2002 November

You've probably heard the widely accepted "fact" that a natural chemical in turkey meat called l-tryptophan triggers the drowsiness that so many experience after Thanksgiving dinner. But if you go looking for the details behind this fact, you'll find evidence that both supports it, and debunks it as a myth. So is the truth somewhere in the middle?

Will eating chocolate promote cardiovascular health? That's what one study presented at last week's American Heart Association annual meeting would have us believe.

In treating mild to moderate depression, St. John's wort performs as well as or better than Prozac and other antidepressant drugs, according to a recent review of 34 clinical trials that tested 3,000 subjects.

An HSI member named Elizabeth prompted today's e-Alert topic with this question: "I want to ask what you think of the large advertising campaign and increasing usage of baby aspirin as a prevention for cardiovascular problems. Do stomach problems possibly counter-balance any benefits from this therapy?"

Last week I sent you an e-Alert ("Burst of Inflammation" 11/21/02) about a major new study that showed how a marker for inflammation called C-reactive protein (CRP) may be a far more accurate risk assessment for heart attack than elevated LDL cholesterol levels.