A Norwegian study recently published in the November 18, 2009 issue Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)[1] indicated that heart patients supplementing with folic acid and vitamin B12 supplements had a 59% higher risk of developing lung cancer than those who did not supplement. ...

Plastic surgeons themselves are at least partly to blame, presumably because any interest ...

Earlier this month, ...

One of the easiest things a person can do to take 10 years off their appearance is to whiten their teeth.   Teeth naturally come in a range of colors from white to yellow or grey, but ...

Given that I have been practicing it for nearly twenty years, I thought I knew what plastic surgery was. But lately I'm not so sure what others mean by it; stories in the news routinely lump every Botox injection in with 12-hour major makeover surgeries together under plastic surgery's banner. So this installment of the "who-what-why-when-where series" is the "what."

Plastic surgery is defined differently ...

In order to answer this question fairly, we must first agree upon the definition of what constitutes a natural vitamin.

Definitions of natural

Some would choose to define a natural vitamin based upon its source. In this instance, the definition of a natural vitamin would be, "Vitamins provided from food or plant sources."  In this case, the vitamin C found in a fresh ...

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a bright yellow, ancient spice and a traditional remedy that has been used as a medicine, condiment and flavoring based on records dating back to 600 BCE.  Turmeric's natural curcuminoid content inhibits 5-lipo-oxygenase (LOX) and cyclo-oxygenase (COX), resulting in a healthy inflammatory response (Chandra 1972; Arora 1971; Mukhopadhyay 1982). 

Protects ...

In ...

Pumpkins are naturally high in vitamins A, C, and zinc.  Vitamin A helps to gently dissolve dead skin cells, vitamin C acts ...

By all accounts, the coming flu season is going to be a doozy unless we all get our H1N1 vaccination soon. There's always the plain old cold too of course. I can never remember whether we are supposed to starve a cold and feed a fever or the other way around, but new findings suggest that regardless of the symptoms, respiratory viruses can be kept at bay by drinking wine.

It's not as far-fetched ...

Excess body fat around the waist (abdominal and visceral fat; "having an apple shape") is not only undesirable from a cosmetic/fitness standpoint, but it can also be characteristic of metabolic syndrome-a cluster of conditions that occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes[i]-which ...

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  As breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, patients should be aware of skin changes on or around the breast that may be a sign of breast cancer.

Breast cancer occurs when abnormal cells start to grow in one or both breasts and invade the surrounding tissue.  Important things to look for include a reddish discoloration ...

D-limonene a major constituent of several citrus oils (orange, lemon, mandarin, lime, and grapefruit), and is listed in the Code of Federal Regulations as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for a flavoring agent that can be found in common food items such as fruit juices, soft drinks, baked goods, ice cream, and pudding [1-2]. In addition, d-limonene has some specific medicinal properties for human health, ...

You might think that because of awareness campaigns and earnest research on the causes and treatment of breast cancer, women would have a good sense of what their options are these days. To be sure, it's not a happy thing to dwell on, and anyone hearing the word "cancer" from their doctor for the first time has a hard time hearing anything ...

Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) occurs naturally in the body. Carnitines (amino acids) produced in the body exist as a "carnitine pool" consisting of L-carnitine and several acetyl-carnitine esters. Intracellular enzymes and cell membrane transporters can rapidly interconvert the carnitines to the needed form and transport them between the tissues and extracellular space. ALC, the most important carnitine ester, is ...

When you think of dietary supplements for the joints and arthritis, chances are that you're thinking of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate--which makes sense since there is good research to support the use of these nutraceuticals for this purpose.  What many people don't know, however, is that there are other nutraceuticals which also can be used effectively for arthritis.  Three of these are hyaluronic ...

Patients often spend enormous efforts to find the right surgeon, but may give little thought to where the surgery is to be done. 

Complications can occur for a variety of reasons, and whenever there is a high-profile disaster, such as the death of rapper Kanye West's mother Donda last year, legislators and regulators clamor to show that they are on top of the situation.

Several states have passed ...

Methylsenocysteine (MSC) is a relatively simple organic selenium compound formed naturally in various plants, including garlic, wild leeks, onions and broccoli grown on high selenium soil.[1] It is the preferred form of selenium for a few different reasons. First, for the past 15 years or so, selenium ...

The tanning ...

In analyzing hundreds of articles published over three decades, researchers have concluded that current recommendations for vitamin K are not being met, which may place people at increased risk accelerated bone fragility, arterial and kidney calcification, cardiovascular disease, and possibly cancer.[1]

Although ...

In order to answer this question fairly, we must first agree upon the definition of what constitutes a natural vitamin.

Definitions of natural

Some would choose to define a natural vitamin based upon its source. In this instance, the definition of a natural vitamin would be, "Vitamins provided from food or plant sources."  In this case, the vitamin C found in a fresh ...

People are more open about having "a little work done" than they used to be, no doubt about it. But there are still those who feel the need to share only with friends and co-workers on their own terms and not have it broadcasted through the gossip grapevine. Unfortunately, you can't always count on others to be discreet and respect your privacy. So is there a middle ground?

You will be helped by choosing a ...

Medical lasers have become increasingly common over the last two decades, mostly for cosmetic and dermatologic indications.  As their use becomes more widespread, it is natural for scientists to develop novel ways to harness the technology.  ...