First cloned human embryo created from skin cell

This appears to be a major breakthrough. Even though the egg in questions was never actually fertilized, it is still an embryo, which means it could conceivably be born. So the right-to-lifers are not gonna be on board with this. Though, the fact that the embryo is a clone of the donor does add an interesting variable. The embryo in this case is not a separate organism in the same sense that an embryo taken from a fertility clinic is. It is made from the donor's DNA and no joining of egg and sperm was involved. Bioethicists sure have their work cut out for them these days. 

As an aside, if stem cell therapies result in dramatically increased lifespans or dramatically decreased morbidity, how will this affect the planet? If people continue to reproduce at the same rate, but fewer die, will the population increase exponentially? Will only the wealthy or those in wealthy countries have access to the therapies? Will it lead to increased or decreased costs of healthcare, thus either draining our resources further or freeing them up for other things?

Antidepressants' benefits may be exaggerated

This is a major issue. I heard about it on NPR the other day. A fairly high percentage of studies done on anti-depressants of all types concluded that they did not work nearly as well as claimed. It is interesting because the effectiveness of St. John's Wort was dismissed some time back as a result of one clinical study that had equivocal results. It is likely that many people are experiencing placebo effects when taking these drugs. They make a huge amount of money for the pharmaceutical industry. I have long thought mild to moderate depression was a lifestyle issue. Good diet and exercise along with stress management is probably a better route for those with mild to moderate depression. Severe depression with suicidal ideation is another thing altogether. In any event, no one should discontinue their meds without discussing it with their doctor. It could probably be argued that much of the stress that leads to depression is caused being overworked, living in a polluted environment, not having time to "smell the roses," etc. 

Probiotic bacteria could keep us slim

More good news for the yogurt makers and eaters.

Low Carb Diet Proven Most Effective at Weight Loss

A new study confirms what many have been reporting anecdotally for years. However, long term risk may be involved. Low-carb diets appear to adversely affect intestinal flora (which often feed on carb metabolites and fiber). Taking flora supplements may not help much if there is nothing to feed on, but taking fiber supplements might. From what I recall, they like psyllium, but look it up before you go this route. I'll investigate further.

Cranberries Really Are a Miracle Cure for Women

Some support for the long-held belief that cranberries are good for urinary tract infections. Turns out that's not all.

Aging gracefully requires taking out the trash

This is an interesting study that lends support to some age-old concepts from the natural health field that have been described in various ways, such as clearing excess (chinese medicine), cleansing or detoxifying (naturopathy), and removing ama (ayurveda). It shows that calorie restriction promotes the removal of pathological accumulations from the body and may suggest (IMO) that occasional modified fasting is also beneficial.

Vitamin B12 function may be diminished by excessive folate

When folic acid was added to enriched grains, some scientists warned that this was the largest experiment ever done in American history. While folic acid prevents neural tube defects in developing fetuses, the high levels of synthetic folate is apparently problematic in those who have vitamin B-12 deficiencies. One of the problems is increased homocysteine levels, which is a marker associated with heart disease (a far stronger marker than cholesterol, BTW). This means that people need to make sure to have adequate B-12.  High folate and normal to high B-12 is beneficial. For those who do not eat sufficient amounts of animal products, supplements may be advised.

Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines Created That Avoid Immune Rejection

Advances in stem cell research seem to be happening rapidly these days. I wonder how far along we would be if the King of the Morons had not been ruling for the past seven years.

Medical Myths Even Doctors Believe

Hey, impress your party guests with your erudition. And if you practice medicine for a living, you can be less of a dumbass.

Can Omega-3 Fatty Acids Help Depression?

Not sure if this means to eat more fish. Remember that many fish are high in mercury. Some safe or relatively ones include wild salmon, wild haddock, wild atlantic cod, farm-raised tilapia, and wild mahi. Big ones to avoid are swordfish and shark. Most tuna (except canned light) should be eat sparingly (no more than a couple times a month if one is eating other fish.) The FDA has a handy list.

Cat Fleas' Journey Into The Vacuum Is A 'One-way Trip'

A non-toxic way to kill fleas.

Lack Of Sunlight May Increase Lung Cancer Risk

More evidence that we have gone overboard in our fear of the sun. This dovetails with other evidence suggesting we need much more Vitamin D than most folks get.

Everyday Items, Complex Chemistry

A reminder to some and a wake-up call to others. Many commercial products contain dangerous chemicals. We are assured that none of these chemicals has been proven harmful in small, regular doses, but this article reminds us that neither have they been proven safe. The research just has not been done. Why, because law requiring it are blocked by industry lobbyists. And if these products do make you sick—who care. For -profit medicine will just have more patients to bill.

Buying Chinese

I have said this before, but it was underscored by an article in a recent issue of Mother Jones: Consuming products grown on Chinese soils, including Chinese herbs is a major health risk. Some companies claim that their herbal products are clean, but if you read an article like this one last summer from the New York Times, it really makes you wonder who you can trust. Personally, I would no longer take any herbs grown in China for long term use. And I would limit my use to treatment of acute symptoms for short periods of time no more than a few times a year. Otherwise, one risks significant exposure to toxic chemicals and heavy metals, IMO. If you prefer to use herbs rather than drugs for relief of symptoms like insomnia, upset stomach, etc., I advise consumption of American and European herbs only, preferably organically grown or ethically wildcrafted. Don't be deceived by suppliers and healthcare practitioners who tell you not to worry. As always, follow the money and ask yourselves, do those who are trying to sell me something have anything to gain by lying (either to me or themselves) about this major problem? There's your answer.

Sham Acupuncture

A recent study showed that so-called sham acupuncture was just as effective as "real" acupuncture in relieving nausea caused by chemotherapy. This follows on the heels of a German study showing the same thing for low back pain. Needless to say, this has caused an uproar in the professional Chinese medicine community, screaming foul and concocting every conceivable reason why this is either scientifically, or even ethically, wrong. This is despite the fact that these are just two in a long line of studies demonstrating the same exact thing.

In the first case, the doctors used needles that did not actually penetrate the skin, so the patient only thought they were getting acupuncture. In the second case, needles were used, but on parts of the body that are not considered acupuncture points. In both cases, there were high rates of success from either sham or real acupuncture. They were not equally bad; they were equally good. To some,this proves either the whole enterprise is s sham, and that a patient merely believing they were receiving a valid technique will improve. To others, this means that (in the case of the first study) that penetration of the skin is not necessary for efficacy, and in the second case, that merely causing the so-called qi to flow can be stimulated even by penetrating areas not traditionally considered to be active points.

If either of these arguments is correct, there is a logical corollary, which is that specialized training is then not necessary to perform the treatments. In the first case, it is not even a medical procedure just to tap on a point briefly with a blunt object. People could do it to themselves or friends or family at no cost. In the second cases, the procedure could be performed by anyone who could be legally trained to insert a shallow needle intramuscularly, probably something one could learn in a six-week community college course, I would wager.