From the Mailbag: Thoughts on NO-Xplode
Paul forwarded a reader comment to me yesterday, and I thought the subject was worth exploring in depth: I’m curious to know your opinion on the negative effects of Rutaecarpine? There are a lot of reliable (!?) anecdotal reports of liver enzyme issues. A quick search finds multiple studies, including human, of this compound inhibiting liver microsomes. Rutaecarpine is in products like BSN No Xplode (which many of the anecdotal...
The Scarlett Letter
Scarlett Johansson tells it like it is: Since dedicating myself to getting into “superhero shape,” several articles regarding my weight have been brought to my attention. Claims have been made that I’ve been on a strict workout routine regulated by co-stars, whipped into shape by trainers I’ve never met, eating sprouted grains I can’t pronounce and ultimately losing 14 pounds off my 5’3″...
Study: Placebos Don’t Cause Side Effects in Patients Receiving Conventional Cancer Treatment
Actually, the study is about the use of homeopathic “medicines” alongside conventional cancer treatments, but same difference. WASHINGTON—A new Cochrane review did not find serious side effects relating to the use of homeopathic medicine in patients having orthodox cancer care. “Furthermore, there was no indication that the homeopathic medicine interfered with conventional cancer care,” said lead author Sosie Kassab, M.D.,...
The Doctor Will Sue You Now
This is the title of a chapter missing from Ben Goldacre’s new book, “Bad Science.” Why is it missing? I’ll let the author tell the story: This is the “missing chapter” about vitamin pill salesman Matthias Rath. Sadly I was unable to write about him at the time that book was initially published, as he was suing my ass in the High Court. The chapter is now available in the new paperback edition, and I’ve...
A Taxing Issue
An editorial published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine lays out the “Public Policy Case for Taxes on Sugared Beverages.” The piece, by Kelly Brownell, Ph.D. and Thomas Friedan, M.D., M.P.H. makes several salient points: Sugared beverages are marketed extensively to children and adolescents, and in the mid-1990s, children’s intake of sugared beverages surpassed that of milk. In the past decade, per...
Simple Questions Don’t Always Have Simple Answers
A case in point popped up on the “Bodybuilding Revealed” forum recently… “What is the best multivitamin?” That’s a pretty, simple question… but I’ll be damned if I know the answer. I’m not sure what “best” even means, when it comes to multivitamins. To be perfectly honest, there are very few objective standards for evaluating a multi. The few that come to my mind are:...
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