Acupuncture has long been used to treat hot flashes in perimenopausal and menopausal women.  Now, researchers in Norway have found acupuncture to be helpful in treating hot flashes caused by Tamoxifen, a common treatment for breast cancer.

Real acupuncture performed better than “sham” acupuncture, relieving hot flashes both day and night by 50%.  Benefits continued for at least three months after the last acupuncture treatment.

Researchers in China and Japan reviewed 908 cases in 9 different studies and found that qigong practice for at least two months can lead to a reduction in blood pressure among people with hypertension.  On average, study participants reduced their systolic blood pressure by 17.03 mm Hg and their diastolic blood pressure by 9.98 mm Hg.  These results were superior to those of control groups, but not better than results for participants treated with prescribed anti-hypertensive medication.

For more information on qigong and tai chi in Chinese medicine, see my blog post from May, The Many Benefits of Tai Chi.

Since I published my last blog article, a new study has appeared on Reuter’s website.  Click here to read about how Vitamin D deficiency relates to peripheral artery disease.

There have been an astonishing number of articles about vitamin D in the past few months.  Nearly all of the media relates two facts: that vitamin D has important health benefits, and that many of us don’t get enough of it.

Our bodies create vitamin D as the result of exposure to sunlight.  Vitamin D is also found in fish, dairy, and egg yolk.  It is vital for the formation of strong bones, muscles, and a healthy immune system.  People who live in northern climates, with less sun exposure, may need to take vitamin D supplements (don’t go over the recommended dosage of 1,000 IU/ day, though, as too much vitamin D can be dangerous). 

In addition to these well-established functions of vitamin D, current research has found that vitamin D may even be a factor for conditions such as back pain and breast cancer in women.  A study of senior women found that those with lower levels of vitamin D had higher rates of back pain.  In a separate study, women with breast cancer who had lower levels of vitamin D were more likely to die of their cancer or have their cancer spread.

Sufficient Vitamin D seems especially important for babies and children.  Babies who do not receive enough vitamin D in the womb are more likely to be born with soft skulls.  Another group of researchers found that infants who were given vitamin D supplementation were less likely to develop type I diabetes.  Unfortunately, vitamin D deficiency appears to be common in children in the United States.