Thursday, December 23, 2010
These can help
In your piece “Sure about that cure?” (The Wenatchee World, Dec. 19), Dr. Kelly Gillespie offers sound advice regarding the multiplicity of home remedies for wintertime viral illness — colds and flu. His comment, however, that “there are no studies” that once one has a cold, that taking vitamin C is going to do you any good, is incomplete and misleading. Vitamin C levels in white blood cells drop precipitously, even to levels compatible with scurvy, within 24 hours of the onset of a cold. Most, but not all studies have found reductions in the duration of illness or severity of a cold with oral dosing of vitamin C. A review of 21 placebo-controlled trials found that the average reduction in duration of symptoms was 23 percent. these data are referenced in Dr. Alan Gaby’s new book, “Nutritional Medicine” (Concord NH, Fritz Perlberg, © 2011 pp. 1,157-8) and my 2001 book, “Clinician’s Guide to Holistic Medicine” (New York, McGraw-Hill p. 290). further, Dr. Gillespie notes that overdosing of vitamin C can cause diarrhea and gastrointestinal problems. the latter term is not described, but diarrhea does occur with very high doses which vary greatly from person to person. as doses are increased, diarrhea is always preceded by warning signs of increased flatus. No studies have ever shown any serious side effects.
While not mentioned, the habit of sucking on zinc lozenges (gluconate or acetate) also shortens the duration of colds 20 to 45 percent (Gaby, p. 1,168). as for influenza, a 1997 European study of 262 persons who experienced the flu by laboratory criteria showed that twice daily doses of N-acetyl-Cysteine (NAC, an amino acid derivative) totally eliminated the clinical symptoms in 79 percent compared to 25 percent in those who took a placebo (DeFlora S et al. Eur Respir J 1997; 10:1535).
These are why-not options underwritten by significant research and carrying practically no downside risk.
Bob Anderson, MD
Simply irresponsible
Regarding Tracy Warner’s editorial “No choice: More tax cuts for all” (The World, Dec. 14) regarding an e-mail he received from Democratic Sen. Patty Murray that was “apologetic, almost.” She wrote she had to vote yes to extend the current tax rates. No, senator, you didn’t. the bill passed 81-19. You knew it would by a landslide. Writing you had to was an out-and-out … um … uh … well readers, fill in the blank.
Sen. Murray stated “The Republican game plan is simply irresponsible … adding to our debt is wrong.” Sen. Murray, since when has increasing the debt been wrong to you? For the past 18 years you’ve flippantly expected to resolve all financial issues by borrowing, borrowing, borrowing instead of approaching it with the mindset that YOU need to reduce expenditures, by a paltry $900 billion in this case.
It’s exactly your mindset that’s led to our $14 trillion dollar debt. You view our country’s financial crisis as nonexistent. It’s a game of Monopoly to you. No real life consequences. Senator, just who is being “simply irresponsible”?
Mr. Warner took a global view when writing “Of course, when this (tax bill) passes Congress will be doing what it always does — promise to worry about the deficit tomorrow.” Politics should have been made local in this case, telling Sen. Murray that borrowing more is simply irresponsible and asking for her personal plan to reduce expenditures to justify voting yes. Democrat Sen. Maria Cantwell voted yes, too. She should have been asked the same thing.
Sen. Murray and Sen. Cantwell will continue to play Monopoly unless the media demands personal and detailed accountability from them. until then they’ll continue to be, well, simply irresponsible.
Rich Lane
Cut off
I am starting up a grassroots movement calling on certain groups to get together a petition signed, sealed and delivered to the Washington state Legislature, including a march, calling for a two-thirds vote to override Tim Eyman’s Initiative 1053.
Nobody asked to be born handicapped, no one asked to go blind, no one asked to be born with cerebral palsy, no one asked to have special needs, but nevertheless, there are those who have those disabilities they did not ask for. this is what they have.
And then there are the healthy and not so disabled, those who never thought that it could happen to them. For example, truck drivers and heavy equipment operators — one day they are healthy, but the next day, they may lose their sight, being then blind and not being able to drive, being productive one day but then on the next day they have to rely upon the system, the same as those afflicted by a stroke, heart attack or sleep apnea.
We did not ask for those conditions. I myself have sleep apnea to where I am on Social Security disability. I would rather be out driving and working again in truck driving instead of having to depend on the system, and the thing about it is that I will never be able to drive trucks ever again because of sleep apnea.
In conclusion, for a society that sanctifies human life and humanity as a whole, I cannot accept initiatives that would allow the system to cut off people who need medical assistance to stay alive, who will not be able to get the medical aid they need.
Robert E. Nicoll
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