October 9, 2010
Water Fluoridation
If you visit the Pharmacy you will find it hard to locate toothpaste that is not fluoridated. Somewhere on the first shelf down by the floor there is one tube of Toms Toothpaste with no fluoride, but it is only one tube. It looks lonely sitting there all by itself. And even Tom offers other toothpaste with fluoride. This shows me how important fluoridation is to my teeth. Everyone knows that fluoride decreases tooth decay and this is the reason for putting into the toothpaste. Inspired by this benefit, our politicians have required that fluoride be added to our water supply. I read that about 69% of the US water supply is now fluoridated. In October of 1998 Governor Pete Wilson signed a new state law requiring fluoridation of any water supply with at least 10,000 customers. Now we can rest securely knowing our teeth are being protected from the ravages of decay with no effort on our part. And we are further reassured that this is true by several pillars of society, the American Dental Association, the American Medical Association, and the US Public Health Service.
August 9, 2010
Mitochondria, Powerhouse of Cells
I find when I ask patients if they know what mitochondria are, they nearly always say they don't know. Yet the mitochondria are the most important organelles in your body. Mitochondria are microscopic structures found inside cells. They are the power plants of the cell, producing all the energy the cell needs. Without mitochondria cells have no energy and will die. When they malfunction, the cells become energy deficient and symptoms begin to manifest. The number of mitochondria in a cell varies depending on the energy needs of the cell.
September 9, 2010
The Wonders of Chocolate
In a way it is strange that something so good for you can elicit so much guilt when we eat it. When we eat it we say we shouldn't be. When we see the box of rich dark chocolate truffles at the store, we guiltily put it in our shopping cart. At Christmas we pass around the chocolate candy cane and pretend it's a special occasion that justifies it. But it turns out that chocolate is actually good for you if you eat the right kind.
May 29, 2010
Science and Coffee
I drink coffee, usually one cup per day, and have been told over and over by various health enthusiasts that it's bad for my health. But I drank my coffee anyway because I love it. My instinct told me it wasn't bad for me because I felt good when I drank it and it seemed to help me think and concentrate.