Blogs

A Canadian-led study on the usefulness of arthroscopic surgery for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the knees revealed that many people benefit as much from physical therapy and mild pain relievers as they do from arthroscopic surgery.

The study, whose results were published in the September 11, 2008 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, was conducted over a period of two years, involving 178 men with osteoarthritis. The average age of those in the study was 60. Read more

Until a few months ago, I was under the impression that coconut oil and coconut butter are the same thing. So I was one surprised chap when I tried a coconut butter product made by a company called Artisana.

I now know that true coconut butter is made by carefully blending whole coconut meat - when done properly, the result is a sweet, creamy butter that has the wonderful fragrance of coconut oil, along with healthy protein and fiber that naturally occur in coconut. Read more

Why do some men stray from their marriages, while others seem content to stay with one partner for life?

The answer may come from an unlikely source: the vole. A vole is a rodent, and it comes in several species. Prairie voles mate for life. Mountain voles do not. Research has shown that prairie and mountain voles have different versions, known as “alleles,” of a particular gene (AVPR1A). Read more

A simple and effective way to lower your risk of developing cancer is to eat cabbage on a regular basis.

Cabbage belongs to the Cruciferous family of vegetables - other prominent Cruciferous vegetables include kale, Bok Choy, cauliflower, and broccoli.

Phytonutrients found in cabbage and other Cruciferous vegetables can stimulate the production of enzymes that can detoxify your cells, leading to efficient elimination of free radicals, toxins, and potential carcinogens from your body. Read more

Two groups of nutrients that are essential to having healthy skin are vitamin A and healthy fatty acids.

Vitamin A can be called a "group" of nutrients because there's straight vitamin A, found in animal foods, and there's carotenoids, which are plant-based nutrients that can be converted to vitamin A in healthy individuals. Read more

A study that appears in the October 1, 2008 edition of the journal Cancer indicates that breastfeeding for at least six months may decrease a woman's risk of developing "triple negative" breast cancer, thought to be the most aggressive form of breast cancer.

Triple negative cancer is more common among younger women, and a number of published studies indicate that triple negative breast cancer is more likely to recur when compared to other forms of breast cancer. Read more

In February of 2008, we started a fund raising campaign for a special, not-for-profit organization called Operation Shanti. Located in Mysore, India, the folks who run Operation Shanti are dedicated to empowering the poorest and neediest children and elderly people in their area.

As reported in our first update following the launch of our campaign, our readers responded spectacularly, surpassing our goal within a week. Read more

This article was originally published in May, 2006

It's no secret that breastfeeding provides both a mother and her baby with numerous physical and emotional health benefits.

Unfortunately, some new moms who have every intention of nursing their babies end up switching to formula within the first few weeks of their babies' lives. Read more

Many years ago, a patient of mine who had traveled extensively around the world told me about a group of people he encountered that ate red beets, carrots, and sweet potatoes almost every day to help protect their skin against sunburn. Read more

What do toe pain, mid-foot pain, heel pain, ankle pain, knee pain, hip pain, lower back pain, mid-back pain, upper back pain, and headaches all have in common?

You guessed it - they can all be caused by wearing high heels on a regular basis. Read more