Dr. Walt Larimore has written a very mixed bag of a book, combining useful general advice about supplements and “natural medicine” with some questionable specifics about individual products. Walt Larimore, MD, is a family physician, a medical journalist, a best-selling author, and a Christian evangelist whose organization Focus on the Family has… read more "The Natural Medicine Handbook"
Dr. Joel Fuhrman Sells Useless Iodine Test
Joel Fuhrman, MD, who practices so-called functional medicine and integrative medicine, sells an at-home urine iodine test on his website for $131. He claims the test can assess if one is deficient in iodine. The test requires two urine samples (morning and evening) dried on filter paper and submitted by… read more "Dr. Joel Fuhrman Sells Useless Iodine Test"
Puritan’s Pride Vitamin Advisor Gives Questionable Advice
The Puritan’s Pride website has a Vitamin Advisor that claims to provide a personalized supplement plan, with expert recommendations chosen just for you. In my opinion it is deceptive, designed not to provide evidence-based personalized health advice, but to sell their products; and one can only wonder what kind of “experts” would… read more "Puritan’s Pride Vitamin Advisor Gives Questionable Advice"
A Cornucopia of Crislip
I like to read. I read a lot. I am retired and have time to read. And I like to tell others about the books I have read. (My teachers made me write a lot of book reports in high school and I guess the habit stuck.) As a… read more "A Cornucopia of Crislip"
Broken Brain
Mark Hyman has a new series of 8 documentaries on The Broken Brain. He interviews over 50 “experts” carefully selected to agree with his ideas, with nary a word of dissent. He says we are experiencing an epidemic of broken brains, manifesting as anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism, Alzheimer’s, bipolar disorder,… read more "Broken Brain"
Andrew Weil/AAFP Article Rejected by Slate
I was asked to write an article for Slate, the on-line magazine, about Andrew Weil’s selection as the keynote speaker for the 2012 AAFP annual scientific assembly. The science and health editor, Laura Helmuth, was initially enthusiastic about what I wrote, but eventually decided not to publish it. Here is… read more "Andrew Weil/AAFP Article Rejected by Slate"
TIME Magazine, Dr. Oz, What to Eat, and Supplements
Here on SBM we have frequently had cause to criticize the media for poor science reporting and for spreading misinformation. Among many other individual offenders, we have criticized Dr. Oz for promoting alternative medicine on his TV show and gullibly promoting guests who pretend to talk to the dead… read more "TIME Magazine, Dr. Oz, What to Eat, and Supplements"
Diet Supplements or Nutritional Supplements: A Ruse by Any Other Name is Still a Ruse
I was surprised to get this e-mail from a reader: Surely, Dr. Hall, the public mania for nutritional supplements is baseless. All the alleged nutrients in supplements are contained in the food we eat. And what governmental agency has oversight responsibility regarding the production of these so-call nutritional supplements? Even… read more "Diet Supplements or Nutritional Supplements: A Ruse by Any Other Name is Still a Ruse"
Antioxidant Supplements for Macular Degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the major causes of visual impairment in the elderly: it affects central vision, impairing the ability to read and recognize faces while preserving some peripheral vision. It comes in two forms: wet and dry. Dry macular degeneration is by far more common, but… read more "Antioxidant Supplements for Macular Degeneration"
Polypharmacy – Is It Evidence-Based?
Polypharmacy essentially means taking too many pills. It’s a real problem, especially in the elderly. A family doctor gives an elderly patient one pill for diabetes, another for high blood pressure, and another to lower cholesterol. The patient sees a rheumatologist for his arthritis and gets arthritis pills. Then he… read more "Polypharmacy – Is It Evidence-Based?"