Previous 15 Columns   Is A Lack of Vitamin C Causing Heart Attacks?
 By Dr. Gifford Jones

Are you headed for a heart attack because you’re suffering from “marginal scurvy” due to lack of vitamin C? Possibly the theory linking cholesterol to coronary attack might be wrong?

And why did the ship’s cat survive long sea voyages in the 16 century when sailors died from scurvy? 

The bear had the last laugh
 By Dr. Gifford Jones

It’s been aptly said that “Too much of a good thing is worse than none at all.” Today the easy availability of over-the-counter vitamins provides both benefits and perils to medical consumers. Those who decide to be their own doctor should never forget the legal maxim, “Let the buyer beware.” Every year people assume that, if a little vitamin is good for you, more must be better. They often get more than they bargained for.

A story goes that hunters who tracked down and killed a bear were celebrating their prowess. But the bear had the last laugh. After they consumed its liver they developed acute vitamin A poisoning. Bear liver contains massive amounts of vitamin A. 

What you should know about vitamin E Part 2
 By Dr. Gifford Jones

For years controversy swirled around the value of vitamin E as a medical tonic. Last week I discussed how some critics condemned its use as the latest version of the old-fashioned snake-oil. But increasing scientific evidence suggests that vitamin E helps to protect us from many medical problems.

Ten years ago it was reported that large doses of vitamin E prevented cataracts in diabetic rats. At a recent meeting of the New York Academy of Sciences researchers revealed that patients who had taken supplementary vitamin E had less chance of developing cataracts. 

What you should know about vitamin E part 1
 By Dr. Gifford Jones

Is vitamin E the latest version of the old-fashioned snake oil? Are pharmaceutical companies interested only in making a handsome profit? Or is there bone-fide scientific evidence that vitamin E will enable us to live a longer, healthier life? What are the facts in 1989?

Vitamin E has been a controversial vitamin for years. It’s proponents claim it’s beneficial for heart disease, diabetes, thrombophlebitis, skin ulcers, frostbite, and that it improves athletic prowess. It protects the lungs they claim, from pollution, takes the itch out of old scars and eases menopausal symptoms. Yet its antagonists have always cast a jaundiced eye at these claims. 

Vitamin C: If It’s Good For Gorillas Why Not Us
 By Dr. Gifford Jones

Are you headed for a heart attack because of “marginal scurvy”, a condition resulting from a lack of vitamin C? Moreover, if vitamin C is sound medicine for gorillas, why isn’t it good for us? And in the 16th century, why did the ship’s cat survive long sea voyages when its sailors died from scurvy?

How To Improve Your Immunity
 By Dr. Gifford Jones

A reader asks “Please write about natural ways to strengthen the immune system. I want to avoid taking the flu vaccine”. This is a good question because every year 40,000 North Americans die during the flu season and thousands more hospitalized. So what steps will strengthen your immunity and insure you’ll be around another day? And what has an accidental discovery by an insurance company to do with immunity? 

The Red Wine Pill
 By Dr. Gifford Jones

How do the French differ from North Americans? They eat fat-rich, calorie-packed baked goodies that are not heart healthy. Yet they’re less likely to die from cardiovascular disease than North Americans. It’s called “The French Paradox”, believed to be linked to resveratrol, a substance found in red wine. Now, a new study shows that a red wine pill provides more health benefits than drinking hundreds of glasses of the “sweet nectar of the gods”.

Previous 15 Columns