November 2009

Is Zestra Really the Miracle Cure for Women?

Seemingly, more women have trouble with sex than men. So, where is our magical Viagra to keep us living in style as we get older? Where is the extra juice that "we" (as in the mothers among us) need to give us extra energy to raise our children and raise the roof in the bedroom? What can post-menopausal women who have enjoyed a healthy sex life for decades do to reclaim their mojo? In short, where is our magic pill?

Obviously, this should be more of a priority than it is now. Men seem more than willing to take the little blue pills to make it all work, and when their wives are having sexual difficulties they are also more than willing to have affairs or to seek out the services of so-called "escorts".

Dietary Truths That Might Not Be

legacy/calcium.jpg

I have recently been reading the mounting evidence on two fronts, which thoroughly challenges conventional wisdom.  The first is that taking calcium (either dietary intake of dairy products, or by taking calcium supplements) has little to no effect on osteoporosis.  The second is that the amount of fat that you eat has little to no effect on your cholesterol levels.

Now obviously, everyone needs to still get a certain amount of calcium in their diet.  And the cholesterol findings don't give you an excuse to eat Big Macs with every meal.  But it seems that our understanding of how these two processes works is not entirely correct.

Niacin: The New Miracle Cure?

legacy/niacin.jpg

Niacin has recently shot to public attention after it won a battle with the prescription drug Zetia in lowering cholesterol.  Niacin (or B3) is considered an essential human nutrient, and is found in organ meats, chicken, beef, fish, milk, eggs, nuts, dark green vegetables, coffee (yay!) and mushrooms.  The humble niacin was known primarily for flushing the faces of those taking B vitamin supplements, but now is being touted as the newest cure for Alzheimers, high cholesterol, and oily skin.

Niacin's effect on cholesterol was recently presented at the American Heart Association's annual meeting, as well as being published in the New England Journal of Medicine.  In a tightly controlled study, niacin in combination with statins was shown to be more effective than Zetia in reducing arterial plaque.