medicine are as accessible as modern medical treatments like pharmaceuticals and surgery. One excels at systemic issues, the other excels at acute issues. While the choice is something to celebrate, it can also be overwhelming: We can end up confused about when to choose what and how to sift through the possibilities.
To help you navigate through the maze of integrative medicine treatment options, both for your loved one and for yourself (hey, what caregiver couldn’t use a massage?), I have interviewed leaders in the field and will be writing a series of blog posts on topic. To kick off the series, here is my interview with Andrew Weil, M.D., founder and director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the College of Medicine at the University of Arizona.
Can fruits and veggies make you happier? New research says “Yes!”
NY Daily News
Friday, January 25, 2013
Need more happiness, energy and calm in your life? A new study suggests it could be as easy as adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet.
After analyzing the food diaries of 281 young adults for 21 days, researchers at the University of Otago in New Zealand say they found a day-to-day relationship between those who reported a higher fruit and vegetable consumption and positive mood.
Number Of Drinks Per Occasion Riskier Than More Frequent Drinking
AANP
Friday, January 25, 2013
Researchers have found that the usual quantity of alcohol consumed per occasion is a more important determinant of diabetes risk than weekly drinking frequency. Those who consume less than one alcoholic drink per drinking occasion, even if drinking six days a week, have a significantly lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who consume more than one drink per occasion, even if they drink much less frequently. (Findings of past studies on the effect of drinking patterns on diabetes risk have been inconsistent and researchers aimed to determine the true role of quantity consumed as well as frequency of drinking in the development of type 2 diabetes.)
This research showed that while abstainers and moderate drinkers have a relatively low risk of diabetes, those who have the lowest risk are those who consume an amount less than one drinking unit on six or more days of the week. However, at highest risk of diabetes are those who consume three or more drinks per occasion no matter how infrequently they drink. This study was released January 23, 2013 by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and will be published in a future issue of the journal.
Lightning Could Spur Headaches, Migraines: Study
The Huffington Post (huffingtonpost.com)
Thursday, January 24, 2013
It may be silent, but lightning could still bring on major headaches and migraines, according to a small new study.
“There are a number of ways in which lightning might trigger headaches,” study researcher Dr. Vincent Martin, a headache expert and professor in the general internal medicine division at the University of Cincinnati, said in a statement. “Electromagnetic waves emitted from lightning could trigger headaches. In addition, lightning produces increases in air pollutants like ozone and can cause release of fungal spores that might lead to migraine.”
Pregnancy Foods: 10 Foods To Eat During Each Trimester
The Huffington Post Canada (huffingtonpost.ca) - by Arti Patel
Thursday, January 24, 2013
When you’re pregnant, it doesn’t always mean you’re eating for two.
Yes, a growing baby benefits from a mother’s diet throughout the day, but many health experts say nutrition during pregnancy should be about adding extra nutrients, as opposed to extra meals.
“Eating for two is a myth. Definitely during the first trimester, women do not need to eat extra calories,” says Anar Allidina, a registered dietitian based in Richmond Hill, Ont. “Women need about 340 calories more per day in the second trimester and 450 calories a day in the third.”
Gut Health Linked to Heart Disease and Stroke
The Huffington Post (huffingtonpost.com) – by Leonard Smith, MD
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
The gut connection to overall health, a connection Dr. Brenda Watson and I have been exploring and educating about for many years, is growing stronger every day. Week after week, researchers around the world are linking digestive function — usually gut bacterial balance — to a range of health conditions in many different areas of the body. Particularly interesting have been the links between heart health and gut health.
The connection between the gut microbiome and human health is currently being explored as part of the Human Microbiome Project, which I blogged about not long ago. This project has inspired a new wave of research into the effects of the gut microbiome and is delivering interesting findings.In a new study from Sweden published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers compared the gut microbiome of stroke patients to that of healthy subjects, and found some major differences.
Grape Seed Extract Targets, Destroys Colorectal Cancer Cells
AANP
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Researchers have shown that grape seed extract is effective in inhibiting the growth of colorectal cancer cells while having no negative effect on healthy cells. Further, they found that the more advanced the cancer, the smaller the dose of grape seed extract required to deliver the same cancer-killing effect and the more effectively the extract stops cancer-cell growth and survival. (Scientists have known for a while that bioactive compounds in grape seed extract selectively target many types of cancer cells, but the mechanism has been unknown.)
It required less than half the concentration of grape seed to kill 50 percent of more serious stage IV cells than it did to achieve similar results in the less serious stage II cells. But when antioxidants were introduced, the previously induced death, or apoptosis, of cancer cells by grape seed was reversed. This suggests that grape seed kills cancer cells by causing them oxidative stress and does so in a targeted way. This stress targets mutations and more advanced cancers have many more mutations the extract can attack. This study was reported in the journal Cancer Letters and is available only to members and subscribers.
Regular aspirin use may increase risk of blindness in the elderly
NY Daily News (NY) – by Carol Kuruvilla
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Scientists at Sydney University have found that regular aspirin takers are more likely to develop an irreversible disease that causes vision to become progressively more blurred. Of the 2,389 people who participated in the study, those who took aspirin at least once a week had a greater chance of developing wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD), a condition that destroys the center of a patient’s field of vision.
The study, published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, focused on patients who were on average in their mid-60s. One in 10 took aspirin “regularly,” while the rest took the drug occasionally, the BBC reports. Eye tests were performed every five years.
Reusable Grocery Bags Pose Greater Health Risk Than Plastic
AANP
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Scientists have found that, compared to plastic bags, reusable grocery bags are responsible for a 25 percent higher incidence of E. coli infection and a 46 percent higher risk of death from food-borne illnesses. Researchers examined figures before and after a ban on plastic bags in San Francisco in 2007, followed by Los Angeles, Malibu, and Palo Alto in 2012. Immediately after each ban, there was a spike in E. coli, food-borne illnesses, related ER visits, and food-infection deaths. Reusable bags were found to be breeding grounds for E. coli and other deadly bacteria.
Of randomly selected reusable grocery bags, 51 percent were found to contain coliform bacteria, and 8 percent contained E. coli. Most users increased the risk by not using separate bags for meats and vegetables, and by storing bags in car trunks where bacteria multiply faster. The team concluded that “conservative estimates of the costs and benefits of the… plastic bag ban suggest the health risks they impose are not likely offset by environmental benefits.” This paper was released by the Social Science Research Network in January, 2013, and the complete report is now available at http://tinyurl.com/af2tny3 without cost.