Category Archives: Alternative Medicine

IT takes you by surprise sometimes, the way you can feel affection for someone youve never met.

The Queen inspires that feeling, particularly now, in her nineties. In an era when the dominant political mood is individualist, bombastic and self-indulgent, she continues to behave publicly in the way thats expected of her, with quiet dignity, as she has done since 1952. One of the abiding images of 2021 is of her sitting alone amid empty pews at the Duke of Edinburghs funeral, wearing a face mask in accordance with the rules, her hunched shoulders and downcast eyes the only clues to her private distress.

The Queen has a unique status in the public consciousness, one that has noticeably grown apart from that of the wider Royal Family. She is extraordinarily wealthy and privileged, of course, but that has come at a price. She is appreciated for having sacrificed a normal family life in order to be a public property, putting her duties first. She enters her platinum jubilee year tomorrow and there are probably few, even among committed republicans, who would relish seeing the monarchy toppled while she is on the throne.

But when shes gone? Well, thats a different matter.

Personally, I used to feel that the monarchy was the least-worst option when it came to a head of state, since the prospect of a presidential election was so dismal. (President Clarkson, anyone? President Farage?) The Queen performs the role as youd want her to. If there were an interview process for a ceremonial head of state, the Queen would get the job, having always done the bidding of parliaments and prime ministers; shes never rattled the bars of her gilded cage or sought to bend them out of shape, or not that we know of.

READ MORE: Selfish Tories put NHS at risk

She appears know her place. Does Charles, he of the black spider memos that lobbied government on alternative medicine and badger culls? It seems not.

But thats not the real problem. The principal reason why the monarchy should be retired is this: the reactionary influence that the institution continues to exert on British society.

It sits at the pinnacle of the class system and is a bulwark of the aristocracy. If we dont say goodbye to the monarchy, then it becomes harder to get rid of the social structures that over centuries have grown up around it, acting as a block to meaningful equality of opportunity.

Its not just the painful deference it seems to inspire. The monarchy legitimises the hereditary principle and the shadowy concentration of wealth, property, land and titles within families. It also legitimises tax evasion by the landed rich. Secrecy surrounds the Queens personal wealth but its thought to be at least 350m, and is officially exempt from UK tax laws (though the Queen has paid tax voluntarily since 1993).

The British aristocracy is similarly adept at accruing wealth and property, and evading scrutiny of it. Remarkably, a century after it was thought to be dying out, the aristocracy is buoyant: wealth begets wealth. Aristocrats are prominent in every rich list of Britons. A study by two academics at the London South Bank University in 2019, found that Britains 600 aristocratic families had doubled their wealth since 2007 and were as rich as their Victorian ancestors. Looking at nearly 2,000 aristocratic wills, they found that while the rest of the country struggled to regain their wage levels after the 2008 crash, the aristocracy raked it in.

Historically, the status of aristocrats derived from their proximity to the monarch. They formed the members of the royal court; their bloodlines could be traced back to former kings and queens. They were defined by acquisitiveness, demanding lands in return for services rendered, enclosing common land when it suited them and using their positions to exploit commerce and trade.

READ MORE: Hey, guys, stop talking like Yanks

Today, by dint of birth, they have access to wealth and social opportunities not available to others. Chris Bryant, the Labour MP and chair of the Commons committee on standards, notes in his book Entitled, a history of the aristocracy, that land ownership itself is still the source of exorbitant wealth. Fewer than 450 individuals are said to own half of the private land in rural Scotland. They include aristocrats like the dukes of Buccleuch and Westminster. At least 30 per cent of England and Wales, and possibly as much as 45 per cent, is estimated to be owned by aristocrats and landed gentry, according to data from the book Who Owns England?.

Putting wealth, including stately homes and estates, into discretionary trusts a common practice means that aristocratic families can avoid public scrutiny and inheritance tax.

And why not? After all, we suffer the monarch to keep her financial affairs shrouded and pay us tax only if she feels like it.

When ordinary citizens face financial hardship, they review their assets and sell things to meet their debts their car, perhaps, or their jewellery. But by charging steep entry fees to the public for the privilege of entering their inherited piles, the aristocracy can be spared the need to sell off the Old Masters that hang on their walls.

Even when assets are sold, the tax terms are often highly favourable.

Just as land and wealth is concentrated and controlled, so the aristocracy maintain their exclusive institutions. Of 24 non-royal dukes in 2017, half went to Eton, helping maintain their grasp on politics and power (and their links to royalty). Aristocrats still play polo and go hunting, Bryant observes, and attend the same London clubs as their ancestors.

And the monarchy is at the heart of it. When the royals are at play sailing or attending Royal Ascot, shooting deer or grouse on Scottish hillsides or managing their estates they do so as part of a community of wealthy aristocrats.

Paul Johnson of the Institute of Fiscal Studies makes the general point about inheritance tax that in practice its regressive. The richest individuals have lawyers who help them avoid it: the full 40 per cent is often payable on relatively modest estates; those with assets of 1m to 8m pay an average of 20 per cent; and those with estates of around 10m pay 10 per cent. Incredibly, when the Duke of Westminster died in 2016, no tax was reportedly payable on the bulk of his 8bn estate. It is crying out for reform.

In Britain in 2021, we talk of a middle class, we talk of a working class and an underclass; we rarely talk of the upper class but it remains an intrinsic part of the invidious British class structure. Ninety-two hereditary peers even retain their seats in the House of Lords. The unearned status and wealth of the aristocracy and the monarchy, is a riposte to efforts to make Britain a fairer, more equal society. The time is coming to put the monarchy out to pasture and make the super-rich, including dukes and earls, pay their share.

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'If we want to change Britain, the monarchy must go,' says Rebecca McQuillan - HeraldScotland

The warning comes after a study published in Nature Journal identified trehalose, which is found in foods such as nutrition bars and chewing gum, as playing a part in spreading a dangerous superbug across the US. Trehalose has been linked with the rise of two strains of the bacterium clostridium difficile, which is a deadly superbug capable of resisting antibiotic medications.

Clostridium difficile, is known for causing diarrhoea, colitis, organ failure, and even death.

The researchers found a link between the rapid spread of the superbug in the past few years and the increased usage of trehalose in many sweet snacks.

According to Robert Britton from the Baylor College of Medicine in Texas: In 2000, trehalose was approved as a food additive in the US for a number of foods from sushi and vegetables to ice cream."

Dr Britton, who is one of the researchers in the study, said: "About three years later the reports of outbreaks with these lineages started to increase

Other factors may also contribute, but we think that trehalose is a key trigger."

These lineages that Dr Britton referred to were the strains of the bacteria called RT027 and RT078.

When scientists analysed the genetic makeup of these strains, they discovered DNA sequences that enabled the bug to feed off low doses of trehalose sugar very efficiently.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US, C. difficile is a major cause of infectious disease-related death in the United States.

READ MORE:UK faces significant threat to food production from superbugs

Another researcher, Dr. James Collins from the Baylor College of Medicine that this bacteria has been prevalent for a long time without any major outbreaks.

Due to the fact that the genetic factors that allow these bacteria to metabolize trehalose and increase the production of toxins were present well before the outbreaks started, the researchers investigated what could have triggered the epidemics.

Dr Collins added: "In the 1980s they were not epidemic or hypervirulent but after the year 2000 they began to predominate and cause major outbreaks.

"An important contribution of this study is the realisation that what we once considered a perfectly safe sugar for human consumption, can have unexpected consequences."

Trehalose is commonly used in prepared frozen foods, like ice cream, because it lowers the freezing point of foods.

Continue reading here:

Superbug warning over 'unexpected consequences' of common sugar alternative - Daily Express

Supplements & False Information

The thought of cancer returning is something that most cancer survivors fear after going into remission. Thanks to modern day research advancements, there are plenty of options for those facing a recurrence. However, a recent study found that 1 in 5 cancer survivors believe that taking dietary supplements will reduce the risk of recurrence. When it comes to your health, its important not to turn to alternative therapies and instead trust your physician.

In a study published by the journalCancer, researchers surveyed more than 1,000 survivors of breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer about the measures they take to prioritize their health. One in 5 (around 40%) of the surveyed survivors stated that they believe taking dietary supplements will help prevent the cancer from returning. Among the participants, 13% admitted that they take fish oil pills while 15% regularly take calcium supplements with or without Vitamin D.

Related: Your Fish Oil Supplements Arent Actually Reducing Your Cancer Risk, New Studies Find

We found one in five people who had been treated for cancer mistakenly thought that taking vitamins or other supplements would help reduce the risk of their cancer coming back, says Rana Conway, a co-author in the study. Those who believed supplements were important for reducing their risk of cancer recurrence were three times more likely to take them.

Dr. Ann Partridge explains how supplements are selling cancer patients and survivors false hope

Supplements do serve their purpose in other matters of health, but not in cancer prevention. The main purpose of taking supplements is to make up for the lack of nutrition certain people may have in their diet, such as fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, supplements such as fish oil have strong benefits in strengthening hair and nails.

The trend of holistic medicine has gained significant ground over recent years, with millions of Americans turning to alternative treatments rather than standard treatment. However, this can be extremely dangerous and life-threatening. A Yale study, published by JAMA Oncology,found thatpeople who pursue alternative therapy are more likely to die. Since this has become a popular route, more oncologists are incorporating integrative medicine into their practiceswithout replacing standard treatment such as chemotherapy.

Unlike alternative medicine, which claims cancer can be cured or completely prevented, integrative medicine blends both standard treatment as well as emphasizing lifestyle behavior. This can include diet, exercise, and a persons overall well-being.

Related:Fake Cancer Cures Still Running Rampant On The Internet Google, Facebook Monitoring Efforts Fall Short

Integrative medicineis an approach to care that puts the patientin the center of care and everything flows from that,Dr. Brian Berman, director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, previously told SurvivorNet. It emphasizes lifestyle behavior, like diet, stress management, nutrition, and it also blends the best of conventional medicine and complementary therapiesIt very much believes in the power of conventional medicine, but its trying to bring in other evidence-based approaches, and to optimize peoples health and well-being.

Dr. Jason Westins message to cancer patients: dont believe everything you read on the internet

While supplements can be beneficial in regulated doses, and under certain circumstances, its important to note that they are not a substitute for cancer treatment, prevention, or reducing the risk of cancer recurrence. In order to have the most successful outcomes, its key to follow your physicians advice and stick to evidence-based treatment options.

Related: Some Dietary Supplements May Be Harmful to People Getting Chemo for Breast Cancer

The ones that people often think about [integrative medicine] are the pills people can pop and what you get from the herbalist and so when someones putting something into their body I have two major concerns, Dr. Ann Partridge, an oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, previously toldSurvivorNet.One is that it might interact with something that Im recommending as an oncologist to treat the cancer and might get in the way of that working or might increase the side effects they have from treatmentThe second big thing is that, understandably, some of these therapies are much more appealing than some of our standard therapies in the general medical world, like chemotherapy or surgery. Wouldnt it be much nicer to take a vitamin and treat your cancer? So the studies have not been done in the rigorous way that we do cancer treatment trials to tell us for sure that thats not harmful.

Dr. Geoffrey Sonn, assistant professor of urology at the Stanford University School of Medicine, has a similar strategy with his patients.

So when I counsel patients, I will typically tell them just the basics. Exercise, maintaining a normal weight, plenty of sleep, eating fruits and vegetables. Those are the most important things, he says. Supplements, dietary supplements are probably not necessary. But likely not harmful. I discourage patients from seeking out things that they may read on the internet that are very expensive that, that promise cures or treatments to many different types of disease. Those are more likely marketing ploys rather than something that actually has a solid evidence base.

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

In a study published by the journalCancer, researchers surveyed more than 1,000 survivors of breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer about the measures they take to prioritize their health. One in 5 (around 40%) of the surveyed survivors stated that they believe taking dietary supplements will help prevent the cancer from returning. Among the participants, 13% admitted that they take fish oil pills while 15% regularly take calcium supplements with or without Vitamin D.

We found one in five people who had been treated for cancer mistakenly thought that taking vitamins or other supplements would help reduce the risk of their cancer coming back, says Rana Conway, a co-author in the study. Those who believed supplements were important for reducing their risk of cancer recurrence were three times more likely to take them.

Dr. Ann Partridge explains how supplements are selling cancer patients and survivors false hope

Supplements do serve their purpose in other matters of health, but not in cancer prevention. The main purpose of taking supplements is to make up for the lack of nutrition certain people may have in their diet, such as fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, supplements such as fish oil have strong benefits in strengthening hair and nails.

The trend of holistic medicine has gained significant ground over recent years, with millions of Americans turning to alternative treatments rather than standard treatment. However, this can be extremely dangerous and life-threatening. A Yale study, published by JAMA Oncology,found thatpeople who pursue alternative therapy are more likely to die. Since this has become a popular route, more oncologists are incorporating integrative medicine into their practiceswithout replacing standard treatment such as chemotherapy.

Unlike alternative medicine, which claims cancer can be cured or completely prevented, integrative medicine blends both standard treatment as well as emphasizing lifestyle behavior. This can include diet, exercise, and a persons overall well-being.

Related:Fake Cancer Cures Still Running Rampant On The Internet Google, Facebook Monitoring Efforts Fall Short

Integrative medicineis an approach to care that puts the patientin the center of care and everything flows from that,Dr. Brian Berman, director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, previously told SurvivorNet. It emphasizes lifestyle behavior, like diet, stress management, nutrition, and it also blends the best of conventional medicine and complementary therapiesIt very much believes in the power of conventional medicine, but its trying to bring in other evidence-based approaches, and to optimize peoples health and well-being.

Dr. Jason Westins message to cancer patients: dont believe everything you read on the internet

While supplements can be beneficial in regulated doses, and under certain circumstances, its important to note that they are not a substitute for cancer treatment, prevention, or reducing the risk of cancer recurrence. In order to have the most successful outcomes, its key to follow your physicians advice and stick to evidence-based treatment options.

Related: Some Dietary Supplements May Be Harmful to People Getting Chemo for Breast Cancer

The ones that people often think about [integrative medicine] are the pills people can pop and what you get from the herbalist and so when someones putting something into their body I have two major concerns, Dr. Ann Partridge, an oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, previously toldSurvivorNet.One is that it might interact with something that Im recommending as an oncologist to treat the cancer and might get in the way of that working or might increase the side effects they have from treatmentThe second big thing is that, understandably, some of these therapies are much more appealing than some of our standard therapies in the general medical world, like chemotherapy or surgery. Wouldnt it be much nicer to take a vitamin and treat your cancer? So the studies have not been done in the rigorous way that we do cancer treatment trials to tell us for sure that thats not harmful.

Dr. Geoffrey Sonn, assistant professor of urology at the Stanford University School of Medicine, has a similar strategy with his patients.

So when I counsel patients, I will typically tell them just the basics. Exercise, maintaining a normal weight, plenty of sleep, eating fruits and vegetables. Those are the most important things, he says. Supplements, dietary supplements are probably not necessary. But likely not harmful. I discourage patients from seeking out things that they may read on the internet that are very expensive that, that promise cures or treatments to many different types of disease. Those are more likely marketing ploys rather than something that actually has a solid evidence base.

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

Link:

1 in 5 Cancer Survivors Believe Taking Supplements Will Prevent Recurrence; Dont Rely on Alternative Medicine - SurvivorNet

Living with pain is an unfortunate reality for many people. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates one in five Americans has chronic pain which often limits their ability to work or do daily activities.

Increasing awareness about alternative therapies that can help control pain, aside from pain medications, is vital, said Ganesh Balu, MD, a Bayhealth doctor who specializes in pain management, physical medicine and rehabilitation, and opiate dependence and addiction. This is particularly true given that reliance on prescription painkillers is a contributing factor in the opioid problem that continues to worsen in Delaware and nationwide.

Balu and his team members recommend a multidisciplinary treatment approach for people who have chronic pain or are struggling with opioid use disorder. Their integrated, comprehensive pain therapy practice was selected by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as a Value in Treatment program geared toward improving healthcare access and outcomes for individuals with OUD, and reducing the strain of this medical condition on healthcare systems on a nationwide basis. They also are part of Delawares Office-Based Opioid Treatment Fellowship Program, which supports the safe use of medications to treat opioid use disorder in outpatient settings.

Its important to look at all the pieces of the puzzle when treating patients with OUD or chronic pain, said Balu. Care that is integrated and holistic is very beneficial, and there are many types of therapies that can help and improve your quality of life.

There are number of non-medication methods to lessen pain through minimally or non-invasive treatments, said Balu. These include timely use of various injection therapies like epidurals and nerve blocks, and neuromodulation procedures such as spinal cord stimulation. These interventions also work to reduce opiate dependency.

Physical therapy and therapeutic exercise have long been recommended by doctors to help treat the sources of many kinds of pain as well as improve mobility and function. Balu noted that other types of therapies play equally important roles in pain management chiropractic care, acupuncture, laser and massage are just a few. While each has unique methodologies and is tailored to a persons individual needs, they all help reduce tension in the body and stimulate healing.

Balu emphasized that the mind-body connection is important in addressing ones awareness of pain and the bodys responses. Yoga is considered a type of therapy that positively impacts both physical and mental health. Along with gentle stretching that is good for the body, yoga uses breathing and meditation, which encourage relaxation, help release negative energy, and teach mindfulness, which in turn may reduce ones perception of pain. Its helpful for someone whos had an injury or suffers from chronic pain. Since it reduces stress and enhances overall well-being, it is a lifestyle-enhancing practice for anyone.

Counseling is another therapeutic way to manage pain. The same parts of the brain are stimulated by emotional and physical pain, so it makes sense that treating both aspects is beneficial.

For anyone dealing with substance abuse or addiction, counseling is a critical step, Balu said. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one specific approach, and transcranial magnetic stimulation is another. TMS is an FDA-approved treatment for major depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder that has also been shown to be effective in reducing pain in some patients who suffer from depression secondary to chronic pain.

Any of these interventions, often used in combination with one another, can benefit patients while avoiding the risks of opioid addiction, he said. When we take a humanistic and compassionate approach to pain management, and patients keep an open mind, there is hope toward keeping pain under control and living a healthier life.

Community members who are looking for specialists to meet their needs may go to Bayhealth.org/Find-A-Doc or call Bayhealths physician referral line available 24/7 at 1-866-BAY-DOCS (229-3627).

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Ditch the medications and consider alternatives to manage pain - CapeGazette.com

A new study published in theJournal of Cognitive Enhancementinvestigated the websites of 371 neurofeedback providers in the United States. The overwhelming majority of these providers made claims in relation to at least one clinical condition (e.g., anxiety, ADHD), and a quarter of them used hype words (e.g., miracle cure) to do so. Only 36% of providers had a medical degree or a doctoral degree in psychology.

Electroencephalographic (EEG) neurofeedback is a highly controversial form of therapy that provides patients with immediate biofeedback of their brain activity and teaches them to self-regulate their brain waves. The therapy is conducted across as many as 40 training sessions, at costs estimated between $3,00010,000 in the United States.

Importantly, the scientific literature has called to question the efficacy of neurofeedback training, with experimental studies suggesting that the benefits of training can be achieved with placebo and may be driven by psychosocial suggestion. Given that neurofeedback services are being widely offered to the public, study authors Anna Wexler and her team wanted to explore the claims being made by providers. The researchers embarked on the first systematic study of the advertising claims of neurofeedback providers in the US.

The study authors first identified 371 websites of neurofeedback providers in the US, after consulting four different directories. Two coders analyzed the websites, coding for clinic type, target audience, interventions offered, products being sold, language use, clinical indications advertised, and patient testimonials.

While neurofeedback clinics were identified across the US map, there were particular hotspots in the major cities of Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, and New York. The overwhelming majority of websites (97%) made claims regarding at least one clinical issue, the most common being anxiety (92%), ADHD/ADD (86%), and depression (82%).

Additionally, 90% suggested improvements related to cognitive enhancement (e.g., focus, concentration). Wexler and her team note that there is little empirical evidence that neurofeedback is effective in any of these ways and some websites listed conditions for which there is even less evidence, like Aspergers syndrome (19%) and bipolar disorder (16%).

About three-quarters of the websites used language suggestive of complementary and alternative medicine, for example, using words like holistic and natural. About a quarter used hype language to advertise unrealistic benefits, adopting expressions like miracle cure. Many websites appeared to target vulnerable populations, with 75% targeting parents and 27% targeting the elderly. Other common targets were athletes (33%) and business executives (23%).

Alarmingly, only 32% of providers had a doctoral degree related to psychology and 4% had a medical degree. Most (74%) were certified by the Board Certified in Neurofeedback (BCN), which is a credential intended to show competency but not a legal license to practice. While the BCN certification that most providers reported having does require a significant investment of timea university-level neuroanatomy course, 36 hours of didactic education, 25 hours of mentoring, and 100 neurofeedback sessionsonly two hours of training are devoted to the research evidence base for neurofeedback (BCIA 2004; BCIA 2019), Wexler and colleagues point out.

The study authors note that their study was limited since they were unable to include all neurofeedback providers in the US, investigating only those they identified from four directories. Still, the findings offer a snapshot into the advertising claims of neurofeedback clinics and raise concern that some providers are presenting overblown claims that are not justified by the current scientific data.

While it is not unethical per se to offer the public an experimental treatment, the provision of such services requires informing clients of the mixed evidence and of the experimental nature of the procedure (at minimum), the authors say. Given that a quarter of websites in our sample utilized hype language, and that 43.9% made use of patient testimonials, it seems likely that at least some of these providers are not accurately representing the current state of the science regarding enhancement.

The study, Neuroenhancement for sale: assessing the website claims of neurofeedback providers in the United States, was authored by Anna Wexler, Ashwini Nagappan, Deena Kopyto, and Rebekah Choi.

Continue reading here:

Study raises ethical concerns over misleading website claims from neurofeedback providers in the United States - PsyPost

Dr. Mitsie Vargas| Ledger columnist

The Integrative medicine approach can save lives or at least offer an alternative to managing chronic conditions while maintaining a high quality of life. In some cancer cases, it provides a way to provide comfort and hospice care. In my practice, I try to get the pet owners to understand that a cancer diagnosis does not necessarily mean you need to euthanize your pet right then.

Cancer is a rising concern and we keep diagnosing all sorts of cancerous processes in dogs, catsand exotics. Western medicine offers certain options like surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy that will eradicate the tumors or at least attempt to. There is a lot of research regarding vaccines to protect pets against certain kinds of cancer. We are lucky to have the University of Florida involved in several clinical trials and advancing many of these options.

In my opinion, an integrative approach offers the best quality of life for the affected pets. In some cases, getting rid of the tumor surgically then following up with herbals, food therapy, and acupuncture will raise the immune system and relieve pain resulting in a longer lifespan.

What happens when the tumor is inoperable or there are no Western options? Well, then we focus on the Traditional Chinese Veterinary medicine approach and discover the underlying pattern in hopes that addressing that will result in minimizing the cancer process. This is the most remunerating aspect for me as a practitioner; when I can offer hope to pets in dim situations.

I wanted to share a successful case of a kitty named Peaches that came to us with a diagnosis of suspected Lymphoma. He had been vomiting daily, would not eat, and was rapidly declining. His mom was referred to us by her veterinarian. He had been through some Western treatment options and had an ultrasound confirming the infiltrative nature of the lymphoma in his gastroenteric tract

I told the owner that Peaches did not know about his diagnosis so he was living in the present moment and could fully enjoy life if we could help move the gut in the right wayand improve his appetite. It would be our job to provide as much love and support while using Vitamin B12 aquapuncture, food therapy, and herbal medicines to care for him.

A diagnosis of Spleen Qi/Yin deficiency was made. He was put on the herbal formula Happy earth and given some food recommendations. Some supplements like probiotics and bentonite clay were prescribed.

The best thing about this story is that Peaches is currently doing well oneyear post-diagnosis and continues receiving herbal therapy and biweekly aquapuncture treatments. His latest Lymphoma test blood panel confirms his diagnosis and although we know the cancer is there, we are pleased it is not causing disease. He has stopped vomiting and has gained almost 2 poundssince we started therapy. This case exemplifies how TCVM for palliative care can extend the longevity and quality of life and perhaps keep a cancerous, invasive tumor from proliferating.

Dr. Mitsie Vargas is at Orchid Springs Animal Hospital in Winter Haven. She can be reached at drv@osahvets

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Additional methods of treating cancer in pets - The Ledger

Since the start of the pandemic, journals have retracted more than 200 COVID-19related papers and counting, most of them in 2021. But such papers represent only about 5 percent of the more than 3,000 retractions weve indexed this year in the Retraction Watch Database. In what has become an annual tradition, here we present the top retraction stories of the year.

1Like a lot of people, Victor Grech, a pediatric heart specialist in Malta, really likes Star Trek. The problem is that Grech was able to turn an Elsevier journal called Early Human Development into something of a scientific fanzine, publishing dozens of articles for the periodical that were in a galaxy far, far outside the scope of its editorial interests. The publisher learned about the problematic papers in late 2020 from Hampton Gaddy, an undergrad at the University of Oxford in the UK. Grechs articles covered topics such as the role of nurses in Star Trek, the banality of evil in Star Trek, and the portrayal of doctors in, you guessed it, Star Trek. Grech eventually lost more than two dozen papers to retraction.

2In 2015, officials at the University of Colorado Denver concluded that one of its former faculty members, Hari Koul, needed to correct or retract nine papers over concerns about problematic images in the articles. But six years later, most of those articles remained intactand many of the journals involved said theyd never heard of the investigation. After Retraction Watch reported on the delay, journals pulled three articles by Koul, who had left Denver for Louisiana State University Health Science Center (LSU HSC) in Shreveport and eventually ended up at the schools New Orleans campus. Then, after local media reported on other allegations Retraction Watch had mentioned, LSU HSC New Orleans said it was investigating, and Koul stepped downfrom his post as department chair.

3When the journal Vaccine published a study in June claiming that COVID-19 vaccinations killed two people for every death they prevented, the scientific community was outraged. Two members of the journals editorial board stepped down to protest the article, which was written by Hararld Walach, described on his Wikipedia page as a parapsychologist and advocate of alternative medicine. Vaccine quickly issued an expression of concern for the paper and subsequently retracted it. Meanwhile, Walach, whose institution in Poland terminated his position in response to the controversy, has defended his groups analysis, saying that the data, while imperfect, were analyzed correctly. He also lost another paper, in JAMA Pediatrics, on COVID-19 and masks for children.

4Last year, scientists began to express doubts about the validity of data theyd been receiving from Jonathan Pruitt, a behavioral ecologist with a prestigious position at McMaster University in Canada, whose field research on spiders had helped underpin many publications. Pruitts articles quickly began to fall, and over the next year he lost a dozen papers. Late this year, Pruitts doctoral dissertation, which hed received from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, was withdrawn. Pruitt was placed on paid leave from McMaster and removed from the prestigious Canada 150 Chairs website.

5When Cyriac Abby Philips, a gastroenterologist in India, published a 2018 paper about a young woman whod suffered liver disease after taking herbal supplements, he didnt think that three years later hed be considering suing the journal for defamation. Philipss legal troubles started when he and his colleagues published their case study in the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology, an Elsevier title. Herbalife, which makes dietary supplements including the ones the patient took, pressured the journal, which ultimately decided to retract the work for legal reasons, as stated in the original retraction notice. That notice was later changed to say that the scientific methodology, analysis and interpretation of data underlying the article were insufficienta claim Philips called highly defamatory. He threatened to sue the publisher and the journal for the equivalent of US $1.35 million. The retraction notice promptly was changed again, and now cites legal pressures as it initially did.

6Retractions often take years, but not in this case. Barely a month after the publication of a paper claiming female scientists fare better under male mentors, Nature Communications retracted the article amid a storm of criticism. Written by a group from the Abu Dhabi campus of New York University, the paper was lambasted from the moment it appeared online in mid-November. As one statistician tweeted, the paper doesnt tell us much about the impact of gender on mentorship but it sure does tell us that the statistics community needs to do a better job teaching scientists about correlation, causation, and confounding. The authors said they agreed with the journals decision and said they felt deep regret that the publication of our research has both caused pain on an individual level and triggered such a profound response among many in the scientific community.

7Pierre Kory, then of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, testified to Congress in May 2020 that MATH+an intensive care regimen that includes methylprednisolone, ascorbic acid, thiamine, heparin, and co-interventionsslashed the risk of death from COVID-19 by 75 percent compared with other regimens. Then, last December, he and his colleagues published a paper in the Journal of Intensive Care Medicine about MATH+ (to which they later added the controversial drug ivermectin) saying as much, prompting questions from other experts about whether the effectiveness of the approach was overstated. Those concerns appear to be warranted. In November, the journal retracted Korys paper, citing inaccurately reported data from one of the study sites in the analysis.

8In late 2020, the journal Eurosurveillance announced that, in response to an international petition, it was looking more closely at a paper it had published at the start of the year on the validity of PCR testing for SARS-CoV-2 (at the time called 2019-nCoV). The news heartened critics of the article, who argued that PCR testing wasnt capable of identifying the virusand thus, positive tests were meaningless and shouldnt be used to guide public policy, especially economically damaging steps such as lockdowns. But two months later, the editors issued a statementsaying that the paper would stand (or more precisely, the criteria for a retraction of the article have not been fulfilled).

9Advocates for the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 have little in the way of robust evidence to support their belief that the deworming drug is effective against the infection. One study many ivermectin fans pointed to this year appeared in Viruses in the spring. The randomized controlled trial purportedly found that a single dose of the drug led to fewer symptoms, lower viral load and reduced hospital admissions. Except that wasnt true. As BBC News reported, the study was found to have blocks of details of 11 patients that had been copied and pasted repeatedlysuggesting many of the trials apparent patients didnt really exist. The authors acknowledged that theyd mixed up their data files, and in November the journal retracted the paper, but not before the study had become part of a meta-analysis on the virtues of ivermectin for COVID-19, which as of this writing remains uncorrected.

10Finally, one of our favorites for the year. The Arabian Journal of Geosciences was forced to retract 44 articles from a special issue after readers pointed out that they appeared to be utter gibberish. The first clue? The titles read like a bunch of graduate students playing drunk Mad Libs: Neural networkbased urban rainfall trend estimation and adolescent anxiety management; Distribution of earthquake activity in mountain area based on embedded system and physical fitness detection of basketball. A guest editor of the journal, which is owned by Springer Nature, at one point blamed an email hack for the nonsense articles. In fact, the 44 were just the tip of the sand dune for Springer Nature. More than 400 papers in journals owned by the companyand hundreds more at journals owned by Elsevierhave been flagged for similar problems.

Ivan Oransky and Adam Marcus are the founders ofRetraction Watch. Email them atteam@retractionwatch.com, follow them on Twitter @RetractionWatch, and sign up for their daily newsletter.

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The Top Retractions of 2021 - The Scientist

In a notable development, the first long-acting injectable shot for preventing HIV was approved by the Food and Drug Administration this week, ushering in what could be a new era in the battle against AIDS.

The medicine, which is called Apretude, offers a significant advancement in combating what continues to be a highly infectious disease. In 2019, approximately 36,800 people in the U.S. were diagnosed with HIV and an estimated 34,800 were infected that same year, according to the latest data from the federal government. As many as 1.2 million Americans, meanwhile, are believed to be living with the disease.

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STAT+ is STAT's premium subscription service for in-depth biotech, pharma, policy, and life science coverage and analysis.Our award-winning team covers news on Wall Street, policy developments in Washington, early science breakthroughs and clinical trial results, and health care disruption in Silicon Valley and beyond.

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By endorsing a first injectable for HIV prevention, FDA creates alternative to pills and a battle among drug makers - STAT

Does God exist? Is there life after death? When did time begin? Which came first-the hen or the egg? These are among some of the most intriguing puzzles that constantly tease our brains. Ironically, answers to such posers remain unanswered.

There are two more equally troublesome questions for which answers are as elusive as those that have haunted mankind. Thy are: 1) What kind of food (rice or wheat or millets or something else) should we eat to lead a healthy life? 2) Which system of medicine (allopathy or ayurveda or homeopathy or something else) can we be dependent on for providing the perfect cure to all ailments?

People are in a fix to arrive at some conclusions by way of answers for these two vital questions. Every health-conscious citizen is in an utter state of confusion as they are bombarded by vociferous arguments and counters put forth by the food crusaders championing their own brand of foods and medicinal systems. With panacea nowhere in sight, the hapless citizens are trying everything and spending heavily even while putting their life in peril.

What to eat?

Everything was more or less honky-dory till the dawn of the new millennium. We used to devour rice, curries and pickles thrice a day along with curd.There never was (and never will) a dearth of delicacies for non-vegetarians.

For Telugu-speaking people, pickles like avakaya (mango), gongura (sorrel leaves), chintakaya (tamarind) and nimma kaya (lemon), were an intrinsic part of their cuisine. Jars filled with a dozen types of mango pickles, most of them prepared in summer by the family grannies and elders, would invariably occupy a pride of place on the dining table. The meal of our grandparents and parents was incomplete without having avakaya badda (a piece of mango pickle). Kids used to go to school after eating the leftover meal, called chaddiannam, with the available pickle, in the absence of 'tiffins.'Idli, vada, dosa, puri, bread etc replaced this traditional food as 'light' breakfast food.

Alas, of late, those who relished the abovementioned pickles went into an altogether different phase with doctors suggesting people to shun them forthwith. Our poor avakaya has become a banned substance now. The consumption of chaddiannam is now viewed as anuncivilised act and yummy curd and ghee are considered as a grave threat to our nerves system. Sprouts were suggested as a healthy breakfast meal but even this faded away in course of time.

All said and done, rice is our staple food, unlike North Indians. Slowly chapathis made their way into our meal. The wheat-made product became the evening meal of people, especially aged persons suffering from diabetes. The era of chapathis is slowly getting eased out by the innumerable kinds of millets that are being thrust on us. It has reached a stage where propagators of millets consider rice-eaters as potential patients. Amid this brings forth a never-ending organic or inorganic debate. The heavier priced organic millets are the norm of the day as consumption of rice is getting to be dubbed as a taboo by the proponents of 'millets for health' philosophy.

When it comes to handling those suffering from diabetes, nutritionists suggest a cup of rice, a phulka (chapathi without oil) and more veggies. Of course, it is still pizzas and burgers that the younger generation patronises. In tune with the diet and food habits recommended by the present day medical practitioners, salads, with all kinds of vegetables, have become a part of our daily food.

We grew up listening to the dictum, an apple a day, keeps the doctor away, but now-a-days, eating apples is considered anathema to one's healthy well-being. "Are you into apples? Let me tell you, it will serve no purpose! They do not have the nutritional value of the good old days. Apples should be eaten as they are plucked from the tree,"is the sagacious suggestion from a friend.

There is an apprehension that apples are glistened with a coat of wax and hence dangerous. We know that honey is linked to extraordinary health benefits such as bolstering the heart, quick healing of wounds, and the blood antioxidant status. However, people are baffled when reading news reports about pure honey getting contaminated with jaggery syrup.

A well-wisher by now might have asked you to straightaway ban three white substances-sugar, salt and maida power.

The Hyderabad-headquartered National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), as part of 'My Plate for the Day' recommendation, advocates that a healthy diet needs to include nearly 500 gms of vegetables and fruits accounting for at least eight percent of the daily calorie intake. However, more than 80% of Indians do not meet this recommendation, according to NIN Director Dr R Hemalatha.

In the last two years, NIN established Nutrition Surveillance System (NSS) in six States through the Anganwadi centers of the ICDS, which is an integrated approach to assess population nutrition. I wonder why our doctors don't write 'as per NIN recommendations' when they make dietary suggestions. Instead of dumping a lot of powders and other so-called 'balanced diet' manufactured by multinational companies, can't we trust the home-grown brains who are equally determined to make the citizens hale and healthy?

Medical dilemmas

Equally disturbing issue is the choice we ought to make on the medical front. People have tremendous faith in allopathy, an archaic term for science-based modern medicine. Though allopathy fails to provide a complete cure for some ailments, people repose faith on this type of medicinal system for its proven benefits.

Unable to bear the costs of tests and medicines, the economically-poorer lot opted for alternative medicinal methods. COVID-19 shook people's confidence on allopathy because of the delay in inventing a sure-shot medicine for the dreaded virus. Change of treatment protocols by an authority like the World Health Organisation (WHO) further impacted people's faith in modern medicine.

What were life-saving injections, that was heavily black-marketed were dropped from treatment later. The vaccination too didn't provide desired results to the people. Many people died even after taking two of vaccination. What adds confusion is the latest suggestion from health authorities that everyone should go for the booster doses at regular intervals to survive.

The highly dangerous trial and error method practiced by the modern doctors had a devastating impact on the physique and finances of public. That is why there was a mad rush to get herbal medicine prepared by ayurvedic practitioners like Anandaiah in Andhra Pradesh.

It is reported in media that some studies found an inverse relationship between smoking and COVID-19 infection. They contradicted the age-old belief that smokers are more vulnerable to infections in general and to respiratory infections in particular. It was indeed music to the ears of smokers. In hindsight, one really does not know what is right and whom to believe.

The modern, science-based medicine is undoubtedly the backbone of our healthcare systems, but alternative therapies like ayurveda and homoeopathy are gaining popularity prompting gurus like Baba Ramdev to launch a successful business on the back of selling herbal medicines and products by showcasing the Indian's age-old traditional healing system.

The Union Government has a Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (Ayush) to promote traditional systems. When we are sure of the efficacy of the modern medicine, allopathy, then why should we have Ayush? People are forced to try their luck in alternative medicines by spending hugely. I know a good number of people who use all three types of medicines with a belief that one among them would click. Generic medicine seems to be the new norm in the face of skyrocketing medical costs.

I don't see any sincere attempt from the government side to clear the food and medicine dilemmas that have been troubling people. Multi-crore research institutions, being run with tax-payers money, are unable to come up with a concrete solution for the issues at hand. I strongly feel that social media is the main villain for this Indian food and medical predicament.

The government should not allow every Tom, Dick and Harry to make videos on food and medicine and post them on social media platforms. Most of them are spreading a fear-psychosis among gullible public and creating hype and speculation for their own benefit. A way out will be in the government opening public information centres to clear doubts of people on food and medicines without further delay.

(The author, a PhD in Communication and Journalism, is a senior journalist, journalism educator and communication consultant)

Original post:

The great Indian food and medicine dilemmas - The Hans India

Troy also uses other alternative therapies like ice baths (Picture: @certifiedhealthnut/News Dog Media)

At 55, Troy Casey has a six pack those decades younger would be jealous of.

But the former model doesnt credit a balanced diet or active lifestyle for his ripped physique, but his pee.

Troy, from Arizona, USA,has been drinking his own wee and applying it to his own skin for the last 17 years even doing week-long urine fasts and putting aged urine enemas in his rectum.

His former life was as a model for top fashion brands like Versace, but hes now working a Life Coach and Healer, promoting urine therapy to clients.

Troy says: Urine therapy is an ancient practice it just doesnt get talked about a lot. Your own pee is full of amino acids, stem cells and antibodies.

I drink my own urine every morning I call it hair of the dog! The feeling is electric.

He says applying aged urine is the fountain of youth, adding, aged urine enemas are one of the ways I got my stomach so flat.

Despite Troy almost being eligible for a bus pass, people rarely believe him when they hear hes 55, something he puts down to his unique habit.

To those who arent convinced, he says: People should be scared if theyre eating sh*tty food and doing pharmaceutical drugs. Why should they be scared to try their own urine?

Troy who penned a book on the health secrets behind his good looks called Ripped at 50: A Journey to Self Love says he wasnt always so healthy.

He explains: When I started modelling in my twenties, I was living the high life, partying in Milan, New York and London and not looking after myself. As a result, I would bloat and hold on to the extra water in my face and body.

Sometimes I would be so bloated that casting agents would tell me not to go to Vogue or Armani shoot today. It began affecting my life and so I began reading up on nutrition and practising stuff like herbal medicine, fasting and eating real foods to combat it.

Soon after, I started getting results when I looked in the mirror. I became hooked to learning about natural and ancient healing methods and truly understanding health.

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Troysays he became interested in urine therapy also known as Shivambu in Ayurvedic medicine in 2004.

He first drank his own pee when he couldnt be bothered to stop for a toilet trip during a long car journey, but its now an important part of his routine.

I had read about the benefits of urine therapy in ancient Ayurverdic medicine and the information resonated it, says Troy.

The first time I tried my own urine, I was driving from San Francisco from Los Angeles. Its a long five hour drive. I didnt want to stop to take a leak so I peed in a cup and drank it and I was like hey thats not so bad!

Drinking my own urine, it wasnt as bad as the mental barrier in my own mind. The electricity were so immediate and subtle I felt a cool buzz. Intuitively, it just felt good. I drank my urine on and off for a while from there.

After a friend claimed to beat cancer with the help of urine therapy,Troybegan exploring other ways to ingest his own pee doing week-long urine fasts, putting aged urine enemas in his rectum and applying his own wee topically.

The says the benefits to his health, skin and physique were astonishing.

He recalls: My friend who beat testicular cancer with Shivambu challenged me to a seven-day urine fast where I just drank and looped my own urine for a week.

From there, I got into aged urine enemas where I would cultivate my own urine and ferment it in a sealed mason jar for two weeks before transferring into my rectum.

Aged urine enemas are so powerful for your health and I got my six pack abs after doing them. It flushed out my gut and thats when I got really ripped.

I also tried applying topical aged urine and what it did for my mood and muscle building was amazing. I put it on my skin especially when Im on the beach and its so electrifying and strengthening.

Its a big psychological leap for people to use their own urine as a moisturiser but its so euphoric and anti-aging. Uric acid is used in high-end skincare products.

This may be Troys experience, but its worth mentioning that theres no scientific evidence to suggest any benefits to urine therapy, particularly in relation to life-threatening conditions like cancer.

Urine is a waste product, containing mostly water, urea, and vitamins and minerals the body isnt able to store.

A hydrated person wont be harmed by drinking urine, but the Chinese Association of Urine Therapy has warned that drinking it excessively can have negative side effects including diarrhoea, fatigue, fever, and muscle soreness.

Troy who shares anti-vaccine content to his 121,000 Instagram followers says he could easily survive and thrive on urine if it came to it.

He explains: If the apocalypse ever happens and we dont have access to water anymore, Ive got my urine! I got my own water to drink! I survived on my own pee before and it works.

Im fifty-five years old and look at my vitality, my skin, my body, my health. People are impressed by my physique and energy at my age.

What so many pharmaceutical companies dont want to tell you is that we as humans are the secret to health. Thats what I try to teach people in everything I do.

As the Certified Health Nut, Troy sells eight-week transformation courses for $497 (375). Quite a lot of cash to drink your literal waste, and perhaps a contradiction when it comes to Troys holistic personal brand, but each to their own.

Always seek advice from a qualified medical practitioner before trying out alternative methods, too. A six pack really isnt worth making yourself sick.

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55-year-old former model puts ripped body down to drinking his own wee - Metro.co.uk