Is Marijuana a Natural Health Miracle?

Is marijuana a natural health miracle? The list of benefits continues to grow.

Last month, New Jersey passed a bill allowing chronically ill patients to alleviate their pain legally by smoking marijuana. If anything, New Jersey is beginning to show some common sense.

There is an extensive list of health benefits of taking marijuana. A recent study done by The Scripps Research Institute shows that THC, the chemical responsible for marijuana's "high," can help slow the process of Alzheimer's disease. Other studies show that THC is an effective treatment for nausea, beneficial for patients such as those undergoing chemotherapy. Marijuana also acts as a pain reliever and is often used by patients with multiple sclerosis and glaucoma. Additionally, as Hunter Johnson, 21, points out, when you take Marijuana, "you sleep good, have a good appetite."

Any negative impact of the drug comes from the actual smoke, not the cannabis that produces the benefits. But even the smoke has an advantage. The delivery of marijuana through smoke makes the effects felt by patients within minutes, which is ideal for the treatment of pain or nausea. But smoking marijuana isn't the only way of ingesting it. Read more

Criminalizing Natural Health, Vitamins, and Herbs

(Part 1 of 4) Dr. Rima Laibow, M.D., speaks about a movement to place nutritional supplements under the control of the FDA and pharmaceutical industry. If this outrages you, contact your congressional representative and tell them you don't like "Docket: 2006D-0480" or ANY plans to have the FDA and drug companies controlling your nutritional supplements.

Is There an Anti-Acne Diet After All?

For years, teenagers were told that eating certain foods would make their acne worse. More recently they've been told that was wrong. Diet doesn't affect acne; it's all hormones. Now it turns out that diet can alleviate the condition.

A research team, led by Associate Professor Neil Mann from RMIT University’s School of Applied Sciences, has discovered a solid link between acne and diet.
"We think we've come across a way to alter your diet in a very healthy way that will alleviate the symptoms of acne and at the same time will make you a lot healthier," Associate Professor Mann said.

The study recruited 50 boys and divided them into two groups. One group consumed a typical teen diet of sugary snacks and processed foods, while the other group followed a more natural diet higher in protein and with low-glycemic index foods such as whole grain bread, pasta, and legumes. The study showed impressive results in just 12 weeks.

"The acne of the boys on the higher protein-low GI diet improved dramatically, by more than 50 per cent, which is more than what you see with topical acne solutions," said Associate Professor Mann. Read more

The traditional advice to avoid certain foods was partly right. Sweets, which have a high-glycemic index, were one category of foods that acne sufferers were told to avoid. Greasy foods, another prohibited category, apparently don't have any effect on the severity of acne though.

Folk medicine usually has generations of anecdotal evidence behind it. Though it may not be completely right, and the explanation of why it works may be partly or completely wrong, researchers would be wise to consider and test folk remedies rather than dismissing them out-of-hand as "old wives' tales."

The Many Benefits of Exercise for Arthritis

If you have arthritis, you may think that exercise would be the worst thing you could do for it. Not true.

Arthritis and exercise? I’m sure that when your [sic] feeling stiff and sore the last thing you feel like doing is exercise! However, apart from diet, exercise for arthritis is probably the most important thing you can do to help yourself feel better.--Health and Fittness

Seven Surefire Ways to Increase Your Brain Power

Take advantage of 21st century technology by using these simple and inexpensive steps to improving your brain power. Dr. Mercola is a medical doctor who advocates for natural health and alternative medicine.