Turns out two studies have shown that cannabinoids reduce brain inflammation. One study showed that it reduced damage by Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNFa) and another study by inhibiting Nitric Oxide (NO) … that’s the good news.
   
The bad news is that your immune system requires NO and TNFa to kill off things like tumors and microorganisms … Killing things usually involves inflammation. But chronic inflammation itself can cause DNA damage that leads to cancers, dementia, etc. … its a catch 22. This may be why other studies have shown that marijuana may have a protective effect against certain brain tumors.
   
Another problem with artificially inhibiting NO in men is that erections require this molecule. This may be why there are reports of marijuana abuse leading to impotence.
   
So the bottom line is that these studies suggest that the appropriate use of cannabinoids (such as marijuana) may prove useful in certain neurological conditions. However, caution should be exercised in that its abuse could over-suppress inflammation and cause its own set of problems.
   
PS: We are not writing these to encourage recreational or illegal marijuana use. Where it is legal, it may be an appropriate part of a treatment strategy.
   
J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1999 Mar;288(3):1357-66. (on nitric oxide).
   
Glia. 2003 Jan 15;41(2):161-8. (on TNFa)

Researchers found that Vitamin E suppresses telomerase activity in ovarian cancer cells selectively. In other words, it did not suppress telomerase activity in normal ovarian cells. Thus, it shortens the lives of cancer cells without shortening the lives of normal cells.
   
Cancer Detect Prev. 2007;31(2):119-28. Epub 2007 Feb

Yes, you may be able to juice away erectile dysfunction with pomegranate…Turns out the juice was shown to improve erections when consumed long term (at least in rabbits with erectile dysfunction). Keep in mind the versions with sugar added could have the opposite effects on you depending on how you handle sugar. So we recommend unsweetened pomegranate juice. If you are not diabetic then you can cut it with some fresh apple or grape juice to sweeten it. Otherwise, you can try lohan or xylitol or just dilute it in water until it is tolerable….
  
J Urol. 2005 Jul;174(1):386-93

A powerful antioxidant was recently shown to greatly slow down Alzheimers Disease (AD). Patients with mild dementia who were given lipoic acid at 600mg/day showed almost no progression of the disease, patients with moderate dementia had some progression but it was greatly reduced when compared to people who did not take the lipoic acid. In conclusion, the authors stated “our data suggest that treatment with alpha-lipoic acid might be a successful ‘neuroprotective’ therapy option for AD”
   
J Neural Transm Suppl. 2007;(72):189-93.

A recent study demonstrated that plain old cinnamon can kill a variety of foodborne pathogens including: Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella anatum. So try a strong cup of cinnamon tea next time you eat at that sketchy restaurant.
  
J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Jul 11;55(14):5484-90. Epub 2007 Jun 13.

Controlling blood sugar levels is very important in preventing or reversing diabetic complications. Our clinic has been extremely successful in treating diabetes, even to the point where most of our diabetic patients can control their blood sugar levels without any medications. Part of this strategy is using acupuncture and herbs, but diet is indispensable.
   
This study found that taking 1 gram per day of a mixture of certain herbs/spices (bittergourd, jamun seeds, and fenugreek seeds) resulted in a significant reduction in blood glucose levels, both fasting and postprandial. The powder was taken for 1.5 months and then the dose was doubled for another 1.5 months (i.e., 2 grams per day).
   
J Med Food. 2005 Winter;8(4):545-9.

Vitamin K deficiency has been associated with hyperemesis gravidarum (vomiting during pregnancy). This is a very common symptom and it is a good idea to talk to your doctor about supplementing with Vitamin K if you are experiencing these symptoms…particularly if they are severe. However, be aware that if you have any clotting factor problems then you need to know which clotting factor is effected and whether or not Vitamin K is appropriate. If you do not have enough vitamin K it can increase the risk of fetal problems such as intracranial hemorrhage and hydrocephalus.
  
Prenat Diagn. 2007 Dec 4. Vitamin K deficiency in hyperemesis gravidarum as a potential cause of fetal intracranial hemorrhage and hydrocephalus.
  
Obstet Gynecol. 1998 Oct;92(4 Pt 2):673-5

A recent meta-analysis on the use of vitamin E in cancer prevention found that:
  
“Vitamin E … was associated with a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of prostate cancer. Vitamin E can be used in the prevention of prostate cancer in men who are at high risk…”
  
Ann Saudi Med. 2007 Nov-Dec;27(6):409-14.

In this study acupuncture was shown to improve immunological function by modulating expression of the Cx43 gene. The mechanism by which acupuncture induced activation of the gene was not explored, however they did show that acupuncture improved white blood cell count as well as the activity of the thymus and spleen (points used were CV 4 and St 36 for 7 days consecutively).
  
Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 2007 Oct;32(5):291-5.

This study found that cannabinoid receptor agonists (such as marijuana) seem to be potent agents to help inhibit prostate cancer.
   
According to the study “Our results suggest that treatment of androgen-responsive human prostate carcinoma LNCaP cells resulted in a decrease in intracellular and secreted levels of PSA, with concomitant inhibition of androgen receptor, cell growth, and induction of apoptosis. We conclude that cannabinoids should be considered as agents for the management of prostate cancer
  
This may end up being useful as a preventative measure for people who are at risk for prostate cancer, though our society has a way to go to get over the negative stigma that Marijuana has.
   
A word of caution. Keep in mind that there are studies showing that, while safe in general, there are some people who can have adverse psychological effects from Marijuana. If there is a personal or family history of psychosis (schizophrenia, etc.), then it is probably best to avoid marijuana use since there is some evidence it could trigger it if you are already “predisposed”. There is little to no evidence that moderate doses of marijuana can induce psychosis in individuals that are not predisposed. However, high doses seem to be able to do that…. more information below.
   
Cancer Research 65, 1635-1641, March 1, 2005
   
Drug Alcohol Rev. 2004 Dec;23(4):433-43. Cannabis use and psychotic disorders: an update.
Hall W, Degenhardt L, Teesson M.
   
Office of Public Policy and Ethics, Institute for Molecular Bioscience University of Queensland Australia. w.hall@imb.uq.edu.au
   
The following is an abstract of the above study looking at cannabis use and psychosis
   
This paper evaluates three hypotheses about the relationship between cannabis use and psychosis in the light of recent evidence from prospective epidemiological studies. These are that: (1) cannabis use causes a psychotic disorder that would not have occurred in the absence of cannabis use; (2) that cannabis use may precipitate schizophrenia or exacerbate its symptoms; and (3) that cannabis use may exacerbate the symptoms of psychosis. There is limited support for the first hypothesis. As a consequence of recent prospective studies, there is now stronger support for the second hypothesis. Four recent prospective studies in three countries have found relationships between the frequency with which cannabis had been used and the risk of receiving a diagnosis of schizophrenia or of reporting psychotic symptoms. These relationships are stronger in people with a history of psychotic symptoms and they have persisted after adjustment for potentially confounding variables. The absence of any change in the incidence of schizophrenia during the three decades in which cannabis use in Australia has increased makes it unlikely that cannabis use can produce psychoses that would not have occurred in its absence. It seems more likely that cannabis use can precipitate schizophrenia in vulnerable individuals. There is also reasonable evidence for the third hypothesis that cannabis use exacerbates psychosis.

PMID: 15763748 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]