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"Health Insurance Industry Awakens to the Demand for Coverage for Integrative Medicine"
Sensing business opportunities but unsure of how to proceed, the insurance industry is beginning to respond to strong consumer demand for coverage of complementary and alternative medicine. This is one finding of a special report released today on insurance coverage of integrative medicine. Consumers are using more alternative medical treatments than ever before. A recent Landmark Healthcare public opinion poll shows that 42 percent of adults used some form of alternative care in 1997. Led by innovative health care firms such as Oxford Health Plans and Kaiser Permanente, thousands of alternative health practitioners, including acupuncturists, massage therapists, chiropractors, nutritionists, naturopaths, and yoga instructors, are now providing alternative health care through insurance plans.

Survey Lists Top 10 Nutritional Supplements
The antioxidants vitamin E and vitamin C and the herb St. John's wort are the three most popular nutritional supplements nationwide, according to a new survey by NBTY Inc., a dietary-supplement maker in Bohemia, N.Y. The survey, which ranked the top 10 dietary supplements purchased by American consumers, also found that Echinacea, commonly used to boost immune-system function and stave off colds, and Gingko biloba, which is thought to boost memory, also are flying off shelves.

New Holistic Twist for Chicago Hope?
Actor Eric Stoltz will soon be joining Chicago Hope as the latest doctor on the show, playing a brilliant and enigmatic surgeon whose background in Eastern medicine and philosophy runs counter to the hospital's more technical-minded professionals. If the scripts are well written, this will expose a new demographic to Chinese Medicine and holistic health. Stoltz has been a mainstay on the independent film scene, acting in Pulp Fiction and Mr Jealousy.

HealthWorld Online is proud to announce the addition of a new column to Healthy Update as well as to the Columns from the experts section in our Internet health network. David S. Sobel, M.D., a pioneering expert in mind/body health and co-author of the best-selling Healthy Pleasures will be contributing a column entitled, "Mind/Body Health Newsletter." We welcome Dr. Sobel to the HealthWorld Online family of experts.

Dr. Galland's Integrated Medicine
Asthma, allergic rhinitis, chronic otitis media and sinusitis are increasing at frightening rates among children in the United States. There are several measures that parents can take to effectively reverse this trend, according to Dr. Leo Galland in his latest column, Immune Power for Kids. that are are supported by scientific research and have been very effective in his own clinical practice, including a nutritious diet, provision of a hygienic home environment, and regularity of rest and exercise.

Mind Body Health Newsletter
Today, most people don't just want to live long lives. They want to live long healthy lives, or as the old adage puts it, "to die younger, as old as possible." Most of us want to add life to years, not just years to life. We all know people who have been very successful at aging - not just the "super elders" who run marathons, but ordinary people who maintain vital, active lives, even in the face of chronic illness, says David S. Sobel, M.D. in his first column in Healthy Update, The Keys to Healthy Aging But what are the predictors of healthy aging? The results of a 16-year study of nearly 400 older men and women age 65-95 shed interesting light on some of the key factors.

Natural Medicine Research Update
The effects of long-term administration of ginseng to humans have not been thoroughly evaluated. In his column, Ginseng and cancer prevention? Dr. Ray Sahelian discusses a new study that may give us some clues on the effects of ginseng extracts on various immunoglobulins in mice and its implications on the use of ginseng for cancer prevention in humans.

The Healer Within
Every original culture on the planet earth has a system of "hands on" healing. In western cultures this is generally called massage. As the movement toward alternatives to drugs and surgery progresses massage will emerge as one of our primary new, while actually ancient, therapeutic modalities. Hospitals, and even corporations, are hiring massage therapists to help with healing and to prevent the negative impacts of stress. In this column, Self-Applied Massage of the Feet Dr. Roger Jahnke explains how to do self-applied massage to the feet.

Keeping Fit with Dr. Wayne Westcott
Since Dr. Kenneth Cooper published his first Aerobics book in 1968, there has been a major emphasis on physical fitness in the United States. We have experienced the running revolution of the 1970s, the aerobic dance movement of the 1980s, and the strength training interest of the 1990s. Today, most people are aware that exercise is good for their health, and is in fact an effective means of preventive medicine. It is therefore hard to understand why so few people regularly participate in an exercise program. According to the United States Public Health Service Centers For Disease Control (1989), less than 10 percent of all Americans perform enough physical activity to attain any measurable fitness benefits, and less than five percent of the general public who do strength training, says Dr. Wayne Westcott in his latest column, Strength Training For Time-Pressured People.

Children's Health Update
Childhood asthma can pose a big challenge for the child and parent alike. Janet Zand, LAc OMD, in this article Asthma, excerpted from her book Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child (co-authored by Rachel Walton and Bob Roundtree, Avery Publishing) she discusses both conventional and emergency treatment for asthma, as well as dietary support and nutritional supplements, herbal, and homeopathic treatments directed at preventing or supporting recovery from an asthma attack (not treating an acute episode). Zand also covers acupressure points you can massage on a daily basis to help balance an asthmatic child's system.

Your Voice is Urgently Needed!

In 1994, millions of Americans wrote Congress asking for passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA). One of DSHEA's key victories allowed you more scientific information about using supplements to maintain health. Now FDA has proposed regulations that will prevent you from getting information on how to use vitamins, minerals and herbs to prevent disease.

Unless FDA hears from you and 100,000 other Americans, these proposed regulations will become law. You must respond by September 25, 1998 to be heard. Please email a copy of this information to all your friends and internet associates. This is very important.

You can easily "email" your comments to FDA by visiting Email the FDA

For complete text of the proposed FDA regulations

For more information,
contact Citizens For Health
at 1-800-357-2211
Citizens for Health Web Site

Association Network -- Hot Pick
The California Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (CAAOM) is a professional organization of Licensed Acupuncturists and supporters of Oriental Medicine dedicated to the preservation and advancement of the practice of Oriental Medicine in a caring and ethical manner in order to enhance the health and well-being of the general public.

Visit the California Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

Global Health Calendar -- Hot Picks

The Health Show: Maximizing Your Longevity and Quality of Life

Natural Products Expo East: Natural and Organic Products Trade Show. September 10-13, 1998, Baltimore, MD -- presented by New Hope Communications - 303-939-8440

Body & Soul Boston: A weekend conference of keynotes and workshops presented by national leaders in mind/body healing, spirituality, creativity & contemplative practices. September 11-14, 1998, Boston, MA -- presented by New Age Publishing, Inc. - 800-937-8728

Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Scientific Evidence and Steps Toward Integration: Evidence-Based Clinical Research on CAM Therapies and Practical Information to Integrate CAM Therapies into Clinical Practice. September 18, 1998, Palo Alto, CA -- presented by Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention, Stanford University School of Medicine - 619-686-5990 x3433

European International Conference on Quality of Life and Longevity Medicine. September 24-26, 1998, Brussels, Flemish Brabant, Belgium -- presented by European Academy of Quality of Life and Longevity Medicine - 011 32 2 732 39 69

24th Annual Association for Worksite Health Promotion International Conference. September 24-27, 1998, Anaheim, CA -- presented by Association for Worksite Health Promotion - 847-480-9574

American Herbalists Guild Symposium: Clinical Herbalism - the emerging profession. October 1-4, 1998, Seattle, WA -- presented by American Herbalists Guild - 888-238-4261

Provender Alliance 21st Annual Educational Conference: Cultivating Green Economics. October 2-4, 1998, Port Townsend, WA -- presented by Provender Alliance Association for Natural Products Businesses - 541-688-4415

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Editor, Healthy Update: James Strohecker

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