Articles (Proof)

A pain in the neck is surprisingly common. At any given point in time, nearly 13 per cent of us will be walking around with a sore neck and, over a lifetime, around 50 per cent of us will experience chronic neck pain. The problem often gets better by itself – a good thing, as […]

Our fascination with magnetic healing has a long history. As with all forms of energy medicine, there are significant divides between those who are convinced that magnets can heal and those who believe it ‘s hokum. Results of studies (both positive and negative), commercial endorsements from sportsmen and women who believe magnets give them an […]

Going bald is one of the first signs of physical decay that men experience. Hair loss can strike as young as 18, and almost all men will be balding by age 70. Typically, it starts with a loss of hair at the crown and temples. These bare patches gradually spread, eventually laying waste to most […]

Nobody wants to go around smelling like a compost heap (or be around someone who does), but what price do you pay for keeping shower-fresh all day long? This old question was recently resurrected when UK researchers highlighted the potential risks associated with the preservatives parahydroxybenzoic acids, or parabens, in deodorants. Parabens are used in […]

Your skin is a mirror. How it ages is a complex process involving a number of factors. Some of these, such as genes, gravity and normal ageing, are not within your control, but many others are. Prematurely ageing skin often mirrors the body’s inefficiency in eliminating toxins and waste products. Excess sun exposure creates skin-damaging […]

It says ‘Goldenseal’ on the label, but how much of this herb is actually in the bottle? With winter upon us, what are the best herbal remedies to deal with colds and flu? Echinacea is one that is well known, with good-quality products available (see PROOF! vol 6 no 7), but a close second in […]

Most of us have had the experience of being in pain at some time or other in our lives. Often, it is connected with illness, when it can be acute but transient. Sometimes, it is ‘purposeful pain’, such as the pain of childbirth. But, for a surprisingly large number of people, pain of either known […]

We almost learn it at our mother’s knee: calcium is good for our bones and teeth, and we must drink lots of milk to give us enough calcium to grow up to be strong, healthy adults. For years, this health message has been an article of faith. However, recent evidence is beginning to challenge the […]

They’re cheap and plentiful, but will they do you any good at all? As the quality of our food diminishes, so the humble multivitamin has become one of the most popular health supplements in the world. Yet, taking supplements can be expensive. One option is to buy low-dose multis from large, reputable manufacturers that are […]

When the sun is out, many of us feel we are doing our best to protect our skin by using suncreams. But some scientists believe that sunscreens may, in fact, encourage the dev-elopment of skin cancer. In addition, some of the chemicals in suncreams are oestrogenic and may be toxic to living cells. Two basic […]