Published August 5, 2010

Cancer treatments increase your risk of heart disease, arthritis, and other illnesses

What would you say if I told you that cancer therapy works? It kills cancer. Not surprising, right? But what if I then told you that this same cancer therapy will significantly increase your risk of heart disease, second cancers, arthritis, and a host of other problems?

Well, an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine says that’s exactly what happens.

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Published August 4, 2010

Two-nutrient combination stops Alzheimer’s plaque

If you’ve read Second Opinion for very long, you know there are a few nutrients that are my favorites. I write about them regularly. And I tell all of my patients to take them. Two of my favorites are curcumin (the curry spice) and vitamin D3. These two nutrients have multiple health benefits all by themselves. But now there’s evidence that taking both of them together can stop Alzheimer’s.

The new research comes out of UCLA and UC Riverside. Their researchers say the two-nutrient combination may help immune cells clear out beta amyloid. Beta amyloid is the gummy stuff that accumulates in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. It forms neurotoxic plaques in your brain, which hinder brain function.

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Published July 30, 2010

Don’t take another fish oil capsule until you read this...

You may know that I’ve always been a big fan of fish oil. However, I recently wrote in my newsletter that the shimmer of fish oil has gotten a little duller in 2010. Two new studies show that, while fish oils still have many positive qualities, there are some products that might not be worth buying. And some people may need to avoid them altogether.

Earlier this year, one study found that fish oil can boost blood fats in diabetics. It also found that they can boost molecules that promote clotting. The researchers who conducted this study saw these effects in a group of selected middle-aged men with metabolic syndrome. This one study alone shouldn’t change the overall recommendation to use fish oil. However, the leader of the research team said diabetics may want to reconsider using them.

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