Alternative Medicine Review : a Journal of Clinical Therapeutic

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Most treatments for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) focus on agents to eliminate the bacterium. Since MRSA infection is not universal, susceptibility factors are possible. Immune resistance could be lowered in such individuals; therefore, locating immune-inhibiting or immune-enhancing factors might decrease susceptibility. Such seemed to be the case in a 48-year-old female who presented with recurring MRSA despite multiple rounds of a variety of antibiotics. When the patient encountered an intensely stressful situation an outbreak of MRSA occurred...

OBJECTIVE: To study the efficacy, safety, and compliance of short-term electro-acupuncture for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, clinical trial. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Children with ASD were randomly assigned to an electro-acupuncture (EA) group (n=30) or a sham electro-acupuncture (SEA) group (n=25) matched by age and severity of autism. The EA group received electro-acupuncture for selected acupoints while the SEA group received sham electro-acupuncture to sham acupoints...

Insects and insect-derived products have been widely used in folk healing in many parts of the world since ancient times. Promising treatments have at least preliminarily been studied experimentally. Maggots and honey have been used to heal chronic and post-surgical wounds and have been shown to be comparable to conventional dressings in numerous settings. Honey has also been applied to treat burns. Honey has been combined with beeswax in the care of several dermatologic disorders, including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, tinea, pityriasis versicolor, and diaper dermatitis...

Acute myocardial infarction (MI) is one of the most frequent causes of death in the United States. The evaluation and treatment of acute MI in conventional medicine has focused primarily on anatomical and physiological factors that lead to impaired blood flow. Less attention has been paid to metabolic factors that may influence the vulnerability of the myocardium to ischemia and to various stressors. There is evidence that in some cases inefficient cellular metabolism, rather than the availability of oxygen and other blood-borne nutrients, is an important factor determining whether cardiac pathology will develop...

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) conducts ongoing assessments of the levels of environmental chemicals in the U.S. population. This ongoing study utilizes lab samples from the individuals who are part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The NHANES samples from the years 1999-2000, 2001-2002, and 2003-2004 (each representing about 2,400 individuals) were used for the CDC's national reports. In the CDC Fourth National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals ("the fourth report") complete data from the above sample years were included...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

BACKGROUND: Viscous soluble dietary fiber has been demonstrated to reduce postprandial glycemia and may promote satiety. PolyGlycopleX (PGX) is a highly viscous polysaccharide manufactured by reacting glucomannan with other soluble polysaccharides using a proprietary process (EnviroSimplex). The resulting polysaccharide (alpha-D-glucurono-alpha-D-manno-beta-D-manno-beta-D-glucan, alpha-L-gulurono-beta-D-mannuronan, beta-D-gluco-beta-D-mannan, alpha-D-glucurono-alpha-D-manno-beta-D-manno-beta-D-gluco, alpha-L-gulurono-beta-D-mannurono, beta-D-gluco-beta-D-mannan) is a novel entity with the highest viscosity and water-holding capacity of currently known fibers...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of vitamin E, evening primrose oil (EPO), and the combination of vitamin E and EPO for pain control in women with cyclical mastalgia. PROCEDURE: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted at two U.S. academic medical centers. Eighty-five women with premenstrual cyclical breast discomfort were enrolled. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four six-month oral treatments: vitamin E (1,200 IU per day), EPO (3,000 mg per day), vitamin E (1,200 IU per day) plus EPO (3,000 mg per day), or double placebo...

There are conceptual and historical links between homeopathic medicine and modern allergy desensitization treatment. Conventional allergy desensitization and homeopathic treatment both utilize small doses of substances that might cause symptoms in order to prevent or treat a hypersensitive state. Homeopathy has historically been associated with allergy treatment. This article reviews evidence from controlled trials for the use of homeopathy in respiratory allergies. Several clinical trials, many of which were published in "high impact" conventional medical journals, describe significant effects of homeopathic treatment in allergic patients...

Eucalyptus oil (EO) and its major component, 1,8-cineole, have antimicrobial effects against many bacteria, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), viruses, and fungi (including Candida). Surprisingly for an antimicrobial substance, there are also immune-stimulatory, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, analgesic, and spasmolytic effects. Of the white blood cells, monocytes and macrophages are most affected, especially with increased phagocytic activity. Application by either vapor inhalation or oral route provides benefit for both purulent and non-purulent respiratory problems, such as bronchitis, asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)...

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are common and complex neurodevelopmental conditions. Diagnostic criteria for these conditions have traditionally relied solely on behavioral criteria without consideration for potential biomedical underpinnings. Newer evidence, however, reveals that ASDs are associated with: oxidative stress; decreased methylation capacity; limited production of glutathione; mitochondrial dysfunction; intestinal dysbiosis; increased toxic metal burden; immune dysregulation, characterized by a unique inflammatory bowel disease and immune activation of neuroglial cells; and ongoing brain hypoperfusion...

The multi-billion dollar organic food industry is fueled by consumer perception that organic food is healthier (greater nutritional value and fewer toxic chemicals). Studies of the nutrient content in organic foods vary in results due to differences in the ground cover and maturity of the organic farming operation. Nutrient content also varies from farmer to farmer and year to year. However, reviews of multiple studies show that organic varieties do provide significantly greater levels of vitamin C, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus than non-organic varieties of the same foods...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

INTRODUCTION: Dysbiosis is associated with a number of gastrointestinal and systemic disorders. There is a need for selectively acting antimicrobial agents capable of inhibiting the growth of potentially pathogenic microorganisms, or those found to be out of balance, while not negatively impacting the bulk gastrointestinal tract microflora. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this in vitro study is to examine the potential of a selection of essential oils as agents to treat dysbiosis...

In recent years, Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been considered to be, in part, a neuroendocrine disorder, even referred to by some as type 3 diabetes. Insulin functions by controlling neurotransmitter release processes at the synapses and activating signaling pathways associated with learning and long-term memory. Novel research demonstrates that impaired insulin signaling may be implicated in AD. Post-mortem brain studies show that insulin expression is inversely proportional to the Braak stage of AD progression...

Schultz et al (2008) raised the question whether regression into autism is triggered, not by the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, but by acetaminophen (Tylenol) given for its fever and pain. Considerable evidence supports this contention, most notably the exponential rise in the incidence of autism since 1980, when acetaminophen began to replace aspirin for infants and young children. The impetus for this shift - a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warning that aspirin was associated with Reye's syndrome - has since been compellingly debunked...