A new study compared low fat, low carb and Mediterranean diets. The findings were that those on the low carb and Mediterranean diets, lost more weight and had more improved cholesterol and triglyceride levels, than those on the low fat diet. The study was conducted at a remote nuclear facility in Israel, so there was [...]
Category Archives: Diabetes
Worms: The Answer To Immune Problems?
July 3, 2008 – 12:22 pm
There have been several articles recently about how worms may be good for you, not the kind in the soil but those that are parasites in the human body. The idea is that worms (helminths) may help calm the immune system. What makes the perfect parasite? For those that want to survive in the body, [...]
Foods You Should Be Eating?
July 1, 2008 – 4:27 pm
The NY Times today has a list of 11 foods that you should be eating, but likely are not. How many do you eat? They are 1) beets, 2) cabbage, 3) chard, 4) cinnamon, 5) pomegranate juice, 6) dried plums (newish name for prunes), 7) pumpkin seeds, turmeric*, 9) sardine, 10) frozen blueberries and 11) [...]
LDL Cholesterol Lowering Drugs: The Statins
June 20, 2008 – 3:03 pm
Continuing from yesterday’s theme, I thought I would write a short explanation of the statin family of drugs, that are used for treating bad levels of cholesterol. Statins are the most prescribed drugs in the US. In fact, Atorvastatin (Lipitor), much of the time, has been the most prescribed drug for the last couple of [...]
Red Yeast Rice For Cholesterol Lowering?
June 18, 2008 – 3:47 pm
There has been quite a bit of news lately about red yeast rice and its use for lowering cholesterol. The short answer is yes red yeast rice can lower cholesterol. However, there are some important considerations when deciding whether to use this supplement for cholesterol lowering. What is red yeast rice? This is rice that [...]
Japan Aims To Measure 56 Million Waists
June 16, 2008 – 2:36 pm
Japan now has a national law that all adults between 40 and 72 must have their waists measured. This is 56 million waists, or 44% of the population. Those whose waists are too big will get diet and exercise advice, and follow-up visits. Like all countries Japan is concerned about the expanding waistlines of the [...]
Relaxation Benefits
May 31, 2008 – 12:10 pm
Relaxation has lots of benefits. Everybody should have some time when they relax. We all know this, whether we consciously and deliberately spend time relaxing. Benefit of relaxation cover a wide range of health and lifestyle issues. Lower blood pressure Reduced muscle tension Improve concentration Reduce pain, including headaches and back pain Lower heart rate [...]
Garlic for Blood Pressure, Heart Disease, Stroke, Diabetes And Antioxidant Status
May 15, 2008 – 3:00 pm
Garlic has long been known to be good for you. In the last few years it has been demonstrated that it may play a beneficial role in many aspects of health including lowering blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke, and improving antioxidant status. Garlic has been shown recently to decrease blood [...]
Occasional Short Fasts May Be Healthy
May 5, 2008 – 2:02 pm
Recent research has shown that short occasional fasts may have health benefits. Evidence is suggesting the controlled brief fasting may actually be good for you. It may be that our bodies have developed to expect intermittent periods of time without food. Our prehistoric ancestors would have had periods when there was little food available. The [...]
Daily Aspirin – Some New Benefits
May 2, 2008 – 3:19 pm
Aspirin and aspirin-like compounds (i.e. derivatives of salicylic acid) have a number of health benefits. Two new potential benefits are reducing the risk of a type of breast cancer and increasing insulin secretion. Aspirin has long been used for mild to moderate pain relief. It is commonly used for pain relief for headaches and for [...]