Christopher Maloney

Diet and Nutrition (Photo credit: fantasyhealthball) Anyone who knows me hears the mantra:  it’s hormones, hormones, hormones. But I know I’m preaching to a sweaty, hungry crowd, so let’s answer that big, big question.  If I’m dieting, will exercise help me lose weight? Short answer is yes.  Read on if you want to stay clear of the gym.  Skip down to the bold if you have a degree in…

110925-N-SF704-056.jpg (Photo credit: Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet) Short answer: maybe, depending on your age. Full answer:  Every year the CDC estimates the effectiveness of the vaccine.  This year’s estimate is 62% (Complete study abstract below).  If you look at the Lancet meta-analysis of all the studies, the average effectiveness rate is 69%.  So we’re not doing well even by the CDC’s…

Thyroid Scar (Photo credit: grrrrr123) These days the media is full of ads for “weight loss surgery” which make it sound like a walk in the park.  Which got me thinking about thyroid function and weight loss. If you look at my website: www.naturopathicmaine.com under What Do I Treat and weight loss, you’ll see a clear thyroid connection.  The summary is that people trying to lose weight often…

Multiple Sclerosis And The Herpes Family, An Unhappy Pairing?

For years we’ve known that there is a connection between Epstein-Barr virus and multiple sclerosis, but it hasn’t been robust enough to say for sure that MS is caused by Epstein-Barr.

My own thought has been that Epstein-Barr comes into the cells through the vitamin D receptor, making that the confounding factor.

But a recent article makes it much clearer. These researchers found that…

To Vape Or Not To Vape: That Is Not Even A Question.

Wake up parents! While you were checking your phone, big tobacco hooked your kids on smoking.

I know, smoking? Who does that any more? Haven’t we all seen the Marlboro man with cancer? Those hip, smart ads telling us that we should stop?

Yep, we have. And, because those ads are now plastered with big warnings, the tobacco companies have been promoting vaping. Why? Because seeing vaping ads…

He Shou Wu (Fo-Ti): The Elixir of Liver Damage?

One of my patients wanted me to look up this new elixir of life, He Shou Wu. Evidently vegans are on the lookout for how they can get collagen without eating animals. I’m not clear how that led people to a Chinese herb. Here’s the story my patient got, mentioning Rachelle Robinett recommending He Shou Wu as a collagen builder.

Here’s the problem. He Shou Wu (Fo-Ti) has been associated with…

Does Prostate Cancer Treatment Cause Dementia?

My local paper says it does. So does the New York Times.

They found that people treated with drugs for prostate cancer were more likely to develop dementia.

So does the treatment cause dementia? Maybe, maybe not.

The treatment also can increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes, which both can also increase the risk of dementia. So the dementia could just be from those things.

M.D. Or N.D., What Should I Be?

In the past decade I’ve fielded a large number of conversations from confused medical students unclear on the differences between the professions of medical doctor and naturopathic doctor.

As part of the dialogue I have realized there is absolutely no way to really look at the two fields comprehensively and have any doubt about which is a better fit for a particular student.  So I put together a…

Short answer: yes.

Longer answer: Nothing is perfectly safe. There is probably someone out there allergic to melatonin, and I’d be the last person to tell them they’re not.

With anything you’re taking if you notice a dramatic change in how you feel, immediately suspect it.  Maybe the change is good (like antibiotics for bacterial infections) but when it’s bad don’t delay in asking about…

Quick, what looks like polio, can be mistaken for polio, but gets almost zero press?

Quick, what looks like polio, can be mistaken for polio, but gets almost zero press?

Why, it’s AFM, or acute flaccid myelitis.

Briefly, children coming down with a stomach bug can become paralyzed. Yep, paralyzed. So why aren’t we more upset? Because public health officials tell us it’s very rare.

How rare? We’re not sure, because we don’t monitor stomach flu in the U.S.

But let’s take rareness…

The Great Romaine Ban of November 2018? Really?

I know, I know. People got sick from romaine lettuce and they had to…recall all the romaine lettuce in the United States and Canada? Seriously? Do you remember the leafy greens ban back in January, or the romaine ban that happened back in April? No?

The Great Leafy Greens Ban of January 2018. (That never happened.)

Do you remember the Great Leafy Greens Ban of January 2018? No? Because there…

Is Fructan The Problem For Non-Wheat Gluten Sensitivity?

A recent study claims that it’s really fructan, not gluten, that causes Non-Wheat Gluten Sensitivity. But I’m not convinced.

Fructan is a fructose polymer, which means a bunch of fructose end-to-end. So to say fructans are the problem is basically saying it’s fructose, not gluten, that is causing the problem.

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If we take a step back from medical speak for a…

The Truth About The Outback Vision Protocol

Here’s the question: if something is amazingly successful, why does it need to saturate the airwaves with advertising?

That’s the problem with the Outback Vision Protocol, which was first sent to me by a patient. The extremely long infomercial-style presentation promised me that two marvelous supplements would cure very serious vision problems. My hearty presenter informed me that these…

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When you hit your thumb with a hammer, it can feel like there’s nothing you can do besides run through all the swear words you know. But even though your thumb will rightfully complain about your treatment, there are things you can do immediately.

First, make sure your thumb isn’t broken. This may require an emergency room visit, but it can also be a pretty clear…

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When you hit your thumb with a hammer, it can feel like there’s nothing you can do besides run through all the swear words you know. But even though your thumb will rightfully complain about your treatment, there are things you can do immediately.

First, make sure your thumb isn’t broken. This may require an emergency room visit, but it can also be a pretty clear…

Can A High School Test Predict If We Get Alzheimer’s?

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Getting dementia and Alzheimer’s is a terrifying prospect. It can also be bankrupting if you require lengthy home or institutional care.

So when the Washington Post published a story about a test predicting our risk of Alzheimer’s as far back as adolescence, I was intrigued.  A half a million kids took the test, so now we have definitive data on whether we’ll…

To The Chronic Lyme Woman Who Walked Out at the Common Ground Fair, Answers To The Quiz.

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I had a great lecture at the Common Ground Fairyesterday on living with Chronic Lyme. It was packed, and I kept talking with people for an hour after the lecture ended. But the person I wish I could have talked to was the young woman who got up ten minutes into the talk declaring, “I’m sorry, I know all this, and I feel like I’m dying right now.” She left, and I…