Cutting Edge Research Made Easy
by Linda Woolven, B.A., Master Herbalist, Acupuncturist and Ted Snider, B.Ed., M.A.
In 2001, a study was published on the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) Paxil (paroxtine). The study was funded by the pharmaceutical company that made the drug, GlaxoSmithKline. It concluded that Paxil was safe and effective for the treatment of depression in adolescents (J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2001;40:762-72). Now the data from that…
We often hear that blueberries are one of the richest sources of antioxidants, but we seldom see any actual research on their health benefits. Recently, though, two studies have shown that blueberries lower blood pressure. . . .
Chemical mosquito repellents are dangerous; natural mosquito repellents smell bad. Right? Maybe not anymore. Although it may be too late for this summer, new research may have found a herbal mosquito repellent that works, is safe and smells sweet! . . .
In our last blog, we wrote about the great herb Ginkgo biloba and new evidence that it could, in addition to all the things we already know it does, help reduce some of the serious side effects of metabolic syndrome. Now another new study points to another way of warding off metabolic syndrome. This study…
Ginkgo biloba is quite possibly the most valuable and versatile herb in the world. And now there is yet another possible use for this great herb. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of symptoms that is strongly associated with the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. Metabolic syndrome is diagnosed if three of the five following conditions…
You may never have heard of Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs) before, but you will. They represent a paradigm shift in the treatment of cancer. Current cancer treatments target the proliferating cells in the growing tumour but leave the CSCs alone. And that may be part of the reason that they have fallen so far short…
In one of the most unusual studies we have seen lately, aromatherapy with lavender has been shown to improve people’s trust in each other. . . .
Pancreatic cancer is tough to treat: it is one of the cancers with the poorest prognosis. So anything we can learn about preventing it is invaluable. A recent meta-analysis has provided some of that information. . . .
We have written a lot, both in this blog and in The Natural Path newsletter, about the health benefits of eating nuts. Contrary to persistent misinformation, the evidence is overwhelming that nuts help you lose weight, not make you gain it. They are also good for lowering cholesterol and improving heart health.
Bitter melon is an exciting herb for treating diabetes. It contains a component that has been shown to reduce blood sugar like insulin but without any of insulin’s side effects. At least two previous studies have shown that bitter melon improves type 2 diabetes (J Ethnopharmacol 1986;17:277-82; Phytother Res 1993;7:285-9). And now a new study…
Of all the misinformation in modern medicine, the most tragic of all is the ubiquitous advice that you can’t take antioxidants while you are on chemo. Contrary to what all cancer patients are told, antioxidants reduce the side effects of chemo, do not interfere with its effectiveness and can actually make it work better. For…
It has long been suspected that there is an association between low levels of vitamin D and the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS). Now hugely important Canadian research has shown for the first time that the link is not a coincidence: it is a causal link. . . .