Category: Newsletter
Newsletter April 2013
Topics: Vitamin D and atrial fibrillation Carnitine and heart risks Lycopene and heart risks Gazpacho reduces hypertension [Practical guidelines are now included at the end of each article] Vitamin D and atrial fibrillation A patient recently informed me of a study showing that excess vitamin D was linked to a heart arrhythmia called atrial fibrillation. The public warnings about taking too much vitamin D were misguided if they relied on the reporting of data from this study or the headlines that it generated. The report was from a paper presented…
Newsletter March 2010
Taurine and hypertension Taurine and congestive heart failure Taurine and congestive heart failure 2 Taurine and arrhythmias Taurine and arrhythmias 2 Doughnut makers force political firing Taurine and hypertension Ever since my heart surgery in 2003 to replace a congenitally defective aortic valve (you can read about this in the newsletter of April, 2003), I have had rare episodes of atrial fibrillation lasting for a few hours, perhaps once a year, but this unusually cool winter altered my exercise schedule and immune function, and the arrhythmia recurred several times a…
Newsletter October 2006
Letting Go of Habits Peptic Ulcer Management Safer Natural Remedies Arthritis and Food Allergy Ask Dr. J: Strontium for Bones References In the Health News Diet and Disease Recipe of the Month: Broccoli Raab (Rapini) Letting Go of Habits Dear Friends, Letting go of certain food attachments can be difficult, but not as difficult as it might seem at first. Whether or not we ate nutritious foods as part of our diets while growing up, many of us also consumed a variety of foods that were (and remain) unhealthful, including…
Newsletter May 2006
The Sugar Menace Vitamin C and Cancer Update IV Vitamin C and Cancer Carrots and Cancer Ask Dr. J: Probiotics with Food References In the Health News Diet and Disease Recipe of The Month: Squash Bean Barley Chili The Sugar Menace Dear Friends, I could not help but see the new ads for candy from the Mars company, in which their chocolate bars are portrayed as healthy for the heart. They neglect to mention that the refined sugar that these candies contain is a leading cause of physiological dysfunction. Sugar…
Newsletter April 2006
Healthy Low-Fat Diets Tea: Green, Black, and Red Caffeine-Free Red Tea Hot Pepper and Cancer Ask Dr. J: Arthritis and Food References In the Health News Diet and Disease Recipe of The Month: Millet Apricot-Date Cake Healthy Low-Fat Diets Dear Friends, Not so fast! Wait before believing news about diets. In commenting on scientific data regarding health care, and especially nutrition and alternative medicine, the news media is apt to jump to conclusions, and false ones at that. This can almost be forgiven when even the researchers who do the…
Newsletter May 2004
Natural Gardens Healthy Sleep Benefits Lifestyle for Better Sleep Dietary Supplements for Insomnia Ask Dr. J: Carnosine Benefits References In the Health News Diet and Disease Recipe of the Month: Three Bean Salad with Corn Natural Gardens Dear Friends, In the process of remodeling our new house in Florida, we also decided to overhaul the “garden,” which consisted only of grass and one old palm tree set in the middle of the lawn. St. Augustine grass, which is so common in Florida lawns, is extremely water hungry, coarse, and not…
Newsletter September 2003
Drugs and Grapefruit Mercury Toxicity Mercury Protection Asprin vs. Supplements Ask Dr. J: Lung Disease (COPD) References In the Health News Diet and Disease Recipe of the Month: Whole Wheat Cous Cous Drugs and Grapefruit Dear Friends, A recent article suggested that grapefruit sales are down in part because of physicians’ and patients’ concerns that grapefruit can interfere with the effect of some drugs, leading to side effects or excessive activity of those drugs. I should put quotes around the word “interfere” because it might just as well read “enhance.”…
Newsletter March 2003
Doctors “Just Say No”? Expensive Urine?? Supplements in Urine Ask Dr. J: Silymarin Ask Dr. J: Surgery Supplements In the Health News Diet and Disease Recipe of the Month: Curried Potatoes (with eggs) References Doctors “Just Say No”? Dear Friends, A recent Wall Street Journal article said some doctors were increasingly reluctant to recommend many drugs, both prescription and over the counter, based on their lack of benefit, potential risks, and fear of antibiotic resistance. They appear to be doing this in spite of patients’ desire to receive treatments that…
Newsletters February 2003
Drugs: Safe and Effective? Nutrition: Surgery and Healing Supplements for Recovery Vitamin A Safety Ask Dr. J: Vitamin C Forms In the Health News Diet and Disease Recipe of the Month: Cauliflower Millet Casserole References Drugs: Safe and Effective? Dear Friends, While I believe that modern pharmaceuticals have great value in treating disease when they are administered properly, I am also aware that properly administered medications are among the leading causes of death in the United States (they are far more damaging than illegal drugs, other than the societal harm…
Newsletters December 2002
USDA Against Organic Foods Natural Cancer Protection Cancer-Fighting Foods Supplements for Cancer Ask Dr. J: Gingivitis In the Health News Diet and Disease Recipe of the Month: Holiday Stuffed Pumpkin References USDA Against Organic Foods Dear Friends, The USDA recently implemented their widely publicized organic standards, after massive public comment, and extensive revision and acceptance of some of the suggestions made by the public and the organic food industry. The original plans were shameful in their allowance of sewage sludge fertilizer, irradiated foods, and genetically engineered products. If a producer…