In This Issue:

This Week on PeoplesPharmacy.com
Featured Q&A
Featured Home Remedy
Counterfeit Colgate Hits Canada
Medicine From Marijuana Fights Cancer Pain
Medical Marijuana Vetoed In Connecticut
Babies Of Smokers Exposed To Nicotine
Many Sunscreens Not Deemed Safe And Effective
Costs Of Diabetes Care Soaring
TV Makes Diabetes Worse

Best Choices from The People's Pharmacy

We are pleased to announce our new book, Best Choices from The People's Pharmacy. Best Choices From the People's Pharmacy is a how-to for consumers trying to work out which treatments, including diet, home remedies, dietary supplements and drugs, are best for what ails them. Click the link below to purchase a copy at a discount of $21.95 plus $5 shipping and handling!

Note: We are shipping single book orders Media Mail with an expected transit time of 3-9 days from shipment, and orders for two or more books by FedEx Ground. Shipping and handling is $5 per book. We also include a FREE copy of Chocolate without Guilt, regularly $14.95, autographed by Terry, with orders for three of more copies of Best Choices shipped to the same address.

http://ppcart.fountainshosting.com/p-249-best-choices-from-the-peoples-pharmacy.aspx

This Week on PeoplesPharmacy.com:

Cheap Chinese Chemicals Pose Risks
"Follow the money." This famous line, written by William Goldman for the movie "All the President's Men," was the key to unlocking the mysteries behind Watergate.If you follow the money, you can discover the motivation behind skullduggery. Who profits and..
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/editorial/cheap_chinese_chemicals_pose_risks.asp

Generic Drugs From India and China May Not Be Safe
It's worse than we imagined. For the last five years or so we have been sounding an alarm about generic drugs. That's because we've been hearing from readers and listeners that sometimes their generic medicine has not worked as expected...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/joe_and_terrys_blog/generic_drugs_from_india_and_china_may_not_be_safe.asp

Does Lipitor Affect Memory and Nerves?
Q. I have taken Lipitor for several years. I've begun to notice numbness in my feet along with sporadic memory loss and difficulty balancing my checkbook and using the computer. I have a PhD, so this is alarming. My doctor...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/pharmacy_qa/does_lipitor_affect_memory_and_nerves.asp

Looking for Licorice to Aid Digestion
Q. I have heard that licorice is helpful with digestion. All I have been able to find is artificially flavored licorice. I assume this won't work. Where can I find real licorice? A. Real licorice can be found in health...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/looking_for_licorice_to_aid_digestion.asp

Can Antiperspirants Cause Alzheimer's?
Q. I have read that aluminum seems to be associated with Alzheimer's disease. Could the aluminum in antiperspirants increase the risk? What else can you use to reduce underarm sweating and odor? A. The aluminum-Alzheimer's connection has been debated for...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/pharmacy_qa/can_antiperspirants_cause_alzheimers.asp

Tonic Water Eases Cramps, but Not without Risk
Q. Since quinine sulfate is no longer available for leg cramps, I wonder if there is any danger in drinking "tonic water" just for the flavor. Quinine is an ingredient, I believe. A. Although the FDA has banned the use...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/pharmacy_qa/tonic_water_eases_cramps_but_not_without_risk.asp

Looking for Licorice to Aid Digestion
Q. I have heard that licorice is helpful with digestion. All I have been able to find is artificially flavored licorice. I assume this won't work. Where can I find real licorice? A. Real licorice can be found in health...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/looking_for_licorice_to_aid_digestion.asp

Certo and Grape Juice Ease Joint Pain
Q. I have been using Certo in purple grape juice for arthritis pain and it really works. But I wonder if there are any side effects. For example, since Certo is a thickening agent, does it thicken the blood? This...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/certo_and_grape_juice_ease_joint_pain.asp

Listerine Used to Fight Lice
Q. Both of my boys were sent home from school with head lice. The checklist given to me by the school nurse said that in order for them to return to school, I must treat their scalps with an insecticide. I...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/listerine_used_to_fight_lice.asp

Featured Q & A

Caffeine Turbocharges Pain Relievers
Q. Thirty years ago when my daughter was making her first Holy Communion I had a house full of guests. My head was splitting and nothing helped. My sister-in-law told me to try a couple of aspirins with a cup of coffee.

I had tried everything else so I took her advice. A few hours later she asked me how my headache was and I realized the pain was gone. That's how I learned to combine aspirin and caffeine.

A. Caffeine has been shown to boost pain relief from either aspirin or ibuprofen. One study proved that 400 mg of ibuprofen combined with 200 mg of caffeine (roughly two cups of coffee) worked better than ibuprofen alone for tension headaches.

Featured Home Remedy

Vinegar For Dastardly Dandruff
I used to suffer with bad dandruff until someone told me that using vinegar on my scalp could help. Now I rub vinegar on my head for a few minutes before I shampoo. I have not been troubled since.

You can read more home remedies on our website:
http://www.peoplespharmacy.org/archives/home_remedies/index.asp

Health Headlines:

Counterfeit Colgate Hits Canada
Health Canada, the Canadian equivalent of the FDA, says it's up to consumers to protect themselves from counterfeit toothpaste. At last count, at least 5,000 tubes of Colgate-brand toothpaste have been distributed through discount stores. Like counterfeit Colgate confiscated in the U.S., the Canadian toothpaste is labeled made in South Africa. The Colgate-Palmolive Company does not import toothpaste from South Africa. The fear is that the toothpaste may be contaminated with diethylene glycol, a poisonous ingredient used in antifreeze. This compound has been substituted for the slightly more expensive sweetener, glycerin. Consumers who have any questions about the safety of their Colgate toothpaste are urged to contact the company. Once again we are reminded that regulatory authorities around the world are having an increasingly difficult time protecting consumers from counterfeit products.

Medicine From Marijuana Fights Cancer Pain
Canadian regulators are expected to decide whether a marijuana-based medication can be used to treat cancer pain. The drug is called SATIVEX and is sprayed under the tongue. It is already prescribed in Canada to treat the pain associated with multiple sclerosis. Canadian authorities have been open to the idea of drugs based on marijuana if they are shown to be effective and safe.

Medical Marijuana Vetoed In Connecticut
Speaking of medical marijuana, the governor of Connecticut has just vetoed legislation that would have permitted people with serious illnesses to use marijuana legally. The bill would have permitted patients with cancer, AIDS or multiple sclerosis to grow marijuana for their own use. Twelve states currently have some legislation allowing access to marijuana for medicinal purposes, but federal regulations prohibit any and all uses of this weed. The battle between states rights and federal jurisdiction has put people in pain between a rock and a hard place.

Babies Of Smokers Exposed To Nicotine
We have long heard about the dangers of passive smoking. That is when a non-smoker is exposed to second hand smoke at home or at work. The health effects have been controversial because some people have had a hard time believing that bystanders would be exposed to very much danger. A new study from Britain suggests that babies whose parents smoke do indeed absorb significant nicotine. The investigators found that these infants have more than five times as much COTININE in their urine compared to babies of nonsmokers. Cotinine is a metabolite of nicotine and indicates that these kids are being exposed to substantial amounts of cigarette smoke and its byproducts. There no longer seems to be any doubt that second-hand smoke poses a measurable risk. The research was undertaken because babies of smokers are at higher risk for sudden infant death.
[Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal Edition, online June 19, 2007]

Many Sunscreens Not Deemed Safe And Effective
A new analysis of sunscreens by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group indicates that only 16 percent of the 783 products examined adequately protect against both UVA and UVB rays. UVB radiation causes sunburn, and most sunscreens do pretty well against UVB. But unless a sunscreen also protects against the UVA rays that cause cancer, skin damage and immune system problems, it provides a false sense of security. The research was based on over 400 peer-reviewed studies of the chemicals commonly used in sunscreens. The investigators fault the FDA for not setting new safety standards for sunscreens. The SPF numbers that are so ubiquitous don't tell consumers about UVA protection, breakdown of chemicals or skin absorption. Some ingredients react with sunlight to create free radicals that can damage skin cells. Others mimic estrogen and can interfere with normal hormone signaling. Certain compounds in sunscreens may build up in the body and the environment. The Environmental Working Group concluded that both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are safe and effective and provide protection against UVA as well as UVB sun exposure.
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/special/sunscreens/summary.php

Costs Of Diabetes Care Soaring
The cost of diabetes care is staggering. A new study of government spending finds that one eighth of the federal health care dollar goes to diabetes. That's almost $80 billion! More Americans are developing diabetes every day. Despite the massive amounts of money Uncle Sam spends each year, the investigators conclude that there are many missed opportunities for the government to prevent, detect and treat diabetes early so that complications can be minimized.

TV Makes Diabetes Worse
TV may be part of the problem at least for young people with type-1 diabetes. A Norwegian study reveals that children and teens who spend more time watching television have less control over their blood sugar and need more insulin.
[Diabetes Care, June 2007]
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/30/6/1567