November 2005 Alternative Medicine&Natural Health Newsletter

The Alternative Medicine & Natural Health Newsletter is sponsored by ALTERNATIVE HEALTH INSURANCE SERVICES.

Since 1985, Alternative Health Insurance Services has helped businesses and individuals find the best value in health insurance with an emphasis on coverage for alternative medicine and natural therapies. Please visit www.AlternativeInsurance.com to learn about options for your personal or group health insurance.

NEW VISION BENEFITS are now available from America's largest provider of eyecare coverage. Normally these benefits are only available to employees of large companies, but you can participate through our special program. For more details, click on the Vision Benefit link on our website.

Welcome to the November 2005 edition of our newsletter. Our goal is to provide you with information and articles that are of interest to you and may be of value to you. Information we include is gathered from a variety of publications.

We hope the information we provide is of value to you. If you have not read our previous newsletters, they are also posted on our website.

A Special Message from Steve Gorman, Founder of Alternative Health Insurance Services:

You may notice that we usually have an abundance of articles about cancer therapies in our newsletter as well as the breast cancer link on our website.

This is no coincidence – my wife Elaine has been battling breast cancer for the past two years. Her cancer has spread to her bones and other parts of her body. We have been using a combination of natural therapies and conventional medicine to fight this and Elaine has been incredibly courageous throughout this ordeal.

Test results from Elaine's most recent tests showed the cancer has become more aggressive again, so we appreciate any prayers, positive thoughts, energy, etc., for Elaine.

Do you know that 63% of consumers don't know how much medical treatment costs until the medical bill arrives? A recent survey commissioned by Great-West Healthcare showed that 10% of consumers never know the cost of medical treatment.

Here are some other interesting facts shown by the survey conducted by Harris Interactive earlier this year:

Consumers can guess the price of a Honda Accord within $300 and a roundtrip ticket within $37, but they're off by $8,100 for a four-day hospital stay. An average four-day stay at a hospital costs $14,500 while the consumer perception is that this cost would be $6,400 according to the survey.

Consumers perceive that a routine doctor's office visit costs $98, while the actual average cost is $139.

While 90% of the respondents believe the cost of health care is rising, 4 out of 5 feel they cannot control rising costs. Yet, 8 out of 10 people believe living a healthy lifestyle impacts whether or not they get sick.

Consumers are willing to research health care costs, but invest less effort than for other purchases. Consumers are more likely to research treatment options if their condition is serious and/or persistent.

More time is spent researching and selecting a car or a home computer than a doctor for routine checkups or a health insurance plan.

Report: Billions could have been saved through generic use
Pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts says consumers, employers and health plans could have saved more than $20 billion in 2004 by using more generic drugs. The PBM looked at six major classes of drugs used by about 3 million of its commercial members and estimated a loss of $24 billion in savings this year and $25 billion next year. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America says the report goes beyond promoting increased generics use by advocating switching patients to different medicines, a decision it says belongs in the hands of the doctor and patient. The Washington Post/Associated Press (free registration)

Middle-aged people more likely to use CAM
Middle-aged people are more likely than younger or older adults to use complementary and alternative medicine... Read

National Survey Reports Millions of Health Conscious Americans Are Turning to Dietary Supplements For Overall Health Maintenance
The Barometer Survey, a nationwide online poll conducted by the Natural Marketing Institute, reports 85 percent of the population believes that using nutritional supplements can keep them healthier, while 72 percent wants to have control over their health decisions, including the kind of supplements they should be able to use. Government should have a role, according to three quarters of those polled, that includes funding more research; however seven out of 10 surveyed said its role should not include limiting or restricting access to supplements.
Internet Resources:
Press Release on NPIcenter
DSEA Website

Study Examines Anticancer Effect of Herbal Medicine in Cancer Cells
Research published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute examines the effect of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA)--on an oncogene involved in the development of many types of cancer, including breast cancer. The researchers, from Evanston Northwestern Healthcare Research Institute in Illinois, determined that the GLA, a polyunsaturated fatty acid found in several plant oils, affects the _expression of the Her-2/neu oncogene, in a different way from the monoclonal antibody approved for treatment of breast cancer patients with high levels of Her-2/neu.
Internet Resources:
Press Release on NPIcenter

Sauerkraut consumption may fight off breast cancer
Eating sauerkraut and raw cabbage may protect women from breast cancer, say researchers... Read

Broccoli fights cancer-causing bacteria in humans
Broccoli's ability to fight Helicobacteri pylori in humans has been demonstrated for the first time... Read

Cruciferous Vegetables May Help Some People Protect Against Lung Cancer
According to a research letter published in this week's The Lancet, eating vegetables from the cabbage family including broccoli and sprouts, could help individuals with a certain genetic make-up reduce their risk of lung cancer. The reduction is thought to have to do with the isothiocyanates in these vegetables, which have been shown to have chemopreventative properties.
Internet Resources:
Press Release on NPIcenter

Gingko biloba may reduce ovarian cancer risk
The herbal gingko biloba may lower the risk of developing ovarian cancer, US researchers say... Read

Melatonin a Possible Natural Cancer Treatment
On a flight home from Maui, the flight attendant found out I was a naturopathic physician, sat down in the seat beside me, and said, "Did you know that every other flight attendant I know with my level of seniority...read more

Unsafe Herbs for Women With Breast Cancer
There are many natural options available for women with breast cancer. There are also some that should be avoided. Certain herbs have estrogen-like activity and should not be used by women during cancer treatment or even after they have completed...read more

Vitamin intake may protect against bowel cancer
A diet rich in vitamin C and B vitamins appears to protect against adenomas in the bowel, even in smokers, report French researchers... Read

Study: Curcumin Halts Spread of Breast Cancer in Mice
According to an article on Medical News Today, citing research published in the Oct. 15 of the journal Clinical Cancer Research, researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report that Curcumin, the main ingredient of turmeric appears to shut down a protein active in the spread of breast cancer to the lungs, a major target for metastasis. According to the article, the researchers also observed that the spice also appeared to reverse the effects of paclitaxel (TaxolTM), a commonly prescribed chemotherapy for breast cancer that may trigger spread of the disease with use over a long period of time.
Internet Resources:
Article on Medical News Today

Cranberry compound found to block cancer
US scientists have demonstrated that specific cranberry compounds fight the development of cancer... Read

Study: Chinese herbal medicine may help treat asthma
According to a Reuters article on MSNBC citing research published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, a plant-based compound using extracts of three herbs, dubbed the anti-asthma herbal medicine intervention (ASHMI), significantly improves lung function in patients with moderate to severe asthma, with efficacy similar to that achieved through the use of prednisone.
Internet Resources:
Reuters Article on MSNBC

Aged garlic extract may help prevent heart attacks
UK scientists are investigating how aged garlic extract reduces platelet aggregation... Read

Vitamin E tocotrienol shows brain protection promise
The natural vitamin E alpha-tocotrienol (TCT) may protect the brain against stroke- and glutamate-induced degeneration, according to researchers in a new animal study... Read

Study: Colonoscopies for high-risk patients reduce risk by 80%
Patients older than 45 years with a family history of bowel cancer have an 80% reduced risk of developing the disease if they use colonoscopy to screen, according to a British study. Screening with colonoscopy allows doctors to detect pre-cancerous growths, and if "you pick up the disease early it is a relatively easy medical/surgical task to cure these patients," said an expert at Cancer Research UK. Reuters (10/25)

Phytochemicals May Protect Cartilage, Prevent Pain in Joints
Johns Hopkins researchers, in a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, have determined that certain phytochemicals found in cruciferous plants including broccoli, boost the activity of helpful phase 2 enzymes which in turn, help protect tisue and prevent inflammation. The cell study involved adding these inducers to a dish containing chondrocyte cells that are crucial to maintaining healthy joints, with the inducers apparently preventing the activation of the inflammatory COX-2 enzyme.
Internet Resources:
Release on NPIcenter

Signs of Childhood Cancer
Childhood cancer is rare. The likelihood of a child developing cancer is slim, but it does happen. Parents should educate themselves on the warning signs of childhood cancer. The signs and symptoms of childhood cancer can be vague and mimic...read more

Alternative Health Insurance Services now includes a free benefit for our individual and group clients that provides up to 20 acupuncture and/or chiropractic visits per year with a $20 co-payment for each visit. This complimentary benefit is a bonus for doing business with us and is included with most of the health insurance plans we offer.

We have contracted with Landmark Healthplan of California, Inc. to provide a combined chiropractic and acupuncture benefit that utilizes Participating Chiropractors and Acupuncturists. A directory of these providers may be found on the Landmark website at www.LandmarkHealthcare.com or from Alternative Health Insurance Services.

Participants will have a co-payment of only $20 per visit and can receive up to 20 visits per year. Treatments must be medically necessary to treat an injury or illness. After an initial visit, subsequent visits need to be pre-authorized by Landmark. Each participant will receive a Schedule of Benefits and other materials that fully describe their benefits, limitations, and exclusions.

This benefit is being provided at no cost to California clients of Alternative Health Insurance Services who are actively participating in a permanent health insurance plan where commissions are being paid to either Alternative Health Insurance or Steve Gorman. These benefits are being provided only to each primary policyholder and their spouse/partner.

This program is only available as a complimentary benefit to clients who have purchased their health insurance plans through Alternative Health Insurance Services and can not be purchased as a "stand-alone" benefit.

Information in this newsletter is obtained from various sources and you are encouraged to conduct further research into any areas that you find interesting. Nothing contained in this newsletter is intended to recommend any treatment or therapy. Our intent is solely to share articles, information, and data that we believe is of interest to you. Some of the articles contain links where you can obtain additional information related to the subject of the article.