Dr Bernard Willis

Hello everyone,

I came across this which I thought you might like to see:

The Future Of Medicine
“The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest her or his patients in the care of the human frame, in a proper diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.”

Thomas A. Edison

Have a good weekend.

US inventor (1847 - 1931)

Hello everyone,

MORE MAGIC OF MELATONIN

Do you want to lose body fat, gain muscle, all without going on any kind of a diet?

If you are a postmenopausal woman, I have a tip for you. In a properly designed (randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled) study, researchers studied 81 postmenopausal women for one year.

Those who took melatonin (1 or 3 mg) nightly had some remarkable changes at the end of a year. Although their weight stayed the same, as well as their BMI, they had valuable body changes nonetheless.

Of course, this just proves why pounds and BMI are terrible markers of health.)

The women taking melatonin lost body fat and gained leaned muscle mass, probably because of a 21% increase in adiponectin, the fat-burning hormone. Not a huge amount but statistically significant.

Sadly, there was no real benefit in overall metabolism (glucose, insulin levels) but you can fix those things in other ways. The magic of melatonin has just become more magical!

Dr Bernie

Hello everyone,

Some Midweek Medical Humour

GOD'S PLAN FOR AGING

Most seniors never get enough exercise. In His Wisdom God decreed that seniors become forgetful so they would have to search for their glasses, keys and other things thus doing more walking.

And God looked down and saw that it was good.

Then God saw there was another need. In His Wisdom He made seniors lose coordination so they would drop things requiring them to bend, reach & stretch.

And God looked down and saw that it was good.

Then God considered the function of bladders and decided seniors would have additional calls of nature requiring more trips to the bathroom, thus providing more exercise.

And God looked down and saw that it was good.

So if you find as you age, you are getting up and down more, remember it's God's will. It is all in your best interest even though you mutter under your breath.

Dr Bernie

Hello everyone,

I thought this was worth sharing again.

Dr Bernie

Hello everyone,

ARE YOU STILL CONSUMING DAIRY?

By now, most of my patients probably know how I feel about dairy — it is nature’s perfect food — but only if you are a calf.

We have no biological requirement for this food and yet we have been told over and over again that dairy is a great source of calcium, milk makes healthy bones and we should drink it daily. But I am here to tell you that this is not true.

Based on research and my experience practicing medicine, I typically advise most of my patients to avoid dairy products completely.

Dr Bernie

Morning everyone, I hope you had a good weekend. It's a new week and a new month.

3 TOXIC SUPERFOODS NO-ONE SHOULD EAT

SOY – Unfermented soy is detrimental to health in many ways due to its phytoestrogen content.

It is goitrogenic, that is harmful to your thyroid gland

- Can cause imbalance of s*x hormones and be implicated in infertility

- Can cause intestinal problems

- Can impair cognitive function.

WHEATGRASS - Humans have not evolved to digest any form of grass-for that you would need 4 stomachs like a cow.

Dogs are clever, they eat grass when they want to vomit

The chlorophyll in wheatgrass is useless as it cannot be absorbed.

GOJI BERRIES - Goji Berries are part of the nightshade family and contain lectins, plant proteins which can damage the intestinal lining contributing to leaky gut. There is no evidence that they have any benefit as a health food

Dr Bernie

My next newsletter is going out soon. If you are not already on my mailing list you can join it here:

https://www.drbernardwillis.com/keep-touch-dr-bernies-monthly-newsletter/

Have a great weekend.

Dr Bernie

Keep In Touch With Dr Bernie's Monthly Newsletter - Dr Bernard Willis Online Why not sign up to Dr Bernie’s wonderful monthly newsletter? As well as informative articles, Bernie also shares lots of tips. There’s also some humour too! Subscribe to our mailing list * indicates required Email Address * First Name Last Name

Hello everyone,

It's been a fairly warm September afternoon.

Are You Drinking Enough Water?

Here are some of my tips to stay hydrated in a healthy way throughout the day:

Carry a reusable steel or aluminium water bottle with you during the day. It will be a constant reminder to hydrate and helps to avoid the negative effects of plastic water bottles.

Drink a large cup of water before any meal. it is not rare for our bodies to confuse thirst with hunger. If you down a glass before a meal, you will eat a smaller, more appropriate portion.

Drink one or two glasses of water when you wake up and when you go to sleep. This helps you start and end your day with hydration and creates a routine.

Have a good evening.

Dr Bernie

I recorded this sometime ago now but I thought it was still worth sharing with you again.

https://youtu.be/9n2f5QjDKgM

Dr Bernie

Testosterone in Women Dr Bernard Willis talks about testosterone in women, why women need testosterone, and what to do if they have too much. http://thenaturalalternative.co.nz

I received this email from Penny. Thank you Penny, such lovely words. Thank you also for letting me publish it here.

Dr Bernie

Hello Bernard

You asked me to let you have feedback after I had followed the Plant Paradox diet for a while. I’ve been on it for six weeks now and – wow!

The gripping stomach pains stopped pretty quickly, and now only occur with goats yoghurt for some odd reason (I seem OK with goat cheese, so long as I cook it). I’m eating things I’ve avoided for years – greens especially. I’m trying to muster the courage to try an egg soon.

I’ve stopped feeling cold all the time. And after a few very wakeful nights I decided to cut back on the thyroid. I’m now down to 1/2 grain a day, and may even cut down again. My digestion is transformed – a really fast and easy through-put. And my mood is much better.

So – thank you so much for pointing me in that direction.

With very best wishes

Penny K

Hello everyone, I hope you had a good weekend. I thought you might like to see the answer to this question I was asked.

ASK DR WILLIS: PREVENTING STROKES

Alzheimer sufferer

Question: There is a history of stroke in my family and both my parents died of a stroke. I have just celebrated my 50th birthday and wanted to ask whether there is anything I can do to prevent this happening to me.

Answer: This is a good question as I know of at least 3 nutrients that will decrease your risk for a stroke

A recent study from the American Nurses’ Health Study stated that 94,715 women confirmed specific nutrients that prevent strokes.

They found that consuming more magnesium, potassium and calcium decreased the risk of having a stroke over 20-30 years. (Adebamowo SN et al. Am J Clin Nutr 2015;101:1269-77.)

Their results showed that:

Adding an extra 100 mg of magnesium per day decreased stroke risk by 13%;
Adding an extra 1000 mg of potassium per day decreased stroke risk 9%;
Adding 300 mg of calcium per day decreased stroke risk 2%.

So let me share how you can meet your needs for these critical nutrients:

Magnesium intake improves both your blood pressure and blood sugar levels, so it shouldn’t be surprising that it has cardiovascular benefits. But magnesium also helps reduce migraines, muscle cramps, constipation, and even rates of sudden death. Sadly 70% of people don’t get enough magnesium.

Good sources of magnesium are nuts and seeds, dark green leafy veggies, dark chocolate and beans. If you don’t get at least 400-800 of magnesium daily from food, then I suggest you take a magnesium supplement—likely most people should be adding 150 to 300 mg of magnesium as a supplement every day.

Potassium is essential for blood vessel function, a healthy blood pressure, and it helps to prevent muscle cramps. Several medications, like diuretics (water pills) cause people to lose potassium, which may lead to major heart arrhythmias and rarely sudden death. Most people do not get the recommended intake of 4000 mg daily. If you eat 5 cups of vegetables and fruits you get about 2000 mg of potassium. Add a cup of yogurt (1000 mg) and a cup of beans (1000 mg) to meet your daily needs.

Calcium has the most controversy, and not surprisingly, the smallest benefit in both studies noted above. The challenge with calcium is that you don’t want to be too low, while too much calcium is harmful too.

Most people need about 800 to 1,200 mg of calcium daily. Too little calcium is associated with weight gain and high blood pressure, too much calcium is associated with cardiovascular disease and even cancer.

Too often people think of calcium intake from supplements, but you could easily meet your daily calcium needs with food.

As a daily example:

1 cup of unsweetened almond milk (500 mg)
2 cups of green leafy veggies (200 mg)
1/2 cup of yogurt (200 mg)
1 handful of almonds (100 mg)
Eat this and you will easily meet your need. If you don’t meet your calcium needs and are considering taking a calcium supplement, then calculate your food intake of calcium first so you don’t exceed your requirements.

Keep in mind that calcium blocks some of our normal magnesium intake, so if you take extra calcium as a supplement always take it with extra magnesium too. Many experts suggest a 2:1 calcium:magnesium ratio, such as 400 mg of calcium with 200 mg of magnesium.

Dr Bernie

Good morning everyone.

It's been a few months since I last sent out a newsletter. I'm pleased to say that I shall be sending out another one very soon. This one is particularly important.

If you would like to receive it - it's free by the way - then please join my mailing list if you are not already on it.

https://www.drbernardwillis.com/latest-news/

Have a good weekend.

Dr Bernie

Latest News - Dr Bernard Willis Online Folate, or vitamin B9, may alleviate allergic reactions and allergy symptoms by shutting down inflammation, according to a study published in a recent issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Although previous studies have noted a potential connection between folate and inflammatory....

Morning everyone.

I thought this was worth sharing again.

Dr Bernie

Morning everyone, I hope you had a good weekend.

TESTOSTERONE IS NOT JUST FOR MEN

This amazing hormone can perform miracles for women too. It can help keep their cardiovascular system health. And it can do so without causing their hair to fall out or develop facial hair. One specific benefit is with breast cancer.

The authors in the study I read said, “As early as 1937 it was recognized that breast cancer was an estrogen sensitive cancer; that testosterone was ‘antagonistic’ to estrogen and could be used to treat breast cancer as well as other estrogen sensitive diseases including breast pain, chronic mastitis, endometriosis, uterine fibroids and dysfunctional [abnormal] uterine bleeding.”

The authors go on to explain why this is true. It is because of the receptors on the cells that testosterone acts on. When testosterone interacts with these receptors, it acts to suppress the action of estrogen on breast tissue. It also inhibits the growth of breast cancer cells. And it increases the death rate of breast cancer cells.

“Clinical trials in primates and humans have confirmed that testosterone has a beneficial effect on breast tissue by decreasing breast proliferation [abnormal growth] and preventing stimulation from estradiol. Testosterone does not increase and likely lowers the risk of breast cancer in women treated with estrogen therapy.” Preventing breast cancer is yet another reason why testosterone should always be a part of a complete hormone replacement for women.

BUT WHAT ABOUT BLOOD CLOTS AND TOXICITY TO THE LIVER?

Concerns about these issues have been raised about testosterone use in both men and women. The studies however show that testosterone “does not adversely affect the liver or increase clotting factors” as long as it is not given in pill form. Creams and other applications of testosterone are safe.

HOW ABOUT MOOD?

I have heard concern from some doctors that testosterone will increase aggression in women. Not so. At least not in the usual doses. In fact, women love testosterone. It improves their mood, their enthusiasm for life and their libido.

LASTLY, WHAT ABOUT OVERALL SAFETY?

The authors note that, “There are many excellent reviews on the safety of parenteral [non-oral] testosterone therapy in women. Testosterone implants have been used safely in women since 1938. Long-term data exists on the efficacy, safety and tolerability in doses of up to 225 mg for up to 40 years of therapy.”

And here’s where it gets really interesting. It turns out that many of the safety effects and concerns about testosterone replacement in women can be attributed to two factors.

One factor I have already mentioned. It is pills. Testosterone pills are toxic to the liver. That is why testosterone should never be given to men or women in pill or capsule form.

Next is an issue I have told you about before. It’s the enzyme called aromatase. Aromatase is an enzyme that converts testosterone to estrogen. And many of the so-called side effects of testosterone are really due to this enzyme. There are a lot of factors that increase aromatase activity.

These include getting older, obesity, alcohol intake, insulin resistance, breast cancer, medications, drugs, a processed diet and lack of regular aerobic exercise. Fortunately, there are herbs and medications that can inactivate aromatase.

But here’s the point. As long as these factors are taken into account, testosterone replacement in women is entirely safe. In the words of the authors, “The safety of non-oral testosterone therapy in women is well established, including long-term follow up.

Adequate testosterone is essential for physical, mental and emotional health in both s*xes. Abandoning myths, misconceptions and unfounded concerns about testosterone and testosterone therapy in women will enable physicians to provide evidence-based recommendations and appropriate therapy.”

So if you are a woman who lacks energy or libido, talk to your doctor about trying testosterone. It very well could increase both of these and protect you against breast cancer as well.

Have a good day.

Dr Bernie

New Tools Tilting Health-care Control From Doctors To Patients

Over the past decade, smartphones have radically changed many aspects of our everyday lives, from banking to shopping to entertainment. Medicine is next.

With innovative digital technologies, cloud computing and machine learning, the medicalized smartphone is going to upend every aspect of health care.

And the end result will be that you, the patient, are about to take centre stage for the first time.

In the next decade, you—under select circumstances, involving high risk or major medical need—will be able to monitor almost every organ system, no matter how difficult to access, as firms start to produce nano-sensors to be embedded in your bloodstream.

These microscopic sensors within your body can float in blood or be fixed to a micro-stent in a tiny blood vessel. You will then be able to keep your blood under constant surveillance for the first appearance of cancer, autoimmune attacks on vital tissues or the tiny cracks in artery walls that can lead to heart attacks or strokes.

With all these new tools, it is no surprise that we are talking about the possibility of “doctorless” medicine.

Let us not get too carried away. You will still be seeing doctors—but you will have a lot more control.

If you would like a Skype appointment - I wouldn't have been able to offer this a few years ago - please get in touch with my wife Patricia:

[email protected]

Have a good day.

Dr Bernie

Morning everyone, I hope you had a good weekend.

MEDICAL HUMOUR

A Second Opinion

Lenny tells the psychiatrist, “Every time I get into bed, I think there’s somebody under it.”

“Come to me three times a week for two years, and I’ll cure your fears,” says the shrink. “And I’ll charge you only $200 a visit.”

Lenny says he’ll think about it. Six months later, he runs into the doctor, who asks why he never came back. “For $200 a visit?” says Lenny. “A bartender cured me for $10.”

“Is that so! How?”

“He told me to cut the legs off the bed.”

Have a good day.

Dr Bernie

Some Medical Humour
-----------------------

The patient went to his doctor for a checkup, and the doctor wrote out a prescription for him in his usual illegible writing.

The patient put it in his pocket, but he forgot to have it filled. Every morning for two years, he showed it to the conductor as a railroad pass.

Twice, it got him into the movies, once into the baseball park, and once into the symphony. He got a raise at work by showing it as a note from the boss.

One day, he mislaid it. His daughter picked it up, played it on the piano, and won a scholarship to a conservatory of music.

Have a good weekend.

Dr Bernie

ASK DR WILLIS

IS COQ10 IS A POWERFUL CANCER FIGHTER?

CoQ10 is the one supplement I take every day, without fail.

New evidence of an even greater benefit is pouring in so I wanted to share this short article by Al Sears, MD with you. He says that researchers in Tokyo gave rats a carcinogen that promotes colon cancer.

The rats were divided into three groups. One group was fed a regular diet. The second group got a low dose of CoQ10. The third got a medium dose.

The results were amazing.

Both of the groups that received CoQ10 had reductions in abnormal crypts (an early sign of colon cancer) of up to 77%. Ultimately, the results of this study suggested that CoQ10 held cancer in check even when exposed to this carcinogen.

Another study done at the University of Texas at Austin documented 10 cases of cancer patients who unexpectedly survived when treated with CoQ10.

It works by blocking the free radicals that can ultimately damage the DNA in your cells. It also helps re-energize the immune system cells that get suppressed by cancer. It restores their ability to fight back and attack the cancer cells.

Researchers in Denmark studied a group of breast cancer patients. They gave them CoQ10 plus a combination of other antioxidants and essential fatty acids.

The result

The entire group had a partial remission of the cancer. But here’s where things get very interesting…

Two of the patients received larger doses of CoQ10 (390 mg). Their tumours disappeared. Here’s what the researchers said regarding one of the patients:

“After three months, the patient was in excellent clinical condition and there was no residual tumour tissue.”

Remarkable isn’t it?

Yet CoQ10 is one of the most overlooked nutrients and in my practice, I’ve found that most of my new patients are deficient.

The only natural source of CoQ10 is red meat, especially organ meat. But today’s commercially-raised, grain-fed beef is a poor source. Even worse, many popular drugs — especially cholesterol-lowering drugs like statins — cause your levels of CoQ10 to plunge.

I recommend getting 50 mg of the new form of CoQ10 daily. It’s called ubiquinol CoQ10. That’s equivalent to 400 mg of regular CoQ10.

Dr Willis

Hello everyone on this rather wet Wednesday.

Do you want to lose body fat, gain muscle, all without going on any kind of a diet?

If you are a postmenopausal woman, I have a tip for you. In a properly designed (randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled) study, researchers studied 81 postmenopausal women for one year.

Those who took melatonin (1 or 3 mg) nightly had some remarkable changes at the end of a year.

Although their weight stayed the same, as well as their BMI, they had valuable body changes nonetheless. (Of course, this just proves why pounds and BMI are terrible markers of health.)

The women taking melatonin lost body fat and gained leaned muscle mass, probably because of a 21% increase in adiponectin, the fat-burning hormone.

Not a huge amount but statistically significant. Sadly, there was no real benefit in overall metabolism (glucose, insulin levels) but you can fix those things in other ways. The magic of melatonin has just become more magical!

----

If you would like a Skype appointment - evening or Saturdays - please get in touch with Patricia:

[email protected]

Have a good day.

Morning everyone, I hope you had a good weekend.

I'm often asked about thyroid testing.

Many cases of thyroid problems are missed because most doctors do not perform a comprehensive test panel.

If you suspect that you may have thyroid disease or know someone who may be, here is a list of tests to take to your doctor. Be sure to request a copy of your thyroid results so that you can see them yourself and ensure that they are interpreted correctly.

To properly evaluate the thyroid you need the following tests.

- TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone)
- Free T3
- Free T4
- Reverse T3
- TPO antibodies
- Thyroglobulin Antibodies
- S*x hormone Binding globulin
- Ferritin
- Serum Iron
- TIBC
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin D

So now that you have them in hand, let us go over how to interpret them:

1. TSH: Your TSH should be < 2. If it is > 2 then you have a thyroid problem, period. A TSH < 2 does not mean your thyroid is normal.

2. Free T3: Should be in the upper 1/3 of the reference range.

3. Free T4: Should be in the upper 1/3 of the reference range.

4. Reverse T3: Should be < 15.

5. Free T3:Reverse T3 ratio (calculated by dividing Free t3/reverse T3): Should be > 0.2 or 20 (depending on the units your lab uses). If your ratio is < 0.2 then you have thyroid resistance.

6. TPO and Thyroglobulin antibodies: Should be < 15 or < 30.

7. S*x hormone binding globulin: Should be 60-70 in Women.

If it's less than that you have either too little estrogen or too little thyroid hormone. (you can assume you have normal estrogen levels if you are having normal menstrual cycles, which means that < 70 is due to thyroid problems).

8. Ferritin: Most Hashimoto's patients feel better with ferritin levels > 70 (Too much is a bad thing though so do not just take iron to raise it).

9. Serum Iron: Should be in the middle of the reference range.

10. TIBC (total iron binding capacity): Should be in the middle of the reference range.

11. Vitamin B12 levels Should be over 500.

12. Vitamin D level Should be over 100.

Hope this helps.

Dr Bernie

Hello everyone, I was asked this recently:

ASK DR WILLIS

Question: Today we have so much information about our health but much of it is conflicting so can I ask you whether you think sugar is really “the White Satan” or is it just another scare story.

Answer:

Patrick Quillin, PHD, RD, CNS, former director of nutrition for Cancer Treatment Centres of America, wrote:

“It puzzles me why the simple concept ‘sugar feeds cancer’ can be so dramatically overlooked as part of a comprehensive cancer treatment plan”

I agree. Sugar is cancer’s favourite food. There are at least five reasons that cancer and sugar are best friends.

1-Affinity

Cancer cells love sugar! That is why refined carbohydrates like white sugar, white flour, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and soft drinks are extremely dangerous for anyone trying to prevent or reverse cancer.

Sugar essentially feeds tumours and encourages cancer growth. Cancer cells uptake sugar at 10-12 times the rate of healthy cells. In fact, that is the basis of PET (positron emission tomography) scans -- one of the most accurate tools for detecting cancer growth.

PET scans use radioactively labelled glucose to detect sugar-hungry tumour cells. When patients drink the sugar water, it gets preferentially taken up into the cancer cells and they light up! The 1931 Nobel laureate in medicine, German Otto Warburg, PhD, discovered that cancer cells have a fundamentally different energy metabolism compared to healthy cells. He found that malignant tumours exhibit increased glycolysis -- a process whereby glucose is used as a fuel by cancer -- as compared with normal cells.

2-Acidity

Warburg also found that cancers thrive in an acidic environment. Sugar is highly acidic. With a pH of about 6.4, it is 10 times more acidic than the ideal alkaline pH of blood at 7.4.

3-Immunity

Sugar suppresses a key immune response known as phagocytosis. Consuming 10 teaspoons of sugar can cause about a 50% reduction in phagocytosis. If you consider the sugar in your cereal, the sugar added to your morning coffee or tea, the sugar in cold beverages like iced tea or lemonade, the HFCS in prepared foods, salad dressing and ketchup, and of course sugary snacks and desserts, you can see how easy it is to suppress your immune systems significantly.

Not only the amount of sugar but also the frequency of ingesting sugar is relevant to immune function. In one study, research subjects were found to have nearly a 38% decrease in phagocytosis one hour after ingesting a moderate amount of sugar.

Two hours later, the immune system was suppressed 44%; immune function did not recover completely for a full five hours.

4-Activity

In most people, when sugar in any form is consumed, the pancreas releases insulin. Breast tissue, for example, contains insulin receptors, and insulin is a powerful stimulant of cell growth. One group of Australian researchers concluded that high levels of insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) may actually be causative of cancers of the breast, prostate, endometrium and pancreas.

A broad study conducted in 21 countries in Europe, North America and Asia concluded that sugar intake is a strong risk factor contributing to higher breast cancer rates, particularly in older women.

A four-year study at the National Institute of Public Health and Environmental Protection in the Netherlands compared 111 biliary tract cancer patients with 480 healthy controls. Sugar intake was associated with more than double the cancer risk.

5- Obesity

Sugar ingestion seriously contributes to obesity, a known cause of cancer. Obesity also negatively affects survival. More than 100,000 cases of cancer each year are caused by excess body fat, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research. These include oesophageal, pancreatic, kidney, gallbladder, breast and colorectal cancer.

Sugar Substitutes

Although I am against sugar, please do not think I recommend artificial sugar substitutes! Sweeteners containing aspartame, saccharin or sucralose have been shown to contribute to bladder cancer, lymphoma and leukaemia, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Good sugar substitutes are stevia (an all-natural herb from South America), barley malt, rice syrup, and palm sugar.

Have a good weekend.

Dr Bernie

I've been touched by all the lovely comments over the last few days in particular - thank you.

We still have an issue with the contact form on my website. If you would like an appointment, please could I ask that you email my wife Patricia to arrange one:

[email protected]

Once again, thank you.

Dr Bernie

Morning everyone,

Thank you all for your very kind comments from yesterday - I really appreciate it.

I thought I would share these:

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE - Some interesting quotations

"Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine." - Lord Byron

"Medicine is my lawful wife and literature my mistress; when I get tired of one, I spend the night with the other." - Anton Chekhov

"A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world." - Paul Dudley White

Have a great day.

Dr Bernie

Patricia R Hubback reviewed Dr Bernard Willis — 5 star

"Dr Willis is that rare being, a man who can make you laugh however bad you may be feeling and a doctor of innate medical wisdom and skill and a belief in the body's ability to heal itself. With his help. Thankyou.Bernie, more than I can say."

Thank you Patricia, it's a pleasure.

Morning everyone. I hope you had a good weekend.

ASK DR WILLIS

Question: My sister is receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer and is suffering from nausea and sickness. Do you know of anything that might help?

Answer:

When I am nauseous I do not want to take any medication or even get up and make myself a cup of ginger tea, even though I know that ginger reduces nausea. In fact, the thought of drinking anything can make me even more nauseous.

I also do not want to get up and slice a piece of ginger to suck on — if I even have any in the house. So, like most people, when my stomach is upset, I do not want to put anything in my mouth. I just want my nausea to go away but there is a simple solution to nausea from many causes that does not include swallowing anything. It does not spoil or get used up or have any side effects. It is an inexpensive solution you can find at many pharmacies and health shops.

This remedy originates in the ancient art of acupuncture but it doesn’t use any needles. The solution I am talking about is not acupuncture. It is acupressure. Acupressure does not use needles. It consists of physically stimulating specific pressure points along pathways on the body called meridians. These meridians are each associated with a different organ and each point has particular uses in affecting different parts of the body.

The most common anti-nausea point is called P6, or Pericardium 6. It is located two finger-widths up from the inside of both wrists. You can press these points repeatedly when you are nauseous or you can get wrist-bands marketed for motion sickness that help you find the right point and apply pressure for you.

All acupuncturists know P6 is THE point for nausea of any kind, from morning sickness and motion sickness to nausea from chemotherapy, radiation or anaesthesia. You may be more familiar with it as a solution to sea sickness. Most people do not know that it works for all kinds of nausea — including that from migraine headaches but it does.

Here is how it works. When you stimulate the P6 point, you are activating the central nervous system. This tells the brain to release neurotransmitters that block nausea-producing chemicals.

A review of more than 40 studies with nearly 5,000 healthy adults who had surgery found that stimulating P6 was as effective as anti-nausea drugs — without any side effects.

A study by researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Centre published recently in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management found that patients who wore acupressure wristbands had less nausea after radiation treatment. This is no placebo effect. Anti-nausea wristbands really work. It is a simple solution to a common problem that is both inexpensive and easy to find. It eliminates costly anti-nausea medications and saves insurance companies a lot of money and these wristbands are easily available.

There are several acupressure wristbands on the market. They come in several sizes both for adults and children. You can find them online or at health shop. If you know someone who is about to undergo cancer treatment, or who gets migraine headaches, give them a gift they are likely to use repeatedly. Just make sure you pick up a pair for yourself. You never know when you or anyone in your family can feel better just by using this anti-nausea remedy.

Dr Bernie