Well this is disappointing news. Looks like all the promotion about fish oil lending protection against heart disease might have been more gimmick than good science. The Sept. 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association published a review of over 20 studies involving over 70,000 patients–some of which were heart patients–that revealed that fish oil gave no real protection for the heart.

Mornings can be really tough on me. Sometimes I wake up with shoulder pain, lower back aches and knee pain. Since I’ve not had any injuries, I’m guessing these aches and pains are from localized inflammation and general strain. My dad had knee problems and needed surgery in his lifetime. Since I’m not a fan of bionic joints, I am determined to get to the source of my morning pain and then work to find a long-term solution that won’t require me filling out prescriptions and loading my liver with ibuprofen. Enter my local farmer’s market health-food guru, Colin. I told him about my morning aches and lethargy and he suggested the MSM Morning Mix.

Le sigh! Working to get up-to-date health news is SUCH HARD WORK. So I’ve been working the aisles at the Natural Products Expo and lo and behold, there he was. The guy from the “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” commercials, and the object of many vibrator-fueled women’s fantasies who read those Harlequin romance novels. [...]

It’s a ‘shr00m. (Hey Law, get in here–it’s Chinese, and since you’re a doctor and stuff…). Depending on whom you ask, ganoderma, “more commonly known as reishi, ganoderma is a hard, bitter mushroom used to promote health and longevity in traditional Chinese medicine. Proponents claim that ganoderma can relieve fatigue, keep cholesterol in check, curb high blood pressure, tame inflammation, build stamina, and support the immune system,” says Cathy Wong, ND, CNS, a licensed naturopathic doctor and an American College of Nutrition-certified nutrition specialist.