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Hepatitis C: To 'Treat' or Not to 'Treat'?

It is estimated that three to four million Americans are infected with hepatitis C (HCV), a blood borne virus that attacks the liver of its host, and many of them are not even aware of it. The U.S. spent nearly six billion dollars in 1997 for the treatment of HCV, and the costs have continued to skyrocket. The mainstream treatments that are available are expensive, only marginally effective and loaded with nasty side effects. The horizon is littered with bewildered hep C patients, newly diagnosed often taken from blissful ignorance (asymptomatic) to shock and horror in a moment's notice who are asking the dreaded question, should I undergo "The Treatment" ?

According to the many natural practitioners who oppose "treatment" of HCV with harsh and expensive drugs, it is technically not the chemical interferons that do the acute damage; it is the body's massive inflammatory response to the drugs. The long term damage may be related to the undermining of a patient's baseline immunity, which makes them more susceptible to opportunistic infections and often to flare ups of the virus that are worse the second time around.

Often the first test recommended to a hepatitis C patient is a liver biopsy. Although a liver biopsy is certainly the most definitive way to confirm the patient's genotype and determine the level of deterioration of liver tissue, it is a perilous and invasive procedure that further traumatizes and inflames the liver.

Natural practitioners prefer to monitor blood studies, particularly liver transaminase enzyme levels, which are generally elevated when significant liver tissue damage is taking place. Physicians also typically monitor the level of viral replication that is taking place in the blood, commonly referred to as the viral load and measured by a test called a PCR RNA. These and other markers can help reveal how well a patient is dealing with the virus without inflicting further harm or adding stress to an already challenged organ.

The natural approach to treating HCV or any other chronic illness for that matter involves strengthening and balancing the immune system, internal cleansing of the body, reducing systemic inflammation and the promotion of healthy metabolic pathways. A foundational, comprehensive nutritional support protocol is needed to support the body's ability to absorb and assimilate nutrients and eliminate toxins and wastes. Read More

Does Grandpa's Male Menopause Post a Threat to Your Child's Health?

In 2007, nearly two million prescriptions were written for testosterone gel products. A small percentage of those were given to women with hormonal imbalances, but the vast majority were prescribed to men going through Andropause, the male version of menopause which results in low energy and sex drive, memory loss, and not surprisingly. moodiness!

Testosterone gel products such as Androgel or Testim (both of which contain 1% testosterone) are typically applied to the upper arms, chest and shoulders daily to restore general vitality. Therein lies the potential danger; when grandpa picks up his beloved grandchild to cradle them in his arms and on his shoulder, the child can be exposed to the drug. sometimes with alarming results. Read More

In the latest spewing forth of disinformation designed to undermine the truth about the efficacy of vitamins and natural medicines, the Health Science Institute's newsletter (http://www.hsibaltimore.com) points out that prominent bone health researchers are refuting a new placebo-controlled trial from Norway that suggests vitamin K curbs bone loss no better than placebo in post-menopausal women.

But the design of this trial has two big problems.

1. More than 340 post-menopausal women received either placebo or vitamin K2, 360 micrograms daily a dose that can only be described as meager.

2. The trial lasted just one year. As one doctor told NutraIngredients-USA, "All vitamin K intervention trials lasting less than 2 years have unfortunately contributed to confusion regarding the effect of vitamin K supplement."

Despite these problems, the trial produced one promising result. Read More