Acupuncture blunts inflammation & the dreaded cytokine storm - new research from Harvard.

Harvard researchers have demonstrated that acupuncture can tame cytokine storms and the inflammation process. Cytokine storms have made the news lately as a lot of people have heard about this for the first time since Covid19 struck.

Cytokines are a normal part of the immune response to infections or other diseases. A cytokine storm is when the body releases too many cytokines in a relatively short span of time that it overwhelms the body, resulting in high fevers, inflammation and can quickly shut down vital organs. It's what we see in the unlucky patients who have negative outcomes with Covid19.

Although this study is on mice and more research on humans is always welcome, many of my patients will attest that they experience relief from pain when they get acupuncture. Acupuncture can definitely help with a number of health conditions and this study expands on the knowledge science is gathering about this time tested treatment. Check out the harvard research here:

https://hms.harvard.edu/news/quieting-storm?fbclid=IwAR1osdY_RqfhH9-qrw7zBYgsdUFv0dZJt6BaN0jLex4tRUuRLbStZGqdjpA

As a bonus, take a look at this journal article from researchers from Oxford, the UAE and Melbourne universities postulating the importance of the B-vitamins in attenuating the cytokine storm:

https://www.maturitas.org/article/S0378-5122(20)30348-0/fulltext#%20

Yours in Health,

Ian Koo, ND, R.Ac.

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Should you ice an injury? Most people are doing things wrong.

I have had a lot of patients come in after seeing other health care practitioners still limping or hurting and complaining of no improvements.  To their surprise, I usually tell them to stop icing their injuries. Chinese medicine usually advocates heat and movement.  Have a look at this article in Macleans that discusses this exact topic.

http://www.macleans.ca/society/the-end-of-the-ice-age/

Yours in Health,
Ian Koo, ND, R. Ac.

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"Acupuncture Actually Works for Neck Pain"

"Acupuncture Actually Works for Neck Pain" is the title of an article I saw on Time.com.  The patients who I've treated with acupuncture do not need this study to believe.  But it's good to have science back me up these days so we can explain the mechanics of how it works.  Acupuncture can loosen tight muscles and release pain-relieving endorphins.  It works for conditions other than neck pain as well.  You can read the time article here:

http://time.com/4097083/acupuncture-neck-pain/

Yours in Health,
Ian Koo, ND

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The supplement industry is still the wild west.  You can't always be confident in what you're getting in a bottle.  Check out this NY Times piece about some brands found in some well known stores and you'll be shocked at what they find or don't find.

This can often be the reason why some patients will tell me "I've tried that herb or supplement but it doesn't work."  It just might be that they haven't really been using the correct product &/or the correct dosage/concentration.  I've had patients tell me that the  D-Mannose they received from me works better than the ones they've bought from the store or that their probiotics don't seem to have the same effect as the ones they got from me.  It could be the quality or just that the strains of probiotics they've been taking aren't appropriate for their specific health concerns.  Science has found that there are specific strains that help for specific conditions, be it gastrointestinal conditions to urinary tract infections to even prevention of colds & flu.  Be sure that you have the right strains for your concern.

Again, read the NY Times article to get an idea of what I'm talking about.  Clearly the quality of your products matter.

 

Yours in Health,
Ian Koo, ND

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A medical doctor's view of naturopathic medicine!

Dr. Katz, the president of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and director of the Yale Prevention and Research Center explains naturopathic medicine and why he thinks naturopathic doctors are an integral part of the health care system.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-katz-md/the-nature-of-medicine-an_b_5965160.html

The times, they are a changing and many of my patients find that their own medical doctors are starting to observe the results I have been able to achieve with my patients.  Some are even taking notes as my patients tell them what they've been doing.

It helps everyone when we can all work together to the benefit of the patient.

Yours in Health,
Ian Koo, ND

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Detoxes and Fasting? Is it bunk?

You've probably heard from many nutritionists/dieticians/MDs or other experts that fasting and detoxes is unproven and can probably harm you.  But in many cultures or religions, it's done regularly w/ no real harm.

But now, scientists at the University of Southern California are actually advocating fasting.  They've demonstrated that fasting for 3 days resets your immune system and reboots the body.  In fact, they are saying that it may be beneficial for cancer patients or those who have undergone chemotherapy.

‘There is no evidence at all that fasting would be dangerous while there is strong evidence that it is beneficial.’

Quite a drastic change in opinion by scientists.  A lot of naturopathic doctors (NDs) have been taught that there can be some therapeutic advantages to fasting.  It's good to see the science catching up to things I was taught long time ago.

Over the years, I've seen science validate many things that NDs do (ie. acupuncture) and advice to select patients to 'avoid gluten.'  For some reason, naturopathic doctors and other medical solutions passed down through the generations don't get the credit it deserves.  Sometimes things work and we have to wait for science to validate what we already know.  And believe me, I'm as scientific of a naturopath as you will find.

Take a look at this National Post article regarding Fasting! 

Yours in Health,
Ian Koo, ND

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The Science of Happiness

This is a great infographic showing everything you need to know about happiness.  Enjoy!

http://my.happify.com/hd/science-of-happiness-infographic/


Yours in Health,
Ian Koo, ND

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"The care you want, the health you need."  

7+ servings of Fruits & Veggies per day Saves Lives

As some of you may know, I usually tell my patients to get at least 8-10+ servings of mostly veggies and a bit of fruit every day even though the guidelines have always been five to six servings.

Here's a study out of England today from 65,226 men and women showing the benefits of what I've been saying all along. 

Read this BBC article, it's a quick read.  I highly recommend it.
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-26818377

But to summarize:
"Fresh vegetables had the strongest protective effect, followed by salad and then fruit. Fruit juice conferred no benefit, while canned fruit appeared to increase the risk of death."

Yours in Health,
Ian Koo, ND

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Nutrient Deficiencies and your Kids

Generally in Canada and other Western countries, we don't pay too much attention to nutrient deficiencies.  Most people slough it off because food is so abundant here.  Scurvy and other maladies of pure deficiencies are rare.

But what about the concept of optimal states.  Optimal amounts of vitamin d has been shown to reduce diabetes risks by 50%, breast cancer by 75%, pre-eclampsia, pre-term labour and other complications of pregnancy by 50%.  This is something that isn't talked about much.

A new study out of Oxford University in the UK is making headlines because of the potential impact on kids.  Some of you may have run this test here at the clinic looking at the level of omega 3 fatty acids in the blood and found that you didn't consume enough fish. I've mostly run this test on adults since there is a correlation between the levels of omega 3 in the blood and cardiovascular disease.  This study found that levels of omega 3 fatty acids in the blood significantly predicted a child's behaviour and ability to learn and concentrate.  In my opinion, it sounds like kids with a diagnosis of ADHD and ADD should be doing this kind of testing before going on prescription medication, non?

Yours in Health,
Ian Koo, ND

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Birth Control Pills - What you should know!

It's one of the most widely used medications out there.  There are a number of reasons why many young ladies take them including to prevent pregnancies, to manage painful cramps and to avoid having a period altogether.

While many people know about these positives, few know about the possible side effects, the worst of which are blood clots that have lead to a number of deaths as reported by CBC news.  The statistics show that approximately 1 in 10,000 women taking any form of birth control experience some form of blood clot, but Yaz and Yasmin have higher incidences.

Usually side effects such as mood based changes (ie. depression) are noticed by the women taking the drugs, but few know about the slow creeping effects of the pills.  Over time, birth control pills can leach nutrients from your body, the way other medications such as steroids and reflux medications can.  Take a look at this article from a registered pharmacist describing what vitamins and minerals are leached from chronic use of these meds.

http://metronews.ca/health/709891/taking-a-birth-control-pill-it-might-be-leaching-nutrients-from-your-body/

Yours in Health,
Ian Koo, ND

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