Most of us use a general practitioner as our primary health provider. It doesn’t make much sense to go to a specialist such as an endocrinologist or neurologist when you’re simply having your periodic check up. Generally speaking, a good G.P. can manage most general health needs. At the same time, doctors and patients alike realize that such physicians have their limitations. They can’t possibly be up-to-date on every new development in every field of medicine, so they refer patients to specialists whenever needed. The same is true of how consumers can approach their own health care. If you’re basically healthy, you may want to focus on staying informed on how to maintain good general health. However, if you’re trying to address specific health issues, then you’ll need to become a “patient specialist”. Read more »

The distinctive yellowish color that is often associated with Indian and South Asian dishes is derived from Curcuma longa or turmeric. This rhizome (underground stem) is part of the ginger family, but it doesn’t possess the same pungent flavor or odor. Turmeric does however contain a group of antioxidant pigments known as curcuminoids. The primary curcuminoid is curcumin, a name often used interchangeably in alternative medicine when describing turmeric extracts. Read more »

Perhaps you heard or read about the recent news concerning caffeine and its purported effect on the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. I know those headlines certainly caught my attention. I’m a frequent coffee drinker and regularly advocate the use of this roasted bean to promote wellness in most individuals. But rather than simply accept the current positive findings, I decided to dig a little deeper. I wanted to know: Does caffeine and, more specifically, coffee really afford any real world brain protection? Read more »

Last week I presented a case for North American ginseng (Panax quinquefolium) as a natural way to manage the common cold and flu. In the second part of my 2 part column on ginseng, I’ll focus primarily on another member of the Panax family known as red ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer). Red ginseng is typically grown in China or Korea, and is marked by a six year growth cycle. In pre-scientific times, it was considered a virtual panacea, but its reputation has cooled considerably in the 20th and 21th centuries. In my own recent review of the medical literature, I’ve discovered what seems to be a renewed interest in the scientific study of ginseng. There were literally thousands of clinical and laboratory experiments to choose from. I’ve selected three specific health issues to illustrate the breadth and power of this comeback root. Read more »

The Alzheimer’s Project is a four-part documentary series and multimedia presentation currently airing on the cable network, HBO. It’s also available online for free for those who are not Home Box Office subscribers. This landmark event is a collaboration between HBO Documentary Films, the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association.

“Alzheimer’s is the second most feared illness, after cancer”. Those words appear on the screen during the second segment of the Alzheimer’s Project. Watching the incredibly intimate footage captured by the filmmakers will help every viewer understand why that is. But that’s only a very small part of the overall objective. What we find here is an attempt to present this mysterious disease through the eyes of the patients, their caretakers and the physicians who are desperately searching for a cure.
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