water myth washed up

Whenever I go home to visit my dad I give him a hard time about his beverage choices, which he typically limits to diet iced tea, alcohol, and black coffee. When I'd nag him to drink more water, he'd rebut that (in addition to his distaste for the stuff) there was no scientific evidence proving water improved health. Well Dad, I hate to admit it, but you were right!

In a new report, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania analyzed over 30 years of data concerning the effect of water and could not confirm its supposed health benefits. They evaluated water's ability to flush our toxins, help organ functioning, help with weight loss, clear skin, and ward off headaches, and found little sound evidence supporting or negating any of these claims. Read more here.

Despite the cold hard science in my face, I still have a hard time accepting this, as I often think I can observe the benefits of water in my body. I guess its the old placebo effect in action again. Still, I am not going to cease drinking copious amounts of water, but I will lay off my dad.

soothe hay fever with a sinus rinse

It is unfair that the magical blossoming of spring inevitably triggers such a horrific allergic response in those of us who deal with seasonal allergies. The lush of spring is right on the horizon...those shivery cold night are numbered. With bulbs blooming and trees budding, runny noses and itchy eyes are creeping in the corner.

If you are a sinus suffer, look into nasal saline irrigation, also known as neti. This type of sinus and nasal cleansing is a purification technique has been used in ayurvedic medicine and purification rituals for thousands of years, and more recently there have been studies that demonstrated its efficacy in reducing sinus discomfort.

I've been plagued by itchy throats and springtime sneezing as far back as I can remember, so I've tried most of the pharmaceuticals, a year or so of shots, and I've been eating local honey for five years. I was really impressed with how quickly and gently rinsing eased my sinus pressure, and after a few months of rinsing a few times a week I feel less irritated and congested.

The sensation is a bit startling at first, but once you get the swing of things it is really no weirder than flossing. To ease into it, try this great sinus rinse kit.

FDA approves laughter for treatment of malaise

Perhaps I should have listened to my own advice, but as usual my winter-induced ennui convinced me to spend the last two months in hibernation. While I haven't really felt like doing anything, I have been able to stave off the sadness of SAD with a daily dose of laughter. While the FDA hasn't actually validated the ol' adage, there is plenty of data to prove that laughter can reduce pain, improve oxygen flow to the brain, and generally lift spirits.

So if winter is trampling your mood, try renting Super Troopers, reading some Sedaris, joining a laughter yoga group, or just yucking it up at my new favorite joke:

Bush and Cheney are at a restaurant for lunch. The waitress comes over and asks what they will be having.

Bush says, "I'll have a quickie."

The waitress steps back in disgust and says, "Mr. President, I thought that kind of piggish behavior went out with the last administration!"

She storms off and Dubya looks confused. Cheney shakes his head at the president and says, "George, it's pronounced QUICHE."

parsley: not just a garnish

This pretty green herb can add much more than decorative value to your kitchen. Parsley is rich in antioxidants, and is a great source of the essential nutrients vitamin C and vitamin A (via beta-carotene), as well as vitamin K, folic acid and iron. These nutrients are linked with heath benefits including heart health and protection against arthritis.

Parsley tea can be a fertile woman's best friend. Parsley is also known to nudge along a late period; its mild emmenagogue properties can stimulate menstruation, as long the lateness isn't due to pregnancy. Parsley is traditionally thought to relax the cervix and improve digestion, so it is also useful in relieving menstrual cramps and bloating. To prepare the tea, simply fill a mug with fresh chopped parsley and steep in hot water for about a half hour. Drink a cup every few hours to stimulate menstruation or ease menstrual distress.

feel great in 08: vitamin b-complex

A late night of merriment and champagne can upset an earnest New Year's resolution before it even has a chance. While the traditions of boozing on New Year's Eve and turning a new leaf on New Year's Day may contradict each other, your resolutions can be easier to face with the help of vitamin B complex.

While there's not much evidence to support the theory that vitamin B deficiency contributes to hangovers, numerous anecdotal reports of b-complex easing the consequences of partying inspired me to try it out. The results proved so effective that I now keep a bottle of sublingual b complex in my purse when I go to parties to share with friends. Unless you're wearing a lampshade on your head at the night's end (in which case you'll have to just dump all resolutions and sleep it off), vitamin B complex can save the day.

SAD: Winter's silent bummer

I notice it first around the end of daylight savings time; a mere week of walking home from work in the dark triggers sleepiness, lethargy, and general ennui. It typically peaks in February, (although the start of March is often terrible) at which point I dedicate myself to sleeping until the crocuses start to bud.

Many people slow down in the winter; increased eating and sleeping during the cold, dark months becomes a form of human hibernation. However, some experiences of winter that move past rest to a period of prolonged distress, sadness, and anxiety could be attributed to seasonal affective disorder (SAD). If you suffer from internet-induced hypochondria, keep in mind that the rates of SAD are relativity low; only about 1 in 20 people are thought to have SAD. However, one of the simplest and least obtrusive treatments for SAD is a walk during lunchtime, and that would be a healthy lifestyle addition for anyone, the depressed and the hypochondriac alike.

SAD is caused by limited exposure to light during the darker months, and standard treatment for SAD is light therapy. Light-boxes are typical, but one study demonstrated that walking for an hour a day in winter sunlight can be as effective as 2.5 hours of light therapy. Its important that the sun be absorbed through the retina, so avoid wearing sunglasses while outside. Since daily exercise improves overall health, this treatment can have numerous health benefits.

In more severe cases of SAD (or if its too cold and miserable to go outside), light therapy shows efficacy in numerous clinical trials. 30 minutes a day in front of a 10,000 lux lamp improved symptoms in 3/4 of research participants in trials at Columbia University.

And of course, if you're feeling hopeless, worthless or suicidal, talk to someone and seek professional help.

Big hopes for a little bulb

Health beverages are abundant in Japan. Between the amino-acid infused water and vitamin c fiber drink, you'll find airplane bottles of ginger extract, garlic extract, and various extracts I could not identify by the picture on the bottle. While visiting my boyfriend who was living in Tokyo, I had the (unfortunate) opportunity to test the antibiotic properties of garlic.

I'm pretty sure I transported a bug from the US, because my man got terribly ill the day after I arrived. Having no luck finding echinacea, zinc, or any of my regular cold combatants, I selected garlic extract. The bottle looked almost identical to the one on the right, but the the drawing on the label depicted garlic instead of ginger. He drank one every few hours and was feeling much better within a day.

Today I crossed the boundary from calling my sneezing allergies to accepting I'm coming down with something, so I'm loading up on odorless garlic extract tablets. Hopefully it will help salvage my weekend.

Ode to Ginger

Ginger tops my list of favorites for both spices and home remedies. I became addicted to the flavor, pink picked sweet slices with sushi and the zest in my dad's stir fry, and never thought about why my mom would get me ginger ale whenever my stomach was upset.

I became passionate about ginger after learning that it is traditionally served with sushi to combat any bacteria that may be ingested with raw fish. The simplicity of such a delicious tradition made ginger my favorite tummy stand-by.

There's data to show that ginger helps with motion sickness, morning sickness, post-operative surgery related nausea, chemotherapy nausea, and inflammation, and it is thought in Traditional Chinese Medicine to increase energy and heat.

For a cheap treat, make some fresh ginger tea by steeping fresh ginger root for 5-10 minutes in hot water with a dash of honey and lemon.

the data is in: grandma was right!

Always delighted to read clinical evidence that supports home remedies, I'm happy to report that honey got some evidence-based positive press today.

In a comparison of buckwheat honey, dextromethorphan (DM) cough syrup (honey-flavored, notes the abstract) and no treatment for cough in children, honey was rated the best by study participants and their parents.

The study, conducted by researchers at Penn State Pediatric Center in Hershey (the sweetest place on earth demonstrating its nature, as usual) was recently published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. It should be noted that funding was provided by the National Honey Board, and industry-funded government based agency whose mission statement focuses on the promotion of honey; however I'd be surprised if the honey industry handles its investigators the same way as big pharm.