Published December 3, 2009

What you must avoid in your next hospital stay

You may have heard that the most common place to catch a nasty infection is the hospital. That makes sense, as there are so many sick people there. But did you know the hospital staff may be part of the cause? It’s true. A recent study found that something the hospital staff regularly gives their patients increases the patients’ risk for pneumonia by 30%. Fortunately, it’s really easy to avoid the infection.

In a new study, researchers looked at every patient admitted into a large, state-of-the-art academic medical center in Boston, Massachusetts.

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Published December 2, 2009

How to recover from surgery faster —
and avoid many complications

Did you know that if you ever undergo elective surgery, there’s something you can do that will make recovery a whole lot easier? All you have to do is load up on certain nutrients before going to the hospital. In fact, a new study shows that taking certain antioxidants can do more than dramatically improve your outcome. It can help you avoid potential complications.

In the study, the researchers gave surgery patients three different nutrients. They gave them 1,000 mg of vitamin C, 1,000 IU of alpha-tocopherol (three times a day), and 200 mcg day of intravenous selenium. Then they followed the trauma victims for complications. Here’s what they found:

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Published November 27, 2009

3 common herbs for stomach problems —
and one you’ve never heard of

Do you find that your stomach hurts a lot? If so, your doctor may have given you a drug to treat the problem. And you wouldn’t be alone. Gastrointestinal drugs are among the most widely prescribed drugs in America. But if you have indigestion or other stomach problems, there are three common herbs — and one you’ve probably never heard of — that you should try before you use prescription drugs.

The three common herbs are licorice, peppermint, and ginger.

People have used licorice to treat stomach problems for thousands of years. It’s loaded with phytochemicals and minerals that heal your digestive system and other damaged tissues. I’ve been especially impressed with a version of licorice called DGL. It reduces a plant chemical that helps your body retain sodium. That means it’s less likely to raise blood pressure than traditional licorice. DGL is widely available in health food stores.

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