One of the big buzzwords in health care these days is "functional medicine." And, perhaps like you, for years I had no idea what it meant. When I first heard about it, during my days writing for the now-shuttered WellWire, people tried to explain: "It's what you do as...
Although my practice is very diverse, cancer is one of the few things I do not treat. Unfortunately, this diagnosis is horrifically common. When my friends and loved ones ask for my thoughts on a cancer diagnosis, I tell them to take advantage of all the tools...
In the same way whole foods are a better source of nutrients than a multivitamin, there are things the sun can do that a supplement cannot. When it comes to health, Nature almost always does it better.
Garlic fights cancer, part... what number are we up to now? This summer, I got a note from one of my writer friends. A new study on garlic and lung cancer was out, would I be willing to comment for her article? She was reporting on a Chinese study that found regular...
As you may know, I am slowly — glacially, even — working on a book about gardening with medicinal plants. Looking out at the frost-covered garden this morning for any inspiring hint of green, I decided to start work on my olive (Olea europea) monograph. Before my...
We all have times when we don't eat exactly as we should. So supplementing with a multivitamin makes sense, right? Or does it? As doctors and research scientists look into the value of multivitamins, the picture has become increasingly muddled. Many studies find...
The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates (460-377 BCE) famously said "Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food." Gardeners know the best way to get your veggies is fresh and organic, ideally straight from the farm or garden. But beyond simple nourishment,...
Looking for another reason to eat your avocados and broccoli? A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association has found that good levels of vitamin B6 — found in those vegetables as well as whole grains, fish and meat — may cut lung-cancer risk by as...
The World Health Organization has completed a large, 10-year study to determine if cell-phone use causes cancer. The answer? Not clear enough to make recommendations other than further study of the issue. The report does find an increase in gliomas, a type of brain...
You know that sugary sodas aren’t healthy, but are they really that bad? A 2010 study reported in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, put out by the American Association for Cancer Research, found a huge health impact in a small number of...