Abstracts & Commmentary
Bisphenol A in Beverage Containers May Raise Blood Pressure
02-04-2015 An alarming study out of Korea showed that even minimal exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) can significantly raise blood pressure in people who drink out of BPA-lined cans.
Cannabinoids and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
12-10-2014 In this retrospective study of prison inmates with PTSD, a synthetic cannabinoid reduced chronic pain, insomnia, and nightmares, in addition to providing other benefits.
Strength-training Regimen Effective at Treating Plantar Fasciitis
12-03-2014 Patients diagnosed with plantar fasciitis experience greater relief of symptoms from strength training than usual treatment—something every integrative practitioner should know.
Does Cancer Treatment Cause Cognitive Impairment?
12-03-2014 “Chemo brain” has been documented in multiple studies, but this is the first to assess pretreatment fatigue and cognition in cancer patients and suggests that cognitive deficits may be part of the disease process itself.
Sulforaphane Shows Promise in Autism Spectrum Disorder
12-03-2014 In a recent study, a derivative of broccoli sprouts demonstrated improvement in behavior and alleviation of symptoms in teen and adult participants with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), offering practitioners the hope of a natural therapy with no side effects to treat patients with ASD.
Prognostic Role of Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte Ratio in Cancer
11-06-2014 This systematic review and meta-analysis combination explores the prognostic role of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in cancer diagnosis, demonstrating NLR to be an accurate, cost-effective, and reliable biomarker for oncologists.
Treating Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth
11-06-2014 This retrospective study found that cost-effective herbal treatments were just as effective as more expensive pharmaceuticals in treating small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), offering SIBO sufferers a natural strategy for relief.
Can Curcumin Solve Depression?
11-05-2014 A recent randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study suggests curcumin may be a safe, effective treatment for depression-related disorders.
Effect of Medical Cannabis Laws on Overdose Deaths
11-05-2014 The results of a recent study suggest marijuana may be more of an "exit strategy" than a "gateway drug."
Flavonoid-rich Dark Chocolate Positively Impacts Stress Response
11-05-2014 In this placebo-controlled, single-blind study people who consumed dark chocolate had significantly decreased cortisol levels and epinephrine reactivity to psychosocial stress compared to placebo.
Malignant Brain Tumors Associated With Mobile and Cordless Phone Use
10-23-2014 Will a recent study finding a significant association between mobile and cordless phone use and malignant brain tumors cause us to reconsider our addiction to wireless technology?
Maternal Bisphenol A and Miscarriage Risk
10-01-2014 Previous animal studies have shown BPA exposure can increase miscarriage risk. This study studied 115 pregnant women who sought treatment for infertility or recurrent pregnancy loss. Those whose serum BPA levels were highest had an 83% higher risk of experiencing a first trimester miscarriage those with the lowest levels.
Impact of Running vs Walking on Breast Cancer Survival
10-01-2014 Breast cancer patients have long been advised to take up brisk walking to improve outcomes, but this analysis found that runners have significantly reduced mortality over walkers, with runners’ risk for breast cancer mortality decreasing more than 40%.
Carbohydrates and Breast Cancer Recurrence
10-01-2014 Does reducing carbohydrate intake reduce breast cancer recurrence? This nested, case control study sought to find out. It looked at the associations between insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) expression of the primary tumor, postdiagnosis changes in carbohydrate intake, and breast cancer recurrence in 265 postmenopausal breast cancer survivors.
Are Omega-3 Fatty Acids the Answer to Behavioral Problems in Kids?
10-01-2014 Can omega 3s help behavioral problems in children and adolescents? According to this study, the answer is yes—and the improvements are significant.
Melatonin Treats H Pylori and Gastric Ulcers
09-18-2014 The addition of melatonin to the standard treatment protocol for H pylori increases efficacy of H pylori elimination and accelerates DU healing. A 2-month therapy of omeprazole plus melatonin is more effective at normalizing markers of healing than treatment with omeprazole alone.
Fiber, Bacteria, and Colorectal Cancer
09-17-2014 In this observational cross-sectional trial matching patients with a diagnosis of advanced colorectal cancer to a healthy control group, the participants (N=5632) completed the food-frequency questionnaire and provided fecal samples. Participants with a high-fiber diet and more gut microbiota had diminished cancer-cell growth.
Can High-dose Intravenous Vitamin C Alleviate Epstein Barr Virus Infections?
09-03-2014 In a recent study, Epstein Barr virus patients who received intravenous vitamin C demonstrated decreased levels of antigens in the acute state of disease and alleviation of symptoms of the infection.
Lower Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 and Live Longer?
09-03-2014 A groundbreaking study recently suggested that low levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) may predict life expectancy in exceptionally long-lived individuals.
Neighborhood Green Space Can Predict Mental Health Status
09-03-2014 This cross-sectional analysis, comparing mental health status with neighborhood green space, found that green space significantly reduced 3 measures of depression according to participant responses to the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale.