Saturday, August 21, 2010
Flu Plan Scandal Ahead – An Urgent Warning
Click here to go to Dr. Mercola's page to view the commentary in full!
As usual, if you have questions or comments about this, please feel free to call our office, send me an email, or stop by for an appointment. I'd love to speak with you about this!
In Health,
Dr. Scott
Hilltop Wellness & Chiropractic
www.hilltopwellness.com
Thursday, June 24, 2010
'Unintended' statin side-effect risks uncovered
I like this quote, "On the positive side, the analysis also showed no significant association between the use of statins and the risk of Parkinson's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, blood clot, dementia, osteoporotic fracture, or many cancers including gastric, colon, lung, renal, breast or prostate."
It basically says they haven't seen a significant risk of parkinsons, R.A, clots, dementia, fracture, or cancers...YET! 6 years is not a very long 'long term study,' especially when you consider that we have patients who have been on statins for 15-20 years (the first FDA approved statin was Mevacor, in 1987).
But what I think is the most interesting is the ratio of benefit to side-effects: In women, there was a reduction of 279 events (esophageal cancer and cardiovascular disease) BUT an INCREASE of 442 side-effects, many causing death. THE MEN FARED MUCH WORSE, with 552 side-effects!
I don't know, do you think I'm off-base in presenting this information? Please don't read me incorrectly - I'm not saying statins are the bane of civilized healthcare, but I am saying that statins are a horrible alternative to simply taking control of your health and diet.
If you have questions about this, please feel free to contact me.
In Health,
Dr. Scott
www.hilltopwellness.com
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Warning: FDA Says Heartburn Meds Can Increase Your Fracture Risk
What's interesting to me, is that most people taking antacids are actually doing the exact OPPOSITE of what would be best for them. That's right. Most people taking antacids are actually acid-depleted. They are making too LITTLE acid and that lack of acid in the stomach is allowing the food to putrify and essentially rot. This rotting food is not pleasant and off-gases quite a bit, which forces air - and usually stomach acid - into the esophagus, giving the individual the sensation of 'heartburn.'
This is self-induced heartburn, though. In taking an acidic supplement, most people would then have enough stomach acid to properly break down the food that is entering the stomach, thereby avoiding the heartburn!
So, onto the FDA's 'scoop:'
The FDA has mandated that proton pump inhibitor heartburn medications must carry a label warning of increased fracture risk. This group of drugs include Prevacid, Prilosec, and Nexium.
The FDA suggests those taking these drugs should consult with their doctors, and those using such drugs over-the-counter limit their use to no more than three 14-day periods a year.
According to the FDA website:
"... [The decision is] based on the Agency's review of several epidemiological studies that reported an increased risk of fractures of the hip, wrist and spine in patients using proton pump inhibitors."
If you or someone you know is taking the damaging medications and would like help in getting off of them, please give our office a call. We'd love to help you, just as we have helped so many others!
In Health,
Dr. Scott
www.hilltopwellness.com
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Two Arthritis Powerhouses Even Stronger Together
Scientists gave 1500 mg of glucosamine sulfate to the study participants, but some also received 200 mg of omega-3 fats. Both groups had about the same number of participants who reported a 20 percent or less reduction in pain.
But according to Dr. Christiane Northrup:
If you are one of the millions who suffer from arthritis, please give our office a call - I won't promise that we will cure you of arthritis, but we can help you get back to living a much more pain-free and productive life, and with that comes the ability to participate in hobbies and recreational activities, playing with children and grandchildren, and even going back to work, which may have not been an option because of pain. Please don't settle on taking poisonous drugs to mask the pain - get to the source of the problem.“However, when researchers asked those who experienced an 80 percent reduction in pain, those in [the glucosamine plus omega-3 group] reported reduced morning stiffness and pain in the hips and knees by between 48.5 and 55.6 percent, compared to 41.7 to 55.3 percent for those in [the glucosamine only group].”
Advances in Therapy September 2009; 26(9):858-71
In Health,
Dr. Scott
www.hilltopwellness.com
Monday, May 10, 2010
Five Ways to Help Beat Depression Without Antidepressants
More and more scientists who study depression and the drugs that treat it are concluding that antidepressants are basically expensive Tic Tacs.
Research has found that patients do improve, often substantially, on SSRIs, tricyclics, and even MAO inhibitors. This improvement is the basis for the ubiquitous claim that antidepressants work.
But when researchers compare the improvement in patients taking the drugs with the improvement in those taking dummy pills, they find that the difference is minuscule.
Nonetheless, the number of Americans taking antidepressants doubled in a decade, from 13.3 million in 1996 to 27 million in 2005.
This is a very important point, folks. In many cases, your beliefs are as or more effective than pills when it comes to achieving health.
The second article linked below frowns on the notion of homeopathy, because some people think it may work as a placebo. But the article shouldn't be so dismissive. The placebo effect is very powerful. Thousands of clinical studies have found that the placebo effect can aid in healing or even cure disease.
What it comes down to is the crucial mind-body connection. Those who have hope and belief in the solutions they try will likely find them working. That's why it is so key to keep your health freedom, and pay attention to the huge corporations that continually discredit alternative methods.
Typically, more natural healing techniques won't harm you, and many of the drugs will. In time, energy medicine will be better understood, and perhaps this placebo element will be utilized in such a way that no pill will ever be necessary -- your mind will be stimulated to heal on its own. Similarly, those who pray or meditate for healing should not be ridiculed either.
Simply labeling something as a placebo and not pursuing it any further misses a key point. The so-called "placebo effect" may very well point the way to the future or medicine.
New Scientist February 1, 2010
Depression is tough, and I don't think you will find a reputable doctor arguing that it doesn't exist. There's a lot that goes into being depressed, and, quite honestly, I believe many of the subtle details are overlooked. With that said, I firmly believe there is a way out of all depression, it's just a matter of finding the correct key to the puzzle - it might be more exercise, might be more omega-3s, might be working on less addictive behavior, dealing with the death of a loved one, or it might be coming to grips with abuse you'd rather not face...it could be as simple as realizing there's a greater plan out there - just knowing there is a loving and caring God looking after you and wanting the best for you - that could be your key. Whatever the issue, I urge the struggling to continue the quest and solve the puzzle -
In Health,
Dr. Scott
www.hilltopwellness.com
Why Coke’s New ‘Healthy Front’ Could Be Just a Big Bluff…
The Center for Science in the Public Interest points out that Coca-Cola, whose products are not exactly heart healthy, is a strange partner for the NHLBI.
Are such partnerships a benign win-win? History suggests otherwise.
In 1984, Kellogg cooked up a partnership with the National Cancer Institute to put health claims for fiber on the boxes of All-Bran cereals. In doing so, Kellogg (and NCI) went around the FDA and undermined that agency’s control over health claims on food packages -- leading to problems that the agency is still struggling to fix.
If you are struggling with addiction to pop, or sugar in general, please give our office a call - I would love to help counsel you toward your nutritional goals!
In health,
Dr. Scott
www.hilltopwellness.com
From Dr. Mercola's blog:
Can You Say “Sell-Out”?
Olympics Sells Out to Coke, McDonald’s
The Major Cause of the Obesity Epidemic
Keep Your Eyes Wide Open