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Alcohol and the Liver Detox
2007-05-27 21:08:00
Recently I've received several questions from people asking if there are there any special considerations or, in fact, would it just be a waste of time for someone who is a heavy drinker who wants to do the liver cleanse. Are there any special precautions or would it be a waste of time? And what happens if they start drinking again right after the detox is done -- or if they drink during the detox? Interesting questions, these.
More About: Alcohol , Detox , Liver

Hillary Clinton's Healthcare Proposal
2007-05-27 00:00:00
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton unveiled her strategy for health care reform, focusing on a seven point plan to reduce healthcare costs by some $120 billion. Under her cost control proposal, insurers would have to follow the recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force on what preventive care to cover. The federal advisory panel consists of academic researchers who sift through medical literature to determine which preventive services actually are effective in warding off disease and issue reports on their findings.
More About: Healthcare , Proposal , Public policy , Prop

Hepatitis B Immunization
2007-05-25 14:13:00
Question: My wife is starting a job, working as clinical secretary in a neurotrauma unit, they are offering a hepatitis B vaccine, we have some concerns about her getting it and we need some guidance whether she should get it or not -- appreciate any help you can give.
More About: Public policy , Immunization

Food Allergies
2007-05-24 14:02:00
Food allergies are not always triggered by food. They are often the result of a cumulative build up of other allergens in the body. http://www.jonbarron.org/newsletters/06/4 -24-2006.php. There are over 100,000 new chemical additivies and xenoestrogens that have been added to the enviroment in the last 50 years alone that could have made their way into your food and water supply that could be contributing to your allergy problems. Also, any number of vitamin and mineral deficiencies can contribute to the problem. What can you do about it?
More About: Food , Allergies

Yogurt and Kefir
2007-05-23 14:53:00
I am not overly strong on dairy in general (http://www.jonbarron.org/newsletters/05/ 6-20-2005.php). But that said, it all depends on the quality of the yogurt and kefir.
More About: Yogurt

Soy Milk
2007-05-22 14:47:00
Fermented soy is a "reasonable" part of the diet when used in "reasonable" amounts. Soy becomes a problem food when used as the main protein, or as a large scale dairy replacement, in the diet. To paraphrase the old spiritual saying: "Too much of a good thing is bad. Too much of any single dietary component is bad. No matter how healthy a food is, if you overindulge in it, disease will result, not health."
More About: Milk

Premature Ovarian Failure and FSH/LH Ratios
2007-05-20 14:31:00
Premature ovarian failure (POF), at one time called premature menopause, describes a stop in the normal functioning of the ovaries in a woman younger than age 40. Symptoms can include irregular periods, hot flashes and night sweats, decreased interest in sex, pain during sex, drying of the vagina, and/or infertility. One of the main markers used to identify POF is the FSH/LH ratio (Follicle Stimulating Hormone to Lutenizing Hormone ratio).
More About: Failure , Aging , Premature , Mature , Lure

Science vs. Antioxidants
2007-05-18 07:27:00
The current issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI) contains the result of a study that is likely to get major play in the press. The study used questionnaires to track some 300,000 men over a five year period in an attempt to analyze the effect of multivitamin/antioxidant supplements on prostate cancer.
More About: Science , Anti , Antioxidant , Antioxidants

Antidepressants: Good and Bad
2007-05-14 21:22:00
As expected, a number of people wrote in to comment on the newsletter I wrote recently on antidepressants. Unlike the last time, however, most of the comments were supportive. In particular, I received a number from readers in Europe who told me that what I advocated (using antidepressants as the final option, not the first) was already the rule of thumb on the Continent.
More About: Public policy , Good , Anti , Antidepressant , Sant

Heart Attack DNA
2007-05-06 08:47:00
According to two just released studies, a treasure hunt for genes has found that up to three-quarters of people of European descent have DNA that raises their risk for heart disease -- and these genes are close to a stretch of DNA linked to diabetes.
More About: Heart , Heart Attack , Attack , Atta