Nutrition
The Truth about Sugar Substitutes
Have I been leading readers astray? For years this column has stressed that we’re all consuming too many calories, and in particular, too much sugar. I’ve always practiced what I write, so for years I’ve made sure it is a sugar-free cola that I add to my rum before dinner. But are these alternatives to sugar safe? Scientists at Tufts University report that the research on sugar substitutes continues to advance – yet few clear answers are apparent. For over 40 years, highly refined sugar substitutes have been on the market and common additives in drinks and foods. But for food safety, a cloud has always hung overhead. Dr. Alice H. Lichenstein, Director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at the USDA’s Human...Read More
Infection, Lifestyle, Pediatrics
Are we keeping our kids too clean?
Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of India’s independence movement, popularized the expression, “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” Any doctor would agree that cleanliness is on the pathway to health nirvana. But are we going too far in keeping young children isolated from common germs? Are some parents doing a disservice to their youngsters by keeping them too clean? For decades, immunologist have been studying whether exposing young children to a little dirt might strengthen the ability of their immune systems to fight infection later in life. Research by Sir Mel Greaves, Professor of Cell Biology at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, England, shows that children raised in cleaner environments are more likely to have weakened immune systems. But experts are concerned an...Read More
Philosophy
Gun Response Proves Politicians Have the Wrong Answer
A recent column argued that gun deaths in North America could only be stopped by following Singapore’s strict gun laws and severe penalties. This resulted in many responses now posted at docgiff.com/reader-mail-on-the-rule-of-law. They reveal an utter loathing by the public of politicians who are too weak-kneed to tackle this cancerous social problem that’s undermining society’s well-being. From P.P., “My little city of 100,000 has now become the most criminal and dangerous city in Canada in the last few years. It’s no longer the same city I loved. I plan on moving.” This sad reaction was echoed by several people who have become afraid of being in large public places. D.O. replies, “Finally someone talks about the impact of gun violence on one’s...Read More
Orthopedics, Sports, Women's Health
What Medical Advice Would I Give Bianca Andreescu?
What an historic moment for Canada as we all watched Bianca Andreescu defeat Serena Williams at the U.S. Tennis Open and capture her first major tennis championship. I’m sure that this talented teenager will win more trophies in the future. So is there any medical advice to help her avoid injury and end a promising career? One thing quickly caught my eye when the cities of both Mississauga and Toronto gave her a hero’s welcome. Her appearance in civilian attire gave us a chance to see her style off the court. But it was her shoes that shocked me. I wondered why a high performance athlete had not been warned of the hazards of high heels. One unfortunate misstep could cause...Read More
Pain, Philosophy
Rotten Law, Rotten Politicians, Rotten Eggs
Months ago, I wrote a bracelet could be worn by those opposed to medical assistance in dying (MAID). The bracelet would protect those individuals, and the law’s restrictive, now seemingly unconstitutional, conditions could be relaxed for those who want access to MAID. I sent a letter and the column to every Member of Parliament (MP) and Senator in Canada urging a rewrite of the law. I’ve delayed writing another column on this topic so our elected and appointed leaders could respond. So what happened? First, there was an avalanche of mail from readers in response to my initial column. From JR – It’s a brilliant solution to a difficult problem. Congratulations for your efforts to ensure human rights for all. SW says – Your...Read More
Philosophy
The Rule of Law Could End Mass Shootings
Campaigning politicians in Canada and the U.S. are arguing for stricter gun laws to address the epidemic of gun deaths. I predict they will fail. Why? Because politicians consistently demonstrate they have not read history or studied psychology. Furthermore, it’s been my experience they do not have the intestinal fortitude to pass justifiable, tough-on-crime laws. I believe this issue is no longer just an issue of security, crime and punishment. Due to all its ramifications for our bodily, mental and societal well-being, I believe it has become a health issue. California has the most restrictive gun laws in the U.S., but they are clearly not tough enough. California suffers the most mass shootings in the country. When penalties are not severe, these...Read More
Medicine, Pain
Did you hear about the North American wimp epidemic?
How do people in other countries handle pain following various surgical procedures? It’s a pertinent question today in light of the debate on opioid usage in North America. A recent report in JAMA Network Open, published by the American Medical Association, confirms what I have argued, that North Americans have become wimps when confronted with pain. So who is responsible for this? I first became aware of what was happening to pain control many years ago. I had an impacted wisdom tooth which my dentist said must be removed. So I called a dental surgeon in Toronto, whom I had known for years, and made an appointment for this procedure. Following the tooth’s removal, he said, “Be sure to take this painkiller every...Read More
Cardiovascular, Orthopedics
The “Perfect Calcium” To Prevent Weak Bones
Michelangelo remarked over 500 years ago that, “Trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle.” It’s a phrase often repeated when teaching young surgeons. Now, there’s a “Perfect Calcium”, an Icelandic natural remedy that helps to keep bones strong. Studies show that one in four women and one in eight men over age 50 suffer from osteoporosis (brittle bones). So due to an aging population, we can expect more hip, spinal, and other bone fractures in the future. What about the use of calcium supplements? The point is that not all calcium products are the same. Most use calcium mined from limestone, a sedimentary rock. After processing this material it contains only one mineral, calcium. But one particular product, Aquamin, is a source of calcium...Read More
Lifestyle, Medicine
Natural Remedies Could Help Finance Pharmacare
It’s soon voting time and politicians will again try buying your votes with freebies. One is universal Pharmacare. England, France, and New Zealand have varying types of free drugs. Canada and the U.S. should have the same. But the U.S. debt is $22 trillion and Canada’s $2.2 trillion. The “Debt Time Clock” shows these debts are increasing by millions every hour. If this doesn’t scare you, nothing will. But could increased use of natural remedies help make Pharmacare more affordable? The National Pharmacare Advisory Council tells us it will cost $15 billion. But we’re all suffering from chronic amnesia if we do not remember that the costs always balloon when politicians get involved. Pharmacare is not a cheap proposition. Costs will...Read More
Neurology, Pain
Magnesium: A Natural Remedy to Treat Migraine
Migraine attacks have plagued humankind for centuries and they are still a major cause of disability worldwide. During a recent reunion at the Harvard Medical School, a professor told me of an interesting study. He said that Dr. Stephanie W. Goldberg, a neurologist at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, has reported that magnesium can be helpful in treating these debilitating headaches. Migraine attacks are not your typical headache. Rather, they’re associated with an intense throbbing pain, usually on one side of the head, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and an increased sensitivity to light and sound. Patients may also complain of visual disturbances, such as flashes of light, zigzag lines or stars. It’s not surprising that Statistics Canada finds 63% of those with...Read More
Sports
How Does Our Longevity Compare with MLB Players?
Today, what’s the best message that parents can give their children about sports? I’d be particularly concerned if a child wanted to get involved in football or hockey. I’d try to convince him or her it’s safer to play baseball. Now, a report in Men’s Health Resources, reveals this is prudent advice. Marc Weisskopf is professor of environmental epidemiology and physiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. His 10-year study compares mortality rates and health of 10,500 major league baseball (MLB) players with those involved in other major league sports. First, Weisskopf has bad news for the rest of us mortals. His research reveals that MLB players tend to live 24% longer than the average American male....Read More
Infection
Why a Sore Throat and a Scratched Knee Might Kill You
A book called, “The Microbe Hunters”, thrilled me as a boy. It explained how bacterial diseases were responsible for killing millions of people in the past – and how years later antibiotics saved them. But even so, the World Health Organization (WHO) still warns that a sore throat or a scratched knee could kill us. The best defense is a strong immune system. Dr. Margaret Chan, former Director-General of WHO, says we are at the end of modern medicine. She claims there is now a global crisis, a slow-motion tsunami, that has been building for years and is getting worse. The problem, super bacteria that are resistant to multiple antibiotics. Chan reports that superbugs are great global travellers. They now haunt hospitals...Read More
Eyes, Ears, Nose & Throat, Nutrition
Is North American Diet a Recipe for Blindness?
How often have we been warned, we are what we eat? A book by Dr. Chris Knobbe, Ancestral Dietary Strategy to Prevent and Treat Macular Degeneration, is an eye-opener. Knobbe claims doctors have been taught for years that macular degeneration “MD” which destroys the macular, a tiny spot on the retina responsible for central vision) is due to aging and genetics but it’s an absolute untruth. Rather, he claims the leading cause of blindness in North America is actually due to the garbage we’re eating. Dr. Chris Knobbe Knobbe, an ophthalmologist, reports that before 1925 there were about 50 cases of MD in the world’s medical literature. But by 1975, 8.8% of Americans over the age of 50 had this disease. Dr. William Osler,...Read More
Pain
The Hypocrisy of Pain Control
Why is it that patients in severe pain from serious diseases are being denied painkillers? A report from the Chronic Pain Association of Canada (CPAC) states that it’s easier for addicts to obtain painkillers than non-addicted patients in desperate need of them. You might say this does not make sense. But the lack of common sense, uncommon as it is, does not surprise. During the past fifty years I’ve seen a ton of hypocrisy that results in needless, disabling pain. The report states, “Bad and distorted research used by Health Canada leads to tragedy for many Canadian patients.” It charges that to deal with overdose deaths among illicit drug users Health Canada decided on a new tactic. The decision was to go...Read More
Obesity
A Talking Scale to Fight Obesity
Are readers tired of me telling them that they should step on the scale every day? No one has said, “Enough is enough!” Besides, tons of readers evidently ignore my advice. Since the obesity epidemic gets worse year after year, is there any other way to convince readers that obesity causes Type 2 diabetes, heart attack and strokes? This week, here’s another idea to prevent these tragedies. I discovered talking scales. I was so impressed with the smart innovation that I’ve placed a talking scale on my website. A voice from the scale might finally get this health message across before sickness strikes. Moreover, the right message on the scale could separate fact from fiction about obesity. I’ve heard every imaginable excuse...Read More
Cancer, Vitamins
Is there such a thing as sensible sun exposure?
In their book, “Embrace the Sun”, Drs. William Grant and Marc Sorenson, experts on vitamin D, report that North Americans have been taught to believe excessive amounts of sun cause potentially fatal skin malignancies. The result? North Americans have developed sun phobia and spent billions of dollars on sunscreen protection. But does the sun trigger melanomas? Dr. Michael F. Holick, Professor of Molecular Medicine at Boston University, agrees that excessive sun exposure causes non-melanoma skin cancer, which diagnosed early is easy to treat. But he says there is compelling evidence that regular sun exposure helps to prevent the highly malignant melanoma, rather than causing it. There’s also general agreement to be cautious about melanoma if you have red hair, fair skin, a...Read More
Medicine
Incredibly Some People Even Drive Their Car
Barnum and Bailey, the circus promoters, were right saying, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” Or, as Dr. William Osler, Professor of Medicine at McGill and Johns Hopkins University, would add, “The one thing that separates man from animals is man’s desire to take pills.” Now, a report from the University of California sites data from the Centers of Disease Control indicating this obsession with pills sends more than one million people to hospital emergency departments every year due to adverse drug reactions. So, how can you avoid them? Anyone who watches TV ads for drugs knows that the list of side-effects is as long as your arm. This warning should ring a bell to everyone. But there are those who...Read More
Cancer, Infection, Lungs
Do You Want to Know What’s in Your Ducts?
Do you have dirty ducts? When did you last look? And while regular cleaning of your ducts may be important for your homeowners insurance policy, what might your ducts have to do with your health? Highly respected authorities on household air quality have studied the relationship between cleaning air ducts and your health. Years ago, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) investigated whether cleaning air ducts leads to healthier air quality in homes, and they concluded it didn’t. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency conducted tests that showed, whether air ducts are clean or dirty, virtually the same concentration of dust can be found in the air. This is because dust and dirt tend to stick to the vents and filters, not...Read More
Cardiovascular, Vitamins
Believing Myths is Bad for Your Heart
George Orwell, the English journalist, wrote, “Myths that are believed in tend to become true.” Today cardiovascular disease is still the number one killer. Yet there are still myths about this disease which can be dangerous to your health and longevity. I don’t have high blood pressure because it’s only high when it’s taken by my doctor. You may be right. Some people do have what’s called, “White Coat Hypertension” due to anxiety when a doctor takes the blood pressure. But you may also be wrong. Studies show that in your home you may still be having spikes of increased blood pressure, a prelude to hypertension. Having blood pressure taken by a nurse may show a lower reading. But if in...Read More
Alternate Treatments
What You Should Know About Low Intensity Light Therapy
Years ago I nearly made a bad decision. I was asked to attend a pain conference and initially declined. The meeting was about treating pain and other medical problems with low intensity light therapy (LILT). I thought it resembled old-fashioned snake oil. But then I noticed the speaker’s credentials and decided to attend. Now for the last 15 years, I’ve seen how this natural remedy is able to treat a variety of acute and chronic conditions. Dr. Mary Dyson, Emeritus Professor at King’s College, University of London, England, an international expert spoke about wound healing. She provided evidence that LILT gives a jump-start to the body’s natural healing process, delivering energy that is transformed into biochemical energy. The end result is...Read More
Infection
I’ve Never Forgotten One Grave
Today, we face a recurrence of measles because some parents have refused to have their children vaccinated. This error reminded me of a time several years ago when I interviewed Professor Etienne-Emile Baulieu, a researcher at the famous Pasteur Institute in Paris. Today, parents and children should be grateful for the discoveries of this great scientist. Before Pasteur’s time, the world was ravaged by plagues. Women in childbirth died of puerperal fever, and surgical operations frequently caused death due to infection. Not too long ago infections had control over us, now we usually, though not always, have control over them. Pasteur’s initial experiments showed that cultures of organisms lost their strength with age. And by inoculating fowl with weak organisms, he could...Read More
Gynecology, Philosophy
I Swore I’d Never Write About This Again
Abortion became legal in Canada in 1969. I faced a dilemma. I had written a book titled, “On Being A Woman: The Woman’s Guide to Gynecology”. It supported a woman’s right to control her own body, including the right to abortion. So I had two choices when doctors started referring patients to me for this procedure. I could change my mind about abortion to avoid censure. Or I could follow my own conscience. Thus, legal abortions became a part of my surgical practice. I entered what I described in my biography the "Bastille years" of my life. They were difficult times. If I were a woman, I’d be mad as hell now, considering what is happening in the U.S. Several states...Read More
Philosophy
Let The Bracelet Decide This Dilemma
This week’s column is a friendly challenge to doctors, members of parliament, senators, lawyers, and readers. The challenge is to inform me why a simple approach to medical assistance in dying (MAID) would not be fair to all Canadians and also apply to those in the U.S. The solution is, “Let the bracelet decide.” In June, 2016, the Canadian parliament passed a law that allowed medical assistance in dying. But the law had major flaws. For instance, if an individual is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, or another form of dementia, he or she is not allowed to sign an ‘Advanced Directive” while the patient is still mentally competent. In effect, a document stating that they want life ended when their brain is...Read More
Cancer, Obesity
Cancer and Obesity
What decreases the risk of cancer? A colonoscopy detects polyps before they become malignant. Also a rapid response to report unusual bleeding, a cough that lasts a few weeks, or a suspicious mole. But a report funded by the Canadian Cancer Society, links excess weight as the cause of several types of cancer. So what is it about obesity that triggers malignancy? And what to do about it? For years health authorities have labelled obesity a health hazard. The reason is that it often leads to Type 2 diabetes, then later to heart attack. But now, researchers claim that excess weight will soon be the second leading cause of cancer just behind tobacco. Sadly, being overweight has not received the attention...Read More
Gastroenterology
Friendly Bacteria to Treat Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Napoleon Bonaparte once required a soldier for a dangerous mission. The story goes that he ordered several soldiers to face a firing squad. He then chose the one who showed no tendency to move his bowels! Fear has a major effect on the large intestine. So, it, and other factors, are often responsible for what’s called the irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). But friendly gut bacteria (probiotics) play a role in easing terrifying and embarrassing occasions when nature calls. Especially when there’s no bathroom in sight. Probiotics are living organisms with numerous health benefits. What is not generally known is that the metabolic activities of gut bacteria actually resemble those of a human organ. That’s why some researchers refer to gut bacteria as...Read More
