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Spring has Sprung! It's getting green outside, and in here, too. Thanks to brilliant Jon Yucis of Futureman Design, I've just launched a brand new website. I took most of the pictures and feel this new layout better reflects me and my clinic. You can even read my old newsletters if you get incredibly bored. What do you think?
Sniff, sniff... ACHOO! Are seasonal allergies getting to you yet? Good news: Modern medicine has finally caught on to what the Chinese have known for 4,000 years. The American Journal of Epidemiology recently published a study that showed that acupuncture can significantly relieve allergic rhinitis symptoms.
In
this German study, 5,237 men and women were analyzed to evaluate the
effectiveness of acupuncture in addition to routine care in patients
with allergic rhinitis compared with treatment with routine care alone.
Improvements were noted at the 3 month and the 6 month evaluation for
the patients receiving acupuncture. The authors of this trial concluded
that acupuncture leads to clinically relevant and persistent
benefits.
Source: American Journal of Epidemiology. 2008 Nov;101(5):535-43.
Food for thought... Some foods, including apples, contain the flavanoid,
quercetin that can cross-react with tree pollen. Quercetin can reduce
allergic reactions by having an antihistamine effect. It also decreases
inflammation. Quercetin occurs naturally in certain foods, such as
apples (with the skin on), berries, red grapes, red onions, capers, and
black tea.
Carotenoids are a family of plant pigments that include
beta-carotene. A lack of carotenoids in the diet is thought to promote
inflammation in your airways. Good sources of carotenoids include
apricots, carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato, spinach, kale, butternut
squash, and collard greens.
LunaFest: A Women's Film Festival
The company that brought us Clif and Luna Bars is raising money for the Breast Cancer Fund and The Family of Women with a collection of short films by, for, and about women. The show is Satuday, 4/18 at the Bayard Rustin HS Auditorium in West Chester, and runs from 2-4:30. I will have tickets ($10) and raffle tickets ($5 each or 6 for $20) here at the clinic if you want to attend. "Door prizes and raffle baskets abound" according to the flier, and I've donated a gift certificate too.
Thanks for reading! Next month... Strokes, their identification and treatment.
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