Can I claim to be psychic? I predicted this. In a previous column, “Superfood Silliness,” I wrote: “At frequent intervals, yet another entrepreneur identifies yet another unfamiliar tropical fruit that can be imported and sold to gullible health nuts at exorbitant prices. I wonder what the next fad will be.”… read more "New Superfoods: Kakadu Plums and Cockroach Milk"
Genetic Testing: Does Knowing Risk of Disease Make a Difference?
Genetic variants may provide information you’d rather ignore The complete sequencing of the human genome by the Human Genome Project was a remarkable accomplishment and a cause for celebration. Several companies including 23andMe, Navigenics, and deCODE have capitalized on that scientific achievement by offering genomic testing directly to the public. They promise more… read more "Genetic Testing: Does Knowing Risk of Disease Make a Difference?"
Quackery: The 20 Million Dollar Duck
The publisher recently sent me a review copy of Quackery: The 20 Million Dollar Duck, by Tony Robertson. My first thought was “Do we really need another book on this subject? Don’t I know all this stuff already?” I was very pleasantly surprised. Robertson has ferreted out an impressive array of… read more "Quackery: The 20 Million Dollar Duck"
If You Think Doctors Don’t Do Prevention, Think Again
Prevention has long been a priority of conventional medicine. One of the common criticisms we hear from alternative and integrative medicine proponents is that doctors don’t do anything to prevent illnesses and have no interest in prevention. They claim that doctors are only trained to hand out pills to treat… read more "If You Think Doctors Don’t Do Prevention, Think Again"
Statistics Done Wrong, And How To Do Better
Statistics is hard, often counterintuitive, and burdened with esoteric mathematical equations. Statistics classes can be boring and demanding; students might be tempted to call it “Sadistics.” Good statistics are essential to good research; unfortunately many scientists and even some statisticians are doing statistics wrong. Statistician Alex Reinhart has written a… read more "Statistics Done Wrong, And How To Do Better"
Past Life Regression Therapy: Encouraging Fantasy
Buddhists believe in reincarnation. Some psychotherapists do too. I recently got an e-mail from a PR firm about an “internationally certified regression therapist,” Ann Barham, who has written a book and who claims to help patients to “heal enduring challenges, release unhealthy patterns and beliefs, and find their way to… read more "Past Life Regression Therapy: Encouraging Fantasy"
The Gene: An Intimate History
A superb writer, Siddhartha Mukherjee’s books are easy to read. Six years ago I reviewed Siddhartha Mukherjee’s book The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer. It was hands-down one of the best books I have ever read on a medical topic. Now he’s done it again. His new book is… read more "The Gene: An Intimate History"
Glucosamine and Chondroitin: Do They Really Work?
Glucosamine and chondroitin are widely used for osteoarthritis pain. My daughter even gives them to her elderly horse. Their popularity is puzzling, since the evidence from scientific studies indicates that they don’t work. Wikipedia has a useful survey of the history, studies, criticisms, and systematic reviews (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_trials_on_glucosamine_and_chondroitin). It includes a… read more "Glucosamine and Chondroitin: Do They Really Work?"
Diatomaceous Earth? No Thank You!
Would you eat this? It might look like a crunchy new breakfast cereal, but it’s a close-up of diatomaceous earth, the fossilized microscopic skeletons of diatoms. Diatoms are unicellular algae, one of the two major classes of the phytoplankton that constitute the bottom of the food chain in oceans and… read more "Diatomaceous Earth? No Thank You!"
The THRIVE Experience: Masterful Marketing, Short on Substance
One of the few things that aren’t in THRIVE products My daughter told me about the latest health fad among her group of acquaintances. She knows people who are spending $300 a month on the THRIVE program and claiming miraculous results. With a skeptic for a mother, my daughter knew… read more "The THRIVE Experience: Masterful Marketing, Short on Substance"