2002 January

Journalism is supposed to be impartial and unbiased. We all know that it's not. But sometimes the mainstream media's bias is so blatant that I wonder how they've been able to maintain their cloak of neutrality for so long. I'm talking about last week's news magazine segment on alternative cancer treatments. Chris Wallace from ABC's "Primetime" news magazine clearly enjoyed the role of reporter-turned-spy as he poked around in several clinics in Mexico. It had all the trappings of today's "good television": hidden cameras, awkward confrontations, and doors slamming in faces.

If you've ever suffered from hay fever, you know that it takes only a few short minutes to make your life completely miserable. The runny, stuffy nose. The itchy, watery eyes. The scratchy throat. It's enough to make you crazy. For years, antihistamines have been the most effective choice to block these symptoms, but at the cost of feeling "spaced out" and sleepy. Now a new study reveals a natural herbal remedy is just as effective as antihistamines, without the sleepy side effects.

Over the past few months, I've told you about some serious side effects from the prescription drugs Remicade and Enbrel, which are both used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Crohn's disease. In the November 1st e-Alert, I told you how some doctors had been warned about Remicade's link to tuberculosis, infections, and complications in patients with congestive heart failure. Then on January 2nd, I wrote about Enbrel's association with central nervous system disorders like MS and Guillian-Barre syndrome.

When my patients need help improving their apo ratio, I recommend concentration on three areas: diet, lifestyle, and a supplement program. The first two include many of the same basic steps you would take to address overall heart health. But the third gets into more specific therapies that can help lower apo B levels and increase apo A-1 levels.

Type II diabetes is one of the most prevalent diseases in the world today. Fortunately, it is also one of the most treatable. With weight loss, a healthy diet, and exercise, many people with Type II diabetes are able to maintain healthy blood sugar levels without medication.