A study on red clover recently showed that using fermented red clover extract may decrease both the number and severity of hot flashes experienced by post-menopausal women.1 Red clover has been a mainstay of menopause, as its status as a hot flash remedy is well known, now the fermented extract has been shown to yield […]
Dr. Sarah King, ND Would it surprise you to know that the human colon contains about 3.3 lbs. of bacteria?1 This microbiota is practically its own organ, acting as an entire ecosystem, with its own immune system, nervous system, and the ability to influence what the body absorbs from inside the intestinal lumen. Consider the
A recent study looked at 3 vitamins to counter the adverse effects of excessive screen time.1 The rapid increase in use of smartphones, tablets, and computers over the past decades has raised a lot of concern regarding the potential negative effects associated with blue-light exposure – the wavelength of light given off by back-lit devices.
A team of researchers has recently turned spinach into beating heart tissue.1 As strange as it sounds, the team of researchers are exploring methods of building organs to account for a growing transplant list. The team from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, used a decellularized spinach leaf to serve as the vascular scaffolding on which
Stanford Medical Center is the first academic medical center in the country to create a position exclusively for physician wellness, addressing concerns such as burnout and sense of fulfillment.1 Tait Shanafelt, MD, will join Stanford Medicine as the “chief wellness officer” on September 1, 2017. Dr. Shanafelt is a recognized leader in physician wellness, and
In a very interesting editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine, a 1980 letter on the use of narcotics in hospitals and addiction is implicated as a commonly misquoted source that has supported the widespread prescribing of opioid medications.1 The letter, written by Jane Porter and Hershel Jick, MD2 is included below in its
In an interesting study recently, sleep disturbances were found to be a significant short-term risk factor leading to suicidal thoughts in young adults with a history of suicidal ideation.1 Sleep changes were seen to correlate to worsening suicidal thoughts regardless of the individual’s depression severity – specifically, variations in bedtime and wake up time. Suicide
Dr. Christina Bjorndal, ND The Rocky Road of Sugar Sugar is the one substance that I have a bumpy, rocky, rickety relationship with. I don’t think I am alone in that. It is the one substance that I am able to eliminate for months at a time and then something happens – either a birthday,
A recent study showed that brain inflammation was 30% higher in individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) than others without the disorder.1 OCD is characterized intrusive thoughts, images, or impulses creating emotional distress. Individuals with OCD are severely inhibited in their interactions with others, and daily life due to these experiences.2 Center for Addiction and Mental
