Dr. Arturo M. Volpe

Many people have found glucosamine and chondroitin to help substantially in controlling the pain and stiffness of arthritis. The medical profession, however, has remained skeptical and continues to rely exclusively on anti-inflammatory drugs that have undesirable side effects and may actually aggravate the condition in the long run.

A review of existing studies was published earlier this year in the Journal of the American Medical Association (March 15, 2000; 283 11: 1469-75). The authors concluded that there is substantial evidence that these substances have “moderate to large (beneficial) effects”. The authors cautioned that quality standards in the dietary supplement industry remain poor and this may lead to inconsistent results.

Tags: Arthritis
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A recent review article published in the highly respected medical journal The Lancet (August 2000; vol. 1356: no. 9229) reveals some of the dangers of hysterectomies. The authors found that 1 in 10 women have serious complications, including death in 6 out of 10,000 women. The risk of developing incontinence (due to nerves damaged during surgery) increases by 60%, although the problem may only manifest itself years after the fact and is rarely recognized as a consequence of the hysterectomy.

In the United States 600,000 hysterectomies are carried out each year. It is estimated that 40% of American women will have a hysterectomy by age 60. This rate far exceeds that of other industrialized nations, raising questions about standards of care. Women are rarely informed of the dangers or of the alternatives, including natural hormones, that can sometimes obviate the need for surgery.

Tags: Hysterectomy
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Antioxidants include the vitamins A, E and C; the minerals selenium and zinc; and other products like lipoic acid, bioflavonoids, coenzyme Q10, and melatonin. Cancer patients tend to have low blood levels of antioxidants and conventional treatments further deplete them.

It was therefore theorized that antioxidant supplements could be helpful in an integrated approach to cancer, but experts cautioned that not enough was known about their effects and that they could possibly prevent medications from working.

An in-depth analysis of existing studies can be found in the Alternative Medicine Review (2000; 5 (2): 152-163). The authors evaluated more than 100 previously published studies and concluded that, in almost all cases, antioxidants either did not interfere with medical treatments or actually helped them by reducing side effects while at the same time enhancing the medical treatment’s therapeutic effects.

Tags: Antioxidants, Cancer
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