tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91298982008-06-19T05:19:35.408-05:00Todd Lugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08274178138660903811noreply@blogger.comBlogger100125This is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site, subject to copyright and fair use.tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129898.post-2957079581740690402008-01-20T11:23:00.001-05:002008-01-20T11:23:56.402-05:00This appears to be a major breakthrough. Even though the egg in questions was never actually fertilized, it is still an embryo, which means it could conceivably be born. So the right-to-lifers are not gonna be on board with this. Though, the fact that the embryo is a clone of the donor does add an interesting variable. The embryo in this case is not a separate organism in the same sense that...Todd Lugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08274178138660903811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129898.post-70315379839729674542008-01-20T11:13:00.001-05:002008-01-20T16:17:26.757-05:00This is a major issue. I heard about it on NPR the other day. A fairly high percentage of studies done on anti-depressants of all types concluded that they did not work nearly as well as claimed. It is interesting because the effectiveness of St. John's Wort was dismissed some time back as a result of one clinical study that had equivocal results. It is likely that many people are experiencing...Todd Lugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08274178138660903811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129898.post-66912516346960982232008-01-20T09:34:00.001-05:002008-01-20T09:34:48.409-05:00More good news for the yogurt makers and eaters. Todd Lugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08274178138660903811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129898.post-68241201734604778032008-01-12T13:14:00.001-05:002008-01-12T13:44:37.834-05:00A new study confirms what many have been reporting anecdotally for years. However, long term risk may be involved. Low-carb diets appear to adversely affect intestinal flora (which often feed on carb metabolites and fiber). Taking flora supplements may not help much if there is nothing to feed on, but taking fiber supplements might. From what I recall, they like psyllium, but look it up before...Todd Lugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08274178138660903811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129898.post-44505405710508300412008-01-10T13:20:00.000-05:002008-01-10T13:23:31.200-05:00Some support for the long-held belief that cranberries are good for urinary tract infections. Turns out that's not all. Todd Lugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08274178138660903811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129898.post-36796870625500987902007-12-26T10:32:00.001-05:002007-12-26T10:32:41.443-05:00This is an interesting study that lends support to some age-old concepts from the natural health field that have been described in various ways, such as clearing excess (chinese medicine), cleansing or detoxifying (naturopathy), and removing ama (ayurveda). It shows that calorie restriction promotes the removal of pathological accumulations from the body and may suggest (IMO) that...Todd Lugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08274178138660903811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129898.post-19105671516971020932007-12-26T10:25:00.001-05:002007-12-26T10:25:07.919-05:00When folic acid was added to enriched grains, some scientists warned that this was the largest experiment ever done in American history. While folic acid prevents neural tube defects in developing fetuses, the high levels of synthetic folate is apparently problematic in those who have vitamin B-12 deficiencies. One of the problems is increased homocysteine levels, which is a marker...Todd Lugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08274178138660903811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129898.post-1622889553301617022007-12-22T13:20:00.001-05:002007-12-22T13:20:04.137-05:00Advances in stem cell research seem to be happening rapidly these days. I wonder how far along we would be if the King of the Morons had not been ruling for the past seven years. Todd Lugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08274178138660903811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129898.post-73705009331735259672007-12-22T13:14:00.001-05:002007-12-22T13:14:54.047-05:00Hey, impress your party guests with your erudition. And if you practice medicine for a living, you can be less of a dumbass. Todd Lugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08274178138660903811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129898.post-70709865475003805162007-12-22T13:09:00.001-05:002007-12-22T13:09:47.276-05:00Not sure if this means to eat more fish. Remember that many fish are high in mercury. Some safe or relatively ones include wild salmon, wild haddock, wild atlantic cod, farm-raised tilapia, and wild mahi. Big ones to avoid are swordfish and shark. Most tuna (except canned light) should be eat sparingly (no more than a couple times a month if one is eating other fish.) The FDA has...Todd Lugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08274178138660903811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129898.post-72554766935029852002007-12-22T12:58:00.001-05:002007-12-22T12:58:57.084-05:00A non-toxic way to kill fleas. Todd Lugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08274178138660903811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129898.post-62634855522020699262007-12-22T12:55:00.001-05:002007-12-22T12:55:52.322-05:00More evidence that we have gone overboard in our fear of the sun. This dovetails with other evidence suggesting we need much more Vitamin D than most folks get. Todd Lugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08274178138660903811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129898.post-15879626908164140222007-12-22T12:48:00.000-05:002007-12-22T12:49:00.246-05:00A reminder to some and a wake-up call to others. Many commercial products contain dangerous chemicals. We are assured that none of these chemicals has been proven harmful in small, regular doses, but this article reminds us that neither have they been proven safe. The research just has not been done. Why, because law requiring it are blocked by industry lobbyists. And if these products...Todd Lugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08274178138660903811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129898.post-88512997859012081532007-12-21T12:47:00.002-05:002008-04-02T08:39:36.524-05:00I have said this before, but it was underscored by an article in a recent issue of Mother Jones: Consuming products grown on Chinese soils, including Chinese herbs is a major health risk. Some companies claim that their herbal products are clean, but if you read an article like this one last summer from the New York Times, it really makes you wonder who you can trust. Personally, I would no...Todd Lugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08274178138660903811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129898.post-41434163023989517012007-09-30T19:24:00.000-05:002007-09-30T19:39:25.256-05:00A recent study showed that so-called sham acupuncture was just as effective as "real" acupuncture in relieving nausea caused by chemotherapy. This follows on the heels of a German study showing the same thing for low back pain. Needless to say, this has caused an uproar in the professional Chinese medicine community, screaming foul and concocting every conceivable reason why this is either...Todd Lugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08274178138660903811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129898.post-21202742101461145502007-07-19T13:14:00.001-05:002007-07-19T13:19:15.586-05:00I have noted elsewhere that conventionally grown vegetables must confer significant health benefits as all studies documenting the decreased cancer rates in those who consumed more than five servings a day were done on folks consuming the typical produce found in a grocery store. In other words, whatever negative effect there might be from consuming small amounts of pesticide residue were more...Todd Lugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08274178138660903811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129898.post-18157192760973984852007-07-19T07:56:00.001-05:002007-07-19T08:18:43.069-05:00This recent article touts the power of patient expectations in the effectiveness of acupuncture. The author summarizes the study: In analyzing the patients’ responses, the researchers found: “In our four randomized trials, patients with high expectations were more likely to report better outcomes than patients with lower expectations, both after treatment and four months later. The size of...Todd Lugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08274178138660903811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129898.post-85204486651515733342007-07-19T07:26:00.000-05:002007-07-19T07:53:57.547-05:00A new study is being touted as demonstrating that acupuncture is effective for hypertension. However, looking closely at the study reveals the following: It was not a truly "randomized, double-blind study" as the authors claim.There was an element of the placebo effect at play that could have skewed the results.The patients did not have significant hypertension to begin with.The results...Todd Lugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08274178138660903811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129898.post-9637477925793448472007-06-29T06:49:00.000-05:002007-06-29T07:11:31.719-05:00Given the recent rash of contamination scandals in Chinese food and health products (pet food, toothpaste, farmed fish, and dried fruit), it would appear to be prudent to exercise some caution in one consumption of Chinese herbs. Some importers test a small number of herbs for some commonly used pesticides and herbicides. However, one can easily circumvent these tests by using more obscure...Todd Lugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08274178138660903811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129898.post-68430710537575321852007-06-24T19:08:00.000-05:002007-10-19T08:48:42.951-05:00My main interest in preventive health has always been diet. As we all know, a diet that includes five or more serving of fruits and vegetables a day is essential. In addition, all or most calories from carbohydrates should come from whole grains. One should limit the intake of saturated fats and completely avoid sugar and hydrogenated fat. Simple enough to grasp. However, the questions of what...Todd Lugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08274178138660903811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129898.post-80629967100507835902007-04-08T19:02:00.000-05:002007-04-08T19:20:05.780-05:00Sometimes I do a google search for my name just for the fun of it. The other day I stumbled across a post by an acupuncture student that had been posted to a forum somewhere. It was something to the effect of who the hell am I and where did I come off suggesting that acupuncture was a "dead-end" profession. I did write in my last posts about the expense of being educated in the field and the...Todd Lugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08274178138660903811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129898.post-1170605254836312972007-02-04T10:36:00.000-05:002007-02-04T11:12:05.263-05:00I found this letter to the editor of Acupuncture Today somewhat disturbing. While I am sure the intent is sincere, it reflects a profound lack of knowledge and understanding about the history and practice of Acupuncture. The writer is an MD who used to practice acupuncture after completing a 300 hour training course. For a number of reasons, she decided to complete a 3600 hour training program at...Todd Lugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08274178138660903811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129898.post-1169225006501787232007-01-19T11:29:00.000-05:002007-01-22T11:21:59.913-05:00According to Payscale's Real-Time Salary Survey, www.payscale.com, the median yearly salary for acupuncturists in years 1-4 is $45,000. In the 5-19 year range, the mean of the medians is 55,000. The one group making a decent living is those with 20 or more years in practice. Since this group also spent next to nothing on their training, I am sure the profession looks good to them. These would ...Todd Lugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08274178138660903811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129898.post-1169224101865109022007-01-19T10:56:00.000-05:002007-01-19T11:47:14.820-05:00For some insight into the penetration of alternative medicine into the mainstream, consider this data. Despite the rhetoric, it appears that interest in actual medical practices (as opposed to prayer and massage) has plateaued or stalled at a fairly low level. From: Barnes PM, Powell-Griner E, McFann K, Nahin RL. Complementary and alternative medicine use among adults: United States 2002....Todd Lugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08274178138660903811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9129898.post-1167695454029885772007-01-01T18:44:00.000-05:002007-01-01T18:50:54.056-05:00It must be the time of year that motivates these posts. I truly want peace on earth and goodwill between people. Thus, I feel compelled to point out that religious belief has a strong negative association with both of these goals. As Matthew Provonsha writes in Skeptic Magazine: Whether religion leads directly to dysfunctionality, or religions merely flourish in dysfunctional societies, neither...Todd Lugerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08274178138660903811noreply@blogger.com