October 20th, 2010 by DrCharles in Better Health Network, Health Tips, Opinion, Research
Tags: ACOG, American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Family Physician, CAM, Complimentary and Alternative Medicine, Dietary Supplements, Dietetics, Family Medicine, Fetal Health, Healthy Baby, Healthy Diet, Healthy Pregnancy, Herbal Medicine, Natural Medicines, Nutritional Supplements, Obstetrics And Gynecology, Pregnancy and Childbirth, Prenatal Care, Prenatal Vitamins, Primary Care, The Examining Room of Dr. Charles, Vitamins and Minerals, Women's Health
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What is in a prenatal vitamin? Why do most doctors recommend them? Is there any evidence taking them is worthwhile? I decided recently that I would read through the ingredients of these vitamins, often touted as “essential vitamins and nutrients, crucial for the healthy development of your baby.” Hmmm. Does that mean eating traces of polyvinyl alcohol every day is beneficial?
The fine print ingredients of such brands as “One A Day”, “Centrum Materna”, “Rite Aid” and even the prescription only “Prenate Elite” are a confusing mess of milligrams, international units, RDA’s, and chemicals. As the makers of Centrum explain, “It is very challenging to formulate vitamins and minerals without the use of non-medicinal ingredients which serve to keep the product stable and to prevent the various ingredients from interacting.” They also find fault in the limited number of suppliers of the active ingredients in prenatal vitamins, and therefore claim substances like gelatin are difficult to avoid.
Let’s take a tour of the prenatal vitamin ingredient zoo. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at The Examining Room of Dr. Charles*
October 20th, 2010 by Toni Brayer, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips
Tags: Consumer Health Information, Dr. Toni Brayer, Everything Health, Fitness and Exercise, Health Tips, Healthy Eating, HHS, Internet-Based Health Information, Online Health Information, Smallstep Adult and Teen, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Government Website
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It makes my blogging life easier if I can just direct readers to a cool site, compliments of (drumroll…) — the U.S. government! The site, called Smallstep Adult and Teen, is filled with great healthy eating and exercise tips. Check it out and click around a bit. (Don’t ya’ just love the Internet?) From the site:
Today’s lifestyle doesn’t allow much room for health. And that’s where Small Steps comes in. We know that it’s impossible for many people to make dramatic lifestyle changes. Instead, we want to help you learn ways that you can change small things about your life and see big results.
*This blog post was originally published at EverythingHealth*
October 19th, 2010 by BarbaraFicarraRN in Better Health Network, Health Tips, News, Research
Tags: Accurate Health Information, American Cancer Society, Bad Health News Stories, Barbara Ficarra, Clinical Trials, Empowered Patient, Health In 30, Health Journalism, Health News Articles, Health News Headlines, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Patient Education, Patient Engagement
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Guest post submitted by MD Anderson Cancer Center
Most of us can’t keep up with all the new ways to avoid cancer. Thanks to the Internet, we now have an unlimited supply of cancer knowledge at our fingertips. But, how can we filter out the good, the bad and the questionable?
Below are steps to help you tease out the facts when reading that next big news story on preventing cancer.
Says who?
Don’t just take the writer’s word for it. Dig a little deeper to find out the source behind the hype. The American Cancer Society says you should ask yourself these questions when reading an article:
- Was this a press release from a company announcing a new breakthrough in cancer prevention?
- Was it a report from a clinical study that was given at a scientific conference?
- Was it a report from a study that was published in a respected medical journal?
- Where was the study done? What do you know about the research centers that conducted and sponsored the study?
Knowing the answers to these questions can help you decide on where you need to go to seek more details about the study findings. Visit the source of the information to learn more about how this new substance or method was tested. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Health in 30*
October 17th, 2010 by Peter Lipson, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips, Opinion, Quackery Exposed, Research
Tags: Age-Related Testosterone Deficiency, CAM, Complementary And Alternative Medicine, Direct-To-Consumer Drug Advertising, Dr. Peter Lipson, Endocrine Society, Endocrinology, Evidence-Based Healthcare Decisions, Hormone Replacement Therapy, HRT For Men, Low Sex Drive, Low T, Low Testosterone, Male Sexuality, Men's Health, Pharma Advertising, Pharmaceutical Companies, Reproductive Health, SBM, Science Based Medicine, Science-Based Treatments, Sexual Health, Snake Oil, Solvay, Testosterone Deprivation, Testosterone Replacement Therapy
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If you google “low testosterone” you’ll see lots of ads for testosterone replacement. Some are from pharmaceutical companies that sell testosterone, others from obvious snake-oil salesmen.
Both types of ads list vague sets of symptoms, encourage you to believe that they are pathologic, and want to sell you something to make you better. For example, the pharmaceutical company Solvay gives you a handy guide for speaking to your doctor, and a quiz to see if you have “low T.” The quiz asks some questions that may be useful, but also asks very general questions about your sense of well being. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at Science-Based Medicine*
October 15th, 2010 by Jeffrey Benabio, M.D. in Better Health Network, Health Tips
Tags: Animal Health, Bacterial Infection, Dr. Jeff Benabio, Hand Hygiene, Handwashing, Harmful Germs, Infections From A Pet, Infectious Disease, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylcoccal Auerus, MRSA, Pet Safety, The Dermatology Blog, Veterinary Medicine
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Can your dog give you MRSA? Sharing with your dog is wonderful — unless you’re sharing bacteria. Pets can harbor harmful germs to pass on to you.
Staphylococcus bacteria is a common cause for skin infections in people and animals. A virulent strain of staph, called MRSA, has made headlines for school outbreaks and fatal infections. MRSA infections are usually blamed on dirty locker rooms and contaminated gym clothes, but the source for an infection might be in your lap right now.
Here are five ways to avoid catching an infection from your pet:
1. Your pet’s mouth is not clean. It’s teeming with bacteria. Don’t let your pet lick your wounds. A dialysis patient once contracted a life-threatening pasturella bacteria infection from his beautiful golden retriever this way.
2. Keep open wounds covered. Contact between your wound and your pet could spread bacteria such as MRSA. Read more »
*This blog post was originally published at The Dermatology Blog*
