If you want to get pregnant, don’t diet
I have many patients that want to get pregnant and lose weight at the same time. This is generally a bad idea (at least how most people do it). It has been my clinical observation that people who were dieting (esp. through caloric restriction) did not get pregnant as easily. This study confirmed my clinical […]
Carrots can both kill and feed colon cancer
A chemical in carrots called falcarinol was found to increase proliferation of colon cancer cells in low doses. However, if you ingest high doses of carrots you can strongly induce programmed cell death (apoptosis) in these same cells. While this study was done on rats, it could explain claims from those using Gerson therapy to […]
Grapefruit may increase risk of breast cancer in post-menopausal women
Grapefruit inhibits a particular enzyme in the liver (CYP450 3A4) that helps metabolize estrogen. So if this enzyme isn’t functioning optimally, estrogens will be much stronger. Theoretically, this could increase risks of estrogen dependent cancers. This study looked into that question and found that indeed there was a 30% increase in breast cancer incidences. The […]
Compound in grapefruit strongly inhibits Hepatitis C virus
The Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects over 3% of the world population and is the leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. A compound in grapefruit called naringenin was shown to reduce HCV secretion in infected cells by 80%. In addition, it is effective at concentrations that are an order of magnitude below the toxic […]
Potential novel treatment for tuberculosis
While this was only one case study that was published, we know that Eucalyptus is a powerful antimicrobial essential oil. In this case, it was inhaled for 10 days. TB was confirmed through cytology and X-Ray and following inhalation, the patient was negative for TB. Phytomedicine. 2004 Feb;11(2-3):95-7.
Non-fermented teas have higher antimocrobial properties
Non-fermented green tea has much higher antimicrobial activity compared to fermented teas such as black tea, oolong, etc. The degree of fermenting is essentially related to the loss of antimicrobial activity. Int J Food Microbiol. 1999 May 1;48(2):125-30
High folate intake may increse breast cancer risk
There is mounting evidence that high levels of folic acid can increase cancer risks. Prior studies had shown prostate cancer risks increasing and now a study suggests that breast cancer risks may be higher if your folate intake is high. This is troublesome since it was done in pre-menopausal women. This becomes very problematic where […]
If you are ovulating, think twice about Clomid
A recent study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology confirms previous studies finding significant increases in the risk of breast cancer in women taking Clomid who could ovulate even without Clomid. If you are ovulating and considering Clomid, there are other options that may be safer. It would be prudent to discuss […]
Drugs used in IVF and IUI’s found to increase ovarian cancer risk
A new study published in Fertility and Sterility found an increased risk of ovarian cancer associated with some medications commonly used in IVF and IUI (especially hCG and Clomid). The study followed women over 30 years, having undergone these procedures in the 1960’s and 70’s. One should note that the techniques and drugs used today […]
Could scary movies prevent preterm labor?
It turns out that adrenaline (epinephrine) is an antagonist to Oxytocin. So perhaps the traditional strategies to stop preterm labor are misguided. They usually tell people to go on bedrest and to just relax and take it easy when they should probably be telling them to have arguments with their spouses and to watch highly […]