by Joe DiStefano
Seems like Coca-Cola is coming full circle some 120 years after its invention by druggist John Stith Pemberton. Well, sort of.
Yesterday the soft-drink giant unveiled the Coca-Cola Research Center for Chinese Medicine in Beijing.
Coca-Cola has set up a lab to experiment with new Chinese herbal flavors for Coke and other beverage products. It's the first international company to open such a facility at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. Coca-Cola plans to have its researchers develop beverages using Chinese herbal ingredients and formulas.
A Coca-Cola spokesperson had this to say "This collaboration will ultimately help us bring the insights and benefits of traditional Chinese medicine to consumers all over the world." And it should probably give them a bit more cred than Vitamin Water. Though to be frank, I'm not quite sure I'm ready for Diet Coke with ginseng.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Tackling Asia's growing waistline
Acupuncture and exercise are the keys to losing weight at a Chinese obesity clinic.
TIANJIN, China (CNN) -- Acupuncture needles get planted on the flabby frame of Cheng Jian, a 20-year-old student undergoing treatment to cure obesity.
The discomfort, he says, is nothing compared to the pain of being extremely obese.
"People talked behind my back because they hadn't seen a person as fat as I was," he tells CNN. Cheng is one of the many Chinese and foreign patients who have checked into the Aimin Obesity Reduction Hospital to lose weight and gain self-esteem.
Twenty-five years of China's economic boom have brought good life, sedentary lifestyles and fat-laden food -- swelling people's waistlines. "The number of obese youths grows 10 percent every year," says Aimin hospital director Shi Lidong. "It's partly because they are spoiled by doting parents and grandparents."
Aimin's doctors offer unconventional treatment. "Acupuncture mainly helps reduce appetite and improve metabolism. But our treatment is holistic."
In the virtual fat farm, patients are given meals with carefully counted calories. They are also counseled on how to change eating habits. In between meals, they do physical exercises, like running and dance aerobics.
The fat farm's solution is basic: eat less, and exercise more. Here, the chubby generation learns how to burn calories and melt the fat away. But some weight-watchers still get nightmares while trying to curb their cravings.
"A fellow patient dreamt of eating out with her parents, but they refused to give her food," says a camper, Wang Ping. Meng says he has lost 126 kilograms (278 pounds) in three years. "She shouted in her dream, 'why not let me eat!' We were all awakened by her screams."
Fat-farmers get emotional support and inspiration from graduates like Meng Qinggang, Aimin's most celebrated success story.
Meng weighed 215 kilograms (473 pounds) when he sought Aimin's help three years ago.
"I used to eat five meals a day. I needed help to put on clothes or walk. I was close to dying," Meng tells CNN.
Meng then lost 80 kilos (176 pounds) in 100 days, and slimmed down even more. He now weighs 89 kilos (196 pounds). "I can now drink beer and even eat fried, high-calorie food. It's okay as long as the amount is right," he says. "And I run regularly."
TIANJIN, China (CNN) -- Acupuncture needles get planted on the flabby frame of Cheng Jian, a 20-year-old student undergoing treatment to cure obesity.
The discomfort, he says, is nothing compared to the pain of being extremely obese.
"People talked behind my back because they hadn't seen a person as fat as I was," he tells CNN. Cheng is one of the many Chinese and foreign patients who have checked into the Aimin Obesity Reduction Hospital to lose weight and gain self-esteem.
Twenty-five years of China's economic boom have brought good life, sedentary lifestyles and fat-laden food -- swelling people's waistlines. "The number of obese youths grows 10 percent every year," says Aimin hospital director Shi Lidong. "It's partly because they are spoiled by doting parents and grandparents."
Aimin's doctors offer unconventional treatment. "Acupuncture mainly helps reduce appetite and improve metabolism. But our treatment is holistic."
In the virtual fat farm, patients are given meals with carefully counted calories. They are also counseled on how to change eating habits. In between meals, they do physical exercises, like running and dance aerobics.
The fat farm's solution is basic: eat less, and exercise more. Here, the chubby generation learns how to burn calories and melt the fat away. But some weight-watchers still get nightmares while trying to curb their cravings.
"A fellow patient dreamt of eating out with her parents, but they refused to give her food," says a camper, Wang Ping. Meng says he has lost 126 kilograms (278 pounds) in three years. "She shouted in her dream, 'why not let me eat!' We were all awakened by her screams."
Fat-farmers get emotional support and inspiration from graduates like Meng Qinggang, Aimin's most celebrated success story.
Meng weighed 215 kilograms (473 pounds) when he sought Aimin's help three years ago.
"I used to eat five meals a day. I needed help to put on clothes or walk. I was close to dying," Meng tells CNN.
Meng then lost 80 kilos (176 pounds) in 100 days, and slimmed down even more. He now weighs 89 kilos (196 pounds). "I can now drink beer and even eat fried, high-calorie food. It's okay as long as the amount is right," he says. "And I run regularly."
Forget Botox, try acupuncture!
By Michelle Charlesworth
New York-WABC - The East meets the West in one of the newest ways women can help turn back the hands of time.
Forget about Botox -- some say acupuncture is the way to go if you want to get rid of those lines and wrinkles. Eyewitness News Reporter Michelle Charlesworth explains how it works.
Eva Litka is a married mother of two, looking to regain a more youthful appearance.
Eva: "I'm approaching that age where muscles in my face don't work as well as they used to ... some sagging in spots, some lines that don't disappear."
But botox or plastic surgery are not for her. Instead, she's trying eastern medicine.
Ping Zhang is the fourth generation in her family to practice traditional Chinese medicine. Her specialty: the fight against signs of aging. She's even written a book about it. Zhang: "We're healing the body and the healing power is going to face to rejuvenate the face. ... This treatment does not fight wrinkles per se. However, it is supporting the underlying condition of the body."
By first treating the body, she says, you can treat the face. First Ping diagnoses her saying Eva's digestive system is the problem. So Ping applies needles to points linked to her digestion.
The pricks are painless Eva says. She relaxes while the needles go to work. Ping says they hit energy points, releasing blood into the face. Zhang: "We are activating the energy system that ends energy to the face."
25 minutes later, the needles come off, followed by an herbal mask.
(Copyright WABC-TV)
New York-WABC - The East meets the West in one of the newest ways women can help turn back the hands of time.
Forget about Botox -- some say acupuncture is the way to go if you want to get rid of those lines and wrinkles. Eyewitness News Reporter Michelle Charlesworth explains how it works.
Eva Litka is a married mother of two, looking to regain a more youthful appearance.
Eva: "I'm approaching that age where muscles in my face don't work as well as they used to ... some sagging in spots, some lines that don't disappear."
But botox or plastic surgery are not for her. Instead, she's trying eastern medicine.
Ping Zhang is the fourth generation in her family to practice traditional Chinese medicine. Her specialty: the fight against signs of aging. She's even written a book about it. Zhang: "We're healing the body and the healing power is going to face to rejuvenate the face. ... This treatment does not fight wrinkles per se. However, it is supporting the underlying condition of the body."
By first treating the body, she says, you can treat the face. First Ping diagnoses her saying Eva's digestive system is the problem. So Ping applies needles to points linked to her digestion.
The pricks are painless Eva says. She relaxes while the needles go to work. Ping says they hit energy points, releasing blood into the face. Zhang: "We are activating the energy system that ends energy to the face."
25 minutes later, the needles come off, followed by an herbal mask.
(Copyright WABC-TV)
Acupuncture Can Reduce Drug Costs for Pain Patients
One of the best ways to demonstrate the effectiveness of acupuncture is by looking not only at clinical results, but also at potential cost reduction compared to standard medical treatment.
A study from Spain, published in the June 2007 issue of the journal Acupuncture in Medicine, showed there is a cost benefit to acupuncture treatment in terms of reduced use of analgesic and anti-inflammatory medications. A research team led by Jorge Vas, MD, examined the records for 5,981 patients who sought treatment during a nine-year period, in order to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture for non-oncological pain. A telephone survey was conducted on the patients. As one of the outcome measures, the researchers recorded the pain medications taken by patients at both the start and the end of the treatment cycle, along with determining the retail value of those drugs. A five-point Likert scale was used to assess consumption of analgesic medications:
• 0: No painkillers required;
• 1: Painkillers taken occasionally or below the dose recommended for the process;
• 2: The painkillers recommended for the process, in accordance with clinical guidelines, are taken;
• 3: The standard dose for pharmacological treatment is increased;
• 4: It is necessary to increase the number of painkillers and/or their dose on a continual basis.
An extra point was added if the patient did not take analgesics or anti-inflammatory medications, due to pre-existing contraindications, but a score of 4 was never exceeded.
In looking at the cost for medications consumed before and after acupuncture treatment, the researchers found the mean difference to be €7.1 (US $9.70) per week, per patient. The greatest cost saving was for patients with headaches, with a mean difference of €26.1 (US $35.70) per week, per patient. The smallest difference was for patients treated for neck pain, with a mean difference of €6.6 (US $9.02) per week, per patient.
Among the 5,690 patients who completed treatment, the mean success rate was 79.7%, with the highest rates (93%) for patients with headache. The mean reduction in pain intensity amounted to a 67% fall from baseline levels. Patients with acute or sub-acute pain fared better than those with chronic pain. No severe adverse event was recorded.
In looking at the findings, the researchers concluded: "The favorable response rate obtained for most of the patients, the absence of severe adverse events and the reduction in the consumption of analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs all suggest that our experience could profitably be extended to other primary health care clinics for the treatment of nonmalignant pain."
A study from Spain, published in the June 2007 issue of the journal Acupuncture in Medicine, showed there is a cost benefit to acupuncture treatment in terms of reduced use of analgesic and anti-inflammatory medications. A research team led by Jorge Vas, MD, examined the records for 5,981 patients who sought treatment during a nine-year period, in order to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture for non-oncological pain. A telephone survey was conducted on the patients. As one of the outcome measures, the researchers recorded the pain medications taken by patients at both the start and the end of the treatment cycle, along with determining the retail value of those drugs. A five-point Likert scale was used to assess consumption of analgesic medications:
• 0: No painkillers required;
• 1: Painkillers taken occasionally or below the dose recommended for the process;
• 2: The painkillers recommended for the process, in accordance with clinical guidelines, are taken;
• 3: The standard dose for pharmacological treatment is increased;
• 4: It is necessary to increase the number of painkillers and/or their dose on a continual basis.
An extra point was added if the patient did not take analgesics or anti-inflammatory medications, due to pre-existing contraindications, but a score of 4 was never exceeded.
In looking at the cost for medications consumed before and after acupuncture treatment, the researchers found the mean difference to be €7.1 (US $9.70) per week, per patient. The greatest cost saving was for patients with headaches, with a mean difference of €26.1 (US $35.70) per week, per patient. The smallest difference was for patients treated for neck pain, with a mean difference of €6.6 (US $9.02) per week, per patient.
Among the 5,690 patients who completed treatment, the mean success rate was 79.7%, with the highest rates (93%) for patients with headache. The mean reduction in pain intensity amounted to a 67% fall from baseline levels. Patients with acute or sub-acute pain fared better than those with chronic pain. No severe adverse event was recorded.
In looking at the findings, the researchers concluded: "The favorable response rate obtained for most of the patients, the absence of severe adverse events and the reduction in the consumption of analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs all suggest that our experience could profitably be extended to other primary health care clinics for the treatment of nonmalignant pain."
5 alternative medicine treatments that work
By Elizabeth Cohen
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/10/04/ep.alt.med/index.html
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Dr. Andrew Weil wasn't sure exactly how he hurt his knee; all he knew was that it was painful. But instead of turning to cortisone shots or heavy doses of pain medication, Weil turned to the ancient Chinese medicine practice of acupuncture. "It worked -- my knee felt much better," says Weil. Americans spend billions of dollars each year on alternative medicine, everything from chiropractic care to hypnosis.
Weil says alternative medicine can work wonders -- acupuncture, certain herbs, guided imagery. For example, Dr. Brian Berman, director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, has done a series of studies showing acupuncture's benefits for osteoarthritis of the knee. Extensive studies have also been done on mind-body approaches such as guided imagery, and on some herbs, including St. John's wort. But on the other hand, there also is a lot of quackery out there, Weil says. "I've seen it all, [including] products that claim to increase sexual vigor, cure cancer and allay financial anxiety."
So how do you know what works and what doesn't when it comes to alternative medicine? Just a decade ago, there weren't many well-done, independent studies on herbs, acupuncture, massage or hypnosis, so patients didn't have many facts to guide them. But in 1999, eight academic medical centers, including Harvard, Duke and Stanford, banded together with the purpose of encouraging research and education on alternative medicine. Eight years later, the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine has 38 member universities, and has gathered evidence about what practices have solid science behind them.
Acupuncture for pain
Hands, down, this was the No. 1 recommendation from our panel of experts. They also recommended acupuncture for other problems, including nausea after surgery and chemotherapy.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/10/04/ep.alt.med/index.html
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Dr. Andrew Weil wasn't sure exactly how he hurt his knee; all he knew was that it was painful. But instead of turning to cortisone shots or heavy doses of pain medication, Weil turned to the ancient Chinese medicine practice of acupuncture. "It worked -- my knee felt much better," says Weil. Americans spend billions of dollars each year on alternative medicine, everything from chiropractic care to hypnosis.
Weil says alternative medicine can work wonders -- acupuncture, certain herbs, guided imagery. For example, Dr. Brian Berman, director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, has done a series of studies showing acupuncture's benefits for osteoarthritis of the knee. Extensive studies have also been done on mind-body approaches such as guided imagery, and on some herbs, including St. John's wort. But on the other hand, there also is a lot of quackery out there, Weil says. "I've seen it all, [including] products that claim to increase sexual vigor, cure cancer and allay financial anxiety."
So how do you know what works and what doesn't when it comes to alternative medicine? Just a decade ago, there weren't many well-done, independent studies on herbs, acupuncture, massage or hypnosis, so patients didn't have many facts to guide them. But in 1999, eight academic medical centers, including Harvard, Duke and Stanford, banded together with the purpose of encouraging research and education on alternative medicine. Eight years later, the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine has 38 member universities, and has gathered evidence about what practices have solid science behind them.
Acupuncture for pain
Hands, down, this was the No. 1 recommendation from our panel of experts. They also recommended acupuncture for other problems, including nausea after surgery and chemotherapy.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Depression May Be World's Most Disabling Disease
Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- When compared with other chronic diseases, depression may well be the most disabling disease in the world, a new global study finds. People with chronic physical diseases such as angina, arthritis, asthma and diabetes also fare far worse if they also suffer from depression, the team of international researchers found. "Being sad is bad for your health," according to lead researcher Dr. Somnath Chatterji, from the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland.
But all too often, he said, depression doesn't get the serious attention paid to physical ailments."Treatment of mental health conditions such as depression are a necessity, not a luxury. Mental health conditions such as depression must be treated on a par with physical health conditions," Chatterji said.
In the study, published in the Sept. 8 issue of The Lancet, Chatterji's team perused data on more than 245,000 people from 60 countries participating in WHO's World Health Survey.
They found that 3.2 percent of people had experienced a depressive episode in the past year. For people with angina, the rate was 4.5 percent; for people with arthritis, it was 4.1 percent; for those with asthma, it was 3.3 percent; and for people with diabetes, it was 2 percent. Moreover, between 9 percent and 23 percent of people had depression in addition to suffering from one or more of these conditions. That's significantly higher than the likelihood of having depression without having a chronic disease, Chatterji's group noted.
After the researchers had accounted for socioeconomic factors and health conditions, they confirmed that depression had the biggest effect on worsening health compared with the other four major chronic illnesses. In different countries, people with depression plus one or more chronic diseases were in the worst health of all the disease states studied, Chatterji's team reported. "Compared to the chronic physical illnesses of angina, arthritis, asthma and diabetes, depression produces the most decline in health," Chatterji said. "Having depression over and above a physical illness significantly worsens health even further," he said.
Depression needs to be recognized and treated as an urgent public health priority, Chatterji said. "Persons with physical illnesses should also be examined for depression and treated appropriately. Primary care providers must learn to recognize and manage concurrent physical illnesses and depression to reduce disease burden and improve population health," he added.
One expert hailed the findings."It is encouraging to see that results that we have been seeing from our country, from studies in the United States about the devastating effects of comorbid depression with other chronic illnesses, are replicable internationally," said David L. Shern, the president and CEO of the nonprofit advocacy group Mental Health America.Depression is a huge public health issue, Shern said. "Continuing to have these inane debates about whether we should have insurance coverage for mental health care, in the light of data like these, is just silly," he said.
The study also highlights the need for integrated care and screening for depression, Shern said. "Practitioners need to be educated to look for depression, and consumers need to push their doctors to be aware of their depression," he said.
Depression is treatable, Shern noted. "That's one of the big stories of the last 20 years -- the development of pharmacological treatments that have broad scale effectiveness," he said. "There are psychosocial treatments, for people who don't want to take medication, that are just as effective," he said. "Combining the two is the preferred regimen."
SOURCES: Somnath Chatterji, M.D., World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland; David L. Shern, Ph.D., president and CEO, Mental Health America, Alexandria, Va.; Sept. 8, 2007, The Lancet
Publish Date: September 10, 2007
FOR A PERSPECTIVE ON THE EFFECTS OF ACUPUNCTURE FOR DEPRESSION PLEASE VIEW THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE FROM PSYCHOLOGY TODAY MAGAZINE
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/index.php?term=PTO-19990901-000030
But all too often, he said, depression doesn't get the serious attention paid to physical ailments."Treatment of mental health conditions such as depression are a necessity, not a luxury. Mental health conditions such as depression must be treated on a par with physical health conditions," Chatterji said.
In the study, published in the Sept. 8 issue of The Lancet, Chatterji's team perused data on more than 245,000 people from 60 countries participating in WHO's World Health Survey.
They found that 3.2 percent of people had experienced a depressive episode in the past year. For people with angina, the rate was 4.5 percent; for people with arthritis, it was 4.1 percent; for those with asthma, it was 3.3 percent; and for people with diabetes, it was 2 percent. Moreover, between 9 percent and 23 percent of people had depression in addition to suffering from one or more of these conditions. That's significantly higher than the likelihood of having depression without having a chronic disease, Chatterji's group noted.
After the researchers had accounted for socioeconomic factors and health conditions, they confirmed that depression had the biggest effect on worsening health compared with the other four major chronic illnesses. In different countries, people with depression plus one or more chronic diseases were in the worst health of all the disease states studied, Chatterji's team reported. "Compared to the chronic physical illnesses of angina, arthritis, asthma and diabetes, depression produces the most decline in health," Chatterji said. "Having depression over and above a physical illness significantly worsens health even further," he said.
Depression needs to be recognized and treated as an urgent public health priority, Chatterji said. "Persons with physical illnesses should also be examined for depression and treated appropriately. Primary care providers must learn to recognize and manage concurrent physical illnesses and depression to reduce disease burden and improve population health," he added.
One expert hailed the findings."It is encouraging to see that results that we have been seeing from our country, from studies in the United States about the devastating effects of comorbid depression with other chronic illnesses, are replicable internationally," said David L. Shern, the president and CEO of the nonprofit advocacy group Mental Health America.Depression is a huge public health issue, Shern said. "Continuing to have these inane debates about whether we should have insurance coverage for mental health care, in the light of data like these, is just silly," he said.
The study also highlights the need for integrated care and screening for depression, Shern said. "Practitioners need to be educated to look for depression, and consumers need to push their doctors to be aware of their depression," he said.
Depression is treatable, Shern noted. "That's one of the big stories of the last 20 years -- the development of pharmacological treatments that have broad scale effectiveness," he said. "There are psychosocial treatments, for people who don't want to take medication, that are just as effective," he said. "Combining the two is the preferred regimen."
SOURCES: Somnath Chatterji, M.D., World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland; David L. Shern, Ph.D., president and CEO, Mental Health America, Alexandria, Va.; Sept. 8, 2007, The Lancet
Publish Date: September 10, 2007
FOR A PERSPECTIVE ON THE EFFECTS OF ACUPUNCTURE FOR DEPRESSION PLEASE VIEW THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE FROM PSYCHOLOGY TODAY MAGAZINE
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/index.php?term=PTO-19990901-000030
Friday, September 21, 2007
Hypnosis, Acupuncture May Ease Labor Pain
Hypnosis and acupuncture are promising approaches to relieve pain during labor and delivery, but more research is needed to determine whether these two strategies, as well as other complementary therapies - such as massage, relaxation, aromatherapy, acupressure, and white noise -- relieve labor pain.
A study that reviewed the most current scientific evidence of complementary and alternative therapies for pain management in labor published in the current issue of The Cochrane Library, a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration, an organization that evaluates research and draws evidence-based conclusions about medical practice after considering both the content and quality of existing studies.
"The pain of labor can be intense, with tension, anxiety and fear making it worse," write Caroline Smith of the University of Adelaide, Australia and colleagues. Many women want to give birth without using drugs and often turn to complementary and alternative medicine to help them through the labor pain.
Smith and three associates pooled data from 14 studies involving 1,448 women who used different means of pain management during labor.
Data from the three acupuncture trials (496 women) showed a 30-percent decrease in need for pain-relieving drugs, as well as a reduced need for epidurals and drugs like oxytocin, which stimulates labor.
Women who were taught self-hypnosis in the five hypnosis trials (729 women) were also much less likely to require drug-induced pain relief, including epidurals, during labor and were significantly more satisfied with their pain management than were women in the control group.
Some other "promising benefits" of hypnosis include an increased rate of vaginal births and a decreased need for oxytocin, the authors state.
Hypnosis could be used alone for pain relief or as an add-on to facilitate and enhance other analgesics. Smith and colleagues call for larger, better-designed trials on hypnosis and acupuncture for pain management in labor.
At present, the authors say, there is insufficient evidence about the effectiveness of acupressure, aromatherapy, music therapy, massage, relaxation, and white noise for pain management in labor.
A study that reviewed the most current scientific evidence of complementary and alternative therapies for pain management in labor published in the current issue of The Cochrane Library, a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration, an organization that evaluates research and draws evidence-based conclusions about medical practice after considering both the content and quality of existing studies.
"The pain of labor can be intense, with tension, anxiety and fear making it worse," write Caroline Smith of the University of Adelaide, Australia and colleagues. Many women want to give birth without using drugs and often turn to complementary and alternative medicine to help them through the labor pain.
Smith and three associates pooled data from 14 studies involving 1,448 women who used different means of pain management during labor.
Data from the three acupuncture trials (496 women) showed a 30-percent decrease in need for pain-relieving drugs, as well as a reduced need for epidurals and drugs like oxytocin, which stimulates labor.
Women who were taught self-hypnosis in the five hypnosis trials (729 women) were also much less likely to require drug-induced pain relief, including epidurals, during labor and were significantly more satisfied with their pain management than were women in the control group.
Some other "promising benefits" of hypnosis include an increased rate of vaginal births and a decreased need for oxytocin, the authors state.
Hypnosis could be used alone for pain relief or as an add-on to facilitate and enhance other analgesics. Smith and colleagues call for larger, better-designed trials on hypnosis and acupuncture for pain management in labor.
At present, the authors say, there is insufficient evidence about the effectiveness of acupressure, aromatherapy, music therapy, massage, relaxation, and white noise for pain management in labor.
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