Why do doctors prescribe drugs? Why do we take them? The answer is to change the body’s chemistry in order to correct a symptom. Anti-depressants are given to chemically increase neurotransmitter activity. Anti-inflammatory drugs biochemically reduce inflammation, giving relief from pain. Antibiotics chemically kill bacteria Drugs exist to create chemical changes in order to bring Read More …
Light Helps You to Stop being SAD
SAD is an acronym for “seasonal affective disorder”. It is caused by the shortage of natural light available in the fall and winter, when the days become shorter. Symptoms of SAD include fatigue, depression, overeating and weight gain. Patients with SAD respond well to full-spectrum light. Sitting next to a light source for one half Read More …
Hormonal Connection to Chronic Fatigue
Research published in the November/December 2002 issue ofPsychosomatic Medicine shows a connection between chronic fatigue and a hormonal stress response system called the HPA axis. HPA stands for “hypothalamus, pituitary, adrenal”. It is a system that helps the body to stay stable while under stress. The study involved 40 subjects between the ages of 30 Read More …
Fatigue and Body Pain may be Linked to Chronic Sinusitis
Fatigue and Body Pain may be Linked to Chronic Sinusitis Research published in Archives of Internal Medicine (2003;163:1832-1836.) and performed by scientists at Georgetown University Medical Center, shows a link between fatigue, unexplained pain and chronic sinusitis. A study conducted at Harvard had shown that fatigue and pain scores of sinusitis patients were similar or Read More …
Can’t Sleep? Maybe it’s your Adrenal Glands
Research published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (August 2001; 86:3787-3794) states that high levels of adrenal hormones have been found in people with insomnia. It was a small study with 11 patients with insomnia and 13 controls without insomnia. Blood levels of stress hormones (ACTH and cortisol) were taken every half hour Read More …
Brain Chemical Linked to the Desire to Exercise
The body’s response to a chemical found in the brain, orexin A, may be linked with the desire to exercise and may explain a difference between active people who are always on the go and couch potatoes. Research published in the American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, online August 14, 2006, Read More …
Macular Degeneration
The macula is the central and most vital part of the retina. Macular degeneration is a condition where this area degenerates, resulting in diminishing and even loss of sight. The condition tends to run in families. Macular degeneration can slowly or suddenly produce loss of vision. It is painless. There are two forms of macular Read More …
Vitamins help with macular degeneration
According to a nationwide clinical trial sponsored by the National Eye Institute (NEI), and reported in the October 2001 issue of Archives of Ophthalmology, supplementation with antioxidants and zinc reduces the risk of AMD (age-related macular degeneration). Antioxidants are nutrients that protect from free radicals. Free radicals are like chemical “bullets” that damage tissue. Antioxidants Read More …
Vitamin A and zinc combination restores night vision
Supplementation with zinc plus vitamin A, may restore night vision. Zinc supplementation without the vitamin A does not have this effect. This, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition(May, 2001 issue). The study involved 202 pregnant women from Southern Nepal. The subjects had night blindness and were divided into six Read More …
Nutrition Good for the Eyes
Researchers at the JeanMayerUSDAHumanNutritionResearchCenter on Aging at TuftsUniversityin Bostonhave found that a diet that is high is antioxidant-rich foods (i.e. fruits and vegetables) may help to prevent cataracts. Cataracts are the results of changes in the lens of the eye creating a cloudiness that obscures sight. Researchers looked at the diets of nearly 500 women Read More …