December 2024

Various fasting regimens have been attempted for inflammatory autoimmune diseases, such as lupus, ankylosing spondylitis, chronic urticaria, mixed connective-tissue disease, glomerulonephritis, and multiple sclerosis, as well as osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia. The strongest evidence of the benefits of fasting surrounds the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune joint disease, as I detailed in my previous blog […]

Fasting, followed by a plant-based diet, is put to the test for autoimmune inflammatory joint disease.  Alan Goldhamer is the founder of the TrueNorth Health Center in Santa Rosa, California, where 10,000 individuals have fasted for “a variety of conditions from diabetes and cardiovascular disease to autoimmune diseases.” He noted that “conditions that seemed to

The temporary quintupling of heart attack risk associated with cannabis smoking may be due to increased heart rate, blood pressure, and carbon monoxide levels. Does “the dark side of cannabis”—both “synthetic and non-synthetic marijuana”—include stroke? There have been case reports of artery damage due to the “vasoconstrictor effect of cannabis,” which has been well documented.

The temporary quintupling of heart attack risk associated with cannabis smoking may be due to increased heart rate, blood pressure, and carbon monoxide levels. Does “the dark side of cannabis”—both “synthetic and non-synthetic marijuana”—include stroke? There have been case reports of artery damage due to the “vasoconstrictor effect of cannabis,” which has been well documented.

What do randomized controlled trials of high-dose daily vitamin B12 supplementation show about its effects on cancer risk, death, and longevity?  In 2019, “Association of High Intakes of Vitamins B6 and B12 from Food and Supplements with Risk of Hip Fracture Among Postmenopausal Women in the [Harvard] Nurses’ Health Study” was published. Note, though, that

Acne can be triggered in one in ten people who get vitamin B12 injections.  “Acne is a disease unique to humans.” Why do we even get it? Well, think about the distribution of those greasy sebaceous glands. They’re “on the face, chest and back; these are exactly the same structures that pose the greatest obstruction

An entire issue of a cardiology journal dedicated to plant-based nutrition explores the role an evidence-based diet can play in the reversal of congestive heart failure. It is a hopeful sign of the times when an entire issue of a cardiology journal is not just dedicated to nutrition, but to a plant-based diet in particular.

Does walking with poles, also known as Nordic pole walking or “exerstriding,” beat out regular walking for depression, sleep quality, and weight loss? Exercise recommendations for obesity have been referred to as “the mysterious case of the public health guideline that is (almost) entirely ignored.” Governmental, scientific, and professional organizations call for at least an

Why don’t environmental groups advocate for climate-friendlier diets? In what “was arguably the largest ever environmental protest in the world,” more than one million children in more than one hundred countries joined the “Global Climate March, demanding that governments act now to reduce climate change and global warming.” “The concerns of the young protesters are

How much greenhouse gas does the production of different foods cause, measured in miles driven or lightbulb hour equivalents? “Our eating habits are making us and the planet increasingly unhealthy—it’s a lose-lose situation.” “A global transformation of the food system is urgently needed.” “In consideration of the mounting evidence regarding the environmental effects of foods,