In This Issue:

This Week on PeoplesPharmacy.com
Featured Q&A
Featured Home Remedy
Covering the Uninsured
Green Tea May Protect against Prostate Cancer
Home Blood Pressure Monitor Means Less Medication
Exercise and Longevity
Walk Off Metabolic Syndrome

---

New! Free Podcast Of The People's Pharmacy Radio Show

Miss the People's Pharmacy radio show last week? Now you can download our podcast! Every week we'll post the radio show as a free audio podcast. You can subscribe to our podcast using a program such as iTunes, and receive it automatically each week. Or you can visit our website and download a particular show you want to hear again. Each People's Pharmacy radio show is a 1 hour audio file which will be posted on Mondays.

Click here to download the podcast of last week's show, 661 Apitherapy and Acupuncture:
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/free_podcast/661_apitherapy_and_acupuncture_podcast.php
Click here to learn more or subscribe to our podcasts:
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/podcast/

---

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. During the holiday season we ship signed copies of Best Choices by Priority Mail.

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

---

This Week on PeoplesPharmacy.com:

This Week's Radio Show: 614 Health News Update
Vitamin E has been very controversial. A number of studies have shown that supplements don’t protect people from heart attacks or cancers. But a new study shows people who get plenty of vitamin E from foods are less likely to...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/radio_shows/614_health_news_update.php

Bar-Of-Soap Trick Just Superstition?
Q. I read again in today's column about the bar of soap cure for leg cramps. I think there is a huge psychological component to these cramps. If the soap cure works, it is just superstition. Anyone can learn to...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/barofsoap_trick_just_superstition.php

Plant Stanol Esters To Lower Cholesterol
Q. I was surprised that you didn't include a reference to plant stanol esters in your answer to a question about lowering cholesterol. Six years ago my husband's cholesterol was at 385. We didn't want him to take statins because...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/pharmacy_qa/plant_stanol_esters_to_lower_cholesterol.php

Curcumin And Pineapple Juice Ease Pain
Q. After listening to your radio show and reading about the anti-inflammatory effects of turmeric, I called a local health food store to get some. I had been having lower back pain and hip pain chronically off and on (mostly...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/curcumin_and_pineapple_juice_ease_pain.php

Liquid Bandage Banishes Skin Tags
Q. I'm wondering if you have any suggestions for removing skin tags. The dermatologist has lopped off some of them, but I’m hoping for a less expensive solution. A. Several readers have reported success in making their skin tags shrivel...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/liquid_bandage_banishes_skin_tags.php

Cold Remedy Ads Fool Parents
Parents ought to be outraged. They have been betrayed by drug companies as well as the Food and Drug Administration. For decades the FDA has allowed hundreds of cough and cold remedies to be sold for treating kids with sniffles...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/editorial/cold_remedy_ads_fool_parents.php

Pain Reliever Caused Kidney Damage
Q. Over-the-counter ibuprofen was my friend. I thought it was a miracle drug for pain and inflammation. I have osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia, and I took ibuprofen often to relieve pain. Then I went for a routine physical, which included blood...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/pharmacy_qa/pain_reliever_caused_kidney_damage.php

Cholestyramine As A Statin Alternative?
Q. I have tried many statin drugs for high cholesterol but had muscle pain with all of them. Two years ago my doctor prescribed cholestyramine. It is in powder form and I take one packet a day in juice or...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/pharmacy_qa/cholestyramine_as_a_statin_alternative.php

Treating Flakes With Milk Of Magnesia
Q. I have been using milk of magnesia on my face for the past two months since reading it in your column. My face flakes are gone! I pour it in my hand and massage it on my face--forehead, eyebrows,...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/treating_flakes_with_milk_of_magnesia.php

Campho-Phenique For Smelly Feet
Q. I recently read your answer to the person with smelly feet. I’d like to tell you what worked for me for 30 years. I was a waitress and had to wear solid shoes and nylons for long hours. My...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/pharmacy_qa/camphophenique_for_smelly_feet.php

Getting Rid Of Gas
Q. A lot of my friends are vegetarians. That means social gatherings are heavy on beans, hummus, broccoli and other foods that cause me a great deal of gas. I really suffer afterwards. I cannot avoid these events and it...
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_home_remedy_qa/getting_rid_of_gas.php

---

Featured Q & A

Oral Medicine Works Against Influenza
Q. My pharmacist said that there are effective oral medicines for the flu but they require a prescription. I didnÕt manage to get a flu shot this year before they ran out. What can you tell me about flu drugs?

A. Your pharmacist was probably referring to prescription antiviral medications. Symmetrel (amantadine) was first approved to treat ParkinsonÕs disease in 1966. It was also found to prevent Type A influenza or speed recovery. The FDA approved it for this purpose in 1976, though relatively few doctors prescribed it.

A chemical cousin, Flumadine (rimantadine) was introduced in 1993. Like amantadine, it is effective against Type A flu when taken within 24 to 48 hours of first symptoms. Side effects such as insomnia, nausea or dizziness are less common than with amantadine.

Tamiflu is newer and works against Type B influenza as well as Type A. It too can prevent flu or speed healing if taken within 48 hours and seems reasonably well tolerated.

---

Featured Home Remedy

Tea Tree Oil Solves Split Nail Problem
I had a fingernail that split to the quick from fungus. My doctor said there was nothing he could do to help. My daughter, an RN, suggested putting tea tree oil on the nail. This did the trick perfectly.

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

---

Health Headlines:

Covering the Uninsured
Expanding health coverage to the uninsured improves overall health, especially for patients with heart problems. This result may seem obvious, but some researchers have questioned the assumption that health insurance automatically improves health outcomes. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, compared patients who had continuous health insurance with those who lacked regular coverage. Over 7,000 participants were surveyed every two years between 1992 and 2004. Once the uninsured patients became eligible for Medicare, their overall health and physical functioning improved significantly. Those with continuous health insurance experienced no significant difference when they transitioned to Medicare. Results were especially impressive for uninsured patients with a history of cardiovascular complications such as heart disease, strokes, diabetes or high blood pressure. These results suggest that health insurance is cost effective. It can improve health outcomes and reduce expenses later when most people are covered under the federal Medicare program.
[Journal of the American Medical Association, Dec. 26, 2007]
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/298/24/2886

Green Tea May Protect against Prostate Cancer
Green tea continues to demonstrate impressive anti-cancer activity. For years scientists have been reporting that green tea may offer protective benefits against prostate cancer. This beverage contains a compound called EGCG (Epi-Gallo-Catechin-Gallate). In test tube and animal studies EGCG makes prostate cancer cells die. Now epidemiologists in Japan have reported on a study of nearly 50,000 men who were followed for up to 14 years. Those who drank five or more cups of green tea daily were half as likely to develop advanced prostate cancer compared to those who only consumed one cup or less a day. There is no data to suggest that drinking green tea can cure prostate cancer once it is diagnosed. But for men who may be at risk for prostate cancer, regular consumption of green tea might help and is unlikely to hurt.
[American Journal of Epidemiology, Jan. 1, 2008]
http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/167/1/71

Home Blood Pressure Monitor Means Less Medication
People with high blood pressure should probably invest in a home blood pressure monitor. A new study published in the journal Hypertension suggests that when blood pressure is measured regularly at home people often need less medication. Investigators randomly assigned 430 hypertensive patients to either of two regimens. One group received treatment based primarily on blood pressure readings that were obtained in the doctorÕs office. The other group measured their own blood pressure at home or at work. At the end of a year the groups were compared and it was found that self-measurement led to less medication usage. There was no significant difference in blood pressure values between the two groups. Kidney and heart function were also similar in both groups. The investigators concluded that home blood pressure monitoring could serve as a useful tool in addition to office measurement when it comes to controlling high blood pressure.
[Hypertension, December 2007]
http://hyper.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/50/6/1019

Exercise and Longevity
Regular physical activity helps people live longer. A joint study involving the National Institutes of Health and the American Association of Retired Persons demonstrates that 30 minutes of moderate activity daily or 20 minutes of vigorous exercise three times a week is associated with a reduced mortality risk. Over 250,000 men and women between the ages of 50 and 71 were surveyed. Vigorous physical activity was the most beneficial, but even moderate exercise produced measurable improvement in mortality statistics. The best results were achieved in individuals who were initially inactiveÉthose who spent a lot time watching television or videos. Vigorous exercise led to striking reductions in mortality risks for this population. The study adds to a clear consensus that regular exercise of any sort is good for our health.
[Archives of Internal Medicine, Dec. 10/24, 2007]
http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/167/22/2453

Walk Off Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a growing problem in America. It is associated with a big belly, above normal blood sugar levels, hypertension, high triglycerides and low levels of good HDL cholesterol. People with metabolic syndrome have an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke. A new study called STRRIDE, which stands for Studies of a Targeted Risk Reduction Intervention through Defined Exercise, suggests that a brisk walk for half an hour daily can dramatically reduce metabolic syndrome. At the begging of the study, 41 percent of the volunteers had metabolic syndrome. After eight months of exercise, only 27 percent met the criteria.
[American Journal of Cardiology, December 15, 2007]
http://www.ajconline.org/article/PIIS0002914907016736/abstract