Lifestyle, Nutrition, Vitamins
Is It Prudent To Increase The Dose of Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs?
Do you remember the story about the straw that broke the camel’s back? How the camel’s owner kept loading more and more straw on the animal’s back. Eventually one more straw broke the poor creature’s back. Pushing your luck too far is a poor idea. Now, a report in the British Medical Journal shows that doctors, like camel owners, should heed this advice. Colin Dormut, Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia, participated in a study of excessive medication. He reports that during an 11 year period over two million patients’ charts were examined to see if kidneys were affected by the long-term use of cholesterol-lowering drugs (CLDs). The researchers focused on high potency CLDs such as Lipitor, Crestor and Zocor....Read More
Gastroenterology, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Nutrition
The Fart Pill: Could It Get The Nobel Prize?
Could a researcher of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), the gas that causes the odour of farts, ever receive the Nobel Prize in Medicine? Dr. Rui Wang, an internationally known Canadian researcher, reports that one day we may have a “fart pill” that fights one of our great killers, hypertension. Passing flatus affects Kings, Queens and the rest of us. Who hasn’t been at a dinner party when we’d prefer to be in the Sahara Desert so we could pass flatus? It’s also hard to research how much flatus is normal. After all, no doctor wants to say, “I’m a specialist in farts.” But research reveals that most people fart 15 to 25 times a day. Dr. Wang has been studying hydrogen sulfide for...Read More
Alternate Treatments, Lifestyle, Nutrition
Puritanical Lies about Alcohol
Are you becoming as skeptical as I am about public information? Fake political news? Alternative facts about the state of the world’s economy? So, now I ask how honest is medical news? Of course everyone knows that consuming stupid amounts of alcohol is unhealthy. But puritans and some doctors can’t accept the proven fact that moderate amounts of alcohol can prolong life. Professor Keith Scott-Mumby, an internationally known U.K. expert on alternative medicine, echoes what I have written over the years, that people who drink moderately live longer on average than teetotalers or those who drink to excess. In fact, there are over 20 studies that confirm this. In court it’s a criminal offense to withhold truth, so why doesn’t the...Read More
Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Nutrition, Vitamins
Can Six Million Readers Help Answer This Question?
Several weeks ago I reported that autopsies of the brains of people diagnosed with dementia reveal damage to small arteries, which may cause tiny strokes and brain injury. Researchers also discovered that mice with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), when treated with vitamin C, showed that typical amyloid plaques associated with this disease disappeared! And since high doses of vitamin C can decrease the risk of heart attack by providing oxygenated blood, could it also prevent AD? So I asked readers “Do you know anyone who has used Medi-C Plus, or other brands containing high doses of vitamin C (4,000 to 6,000 milligrams) for several years, then developed Alzheimer’s Disease?” MM replied, “I believe Linus Pauling, the Nobel Prize winner, was right that low...Read More
Gastroenterology, Lifestyle, Nutrition, Vitamins
There’s more to Constipation than Grunting.
You think constipation isn’t important? If so, an article in the American Journal of Gastroenterology suggests you’d better think again. Annually, in the U.S., 700,000 people are seen in hospital emergency wards for this problem. Since 2006 there’s been a shocking 42 percent increase in constipation, costing 1.6 billion dollars. So what’s gone wrong, and what are the medical consequences other than grunting? Constipation can be merely a chronic annoyance affecting quality of life. But Dr. John R. Hyatt, gastroenterologist at the Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano in Texas, says, “It can also result in hemorrhoids, anal tears, fissures, rectal prolapse and fecal impaction”. Fecal impaction is no fun. It occurs when a large fecal mass cannot be passed....Read More
Nutrition
LeafSource : A Natural Remedy 100 Years in the Making
Can the fossilized remains of an ancient, organic forest treat many modern medical problems? Like Ripley, you might say, “It’s too good to be true”. But unlike today’s medicines, LeafSource has been 100 million years in the making! The Cretaceous Age started 145 million years ago. It was the golden age of giant tree ferns, fresh marsh vegetation and rich food sources. But, unhappily, all ages end. Nevertheless, this period has been preserved in a seabed deposit in New Mexico, U.S.A. Now, its nutritious content is available in a capsule called LeafSource, It’s been said that “Humans are starving to death on full stomachs.” This is because optimum health and longevity of the body depend on the absorption of enough raw material...Read More
Alcohol, Lifestyle, Nutrition
Why Would God Have Made Wine So Good?
Why do I like Cardinal Amand Richelieu? I’m not an expert theologian. But I remember the Cardinal was a leading character in The Three Musketeers, a ruler more powerful than the King and known as “The Red Eminence” due to his red robe. But he also enjoyed red wine. He once remarked, “If God forbade drinking, would he have made wine so good?” It appears that Jesus supported the use of alcohol. After all, he transformed water into wine. So why would a mortal like me ignore such sage teachings? Particularly, when there are more old wine drinkers than old doctors! For years I’ve told patients that if they’ve never consumed alcohol, don’t start. We know the terrible social consequences of excessive...Read More
Nutrition, Vitamins
Surviving a Toxic World
How many of us would like to live like a hermit? I doubt that many would decide to give up the comfort and pleasures of civilization. But we pay an increasing price for comfort. Today, it’s impossible to escape fumes from cars, radiation from computers, earth’s depleted ozone layer, foods that have been over-processed, pesticides sprayed onto crops, to mention a few. It’s no wonder that so many North Americans suffer from toxic inflammatory diseases. But there’s a natural way to boost the immune system to decrease the risk. Dr. John Wilkinson, Senior Herbal Medicine Lecturer at Middlesex University, London, England, says the answer is plant sterols which, like vitamin C, cannot be made by the human body. Studies show that...Read More
Lifestyle, Medicine, Miscellaneous, Nutrition
Losing Weight the Asinine Way
Has the medical world gone completely insane? A new medical device called “AspireAssist” to treat obesity has been approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) in the U.S. Its approval is being studied by Health Canada. The British Medical Journal agrees with my reaction when it reported, “AspireAssist surely marks the end of civilization as we know it”. This remark sounds ominous, but it’s not about a nuclear threat. Rather, about obese people who thoroughly chow down a meal, then half an hour later physically remove one third of it! Not by inserting a tube down their throat. Instead, by an endoscopic surgical procedure in which doctors insert a pencil-sized tube into the stomach. Following the meal a pump...Read More
Cardiovascular, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Nutrition
Are Hens An Endangered Species?
Headlines fool a lot of people. In March 1984 the cover of Time Magazine caught everyone’s attention. It read “Cholesterol, Now the Bad News”. It reported that cholesterol had been proven deadly and our diet should never be the same again. Researchers have since found little or no correlation between cholesterol in our food and our blood cholesterol. But since eggs contain more cholesterol than most other foods, hens have taken a brutal beating. So why have North American Egg Associations failed to defend hens more vigorously? And why have they ignored scientific facts about heart attack? At one point it looked like the hens were getting a welcome break. The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) has since ruled that it...Read More
Cancer, Gastroenterology, Lifestyle, Nutrition
Can Fiber Decrease the Risk of Colon Cancer?
Humans don’t learn from history. Dr. Denis Burkitt, a British researcher, showed years ago that African natives, consuming large amounts of fiber, did not suffer from constipation, appendicitis or problems of the large bowel, such as diverticulitis (hernias of the colon). Now, a new British report states an increase in dietary fiber decreases the risk of large bowel malignancy. Being of Scottish heritage, I always consider ways to save money for our health care system. Luckily, there’s no need for expensive MRI’s to determine whether the diet contains sufficient fiber. A rectal examination that finds rock-like stools quickly provides the answer. Stools that don’t float are also a good sign more fiber is needed. Students of history may remember the World War...Read More
Lifestyle, Nutrition, Vitamins
Child Hunger: How a Pharmaceutical Company Will End It
What has “Plant a seed and Watch it grow” have to do with a medical column? In one word, plenty! One of today’s medical disasters is that many children in this country are hungry and poor. Finally, a major pharmaceutical company has come up with a novel idea to eliminate this shameful social condition. According to the World Health Organization, malnutrition is the greatest threat to public health. Canada, unlike many of its G8 counterparts, has no national child nutrition program. So, one in seven children live in poverty and hunger with increased risk of a variety of health problems. In the U.S., The Department of Agriculture says 9 out of 10 Americans are deficient in potassium, 8 out of 10 in...Read More
Lifestyle, Nutrition
How does my Diet compare with The Mayo Clinic’s?
“What diet do you follow?” is a question I’m often asked when writing about cardiovascular disease. So I was interested to read a report from The Mayo Clinic recommending ways to have a heart-healthy diet. How did mine stack up? Sometimes I threaten the waiter! I couldn’t agree more with Mayo’s. For years I’ve stressed that calories do count and the larger the portion on the plate the greater the number of calories. But our eyes are often larger than our stomachs and we ignore portion size. Moreover, in some restaurants the only way to obtain a small portion is to threaten the waiter! Remember, you can have the most nutritious heart healthy meal available on the plate, but if it’s a...Read More
Lifestyle, Nutrition, Obesity
Will a Tax On Sugar Cure Obesity?
35 years ago I warned readers about the dangers of excessive sugar consumption and labelled sugar the “white devil”. The sugar industry was not amused, and complained to the College of Physicians and Surgeons that I should be disciplined. I won, after a trying, difficult battle. How things change! Five countries currently have a sugar tax. Now the British are debating the merits of a 20 per cent tax on high sugar products to help fight the epidemic of obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Why this change of heart? Dr Simon Capewell, UK vice-president of health policy, says, “public opinion on a sugar tax is shifting. The majority of parents are angry that their children are being made fat”. He adds, “It’s...Read More
Lifestyle, Nutrition
Potassium Is Like Sex and Money
Can you have too much of anything these days? Surely, by now, you know that you can get too much sugar, too much salt and too many calories, to name a few things. But you can also get into trouble by getting too little of some nutrients. So this week, here’s why potassium is so like sex and money. Paul Whelton, Professor of Epidemiology at Tulane School of Public Health in New Orleans, is an expert on hypertension. He reports good news in the Nutrition Action Health Letter for those who love to add salt to their food. He claims good evidence shows that consuming enough potassium may counter the effect of excess salt on blood...Read More
Nutrition
Protein: What Don’t You Know
Fads in clothing come and go. Women’s skirts go up and then get longer. Men’s pants get wide and then narrower. Fads also occur in medicine. In the 1980’s it was “low fat” for packaged foods and weight loss diets. Later on the buzz word was “low carb”. Now, walk down the aisle in supermarkets or health food stores and it’s hard to miss the protein content in foods, or protein added to cereals, granola bars or shakes. So today “P” is popping up everywhere. But what is so special about protein? In the past it was recommended for athletes who only wanted larger muscles. Now, it’s also for those who want to lose weight. But a report from the University...Read More
Nutrition
No More Prime Rib and Mashed Potatoes?
Why is it that so many things are bad for you these days? We know that too much sugar, salt and calories are a bad combination for longevity. Now, the health publication, Nutrition Action, says red meat increases the risk of several major diseases. Horrendous news for me as roast beef and mashed potatoes are my favourite meal. So how risky is it to eat meat? Dr. Walter Willett at Harvard’s School of Public Health is a top nutritional guru. He says that 9 percent of deaths in the Harvard study could have been saved if people ate less red meat daily. In effect, the consumption of red meat was related to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, Type 2...Read More
Lifestyle, Nutrition, Vitamins
Martin Luther King Had a Great Dream: What’s Mine on My 40th?
To dream of what might be is a good thing. Martin Luther King had a great dream but only some of his dream has been realized. The U.S. now has a black President, Jackie Robinson became a great baseball star and a friend of mine became Professor of Medicine at The Harvard Medical School. So, this week marks the 40th year I’ve written this column and I too have a dream. But it’s far from reality. For 40 years I’ve hoped that by passing along medical information I’ve helped people live a healthier lifestyle and longer life. I believe one of my most important messages is that high doses of vitamin C and lysine can prevent and reverse atherosclerosis (hardening of...Read More
Lifestyle, Nutrition
What Would I Want For My Final Meal?
In Thunder Bay, Ontario, recently, while giving a talk, I suddenly found my mouth watering. I mentioned that I was just 150 miles away from Quetico Park where I had spent two months alone years ago doing fish research. I said that the highest priced meal in the world could not compete with a yellow pickerel cooked over a camp fire. Which now brings me to the health benefits of eating fish today. We are often told we should eat fish as they’re a good choice for lean protein. People in Iceland eat a whopping 220 pounds of fish a year. The average North American eats a paltry 16 pounds annually, including fish sticks! This difference is in part due to the...Read More
Lifestyle, Nutrition, Sports, Women's Health
Sarcopenia: A Needless Path to a Wheelchair
What’s the worst health problem that can happen to you? I’m sure many readers would say cancer, stroke or Alzheimer’s Disease. I agree these are all frightful diseases. But there’s another one that occurs gradually as we age. It’s called Sarcopenia ( the loss of muscle mass), and this creeping frailty forces many elderly into nursing homes because their muscles are so weak they can no longer get off the toilet. A recent report from Tufts University in Boston says, sarcopenia robs people of their independence and often leads to the risk of falls, resulting in serious injury. Visit any nursing home and you’ll see multiple examples of sarcopenia. Studies show that sarcopenia begins around age 45 and increases at the rate...Read More
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat, Nutrition, Surgery, Vitamins
Do I Need Cataract Surgery?
Do I get a lot of E-mail? Yes, tons of it. Do I get letters? Practically never, particularly those without a return address. So I was surprised by a recent one. All I know is the writer lives in Lethbridge, Alberta, and is elderly. She has written that she wants to be an informed patient, so is asking for my stand on cataract surgery. “Ms. X” simply believed she needed reading glasses, but was told by an optometrist that she required cataract surgery. She remarks, “I hesitated, so he sent me to an ophthalmologist for a second opinion. He also agreed that surgery was needed, suggested I simply sign on the dotted line, then called, “Next patient, please”. But the writer asked...Read More
Nutrition, Vitamins
The Darkness Hormone
"Do you think melatonin is of any value?" a doctor recently asked me. So if a doctor is wondering about this natural remedy, there must be many patients who are asking the same question. So what do we know about it? Melatonin has been labeled "the darkness hormone" because it's produced at night in contrast to vitamin D, "the sunshine hormone", that's manufactured during sunlight hours. Melatonin is found in some plants such as bananas, cherries and grapes. A report in the Journal of Medicinal Food showed that tart cherry juice, compared to a placebo drink, helped some older people sleep better. But it required 16 ounces a day, (the equivalent of 100 cherries) to have this modest effect. It also added...Read More
Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Nutrition
Want to Be a Millionaire?
What would I do if I wanted to be rich? I'd start a class action suit against food companies for their role in creating "the perfect storm", the three major epidemics in this country. After all, a judge has recently created the "perfect guidelines" for a win/win situation. He ruled that smokers can be rewarded for ill health or death. Of course, it's not their fault they ignored health warnings for 50 years about smoking! But since obesity causes more deaths than smoking, why shouldn't food companies also reward us for our ill health? Faced with a class action suit, food companies wouldn't have a leg to stand on in court. Consider the junk they've been selling unsuspecting customers for years....Read More
Lifestyle, Nutrition
Picky Eaters: The Terror of Being Invited To Dinner
What’s the worst fear for some people? It’s not standing before a crowd and giving a major speech. Nor is it the apprehension of being crushed in a crowded elevator, or flying. It’s the terror of having no control of what’s in food. Now, British researchers report there is a way for parents to prevent children from becoming picky eaters. So how picky can you get? The next time you’re at a dinner party do a little detective work and see if you can spot which guest suffers from this phobia. You don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to spot picky eaters. One clue is to keep your eye on the guest’s dinner plate. For instance,...Read More
Cancer, Gastroenterology, Genitourinary, Miscellaneous, Nutrition
Do You Need a CT Scan?
How many people will die from excessive radiation exposure? Today, more patients get CT scans for a variety of problems. So how can patients decrease the risk of excessive exposure? “Consumer Reports on Health” says the number of CT scans in the U.S. in 1980 was under 3 million. Now in 2015 it’s 80 million. Experts claim that about one-third of the scans have little medical value. And the report adds that some doctors and technicians don’t take measures to reduce radiation exposure. In the past it’s been said that the radiation threat is greatest in children. But some research now suggests that certain radiation induced cancers place adults at risk as well, more than previously realized by doctors. So when is a...Read More
