Candida's stealth invasion of the human bodyFungi such as candida can cause problems as diverse as frequent bouts of colds, athlete's foot, urinary tract infections, PMS, irritable bowel and "brain fog". Chronic sinusitis is another condition that researchers are finding may have to do with chronic fungal infection in the nose according to a recent Mayo Clinic sinusitis study. One does not need to suffer from all of these conditions to have a candida problem; different people have different susceptibilities, which means that you and I could both have candida, but I get a chronic athlete's foot infection, and you get chronic sinusitis instead, manifesting completely different reactions to this same organism. Most invading pathogens have more recognizable patterns of disrupting the human body. Some go to the urinary system, some to the lungs, some to the GI tract, etc. Candida is a complicated and systemic pathogen. It weakens our immune system, which often allows other body systems to be attacked by other opportunistic microbes such as bacteria and viruses. Dr. William Crook has devised a systematic questionnaire to determine Candida infection risk. This questionnaire is widely considered to be a reliable first step toward ruling out or ruling in candida as underlying pathogen for a given health condition. Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum considers any score on this test over 140 to be indicative for candida overgrowth. A shorter survey, from The Yeast Connection is as follows: Score for yourself the number of points indicated, then read the score interpretation at the bottom
Scoring for women: If your score is 9 or more, your health problems are probably yeast-connected. If your score is 12 or more, your health problems are almost certainly yeast-connected. Scoring for men: If your score is 7 or more, your health problems are probably yeast-connected. If your score is 10 or more, your health problems are almost certainly yeast-connected. If your score on either this short questionnaire or the longer one linked above puts you in the high probability of having candida, your next step is to get professional help to get the candida overgrowth down to a normal balance with the rest of your body's flora. Candida is part of the normal flora of the body. It only becomes a problem when, for example after a course or more of antibiotics, it grows out of control and takes over. Naturopathic physicians are trained to consider the whole person, and can devise a treatment plan for you that takes every aspect of your health into consideration. The naturopathic physician nearest you may be found in the directory of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Did you know that we have in the U.S. ... primary care physicians who not only have the training of conventional doctors (diagnostic testing, physical examination, prescription of pharmaceuticals, minor surgery etc.) but have also been medically trained in botanical medicine, clinical nutrition, detoxification of heavy metals and other chemicals, homeopathy and other natural healing modalities??? Look no further: American Association of Naturopathic Physicians |
Cimicifuga racemosa (black cohosh) for hot flashesAt least 13 clinical trials on black cohosh extracts confirm this herb's clinical effectiveness for treating such menopausal symptoms as hot flashes, excess perspiration and mood swings. [1] Various studies including 80, 152, 50 and 60 women, and varying from 8-12 weeks, showed significant improvement in menopausal women with the use of black cohosh root. An especially large study in Germany of 629 women of 6-8 weeks reported that symptoms were alleviated or eliminated in 76-93% of the patients. [2] Black cohosh was also shown to be safe and effective for hot flash relief in women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer in the past and were presently taking Tamoxifen. Such women often have few or no options regarding treatment for menopausal hot flashes. A 12-month study of 136 breast cancer survivors with severe hot flashes found that they were much more likely to experience complete or partial relief from hot flashes than the group taking placebo. [3] A previous study had found that an extract, Remifemin, produced by Glaxo SmithKline, was no different from placebo at reducing hot flashes. However that study included many women who were in their 20's and 30's, and the period of the study was quite short, ending before symptoms would normally be expected to be reduced. Furthermore, it only used a refined constituent of black cohosh, not the entire plant, which has been shown to be much more effective. In fact, an 85-year old specimen of black cohosh, which had been subject to light, heat and other sub-optimal conditions, was shown to have much of the same activity of its constituents as the fresh herb, including antioxidant capability and those constituents that are prized for their effectiveness in treating hot flashes. [4] Black Cohosh has historically been used in combination with other herbs as an abortifacient and hence is contraindicated for women who are attempting to become pregnant, are currently pregnant and/or are breast-feeding. It is not recommended for continuous long-term use. As always - consult your naturopathic physician before undertaking any new herbal therapy.
Mammograms: buyer bewareThe American Cancer Society and the National Cancer Institute have promoted mammograms since the 1970s. Gynecologists and family physicians can be so insistent that their patients get mammograms that it can feel like coercion or harassment if the patient does not want to comply. Yet mammograms have from the very beginning raised suspicions regarding safety. Even the editor of the NCI Journal, John C. Bailar III, said "mammography may eventually cause more deaths from breast cancer than it prevents." This statement from 1976 is now being proven true as studies confirm equal survival rates among women who get mammograms and those who don't. A Canadian study of 40,000 women aged 50 to 59, with a 13-year follow-up, showed breast cancer mortality to be equal between one group doing only physical examinations and another group receiving annual mammograms. [1,2] Confirming that massive study, the mammography screening trials of Gotzsche and Olsen (Lancet, 2000 and 2001 respectively) concluded there was no difference in mortality between those women who had mammograms and those who did not. [3] The Canadian National Breast Screening Study concluded that mammograms are no better than clinical breast exams. [4] German researchers at the University of Guttingen recommend that women with an inherited tendency to breast cancer should specifically avoid early and frequent mammograms. This is because the low dose x-rays used in mammograms are nearly three times as effective at mutating genes in human cells as conventional x-rays. [5] A recent report by the National Academy of Sciences confirms what many scientists already know to be true: "Even low doses of ionizing radiation create an increased cancer risk." [6] So what are the alternatives? Some of the above studies confirm that clinical breast exam is as effective as mammogram at saving lives and identifying tumors. Thermography is a non-invasive, non-ionizing FDA-approved technology that uses ultra-sensitive infrared cameras to produce diagnostic images of temperature changes in tissue. It tends to catch tumors much earlier and at smaller sizes than mammograms. Israeli researchers have found that ultrasound scans are better at identifying small tumors that escape detection by mammography. [7] If there is no thermography center near you, ultrasound may be your best alternative to mammography.
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