by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

I saw this link on foxnews.com about a cake recipe with a typo that ended up poisoning some people in Sweden who tried it, without thinking, I guess.  The magazine recipe should have said 2 pinches of nutmeg but, instead, called for 20 nutmeg nuts.  When the authors found out about the error they sent out corrections.

“At first we thought this would be enough, because we didn’t really think anyone would bake or eat this cake, since so much nutmeg would give it a horrible, bitter taste, and because it is simply not that easy to get hold of that much nutmeg,” Cocke said.

I am not sure how poisonous that much nutmeg is but even I, who burn canned soup, would know better.  (Come to think of it I have added salt to my coffee, but that’s before I had my caffeine, duh).   From years of experience I have found you should not assume anything when it comes to directions of use, but please, please, think and question before trying something that just does not sound right.  I know it was the magazine’s mistake, but come on.

Do any of you have any similiar (maybe less drastic) tales of woe?

by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

Doctors frequently recommend avoiding popcorn, seeds and nuts if you have diverticulosis (pouches in the lower intestine) because they could clog these pockets and increase your risk of bleeding and inflammation. A new JAMA study refutes this. In fact, it finds that these foods may even prevent those complications. How so?

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by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

“When does life begin?” In a recent debate, Barack Obama thought the answer was “above his pay-grade,” while John McCain said at conception. Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi chimed in on Meet the Press that no one is sure, not even the Catholic church doctors. (more…)

by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, allergic rhinitis (hay fever), with the sneezing and watery eyes symptoms it causes, affects 36 million Americans. I think I have seen most of them in my office at one time or another. Many are allergic to ragweed pollen, whose season begins in mid-August and ends after the first frost or two.

Everyone who suffers needs to do and know basic things.

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by Jill Weisenberger, M.S., R.D., C.D.E.

With Labor Day and its backyard cookouts around the corner, it’s time to set the record straight. We need to stop picking on mayonnaise. In fact, instead of villainizing mayonnaise, we should be celebrating it. Commercial mayonnaise is made with pasteurized eggs and vinegar. The vinegar makes the spread acidic and therefore an unlikely breeding ground for bacteria. Some research studies have even found that the growth of bacteria in meats has been slowed or stopped in the presence of commercial mayonnaise.

So what’s the likely source of the food borne illness at your picnic? (more…)

by Jill Weisenberger, M.S., R.D., C.D.E.

If you are among the fortunate one-third of the population who is at a “healthy weight”, does it also mean that you are fit and healthy? Likewise if you are overweight, does it mean that you are not fit or healthy? Researchers recently studied these questions and reported their finding in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

They analyzed data of 5440 US adults, and found that approximately 29 percent of the obese men and 35 percent of obese women had no metabolic risk factors for heart disease. About 30 percent normal-weight men and 21 percent normal-weight women showed at least two metabolic abnormalities. The researchers looked at blood pressure, triglycerides, blood glucose level, HDL (good) cholesterol and indicators of insulin resistance and inflammation.
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by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

You’ve trained for years, and now you are peaking at the right time. You warm-up, stretch, massage to avoid injury, and have the best health care crew in the world by your side. Then, you get a queasiness in your stomach, probably butterflies from nervousness. Then it gets worse. You run to the nearest restroom and things start coming out both ends. The vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramping just keep on coming. Some Olympians are getting the Beijing two-step, stomach bug, stomach virus, viral gastroenteritis. Whatever you call it, if you’ve had it, you know that these athletes are in trouble with their peak performance at major risk

What can they do?

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by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

I have read and reread the obesity articles in the August 11/25, 2008, Archives of Internal Medicine attempting to glean a take-home message. They’ve been all over the news because they surprisingly concluded that about a third of overweight and obese people are at low risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. As if that weren’t enough, around a quarter of those at normal weight are at high risk.

So what is it about the fat that’s different? What do we do with this data?

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by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

The blood pressure in some people goes up just thinking about a medical clinic (white-coat hypertension). It is fine otherwise. Others have elevated blood pressures at certain times of the day. If you have hypertension, prehypertension, or at high risk for getting it, you should consider getting your own cuff. Don’t take my word, look at the AHA recommedations that suggest the same.

If you get a cuff, you want one that is accurate, don’t you? Consumer Reportshelps with unbiased recommendations for blood pressure monitors, along with glucose meters, in their September issue, along with tips such as:

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by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

A piece of rare, good news for Alzheimer patients. A recent study showed that the drug, Dimebon, significantly stabilized the decline of the major debilitation problems of Alzheimer’s, including memory, cognition (awareness, processing information), activities of daily living (grooming, hygiene, dressing and feeding oneself) and behavior. In fact, some patients actually improved. Published in the July 19, Lancet, a prestigious British medical journal, the patients were studied for 1 year, with half taking placebo (no active ingredients) and the others taking the active drug.

Then, last month at an Alzheimer’s conference, the investigators reported that they had extended the study for 6 months for those who chose to continue.

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