Grapevine
There is a small part of Dean Neary, ND, that would like to see all dietary supplements classified as prescription only…The reason Neary [a naturopathic physician and chairman of the physical medicine department at Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA] offers up any hint of such potential heresy among natural health practitioners is that he worries too many Americans rely on health food store clerks—”some of them are basically kids”—and not professionals. He said most store clerks are mostly working off manufacturer sales and promotion materials…The management has become even more complex in recent weeks as new research casts doubts on supplements such as calcium for bone health, saw palmetto to prevent prostate cancer and glucosamine to alleviate arthritis pain. These findings point to an important flaw in our healthcare system: There is no single group of professionals who are widely identified as advisers on dietary supplements…As it turns out, naturopathic physicians, or NDs like Neary are indeed qualified to guide patients on the use of dietary supplements. Problem is, they are not universally recognized as authorities. Too bad, because naturopathic physicians study plant medicine in great detail.
—Bob Condor, Seattle Post Intelligencer, 3/13/06

Mayo Clinic researchers are conducting tests with human subjects to determine if an extract from green tea can help treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the most common form of leukemia in adults. The study was prompted in part by anecdotal reports from patients who began drinking green tea after a laboratory study published in 2004 indicated benefits from the brew.
—The Wall Street Journal, 3/21/06

A rise in allergies has turned the sale of specialist wheat-free and dairy-free products into a multi-million pound business. The market researchers Mintel say the value of “free-from” foods aimed at consumers on special diets has more than quadrupled in the past five years to £90 million…Mintel’s report, published today, reports a rise of 327% in sales of free-from products between 2000 and 2005 and predicted sales will double again by the end of the decade. Some 170 foods can spark allergies but eight foods account for the majority—cow’s milk, eggs, fish, peanuts, other nuts, soya, shellfish, wheat and other cereals. Julia Sloan, Mintel’s consumer analyst, said that free-from diets are also fast becoming a “trendy lifestyle choice.” Celebrities including Carol Vorderman, Geri Halliwell and Victoria Beckham are reported to follow wheat-free and dairy-free diets. Mintel’s survey shows that gluten and wheat-free products recorded particularly strong sales, rising by almost 120% over the past three years to £48 million. Dairy-free products were valued at £32 million, growing by 28% over three years.
— Martin Hickman, The Independent, 3/22/06

Today, people who want to make sure they get enough heart-healthy omega 3 fatty acids either have to eat certain fish, flaxseeds, or take dietary supplements. But researchers now report that they have created a possible alternative—cloned pigs that produce the omega 3 themselves and may someday be a good dietary source of the nutrient. The six cloned animals were created by transferring a gene called fat-1 to embryonic cells that give rise to connective tissues. Those genetically engineered cells were then used to create and grow the transgenic pigs, which, according to the study, had higher levels of the omega 3 fatty acids than normal pigs when samples of their umbilical cords, tail and ears were tested…”Livestock with a healthy ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids may be a promising way to re-balance the modern diet without relying solely on diminishing fish supplies or supplements,” said author Jing X. Kang, of the Massachusetts General Hospital.
—Marc Kaufman, WashingtonPost.com, 3/27/06

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey, from the University of Rochester, finds that teens who’ve used an herbal product are six times more likely to have tried cocaine