Empowered Medicine: The Official Blog

Many have heard the buzz about chili peppers and how they can potentially help suppress appetite. Specifically, it is thought that a component of chili peppers called capsaicin is responsible for the appetite suppression. One theory is that capsaicin increases the body’s metabolism by increasing levels of epinephrine. This is one of the chemicals involved in the body’s “fight or flight” response. There have been several studies done over the years on capsaicin and its potential weight...
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Arginine is in the press again. Arginine helps the body produce nitric oxide. It has long been thought that  the supplement l-arginine may help reduce high blood pressure and promote cardiovascular health. This time, a review of literature from authors at Texas A&M Univeristy suggest l-arginine supplements may help reduce body fat.  Studies have shown decreased body fat in rats, pigs and humans who have taken the supplement during trials. Many studies also suggest that l-arginine may help inc...
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Despite continued reports that not getting enough sleep can decrease your energy and sabotage sexual performance, it is no secret that most of us do not get the 8 hours recommended each night. If you need another reason to try to catch those zzzzz’s , a recent study from the Netherlands concluded that poor sleep habits interfere with the body’s ability to metabolize carbohydrates and decrease insulin sensitivity. A 19 to 25 percent decrease in insulin sensitivity was found following 4 hou...
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Many are talking about the benefits of chia seeds. Used for centuries by ancient civilizations for a variety of purposes including staving off hunger and packing wounds, chia seeds were recently made popular again  by the home gardening novelty item, the Chia Pet. Now, these seeds are once again enjoying a revival as we rediscover their nutritional benefits.

Chia seeds appear to offer great nutritional value. For example, chia seeds are a great source of soluble fiber. If you mix about 1 tabl...
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Everyone is talking about CoQ10. It is difficult pick up any health publication without reading something about CoQ10. So what is CoQ10 exactly. Should you take it?

Co enzyme Q 10 (or simply ‘CoQ10’ as it’s called) is a fat soluble substance found throughout the body. Although modern science does not yet fully understand everything this amazing compound does, we do know that it is involved in many metabolic reactions in the body and that it may play an important role in regulating blood ...
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Night time leg cramps keep many people from getting a good night’s sleep. In fact it is thought that nearly half of the elderly suffer from night time leg cramps. Unfortunately, it is not always clear what causes leg cramps. Without knowing the cause, it makes them harder to treat. 

For some, medications can cause leg cramps. Diuretics (‘water pills’) and blood pressure medications called beta blockers can affect the levels of electrolytes in the body and cause leg cramps. People with i...
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Forget the South beach Diet or the Atkins Diet. Forget the Zone, the Grapefruit Diet or going Vegan or low-carb. Apparently the U.S. government has decided it knows best when it comes to what we should and should not eat. A recent series of proposed regulations have been causing quite a stir and have forced the public to reevaluate just how involved with their day-to-day lives they want their government to be. If these recommendations all become law, we could be looking at the first governmen...
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The American Cancer Society is now saying that the amount of weight a women gains after the age of 18 can be a strong indicator of the likelihood of getting breast cancer later in life. In fact they go as far as to say that one-third to one-half of the deaths from breast cancer can be attributed to weight.

Experts attribute this increased risk to the fact that fat tissue makes estrogen. Estrogen is a female hormone that can contribute to breast cancer cell growth. For this reason, the America...
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You may have heard about a type of infection called “MRSA” (pronounced, ‘MER-sa’ or ‘M.R.S.A’). MRSA infections have been getting a lot of press lately. Until recently, MRSA infections were typically contracted in the hospital or other health care settings and affected the elderly and debilitated.  This type of MRSA is referred to as ‘Hospital-acquired MRSA’. However, MRSA infections are increasingly becoming more prevalent in the community in otherwise healthy people. This ty...

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Osteoporosis affects more than ten million women in the United States.(1) Given that the condition affects such a large portion of our population, drug companies are racing to come up with newer, better therapies for the condition. Their race to capture a piece of the market means more innovative therapies for us, the consumer. For example, first came the once daily osteoporosis pills and then nasal sprays. Then came the once weekly osteoporosis pill. Then a pill that could be taken every oth...

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