We can be grateful for the fact that somewhere in the world, there is an independent organization looking out for our health. 

Along with most nutritional experts, I have always harbored extreme doubts about the safety of Aspartame. Call me paranoid, but all artificial sweeteners worry me:  any time the hand of man interferes between a natural substance and what we put in our our mouths, I become concerned.

Now comes a study from the Ramazzine Institute in Italy frighteningly linking it to a dose dependent risk of cancer, particularly leukemia and lymphoma.

As this report says, "What if an estimated 100,000 breast cancer patients got drugs that did nothing to combat their cancer, but put them at risk for heart failure and leukemia?"

The drugs in question, anthracyclines turn out to have almost no effect in 92 percent of breast cancer cases. 

Weighing the benefit in 4% of patients against the possibility of heart attack or leukemia is a grave responsibility for a Doctor, and a horrible dilemma for a patient - always assuming they are given the facts and allowed to choose.

The only bright side is that the advance in knowledge this research brings may lead to more care in prescribing the drugs.

My article addressing Breast Cancer.

Consider IPT, gentler chemotherapy.

What a fascinating hormone Melatonin is turning out to be.

Over the past decade or so, Melatonin has been investigated for its role in treating cancer, as well as playing a role in its development, particularly with flight crews.

The latter is especially interesting when you consider that Melatonin has often been recommended for jet lag - I personally found it very helpful on my trips to Europe.

A recent Spanish study takes this a step further, and links low Melatonin levels to aging and inflammation. 

When I consider how many older people come to me complaining of insomnia, and the number of those who also have inflammatory conditions, and I correlate that with the fact that cancer risk rises as one ages -  a little supplementation with Melatonin begins to sound like a really good strategy.

My article on Melatonin

Melatonin Supplements