Integrative Medicine Alert – December 1, 2019
December 1, 2019
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Peppermint Oil for IBS?
The PERSUADE study, a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of two formulations of peppermint oil, demonstrated no statistically significant reduction in abdominal pain response nor overall symptom relief in Rome IV IBS patients using Food and Drug Administration/European Medicines Agency endpoint criteria over an eight-week trial period.
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Lavender Aromatherapy During Chemotherapy
Lavender oil aromatherapy demonstrated some benefits in sleep and anxiety for people undergoing chemotherapy.
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Vegetarians and Stroke
A prospective cohort study in the United Kingdom demonstrated that vegetarians have a 22% lower incidence of ischemic heart disease, but a 20% increased incidence of total stroke, mostly related to hemorrhagic stroke, when compared to meat eaters. No difference in ischemic stroke or acute myocardial infarction was found.
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Soft Drinks and Death
This long-term, large-scale European study finds that higher use of total soft drinks is associated with a higher risk of death; additionally, higher use of artificially sweetened soft drinks is associated with higher risk of death from cardiovascular illness and higher use of sugar-sweetened soft drinks is associated with higher risk of death from digestive illnesses.
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Optimism (Hopefully!) Increases Odds of ‘Exceptional Longevity’
Analysis of 10-year follow-up data from the Nurses’ Health Study and 30-year follow-up data from the Veteran Affairs Normative Aging Study show a significant association between baseline levels of higher optimism and longevity, even when data is adjusted for health behaviors and psychosocial factors.