In This Issue:

This Week on PeoplesPharmacy.com
Featured Q&A
Featured Home Remedy
Caffeine Slows Cognitive Decline
Coffee Prevents Twitchy Eyelid
Energy Drinks Provide Caffeine
How Hard Must You Work Out?

Best Choices from The People's Pharmacy

We are pleased to announce a new edition of our book, Best Choices from The People's Pharmacy. Best Choices is filled with natural healing approaches for dozens of common conditions including:

• arthritis
• high blood pressure
• constipation
• insomnia
• diabetes
• leg cramps
• headaches
• menopause
• heartburn
• nail fungus
• high cholesterol
• osteoporosis

We also rate prescription drugs so you can get the best buys for your money. Best Choices is packed with remedies that will surprise you, statistics that will shock you, ratings to help assess your treatment options and drug information that could save your life. Purchases from the web site receive over a 25% discount off the list price of $31.95.

This special edition (524 pages) is not available in any bookstore. It contains an expansion of our People's Pharmacy Favorite Picks (home remedies) and a new chapter on Desert Island Drugs and Dietary Supplements. Some of the country's leading experts have contributed their insights on the best treatments for what ails you. This edition is not in stores or on other Internet sites. It is only available from Rodale Books and directly from The People's Pharmacy. We ship book orders Media Mail (5-10 day delivery expected).

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

This Week on PeoplesPharmacy.com:

This Week's Radio Show: 645 Sexual Solutions
s your libido lagging or perhaps in overdrive. What can you do to improve your sex life? According to a new survey there are 237 reasons people have sex...ranging from boredom to loftier motives. Dr. Irwin Goldstein is one of the world's leading experts on human sexuality. He brings us up to speed on the latest research on erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, circumcision and female sexual response....
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/radio_shows/645_sexual_solutions.asp

Success Stopping an Antidepressant
Q. After reading about the difficulties people have getting off certain antidepressant medications, I want to tell you about my success. I planned a weekend at home with no distractions or plans and took Dramamine all weekend to stay somewhat...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/pharmacy_qa/success_stopping_an_antidepressant.asp

Nutritional Approaches May Help Preserve Vision
Q. I have been diagnosed with the onset of macular degeneration. The eye doctor said there is no cure.Are there any vitamins or other nutritional supplements that might slow the process down? I'd like to keep my vision for as...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/nutritional_approaches_may_help_preserve_vision.asp

Listerine Eases Nasty Skin Condition
Q. I had a bout with folliculitis, an infection that causes inflammation of the hair follicles. My dermatologist prescribed an antibiotic ointment that was messy and hard to use.I decided that if Listerine killed germs in a person's mouth, it...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/listerine_eases_nasty_skin_condition.asp

Chocolate is Champion for Good Health
If there were a medicine that could make your blood vessels more flexible, lower your blood pressure, prevent blood clots and improve insulin sensitivity, it would be phenomenally successful. The company that produced this wonder drug would likely charge an...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/editorial/chocolate_is_champion_for_good_health.asp

Are Cholesterol Drugs Linked to Lou Gehrig's Disease?
Q. I have been fascinated with letters from people reporting that Lipitor weakened their muscles. I believe Lipitor triggered my ALS. Until last month, my doctors wouldn't listen to me, but then a report from the World Health Organization (WHO)...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/pharmacy_qa/are_cholesterol_drugs_linked_to_lou_gehrigs_disease.asp

Zetia May Cause Muscle Problems
Q. I have tried many statin drugs for cholesterol, but all gave me muscle pain and cramps. My doctor put me on Zetia and insists it can't cause muscle pain since it is not absorbed into the blood stream. I
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/pharmacy_qa/zetia_may_cause_muscle_problems.asp

Potato Against Wart
Q. I had a wart on my finger for 15 years. A few doctors said they could cut if off, but I don't like the idea of surgery.My mother told me of an old gypsy remedy, but I would never...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/potato_against_wart.asp

Featured Q & A

Stay Out of Sun on Septra
Q. I recently had a urinary tract infection and was prescribed Septra. The instructions said not to go out in the sun. This was quite inconvenient, but I followed the directions. What would have happened if I had gone swimming as planned?

A. You could have come down with a terrible sun burn. Antibiotics like Septra (co-trimoxazole) sensitize the skin to ultraviolet radiation. Although a sunblock is essential it might not provide complete protection.

Featured Home Remedy

Tea Soaks for Nail Fungus
I completely cured toe nail fungus with a soak in lapacho tea, (Pau d'Arco). I soaked my feet daily for several weeks with warm water. I broke up 4 capsules in a pan of water and the fungus eventually went away. Pick a time wher you can do this everyday. It worked for my mother-in-law as well.

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

Health Headlines:

Caffeine Slows Cognitive Decline
Coffee is slowly gaining ground as a health drink. Not only does coffee wake you up in the morning, it may keep you sharp as you age--at least if you are female. French researchers studying people over 65 found that women who consumed 300 mg of caffeine a day in coffee or tea had better test scores. More than 4000 women were tested at the beginning, after two years and at the end of a four-year study. Those who consumed the most caffeine performed better on verbal retrieval and memory tests. Unfortunately, the men in the study did not appear to benefit from caffeine. Although caffeine did not prevent dementia in women, it did appear to slow cognitive decline.
[Neurology, Aug. 7, 2007]
http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/abstract/69/6/536

Coffee Prevents Twitchy Eyelid
Speaking of coffee, a daily cuppa joe may help prevent the development of an eyelid twitch. Italian researchers interviewed 166 people with uncontrollable eyelid twitching and more than 400 people without the condition. They determined that the more coffee people drink, the less likely they are to develop eyelid twitch, known to doctors as late-onset blepharospasm. The scientists don't know why coffee might be preventive, and they say it won't help once an eyelid twitch has developed.
[Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, August 2007]
http://jnnp.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/78/8/877

Energy Drinks Provide Caffeine
People who don't like coffee may look elsewhere for their caffeine. A new category of soft drink is supposed to provide extra energy, and that usually means extra caffeine. A comparison of 12 energy drinks by Consumers Union found that most of these beverages provide about as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. Red Bull, for example, has 80 mg of caffeine and Sobe No Fear has 85 mg in 8 ounces. An 8-ounce cup of brewed coffee has 65 to 120 mg of caffeine. Of course, this would suggest that children should avoid such energy drinks. If parents wouldn't serve their kids a double cappucino, they certainly shouldn't give them highly caffeinated soda.
[Consumer Reports, Sept. 2007]

How Hard Must You Work Out?
There's no question that exercise is good for your health, but how intense does the workout have to be? A new study shows that moderate exercise may be just as good as heavier exercise in improving blood fats. More than 200 middle-aged overweight adults participated in a study at Duke University. Both triglycerides and good HDL cholesterol improved with moderate exercise. But participants who did not exercise had their bad LDL cholesterol rise. The bottom line appears to be that the duration of your exercise program may be at least as important as its intensity.
[Journal of Applied Physiology, Aug. 2007]
http://jap.physiology.org/cgi/content/abstract/103/2/432