Abstracts & Commmentary
Metformin and Acupuncture in Overweight/Obese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
10-05-2016 Small trial sparks high hopes: If electroacupuncture improves blood sugar markers in people with diabetes, could it also help those who are at risk?
Fenugreek’s Effects on Hormone Changes and Sexual Function in Healthy Men
10-05-2016 Low testosterone affects 20% of men over age 70. This double-blind, randomized clinical study suggests fenugreek extract may help.
Iron Supplementation in Pregnancy and Infancy
09-21-2016 When in a child’s life is iron supplementation most critical? Hint: Iron deficiency during periods of rapid brain growth can impair development.
Parental Sleep and Reported Sleep Quality of Children
09-21-2016 When a parent reports sleep problems in their child, healthcare providers often focus on the child’s issues, but sleep problems in children may be more of a family affair.
Useable Green Spaces Can Affect Children’s Health-Related Quality of Life and BMI
09-21-2016 Most parents intuitively recognize that spending time outside is good for their children, but objective evidence of the value of green space for health may push both parents and practitioners to be more proactive in getting children outdoors.
IBS and Probiotic Treatment in Pediatric Patients
09-21-2016 Study finds Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG significantly reduces pain severity after one week and significantly improves functional ability after two weeks in children 4 to 18 years old.
Does Homeopathy Prevent Flu?
09-21-2016 A recent study found homeopathy protects against flu and respiratory tract infections in kids. But are the results too good to be true?
Food as Medicine in Cardiovascular Disease
09-07-2016 Endothelial function may play a more important role than lipoproteins in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis—if dietary nitrate improves endothelial function, correcting nutrient deficiencies may be addressing the heart of the evolution of CVD.
Multivitamins and Chronic Disease Risk Reduction
09-07-2016 Do multivitamins decrease your patients’ risk for chronic disease? Will (or should) the answer to this question change your current recommendations?
An Effective, Natural Treatment for GERD: Aloe Vera Syrup
09-07-2016 Conventional treatments effectively improve symptoms of GERD. Is aloe vera a reasonable natural treatment option?
Nightly Fasting Improves Breast Cancer Prognosis
09-07-2016 “Eat an early dinner and a late breakfast.” Could this simple recommendation yield life-extending benefits for women with breast cancer?
Gum Disease and Risk of Smoking-Related Cancers in Never-Smoker Men
08-03-2016 What do periodontal disease, smoking, inflammation, and cancer have in common? Evidence from a recent study elevates the importance of regular dental care for cancer risk reduction.
Urban Air Pollution and Increased Mortality Rates
08-03-2016 Nutritional and lifestyle recommendations for cancer prevention abound, but this convincing longitudinal study suggests a different intervention may provide even greater health protection.
Berberine Improves Symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
08-03-2016 Practitioners of natural medicine recognize the antibacterial properties of berberine, but new studies suggest that the compound influences body processes in a number of ways, extending its application and potential areas of benefit. Exciting results from a recent trial demonstrate its effectiveness as a treatment for a common, chronic, elusive disorder.
Nutraceuticals for Adjunctive Depression Care
08-03-2016 Systematic review of existing research reveals that certain nutrients enhance the effectiveness of antidepressant medications—good news for clinicians caring for treatment-resistant patients.
Vitamin D as Melanoma Treatment
07-06-2016 We’re still not sure how vitamin D affects melanoma risk, but what about vitamin D and melanoma outcome?
Choline Supplementation in Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
07-06-2016 Alcohol has destructive effects on the developing hippocampus, and studies show that choline positively effects hippocampus growth. This pilot study connects the dots, providing evidence that choline may have a real benefit for children with cognitive deficits related to prenatal alcohol exposure.
Khorasan Wheat and Type 2 Diabetes
07-06-2016 Evidence suggests that replacing modern wheat with ancient wheat could have major health benefits, including protective effects for patients with diabetes.
Does Glutamine Reduce Radiation Dermatitis?
07-06-2016 Study shows glutamine reduces severity of radiation dermatitis, but questions remain over whether it's safe to use in patients with cancer.
BRCA1/2 Involvement in Cancer
07-06-2016 All healthcare practitioners should have a general understanding of the role of breast cancer genes, along with an in-depth understanding of which patients have a high risk of having the mutations (and therefore a higher risk of developing the cancers themselves). Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) syndrome is an inherited disorder in which the risk of breast, ovarian, and several other cancers is higher than normal. Most HBOC is due to mutations in breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1) or 2 (BRCA2).