To stay on top of all the latest nutrition news requires lots of reading, but also lots of sorting through the marketing hype of the latest super food or breakthrough study. 

I subscribe to many magazines, newsletters, web sites, and blogs to keep up with the latest and greatest so I can pass that information on to my clients.  I read what the people I agree with say and I read what the people I don’t agree with say – my form of spying! 

Dear Pharmacist,

My neighbor swears by apple cider vinegar and every time I complain about my health, she rants about the vinegar.  I haven’t tried it, but I have to say she looks fairly healthy and never gets sick.  Do you think there’s something to it? 

--P.B.,  Lodi, California

Sixty-seven percent of 101 patients diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) were found to be infected with a retrovirus called XMRV (Science, published online October 8, 2009).

One hundred percent of those with CFS who subsequently developed lymphomas or leukemias were infected with the XMRV virus. If further studies confirm this finding, doctors will soon have a test to diagnose this horrible condition and possibly a vaccine to prevent it.

We’ve all heard of products being labeled “artificially flavored” or “naturally flavored,” but ever wonder what exactly “natural flavor” means? Is it really natural? What is the difference?

You know fiber‘s good for you. It keeps the pipes running smoothly and keeps the laxatives on the shelf. Plus, according to many well-known studies, fiber helps protect you against colon cancer.

But what about breast cancer? Does eating plenty of fiber play a role in preventing breast cancer as well?

In this installment of the series we will examine the role of government institutions and the misdirected research into the real causes, prevention and cures for breast cancer.

It is one of the great oddities of nutrition that public health guidelines invariably recommend salt reduction but the science is so hard to do that the value of doing so can’t be proven unequivocally.  Hypertension specialists insist that salt reduction is essential for controlling high blood pressure, and many people with high blood pressure can demonstrate that this is true.

So why can’t the science show it? 

We already know that mood disorders are running rampant in America – but it may be a lot worse than anyone thought.

I was alarmed when I read the numbers in Psychological Science: Half of all young adults suffer from anxiety disorders, 41 percent of them experience major depression, and a third are drinking too much.

These numbers double previous estimates.

How many boys will die? That’s the elephant in the FDA’s living room.

American parents…brace yourselves...

Q: For about three weeks I've been following a high-protein, low-carb diet. The good news: I've lost 10 pounds! The bad news: My breath is atrocious! What's going on, and how can I freshen up?