Another article by Dr Ralph Moss found very little scientific or medical evidence for its proposed benefits, while award-winning writer Jack Marx, in his very irreverent style, reckons it's nothing more than a regular antioxidant.

So, is goji a superfruit? Maybe. The jury is out until more research is done. Is it, however, a super fad? Definitely!

 

Proof is in the pudding

Complementary medicine has an estimated market value of $800 million to $1 billion* in Australia. That's a lot of people who support alternative health, yet according to Research Australia's Health & Medical Research Public Opinion Poll 2007, most Australians would use complementary medicines if they had more information and evidence they work.

The poll also found less than half of those questioned believe complementary medicines work, although half had taken multivitamins for lack of energy in the last year. However, when it comes to conventional medicine, almost all Australians have confidence in prescription medicines, and almost seven out of ten Australians have taken prescription medicines in the last year.

The poll involved two focus groups:

• retirees and semi-retirees over 55 years, and
• 25-54 year olds, whereby more than half of the participants were working full-time.

Sources:
* www.asmi.com.au.
** Research Australia 2007 Public Opinion Poll

 

Meditation for pain management: does it work?

A recent report funded by the MBF Foundation entitled The high price of pain: the economic impact of persistent pain in Australia* found persistent pain to be surprisingly prevalent with about 3.2 million Australians in 2007who experience it. The total cost of persistent pain in 2007 was estimated to be $34.3 billion - or $10,847 per person. Expenses include: health system costs, productivity costs, carer costs and costs to the person's wellbeing. Costs to the community are likely to increase as the population ages over the next few decades.

The report recognises the importance of cost effective interventions which for most people are not being optimally managed. It reports on the findings of meditation for pain management, which is said to have a similar effect on pain reduction as relaxation training and hypnosis. To date, evidence suggests that on their own they are not sufficient to achieve functional gains.

The report, however, is good news for people wanting to get better help. If meditation alone is not enough to manage persistent pain, it can help to quiet the mind, which may enable us to see what we need to do to better manage the pain.

Source: * Access Economics 2007 The High Price of Pain Report

 

Laughter as medicine

Laughter can certainly make us feel good, but can it promote good health?

It's been said countless times before, yet is laughter really the best medicine?

We all know it makes us feel good, but can it promote good health? The short answer is 'yes', and its benefits include:

• Ability to dull pain.
• Protection against heart disease.
• A decrease in levels of cortisol, a hormone secreted when we are stressed.
• Reduction in anxiety: children who had a clown present prior to surgery along with their parents and medical staff had less anxiety than those who just had their parents and medical staff present.*
• Lowering blood pressure: laughter increases oxygen in the blood, which also encourages healing to take place.
• Boosting levels of immune cells: some studies have shown that humour may raise infection-fighting antibodies in the body.**
• Exercise: it has been estimated that laughing 100 times equals the same physical exertion as a 10 minute workout on a rowing machine or 15 minutes on a stationary exercise bike.^ Laughing works out the diaphragm, as well as the abdominal, facial, leg and back muscles.

Sources:
* Vagnoli, L. et al (2005) Pediatrics, 116:e563
** Provine, R.R. (2002) Laughter: A Scientific Investigation
^ Fry, W.F. (1971) Stanford MD 10:16-20

 

Sex vs sleep: which works for you?

It's been a long day, your weary body has found its way to bed, and then your partner decides to join you. Are you in the mood for a good romp, or is it a case of "not tonight, honey, I have a headache"?

If you're in a new relationship and childfree, your choice is likely to be different to, say, parents with young children. However, the good news for young parents is, you only need to have sex twice a week to enjoy a health benefit.* On the other hand, the benefits of sleep include improved cognitive function and energy levels - something you certainly can't live without when you have young children on the move.

Then again, good sex can lead to good sleep. But if we don't have good sleep, will we have the energy to have good sex? And, unfortunately, if we're not getting a good night's sleep, we're probably unlikely to want sex. Phew, that's something to get your head around! The good news is, both make us slimmer: good sleep regulates the hormones that control our appetite centre, while good sex burns kilojoules.

"Is it possible to do both at the same time?", parents of young children ask. Tales have been told of people being asleep, then waking up in the middle - or end of - having sex. While that sounds like fun, it is in fact a treatable medical condition referred to as sexsomnia, and it falls under the same category as sleepwalking, night terrors and insomnia.**

Sources:
* Ebrahim, S. et al (2002) Journal of Epidemiology and
Community Health, 56:99-102
** Guilleminault, C. et al (2002) Psychosometric Medicine,64:328-336

 

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