Dr. Ben Kim's blog

A study in the February 9, 2006 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine reports that there is a definite association between mothers taking certain antidepressants (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) late in pregnancy and the risk of their babies being born with a serious condition called persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN). Read more

Ingredients:

3 cups raw sunflower seeds (soaked in water overnight, drained)
10 pitted dates (soaked for 1 hour, drained)
1 cup chopped dried apricots (soaked for 1 hour, drained)
1 cup raisins (soaked for 1 hour, drained)
1 cup almond butter
1 tablespoon vanilla (optional)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

Blend all ingredients in food processor to a nutty consistency. Roll into small balls and flatten out to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cover and refrigerate for one hour before serving. Read more

If you or someone you know can use a natural remedy for wart removal, I think that it's worth your while to try the following treatment, sent in by Charley and Judy Triplett.

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Our family has something to share that works to get rid of warts.

Our young son suffered with many warts on his hands, beginning at age three, through beginning of kindergarten. There were so many warts, especially on the outside of his fingers, the children did not want to hold his hand during activities, and made fun of him. Read more

Chronic knee pain comes in three main varieties. The following is a look at common causes of pain and discomfort in and around the knee joint and some points to consider in addressing each of them:

1. Chronic, superficial pain along the inner portion of the knee joint

Shoulder impingement syndrome is a name given to several different conditions that involve inflammation of tendons and/or ligaments in the shoulder region. Read more

Almost all teenagers and adults know how important calcium is to their bones and teeth. But few people know that magnesium is just as important to having strong and healthy bones and teeth.

A recent study out of the University of Tennessee and published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society points to the often overlooked relationship between dietary magnesium intake and bone density. Read more

It's no secret that age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness among the elderly in industrialized countries. It affects more than 10 percent of white adults over the age of 80, and is the number one cause of central vision loss for people 60 years of age and older in the United States. Read more

Dear Dr. Kim,

I am an avid reader of your newsletter and like the greens also very much. Thank you for your wonderful work.

A question for you. I have a good friend and client (I do some home health care for her) who was recently placed in the hospital for severe leg cramping. Since she has congestive heart failure, it was thought that perhaps her heart had thrown off a clot which blocked the circulation.....however, no signs were found of a clot. After several days in the hospital and many, many tests, she was sent home without much additional knowledge. Then, upon entering the house, we got a phone call from the lab saying that her potassium was dangerously low. She has consistently been on the equivalent of 4,500 mg. of potassium per day to counteract the potassium loss from the diuretics she is on for her heart. That has now been changed to 6,000 mg. Read more

Every now and again, my mom likes to teach me a Korean proverb. I think she does this because she knows how much I like learning new Korean phrases and tidbits of Korean culture that I missed having grown up in Canada.

One of the best proverbs that she has ever shared with me translates to:

Like a knife cutting through water.

Now before you start thinking that this proverb is similar to an English metaphor that involves butter, let me set you straight. Read more

During the past few weeks, I've had an unusually high number of people ask me what they can do to relieve nasal and sinus congestion.

The first suggestion I have is to read an article that I wrote about How to Avoid Nasal Congestion.

The second suggestion is to wash our your nasal passageway in the following manner:

1. Stand over your bathroom sink, turn on the cold water, cup your hands together to form a basin-like shape that allows the cold water to pool.