July 01, 2005

Supplemental beta-carotene was shown to increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers in a poorly designed Finish, Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention (ATBC) study. A second study, Carotenoid and Retinol Efficacy Trial (CARET) also found a higher incidence of lung cancer in those people taking a whopping 30 mg of synthetic beta-carotene, plus 25,000 IU of pre-formed Vitamin A retinol.

June 24, 2005

Recent data suggests adipose tissue (connective tissue that stores fat) to be a multifunctional organ rather than simply a passive storage site for excess energy. Adipose tissue secretes a variety of factors that exert multiple effects at both the local and the systemic level. These secretions include protein families, fatty acids, prostaglandins and cytokines, including Interleukin-6 (IL-6), which is now recognized as a biomarker for inflammation, along with C-reactive protein (CRP).

June 17, 2005

While an individual bacterium can be self-sufficient for a limited amount of time, bacteria coordinate their behavior into protective communities called biofilms. Biofilm development is an example of the amazing ability of bacteria to organize into group behavior to extend their lifespan.

June 10, 2005

Herpes simplex virus is a major health concern, as genital infections are increasing in epidemic proportions. The CDC website reports that one in five adults over the age of 12 would now test positive for genital herpes; one third of these adult carriers are asymptomatic.

June 03, 2005

The Nobel Prize was awarded in 1998 to Ferid Murad for his discovery that nitroglycerine works by releasing nitric oxide (NO). This seems particularly appropriate because Alfred Nobel's fortune came from his invention of making dynamite from nitroglycerine. Eye care professionals are now carefully monitoring potentially dangerous visual side effects associated with nitric oxide (NO) stimulating pharmaceutical drugs.

May 27, 2005

What kind of lighting is best for people with retinal diseases like macular degeneration? Researchers tell us that ultraviolet (UV) and blue light rays may be harmful to people with retinal disease, while marketers tell us that lamps with enhanced UV and will help us to see better and stay healthier. The following scientific paper and poster was presented by Dan Roberts, the founder and director of www.mdsupport.org at the 2005 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) meeting.

May 20, 2005

Floppy Eyelid Syndrome (FES) can lead to tear film abnormalities that eventually result in dry eye pain. Although initially reported to be most common in older overweight men, FES also affects women, different age groups, and non-obese people. FES presents symptoms of nonspecific irritation, foreign body sensation, mucoid discharge, dryness, redness, photosensitivity, and eyelid swelling.

May 06, 2005

New science suggests that mice are far more capable of properly metabolizing many plant based essential fatty acids (EFAs) than are human beings - particularly humans over the age of 40. Science has not always understood this. Many studies examining fatty acid metabolism have been carried out on rodents.

April 29, 2005

Just as eyelids, jowls, breasts, belly and chins sag with the aging process, apparently so does ocular surface tissue. The somewhat intimidating term used to describe, yet another, degenerative aging event is called conjunctivochalasis. The Tenon's tissue that tightly adhere the eye's conjunctiva to the sclera in our youth tends to loosen and wrinkle with age. Conjunctival sags and wrinkles interfere with the spread of the lipid layer of the tear film, which decreases tear film break-up time and results in evaporative dry eye.

April 22, 2005

Full-spectrum supplements, eating clean (meaning almost no junk food) and exercise are the best investment you and your patient can make in both short and long term health. Overworked soils, cold storage, food processing, and cooking strips today's foods of a large amount of their nutritional value. Therefore, nutritional needs have overtaken the amount of micronutrients provided in the very best of daily diets.