Why the interest in Sarsaparilla? Remember Sarsaparilla, the fizzy soft drink in a bottle? It may be what first comes to mind when I mention the word. Although now sometimes made with artificial ingredients, the beverage was originally made with the sarsaparilla (SAR) plant. Nowadays, SAR is becoming more widely available in health food stores,… Continue reading
“Air purifier” is a great name for a product: it’s simple, it’s direct and it addresses a major universal concern. It is as universal as it gets. After all, even little kids have been exposed to the idea that the air is not that clean anymore, that there is pollution and “bad things” in it…. Continue reading
Too many people in the natural health world treat phosphoric acid as ‘public enemy number one’. This is simply misinformation that comes largely from tabloid style blogs which sensationalize and manipulate science. So what is the real backstory to phosphoric acid and health? What does the scientific literature have to tell us about the effect… Continue reading
Some of the claimed health benefits of Inositol, that are quickly stumbled upon online, include that it fights depressive symptoms, improves fertility, assists with weight loss, lowers cholesterol, promotes sleep, eases constipation and promotes strong, healthy hair. Hey, how come I’ve never heard of this treatment? I noticed that none of these benefits, at least… Continue reading
It seems that everyone is blogging about piperine these days. There is lots of excitement on the blogosphere about the seemingly endless health benefits of this everyday kitchen spice. Beyond health benefits, piperine is the secret ingredient in the some of the more expensive gins on the market and can even be mixed with cheaper… Continue reading
Claim Vitamin K cuts risk of diabetes in elderly by 50%. Verdict It is inaccurate to suggest that vitamin K intake impacts on the risk of diabetes. Origin Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin best known for its role in clotting. There are two main forms of vitamin K: Vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) found in leafy… Continue reading
Claim Baby Powder Increases Ovarian Cancer Risk By 33% Lawsuit Claims. Verdict Data on the link between talcum powder and ovarian cancer is inconclusive. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified talcum powder as a possible carcinogen. Origin Doctor Mercola published an extensive piece on ‘The Talc Cover-Up’ which discussed studies linking the… Continue reading
Claim Heartburn Drugs Can Double The Risk Of Kidney Failure Study Says. Verdict It is inaccurate and misleading to use scientific data to suggest that heartburn drugs double the risk of heart failure. Claim A post on Natural News leads with the title ‘Prilosec and Other Heartburn Drugs Can Double Risk of Heart Failure’. This… Continue reading
Claim Melatonin Can Lower Your Risk Of Prostate Cancer. Verdict Research does not support the claim that melatonin helps lower the risk of prostate cancer. Origin Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland in a circadian rhythm. Melatonin exhibits some anticancer properties in animal models. Night shift work which disturbs circadian rhythm and… Continue reading
Claim Eating Garlic Reduces Risk of Lung, Bowel Cancer By 40%. Verdict It is not possible to make any overall conclusions about the anticancer properties of garlic due to the limitations of the existing studies. Origin Natural News carried an article entitled ‘Eating Garlic Daily Reduces Risk of Lung, Bowel Cancer by 40%’. The author… Continue reading
Claim IVF treatment proven to increase risk of birth defects in children. Verdict Clinical studies do not support the claim that assisted reproductive technology has been proven to increase the risk of birth defects. Origin An article in Time Health Land entitled ‘IVF Linked to More Birth Defects’ interprets the findings of a seminal research… Continue reading
An intro to the Intro I like to start my review articles with the question I imagine most of you, readers, will have led you to us, here. I try to stay away from hard line, dichotomous claims. After all, what science usually points to is a nuanced perspective, which is why panaceas are generally… Continue reading
Claim Inflammatory Bowel Disease drugs can increase leukemia risk by 700%. Verdict Claims that the inflammatory bowel disease drug Azathioprine increases the risk of leukemia seven fold is an oversimplification and misinterpretation of the results of a research study. Origin Pinterest discusses the ‘sevenfold increase of leukemia from inflammatory bowel treatments’. The pin is based… Continue reading
Claim 300% Increased Brain Cancer Risk For Long-term Users Of Cell Phones And Cordless Phones, New Study Revealed. Verdict There is insufficient information to definitively say whether or not wireless phones increase brain cancer risk. Available studies show an association between mobile and cordless phone use and malignant tumors, but have not proven that the… Continue reading
Claim Flavanoids from strawberries and blueberries cut heart attack risk in women by one third. Verdict The scientific literature simply does not support the claim that anthocyanin containing berries such as strawberries and blueberries reduce the risk of heart attacks in women. Origin Medical News Today reviewed the health benefits and nutritional breakdown of strawberries… Continue reading
Claim Antidepressant drugs increase risk of suicide in teens. Verdict Only one clinical study has shown a statistically significant increase in suicide risk in teenagers on antidepressants. All other studies show a non- statistically significant doubling of suicide risk in this patient population. Origin In 2006, the US FDA published the results of a meta-analysis… Continue reading
Claim Avocados can reduce the risk of heart disease study finds. Verdict There are no clinical studies showing that avocados reduce the risk of heart disease. Available information is limited to the effects of avocado on risk factors for heart disease and not the risk of heart disease itself. Origin Last month an article in… Continue reading
Claim Daily aspirin found to increase the risk of heart attacks by 190%. Verdict There is no scientific evidence to prove that daily aspirin increases the risk of heart attacks or myocardial infarction. Origin A number of websites have published claims that the risk of heart attacks is almost doubled in patients taking aspirin. These… Continue reading
Claim Common pain killers such as ibuprofen and naproxen found to raise the risk of a heart attack within a week of use. Verdict There is no evidence to support the claim that ibuprofen and naproxen raise the risk of heart attacks at any time. Origin Very recently the media warned people to avoid taking pain… Continue reading
Claim CT scans increase your risk of cancer by 35%. Verdict There is no scientific evidence to support the claim that CT scans increase the risk of cancer. Origin CT or computerized tomography helps visualize internal body organs such as the brain, kidney, spleen, liver. CT uses ionizing radiation at a higher dose than standard… Continue reading