Diabetes, Obesity
Obese Patients at Higher Risk of COVID-19 Complications
In the play, Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare wrote, “Let me have men about me that are fat. Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look. Such men are dangerous.” Caesar saw no risk in well-fed men. But fast ahead 500 years, and we now know that being overweight is a major health hazard. Several reports show this is especially true for those attacked by COVID-19. A study of 17,000 hospital patients with COVID-19 in the UK showed that those overweight had a 33% greater risk of dying than those who were not obese. Another study by the British National Health Service showed the risk of dying from COVID-19 doubled among obese people. Researchers noted that having additional risk factors related to obesity,...Read More
Lifestyle, Nutrition
Will Saying No to Meat Save Us?
As governments, workers, and health authorities debate reopening meat packing plants hit by outbreaks of the coronavirus, maybe now is the time to rethink how much meat we eat. In 1989 Margaret Thatcher, former U.K. Prime Minister, gave an impassioned speech before the United Nations General Assembly. The greatest threat to the world community, she said, “is more and more people, and their activities: The land they cultivate ever more intensively; The forests they cut down and burn; The mountain sides they lay bare; The fossil fuels they burn; The rivers and seas they pollute.” Some would now add, people are eating too much meat. Dr. Walter Willet, Harvard University’s renowned advocate for healthy diets, has argued for years that health consequences...Read More
Neurology, Psychiatry
Another Pandemic We Don’t Understand
There are a lot of things we know about pandemics. We know that the COVID-19 pandemic is the result of widespread viral infection caused by the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Last week, this column lamented the lifestyle-caused diseases of obesity and Type 2 diabetes and lamented the lack of concerted societal action on the pandemic proportions of these stealthy but determined killers. But there is yet another pandemic, the still-too-frequently hushed-up problem of poor mental health, sometimes resulting in its most devastating form, suicide. The fact is, for more than 100 years, there has been little progress in understanding the factors that result in a state of dismal mental health – the state that must be the precursor to suicide. Medicine has...Read More
Diabetes, Obesity, Philosophy
Who’s Fighting the Obesity and Diabetes Pandemics?
Day after day, health officials stress that the best way to fight the coronavirus is by staying home, keeping our distance from others, and practicing good hygiene. But human isolation is crippling the world’s economy. So, does this approach make sense when other devastating pandemics have been raging for years and killing more people? The number of coronavirus deaths is changing daily. To date, 200,000 people have died worldwide, over 52,000 in the U.S, and over 2,300 in Canada. But the World Health Organization reports that obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally, killing 2.8 million people annually, or 7,671 people per day. Diabetes and high blood glucose annually kill 3.8 million people worldwide, or 10,411 per day. So, what is the difference? The...Read More
Alternate Treatments, Infection
Sometimes It Takes an Apple to Hit You on the Head
Sir Isaac Newton discovered the law of gravity when a falling apple hit him on the head. Now, as the healthcare industry scrambles, an enterprising fruit farmer has discovered a smart way to resolve the shortage of masks. Using technology built to protect consumers from fruit-borne listeria or other bacteria, food industry equipment can be repurposed to sterilize masks in 30 seconds, with tests showing that masks can be cleaned and recycled 50 times. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the bacteria E. coli 0157:H7 is responsible for 73,000 infections and 63 deaths every year. It produces a toxin that causes bloody diarrhea and abdominal pain, lasting 2-3 days, or longer for some people. E. coli 0157:H7 is...Read More
Alternate Treatments, Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Obesity
Is Home Confinement a Good Time to Try Fasting?
Today, nearly all of us are in enforced home confinement due to an invisible foe, the coronavirus. So, how do we amuse ourselves? Some pick up books they’ve always wanted to read. Others get household chores done. But how about some of us losing weight? If typical busy schedules have interfered with your efforts in the past, could the current context support a concentrated effort on fasting to shed pounds? And what are the best ways to fast? Fasting diets have generated considerable buzz among diet gurus in the media, not only as an approach to weight loss but also as a way to improve overall health. But do facts back it up? Researchers say that animals and humans share some comment...Read More
Cardiovascular
The Perfect Storm for Hypertension
It’s a devastating time. A pandemic and economic disaster rolled into one that’s killing thousands and bringing society to a standstill. So how can we keep our blood pressure from shooting through the roof during this perfect storm? Keeping our heads cool may help to prevent a stroke, heart attack, even kidney disease and blindness. The World Health Organization says that 1.3 billion people worldwide have hypertension or high blood pressure, including about 1 in 3 North Americans. But extensive research shows that hypertension, a silent killer, can be prevented and lowered. In 1997 researchers published the results of a clinical trial called DASH (dietary approaches to stop hypertension). They concluded that a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy...Read More
Neurology
Stress Won’t Kill You, But Your Reaction To It Might
“Don’t underestimate the value of doing nothing,” wrote one of the world’s foremost philosophers, Winnie-the-Pooh, “of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear, and not bothering.” Doing nothing is exactly what a lot of us are facing for an extended period of time. But “not bothering” is probably not how most of us are feeling. We’re worried about our families, our next meals, our jobs, the bills, the economy. For some, self-isolation, quarantine, or lockdown is a risk factor for domestic abuse. Many people are trapped in truly precarious situations, far away from home or from needed medication. Others are just alone, and it feels like solitary confinement with no prospect of human interaction for weeks to...Read More
Infection, Vitamins
Ten Cents a Dance: Or Twenty Cents to Fight the Virus
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGOc8f5kd6w[/embedyt] How many readers recall, during World War II, seeing military personnel dancing with women for “ten cents a dance”? Today, we face a different foe, coronavirus (COVID-19). But individuals can decrease the risk of infection and death from the virus. And companies, the loss of employees and the chaos that will create. The cost? Just twenty cents a day. So, why is it not being done? By now, you have heard over-and-over the many ways to practice sound hygiene. Like washing your hands frequently. Keeping distance from people. No more hugging and kissing. Coughing into your sleeve. Avoiding large public gatherings. But more, COVID-19 is changing our way of life. We will be quarantined if we travel, assuming we can even...Read More
Dental, Gastroenterology
The Tongue, You’d Better Brush It
Brushing teeth after meals can prevent tooth decay, save dental bills, and avoid halitosis. But not many know that brushing the tongue helps the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, immune system, and prevents a shocking number of diseases. So, how is the tongue associated with so many diverse problems, and what can you do to prevent them? Dr. Thomas Levy, an expert on toxins and infections, reports that the human body contains 100 trillion microbes. This is an enormous and diverse assortment of bacteria, fungi and protozoa. In fact, it’s so huge that some researchers refer to it as a “microbial organ”. It’s vital that this mass of microbes remains well-balanced for good health. Levy says that the best way to keep a normal...Read More
Pain, Philosophy, Vitamins
Why Are Families So Polite When Loved Ones Are Suffering?
Robert Burns, the Scottish poet, was right when he wrote, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” I recently planned to attend a recent health meeting in Vancouver, traveling there by train. But the trip ended abruptly when protesters blocked the rail lines. What is the relevance, you might ask? I’ve given considerable thought to what happened. To me, it is a matter of societal complacency – and it is affecting our health. So, here’s a question for readers. Why are family members so damn polite and so silent when they see loved ones suffering? Why do medical support organizations react the same way? And, why do civilians continue to be so passive when elected politicians delay and...Read More
Infection, Philosophy, Vitamins
More Research Is Killing COVID-19 Victims
Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, wrote “There is a stupid corner in the brain of every wise man.” The best current example is the appalling lack of action by the Chinese government to fight COVID-19 with high doses of vitamin c – both as a clinical treatment for those who are infected and as a preventative measure to help halt the virus. I applaud the doctor in a Wuhan hospital who announced the start of a randomized, triple-blind clinical trial to assess the effectiveness of 12-24 grams/day of intravenous vitamin C (IVC). But the results won’t be known for months. Meantime, people die needlessly. Why do Chinese health authorities not know that we’ve already got enough research? Why does the WHO, with its...Read More
Alternate Treatments, Miscellaneous
Sleep: The Third Pillar of Health
Sleep, it’s not the most exciting topic. But a report from Tufts University says sleep is the third pillar of health along with diet and activity. Besides, we spend a third of our lives sleeping, and if you sleep poorly, it can trigger a cascade of health problems. José Ordovás, professor of nutrition at Tufts, says, “We can survive for extended periods without eating, but not for long without sleeping.” Recent research suggests that we need sleep to remove toxins and metabolic trash from the brain. This trash may be related to Alzheimer’s disease. Short periods of sleep are also associated with greater risk of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, depression, and cardiovascular disease. And about one third of North Americans get less than...Read More
Alcohol
What’s the Magic Painkiller in Alcohol?
Hollywood’s usual version of a death scene differs greatly from reality. But not when, in the old western movie, a cowboy is hit by an Indian arrow. He’s immediately handed a bottle of whisky, takes a few swigs of it, and the arrow is pulled out. The use of alcohol to decrease the effects of pain is as old as the fermentation process. But what’s the magic ingredient in alcohol that works so well? I decided to try and find out from scientific sources. Read on, too, for my latest experience with medical marijuana (cannabis). Trevor Thompson, professor at London, England’s Greenwich University, reports 18 different studies tested the reactions of over 400 people to evaluate the painkilling aspects of alcohol....Read More
Infection, Vitamins
A Planeload of Vitamin C to China?
One of my sons has been in the travel business for years. Today he said, “We’ve cancelled all of our tours to China due to the coronavirus scare.” I replied, “That’s unfortunate, but if we don’t send tourists just now, perhaps we should be sending vitamin C. I’ve been arguing for years that high doses of vitamin C is a lifesaver in boosting immune system performance.” The question arose, what would I do if a family member contracted the coronavirus? Last week, several university professors and international viral disease experts reported ways to treat coronavirus infection. Their unanimous opinion was that high doses of intravenous vitamin C would be effective in controlling infection. In China many people have decided to use Chinese...Read More
Alternate Treatments, Infection
People Are Dying Needlessly of Coronavirus
Why “needless” deaths from this threatening virus? Because doctors, health authorities, hospital administrators and politicians have not read history. Not even the Chinese! This week several members of the Orthomolecular Medicine News Service (OMNS) were asked, “How would you treat the coronavirus?” Here are opinions of experts who study the potential of nutrients to fight disease. Dr. Andrew W. Saul, an international expert on vitamin therapy, says, “The coronavirus can be dramatically slowed or stopped completely with the immediate widespread use of high doses of vitamin C. Bowel tolerance levels of C taken in divided doses throughout the day, is a clinically proven antiviral, without equal.” Saul adds, “Dr. Robert F. Cathcart, who had extensive experience treating viral diseases remarked, ‘I have...Read More
Alternate Treatments, Cancer, Miscellaneous, Pain, Philosophy
The Saga Continues: Rotten Law, Rotten Politicians, and Rotten Eggs
How long will patients, those dying in pain, have to endure the political nonsense surrounding the law, Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID)? The government has announced it will conduct yet another survey to determine if Canadians want to modify its incomplete law. Why another survey, another expense? The current MAID law has horrendous and painful consequences. For instance, a signed “Advanced Directive” of a patient diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or, another type of dementia, has no bearing once a patient has lost capacity to give consent. It’s lunacy to expect a patient to reconfirm consent when their brain is comatose, they’re incontinent of urine and feces, and living in diapers. Why won’t MPs and Senators realize this is unspeakable cruelty to...Read More
Alternate Treatments
Pet Therapy: Unconditionally Good for You?
Harry Truman, when elected President of the U.S., was well aware of the potential hazards of his job. He famously remarked, “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.” Truman was a good judge of character and knew a dog would always provide him with unconditional loyalty, regardless of cutthroat politics in Washington. But if dogs are suitable companions for Presidents, are they also good for the rest of us? A recent report from the Mayo Clinic asks, “Is medicine going to the dogs?” The answer is “Yes, but in a good way.” Hospitals and doctors are increasingly aware that dogs bring joy and rehabilitation to patients with a variety of health problems. There are more than a dozen...Read More
Cardiovascular, Nutrition
Sugar, Not Fat, Responsible for Heart Attack
What can we learn from history? Dr. John Yudkin, Professor of Nutrition at Queen Elizabeth College of London, made headlines in 1972 when his book was published, “Pure White and Deadly”. Yudkin’s research convinced him it was not fat that caused heart attack, but sugar. So has history proved him right? And is sugar the main reason for today’s epidemic of cardiovascular disease and other health problems? Damning sugar obviously did not win Yudkin popularity with the sugar industry. It’s sad that great efforts were taken, even by academic colleagues, to discredit his work. In fact, one researcher labelled his studies “science fiction”. But Robert Lustig, professor of endocrinology at the University of California, has hailed Yudkin’s research as “prophetic”. He says...Read More
Miscellaneous
How Much Did You Learn in 2019?
Another year has come and gone. I wonder how much readers learned about lifestyle in 2019? Here are 20 statements, true or false. #1 17 million North Americans take a daily heartburn drug, such as Nexium, Prilosec or Prevacid every day. Taking them for a year or longer increases the risk of heart attack and bone fractures. #2 Dr. Sydney Bush, an English optometrist, proved that high doses of vitamin C could prevent and reverse hardening of arteries. #3 The first Gifford-Jones Prize for Service to Humanity was awarded to a seeing eye dog. #4 The risk of a fatal car accident is five times greater with alcohol use and 40 times greater when both alcohol and marijuana are consumed. #5 The U.S Center for...Read More
Lifestyle, Medicine, Miscellaneous, Philosophy
Why It’s Important to Sign Up at docgiff.com
What do newspaper editors do if they don’t agree with what you write? They fire you. I’ve annoyed some editors by expressing an opinion on controversial subjects. Or by stressing that natural remedies can be safer, less expensive, and more effective, than synthetic drugs. Today, drugs kill 100,000 North Americans every year and are responsible for sending hundreds of thousands to emergency departments because of adverse drug interactions. I have often said that in the next life I want to own all the newspapers, as freedom of the written word is only enjoyed by those who control the media. But I’m still alive on this planet and have been fired, basically for fighting the establishment. So editorial truth is under attack. Newspapers,...Read More
Gastroenterology
Hiccups: Are They a Nuisance or a Medical Problem?
Hippocrates, in 400 B.C., counselled that, “Sneezing will stop a hiccup.” But for centuries the hiccup also triggered laughter when it happens while talking to friends. But medical reports show there are occasions when a hiccup is no laughing matter. We all know that everyone encounters hiccups at some time in their life. Most of the time they’re completely harmless and eventually stop after a brief period. Hiccups happen when the diaphragm, the muscular structure separating the chest and abdominal organs, experiences a sudden involuntary spasm. This spasm is followed by closure of the slit-like opening between the vocal cords causing the hiccup. Dr. Timothy Pfanner, assistant professor of medicine at Texas A&M University College of Medicine, says persistent hiccups may last more...Read More
Lifestyle, Miscellaneous
My Final Column for Post Media Newspapers
Life is full of surprises. It's ironic my recent column explained why I still work at 95 – that avoiding retirement is a healthy choice. To keep up with technology, I recently upgraded my computer to Windows10, an exercise that challenged my sanity. But despite my efforts, I was informed last week that Post Media has decided to discontinue my column! So, what can I say to my many readers in Sun newspapers? First, my thanks to Sun Editors for publishing my column for so many years. It’s been a privilege to discuss medical matters with your readers. The column began 45 years ago, and for many years, the Sun papers have helped me reach a wide audience. Although your readers...Read More
Lifestyle, Miscellaneous, Philosophy, Surgery
The Greatest Gift to Give at Any Time of the Year
This holiday season there will be joy, intimacy, and affection around many family dinner tables. But for some families it will be a difficult time with little laughter. They know that next year a family member may be missing. They are waiting for the donation of a kidney, heart or other vital organ to keep a loved one alive. But it may not arrive in time. So here’s a story of compassion from a man who gave the ultimate gift to a perfect stranger. I recently came across an article written by Naazneen Karmali, Asia Wealth Editor and India Editor for Forbes Asia. She relates the story of a wealthy Indian tycoon, Kochouseph Chittilappilly. He acknowledged that, as his 60th birthday...Read More
Lifestyle
Why Am I Still Working at 95?
I’m often asked, “Why don’t you stop working?” It’s a good question as many of my friends have left this planet. But I don’t want to get rusty, so I’m happy to have a work routine. Besides, an article from the Harvard Medical School indicates there are health benefits to working longer. At the time of the Roman Empire, people often died in their twenties. Infectious diseases were the primary cause of death. Nicole Maestas, an associate professor of health policy at Harvard studies the economics of aging, health and disability. She says, “Today, people who reach 65 years of age, will on average live to 84 years for men and 86 for women. So it’s natural they may be working longer.” Maestas...Read More
