Herbal Birth Control and Other Natural Methods Nov 09 04:22pm I am sometimes asked whether Queen Anne's lace or wild yam work as contraceptives. The answer: don’t rely on either one. My colleague Tieraona Low Dog, M.D., cautions that wild yam, used in a number of hormone-containing medicines, is not an... Read more

Hormones and Prostate Cancer Nov 07 09:30am I was asked recently about the relationship between hormones and prostate cancer, and to render my opinion on male hormone replacement therapy. Like breast cancer, prostate cancer is a hormonally driven disease. The main hormone of concern here is... Read more

Strategies to Overcome Outrage Nov 03 11:10am Stress, whatever the source, is a constant in life. In my experience, we are subject to a kind of conservation law of stress, with the total remaining constant over time. If stress recedes in one area, it seems to increase in another. If all is going... Read more

Seeking to Study Nutrition? Oct 31 03:45pm With obesity and type 2 diabetes becoming worldwide epidemics, I'm heartened to see many people interested in pursuing careers in nutrition counseling. I am often asked about education programs - here are some of the better ones: The Program in... Read more

Catching Colds From Kids Oct 26 10:07am Teachers and others who work with children not only face physical and mental challenges, but immune stresses as well. Children, with their less mature immune systems, pick up a lot of bugs, especially in the upper respiratory system, and pass them... Read more

Be Cautious About Chelation Oct 24 08:46am In 2005, the FDA approved the drug deferasirox (Exjade), an oral chelating agent for treating chronic iron overload due to multiple blood transfusions. Until then, the only way to treat iron overload was with daily prolonged intravenous therapy.... Read more

Get Ready for Flu Season Oct 21 06:11pm The November-to-April flu season is almost here. The 2006 – 2007 season was relatively mild, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it's impossible to predict how a future season will play out, so it pays to be... Read more

Natural Oils Spark Concern Oct 20 09:37am I've received some worried inquiries about natural oils recently. The impetus: three young boys in Colorado aged four, seven and 10 were diagnosed with enlarged breast tissue, a rare condition called prepubertal gynecomastia. Their physician, a... Read more

Learning Not To Worry Oct 17 02:58pm Worrying is a common problem. It can make you miserable and can actually take a toll on your health. Some research has suggested that chronic elevation of stress hormones prompted by worry can damage areas of the brain and that worrying may reduce... Read more

Too Much Sizzle in Soda? Oct 13 10:09am Sodium benzoate is a preservative that has been widely used for decades in commercially available foods and carbonated drinks, but has recently become the focus of renewed interest. It is the sodium salt of benzoic acid, which is found naturally in... Read more