* " The Breakfast of Champions."

In the past scientists have found that eating fiber can reduce heart
disease, stroke, blood sugar and blood pressure. A new study in the Journal of
the American Medical Association studied nearly 4000 older men and women. All of
them were free of cardiovascular disease from the beginning. Interestingly,
fiber from fruit and vegetables did not reduce heart disease in this particular
trial. Eating cereal correlated with less strokes and heart attacks. Cereal
fiber derived from dark breads such as rye, wheat and pumpernickel seemed to
work the best. The moral of the story is quite simple: eat your breakfast and
make sure you have your cereal! Cereal makes for healthy snacks too. Finally,
both the young and the old benefit.

* Does Avlimil work for female sexual dysfunction? What does work?

You’ll see lots of ads for this supplement and it almost looks like the
FDA approved it. Even the packaging looks like an oral contraceptive pack.
Avlimil is a mixture of herbs which includes raspberry leaf, red clover, sage,
capsicum, damiana, ginger, licorice, valerian, and black cohosh. The makers of
this herb combo claim that it improves blood flow to the vagina and increases
the sexual response. There is no convincing evidence that Avlimil helps to
improve sexual function. Also one of the ingredients called sage can cause
dizziness, vomiting and kidney damage at higher dosages. At a cost of over a
dollar a day, this unproven product should be avoided. Of course now you ask,
what does work? This really depends upon the problem. The first step is seeing
your doctor for an assessment. Decreased desire might be treated with
testosterone or DHEA (an herb). Hormonal levels would first need to be
determined. A testosterone level below 30 ng/dL or a DHEA-S level below 100
micrograms/dL might be significant and warrant treatment. If there is
depression, Wellbutrin could be useful. This drug is an antidepressant that may
increase sexual arousal. Prior physical abuse may require psychotherapy. If
there is a lack of lubrication and genital sensation, Viagra may help this
subset of women. Viagra does not help decreased sexual desire or libido.
Sometimes certain medications and diseases may interfere with sexual arousal.
These avenues should be explored as well. Female sexual dysfunction is quite
common but not much is written in medical textbooks. Bring this article to your
doctor and discuss your options.

*Do elevated levels of homocysteine cause serious health problems?

This is a chemical found in our blood that may cause injury to our
vessels and heart muscle. Apparently, elevated homocysteine levels can cause
heart attacks, strokes, blood clots and more recently, heart failure.
Homocysteine is quite an expensive blood test and is often not covered by
insurance. While it is proven that homocysteine is a risk factor for the above
diseases, will lowering it be helpful? Many physicians feel that lowering this
chemical will result in a 24% reduction in strokes, a 25% reduction in blood
clots and a 16% reduction in heart attacks. The data support this conclusion but
more studies are needed. B vitamins, especially folic acid, lower homocysteine..
Consumption of 800 micrograms of folic acid daily may result in the above noted
benefits. The average multiple vitamin contains 400 micrograms of folic acid.
Adding B complex to a multiple should provide enough folic acid. It may be
helpful to take 800 mcg. of folic acid daily as a preventative, instead of
paying for this expensive test. B vitamins may also help to lower the risk of
colon cancer, improve mental functioning and reduce fetal malformations. Our
Mega Multiple 85 has higher levels of B vitamins than Centrum and we guarantee
our product.

*Should herbs and other supplements be discontinued before surgery?

The medical literature shows only a few problems thus far. For example,
there is evidence of bleeding with garlic and ginkgo but there are problems with
other herbs as well.

Bleeding: Some herbs and supplements have anticlotting effects. These include
ginkgo, garlic,.feverfew, ginger, ginseng, evening primrose oil, fish oil and
many other herbs.

Drug interactions: Supplements can effect the liver and change how drugs are
broken down during surgery. Herbs that can affect liver processing include St.
John's wort, echinacea, red clover, goldenseal, garlic and many more.

Blood pressure: Some herbs can increase pulse rate and blood pressure. Many
people are aware that ephedra can be a problem but not aware that bitter orange,
country mallow, and heartleaf are herbs that can cause ephedra like effects.
Ginseng and licorice extract can also increase blood pressure by retaining salt.
Sedatives: Some herbs can have additive sedative effects when added to
anesthetics..Supplements containing valerian, melatonin, .kava, lemon balm,
passionflower etc. can cause
sedation.

I suggest you stop all herbs and supplements at least two weeks before
surgery. Herbs are essentially medications. Even though you can buy them over
the counter, herbs still have significant side effects. Many herbs can be useful
but check with your doctor or pharmacist so you are aware of the side effects,
interactions and clinical benefits.

* Do you have ADHD?

Nearly 5% of the adult population has this disease (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) The hallmarks of this problem are lack of focus, restlessness and disorganization. Such individuals may have problems with their careers and relationships. They are more likely to get fired from their job and divorced from their spouse. Traffic accidents are also increased. Often the above sysmptoms will begin in childhood and there can be a family history of this disease as well. It is also common for such individuals to have other disorders such as substance abuse, depression and anxiety. Often stimulants can be useful in treating this disease. Such stimulants are related to amphetamines and abuse potential exists. Certain antidepressants may be helpful such as Effexor XR or Norpramin. A new drug called Strattera can be taken once a day for this disorder. It is not a stimulant and does not have abuse potential. The drug works by increasing norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain. Dry mouth, insomnia and nausea are the most common side effects. Having ADHD does not mean that you are slow and can't learn. Many people with this ailment are highly creative and have many talents.Sugar and aspartamine do not contribute to this disease.

* A new reason to use duct tape.

If you have a wart, duct tape just might do the job! Often warts are treated by cryotherapy. In other words a cold probe is applied to the wart by a dermatologist to help cure the problem. A small study compared duct tape to cryotherapy. The duct tape was kept on the wart for 6 days and then removed. Wart tissue was removed by the patient and the duct tape was reapplied. 85% of the duct tape group had complete resolution of the wart. The cryotherapy group had 60% resolution. The main side effect of duct tape was that it would fall off. If a response wasn't noticed in the 1st two weeks of treatment, then further duct tape usage was unhelpful.While this study was small, it makes sense to try duct tape initially and then proceed with cryotherapy if duct tape doesn't work. Use the duct tape for a period of at least one month.

* Can a multiple vitamin benefit you?

The main reason that I take a multiple is due to its vitamin B content. The Journal of the American Medical association recommends a multi vitamin because the B vitamins may reduce the incidence of heart disease and stroke by lowering homocysteine. This substance can clog up our arteries and the B vitamins definitely lower it. Hopefully we will see less heart disease and strokes as a result of this simple intervention. B vitamins reduced colon cancer by 75% in women who took the supplement. B vitamins may reduce depression and improve cognition. A recent small study showed that diabetics had less infections if they took a multiple vitamin daily. There were less colds, diarrhea and other such infections. Vitamin D is a very important ingredient in a multiple vitamin. Women who take at least 400 units of vitamin D daily can reduce hip fractures by 37%.

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