Natural Standard Blog

Natural Standard Training Sessions

Natural Standard subscribers are invited to attend online training sessions to learn more about the resources available to them.

The summer training sessions are designed to help clients understand Natural Standard's mission, methodology and Evidence-based Validated Grading Rationale™. These guided tours will also demonstrate how to navigate the various databases and cross reference medical conditions and therapies.

The manufacturing/regulatory training sessions are specifically tailored for branded ingredient manufacturers, brand owners, pharmaceutical companies and law firms. Natural Standard provides custom research reports, white papers, clinical trial protocol design and grant writing services. Featured topics will include: GRAS certification, cGMP compliance initiatives, product compliance and submission, litigation, advertising claims, efficacy claims, health maintenance and structure function claims, functional ingredient claims, FDA/FTC warning letters and ingredient identification supporting health maintenance claims.

To sign up for a complimentary session, please click the links below.

Natural Standard Summer Training Sessions:

• Tue, Aug 17, 2010 2:00 PM - 2:40 PM EDT
• Thu, Aug 19, 2010 2:00 PM - 2:40 PM EDT
• Tue, Aug 24, 2010 2:00 PM - 2:40 PM EDT
• Thu, Aug 26, 2010 2:00 PM - 2:40 PM EDT
• Tue, Aug 31, 2010 2:00 PM - 2:40 PM EDT

Manufacturing/Regulatory Training Sessions:

• Thu, Aug 19, 2010 1:00 PM - 1:40 PM EDT
• Thu, Aug 26, 2010 1:00 PM - 1:40 PM EDT
• Thu, Sept 2, 2010 1:00 PM - 1:40 PM EDT
• Thu, Sept 9, 2010 1:00 PM - 1:40 PM EDT
• Thu, Sept 16, 2010 1:00 PM - 1:40 PM EDT
• Thu, Sept 23, 2010 1:00 PM - 1:40 PM EDT
• Thu, Sept 30, 2010 1:00 PM - 1:40 PM EDT
• Thu, Oct 7, 2010 1:00 PM - 1:40 PM EDT
• Thu, Oct 14, 2010 1:00 PM - 1:40 PM EDT
• Thu, Oct 21, 2010 1:00 PM - 1:40 PM EDT
• Thu, Oct 28, 2010 1:00 PM - 1:40 PM EDT

For more information, please e-mail questions@naturalstandard.com.

Webinar Forum: Altitude Sickness

Natural Standard is offering a series of upcoming complimentary webinars on integrative medicine. Natural Standard offers these impartial webinars as an informational public service. All webinars are recorded and archived at www.naturalstandard.com/webinars.

This month, Laurie Peery, PharmDc, discusses the pathophysiology of altitude sickness and reviews the available conventional and integrative therapies. The presentation was presented by Kristina Rodriguez, PharmDc.

To listen to the webinar, please click here. Complimentary access to the webinar is available August 1-31, 2010.

Webinar Forum: Eating for Health

Natural Standard is offering a series of upcoming complimentary webinars on integrative medicine. Natural Standard offers these impartial webinars as an informational public service. All webinars are recorded and archived at www.naturalstandard.com/webinars.

This month, Ed Bauman, M.Ed., Ph.D., discusses healthy eating habits. Dr. Bauman is the Executive Director of the Bauman College: Holistic Nutrition & Culinary Arts.

To listen to the webinar, please click here. Complimentary access to the webinar is available July 1-31, 2010.

Earth Day 2010

April 22, 2010 marks the 40th annual Earth Day. To celebrate this event, many organizations are raising awareness about the importance of sustainable practices and promoting ecological awareness.

There are many ways for people to reduce their impact on environmental resources. Below are some examples.

Reduce, reuse, recycle: Purchase items in bulk and avoid products that are individually packaged to help reduce waste. Donate items to thrift stores or hold yard or garage sales to get rid of unwanted, but still usable, products. Many trash items, including plastic bottles, cans and old newspapers, can be recycled. Old electronic devices, such as cell phones, computers and DVD players, can also be recycled.

Conserve water: Installing low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators helps to conserve water.

Local and organic food: Organic products do not contain pesticides or antibiotics that may be harmful to the environment. Buying locally grown food reduces the energy and resources needed to transport and store foods.

Save energy: Conserve electricity by turning off appliances when they are not being used and purchasing Energy Star® products. Conduct a home energy audit to help ensure that heating and cooling equipment is running efficiently.

Green cleaning products: Many natural, chemical-free cleaning products are available at local grocery stores and retailers. Create all-purpose cleaning products by combining vinegar, alcohol or baking soda with warm water. Dry laundry on a clothes line or use dryer balls to help save energy.

Avoid buying bottled water: Instead of purchasing plastic water bottles, which generate waste, use filters to purify tap water and fill reusable water bottles.

Alternative transportation: Walk, bike, carpool and use public transportation to help reduce emissions that contribute to air pollution. Drive cars with good fuel economy. Many alternative vehicles, including hybrid and electric cars, emit less pollution.

For more information about ways to go green, please visit Natural Standard's Environment & Global Health database. The database offers hundreds of educational resources about many environmental issues such as climate change, solar power, sustainable living and much more.

Journal of Dietary Supplements: Call for Papers

Natural Standard, an international research collaboration that aggregates and synthesizes data on complementary and alternative therapies, invites researchers to submit articles to Journal of Dietary Supplements (JDS) - an international peer-reviewed forum for original research and review articles that focus on vitamins, minerals, herbs and other substances that make up the multibillion-dollar dietary supplement industry. The journal addresses important issues that meet a broad range of interests, not only in integrative healthcare, but also in academic, regulatory and industrial sectors.

The journal has an online submission system available at http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/wjds. Full instructions for uploading submissions will appear online.

Natural Standard subscribers are eligible to receive a 60 percent discount on a one-year subscription to the journal. Subscribers will receive four issues for $100. Natural Standard also invites JDS authors to present their findings in webinars, which will be posted on the Natural Standard Web site (www.naturalstandard.com/webinars).

For more information, please e-mail jds@naturalstandard.com.

Catherine Ulbricht, PharmD: Chief Editor, Journal of Dietary Supplements, Co-Founder, Natural Standard Research Collaboration (ulbricht@naturalstandard.com).

Wendy Chao, PhD: Associate Editor, Journal of Dietary Supplements, Science Editor, Natural Standard Research Collaboration (wchao@naturalstandard.com).

Daniel Falatko: Managing Editor, Informa Medicine Journals (Daniel.Falatko@informausa.com).

David DeLuca: Electronic Production Manager, Informa Business Information (David.DeLuca@informausa.com).

The distinguished editorial board includes the following internationally known scientists:

• Brent A Bauer, MD, FACP: Director, Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.
• William Benda, MD: Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco.
• Mark Blumenthal: Founder & Executive Director, American Botanical Council, Austin, TX.
• William Benda, MD: University of California, San Francisco, Board of Trustees, American Holistic Medical Association.
• Edzard Ernst, MD, PhD, FRCP, FRCP (Edin.): Professor of Complementary Medicine, Peninsula Medical School, Exeter, UK.
• Bradly Jacobs, MD, MPH: Founder and Director, Institute of Healthy Living, Sausalito, CA.
• Karta Purkh S. Khalsa, CD-N, RH: Botanical Medicine, Bastyr University, Eugene, OR.

2010 Publication Schedule

Cover month	Online Publication	Print Publication
Volume 7, Issue 1 (March)	1/29	2/26
Volume 7, Issue 2 (June)	5/1	5/28
Volume 7, Issue 3 (September)	8/1	8/27
Volume 7, Issue 4 (December)	11/3	11/26

Immunotherapy for Peanut Allergies

In two small studies, peanut allergies improved in children who took low doses of peanut allergens that gradually increased over time.

Exposing a person to low doses of a known allergen, a technique called immunotherapy, is not a new concept. The goal of immunotherapy is to desensitize the patient so that the body builds up a tolerance to the allergen. For example, immunotherapy has been used to treat seasonal allergies and vaccine allergies.

Peanut allergy is the leading cause of severe allergic reactions in children and adults in the United States. Even trace amounts of peanut can cause serious reactions in sensitive people. According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, about 20 percent of patients with peanut allergies naturally outgrow them.

In the first study, 15 children received very small, gradually increasing doses of peanut powder, while eight children received a placebo for one year. By the end of the study, children in the peanut group were able to tolerate an average of 15 peanuts before developing allergic responses.

The second study included 12 children who had been treated with peanut powder beginning at 32 months of age and ending at five years of age. One month after discontinuing immunotherapy, the children were given peanuts. Nine of the participants were able to tolerate the peanuts and are now able to include them in their diets.

The findings, which were presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, support earlier studies, which suggested that immunotherapy may help treat peanut and milk allergies.

Because food allergies can be potentially life threatening, immunotherapy is not recommended for general use. Until the safety of this treatment is tested in a larger population, people with allergies should avoid foods that trigger their allergies.

For more information about food allergies, please visit Natural Standard's Medical Conditions database.

Natural Standard Book Earns Rave Review

Patrick Morrison, an Honorary Professor of human genetics at the universities of Queens Belfast, Nottingham Trent and the University of Ulster, recently reviewed Natural Standard Herbal Pharmacotherapy: An Evidence-Based Approach in the Ulster Medical Society Journal, and called it “an excellent guide to herbal pharmacotherapies.”

The reference tool provides practical guidance on the use of herbal therapies for medical conditions. It is designed to be an essential part of herbal pharmacy core curricula for healthcare disciplines.

Chapters are organized by medical condition and present supportive evidence, including potential mechanisms of action and dosing, for selected herbal therapies. The chapters also include integrative therapy plans to help clinicians quickly assess patient needs and create cohesive treatment plans.

“This is an excellent book which fills the large gap in evidence that existed in this area,” Dr. Morrison states.

Several resources, including animations, Appendix C, Appendix D, Chapter 31, Grades A-F Tables and References, are available on the Evolve Web site. To order a copy of the book, please click here.

Webinar Forum: Introduction to Clinical Aromatherapy for Healthcare Environments

Natural Standard is offering a series of upcoming complimentary webinars on integrative medicine. Natural Standard offers these impartial webinars as an informational public service. All webinars are recorded and archived at www.naturalstandard.com/webinars.

This month, Pam Conrad, RN, BSN, PGd, CCAP, discusses the application of aromatherapy techniques in clinical healthcare settings. In addition to conducting local, national and international lectures on aromatherapy, Conrad also teaches clinical aromatherapy and complementary therapy studies as a faculty at Purdue University.

To listen to the webinar, please click here. Complimentary access to the webinar is available March 1-31, 2010.

Common Chemical Linked to Thyroid Disease

Exposure to the chemical perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) may be associated with thyroid disease in women, according to a new study. PFOA is a persistent organic chemical used in nonstick cookware and stain- and water-resistant coatings for carpets and fabrics.

The thyroid gland is a horseshoe-shaped endocrine gland in the neck. It is important for maintaining heart rate, regulating body temperature and supporting many other body functions, including metabolism, reproduction, digestion and mental health.

The study included 3,974 adults whose blood was sampled between 1999 and 2006 as part of the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

The researchers found that women with the highest 25 percent of PFOA concentrations (above 5.7 nanograms per milliliter of blood) were more than twice as likely to report current thyroid disease than those with the lowest 50 percent of PFOA concentrations (below 4.0 nanograms per milliliter). In men, there was a similar trend that did not reach statistical significance.

However, additional research is needed to confirm these results and to determine a potential mechanism of action.

For more information about persistent organic pollutants, please visit Natural Standard's Environment & Global Health database.

Natural Standard Makes Headlines

The top story on the Boston Healing Blog highlights Natural Standard as a premier resource for evidence-based information about integrative medicine.

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) continues to gain popularity in the United States. In 2007, Americans spent nearly $34 billion out of pocket on CAM, according to the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). However, without reliable sources of information, individuals may find it difficult to determine which therapies are safe and effective. Natural Standard Research Collaboration rigorously reviews scientific data to provide objective information about therapies, thereby helping people make more informed and safer therapeutic decisions.

The Boston Healing Blog is sponsored by Massage Therapy Works and features the latest articles about natural living and complementary medicine in Greater Boston.

Massage Therapy Works, Inc., is located in the heart of Davis Square in Somerville, Mass. The practice is open seven days a week and includes 16 licensed professional therapists who treat a variety of medical conditions, including chronic pain and stress.

Massage Therapy Works also offers acupuncture, craniosacral therapy, Ayurvedic medicine, shiatsu, Chinese bodywork, structural integration, rehab myotherapy and more.

For more information about Massage Therapy Works, please visit www.massagetherapyworks.com.