A stunning new survey sponsored by the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids reports that 20% of all college students and roughly 15% of non-student young adults abuse stimulant medications. The legal drugs in question, intended to treat ADHD, include best sellers such as Adderall, Ritalin and Vyvanse. The most commonly cited reasons for the noted abuse include a desire to enhance academic or work performance and to stave off normal feelings of nighttime sleepiness. What’s even more disturbing is that 28% of the young adults surveyed, aged 18 to 25, misrepresented the severity of their ADHD symptoms in order to attain higher dosages of these conditionally dangerous drugs. In addition, the practice of selling and/or sharing said medications with family, fellow students and friends is quite common.

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Answering questions about natural health topics is one of my favorite parts of this job. It’s rewarding whether or not I have a good response to the inquiry being posed. If I already know the answer, it makes me happy to share it with others. On the other hand, if I’m stumped by a question, it gives me an incentive to do a little digging and expand my own knowledge base. Either way, it’s a winning proposition for all involved. Read more »

If you’ve ever listened to talk radio on the weekends then you’ve probably come across more than a few infomercials selling so-called “nutraceuticals”. Nutraceutical is a term that marries the words “nutrition” and “pharmaceutical”. A common feature of these sales pitches is to offer a money back guarantee. This is an attempt to address the widespread skepticism of many people when hearing programs that pitch products that seem too good to be true.
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Culture and geography have a profound influence over the types of scientific trials that are conducted worldwide. The health benefits of natural medicines such as cat’s claw or yerba mate are frequently investigated in South America. Ginseng and tea have been extensively researched by Asian institutes of medicine. In the United States, a great deal of time and energy has been devoted to the study of dairy products and eggs. The common link among all of these foods and herbal remedies is that they play a major role in the economy and health of their countries of origin. 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 »

Summer is nearly upon us and the last thing anyone wants is to come down with a dreaded summer cold or flu. The fact that many people vacation during this season makes it even more important than usual to keep the immune system in prime shape. One way to do this is to utilize the fortifying power of ginseng, an ancient medicinal root. My most recent encounter with Panax quinquefolius (North American ginseng) was kind of like running into an old friend. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that there were many new developments in the life of this traditional remedy. I’ll share some of my recent findings about ginseng in today’s column and in a second part that I’ll post next week. Read more »