Dr. Ben Kim's blog

In late 2005, I made an interesting observation as I did a review of my patient files. I found that among patients who were less than 50 years of age and who came to me with some form of cancer or neurological disease, more than 75 percent reported a history of cocaine use. Experience has taught me that some people do not feel comfortable disclosing a history of recreational drug use, which means that in all likelihood, this number is even higher. Read more

According to researchers at the Childrens Hospital Boston, surgery used to remove breast cancers can sometimes promote the formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) that can contribute to metastatic cancer development later on. This hypothesis is congruent with the tendency for younger women who develop breast cancer to experience early recurrences of their cancers.

Researchers looked at data from 1,200 women who had surgery to remove breast cancers. They found that the two most common periods for recurrence was at 18 months and five years post-surgery. They also found that 20 percent of premenopausal women with breast cancer whose cancer had spread to their lymph nodes experienced recurrence within 10 months of surgery to remove their primary breast cancer tumours. Read more

Hay fever, also known as seasonal allergies or allergic rhinitis, is a condition that is effectively treated with specific dietary and lifestyle measures. As discussed in an article that I wrote on treating seasonal allergies, I have found the following measures to be effective in treating hay fever: Read more

A large study that was recently completed in Japan indicates that drinking large quantities of green tea may reduce your risk of suffering a stroke.

The study was sponsored by the Japanese government and accepted for publication by the Journal of the American Medical Association. Read more

An interesing study out of Brandeis University and University College in London and published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine reports that spouses in bad marriages face greater risk for serious health problems.

The study goes on to say that marital problems affect men and women equally, increasing both spouses' risks for stroke and heart disease. Read more

Ingredients:

2 cups of brown or white rice, uncooked
1 can of chickpeas
1 red or vidalia onion, chopped
Cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil
Freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
Fresh herbs like cilantro, parsley, or basil
Sea salt, to taste

Directions:

Cook rice using two cups of water for white rice, or four cups of water for brown rice.

Drain chickpeas and boil them for 1-2 minutes. Drain again. This will help remove any preservatives that may have come with the chickpeas. Read more

When I was in elementary school, I remember spending several hours following an appointment with the dentist chewing away at the inner portions of my mouth, thinking that it was neat that I could gnaw away without feeling any pain.

It just didn't occur to me that the local anesthetic that I had received made it impossible for me to feel pain while I was doing severe damage to the tissues that lined my inner mouth. Read more

A new study published in the journal Annals of Surgery indicates that for three complicated surgical procedures - heart bypass, removal of the pancreas, and unblocking carotid arteries - older surgeons have higher rates of patient death within 30 days of surgery than younger surgeons.

Specific findings of this study are as follows: Read more

Researchers at the University of California at Riverside are set to publish a paper in the journal Free Radical Biology & Medicine that indicates that sunscreens may actually be harmful to the health of your skin and make it age faster than normal.

Sunscreens contain special molecules called ultraviolet (UV) filters that are supposed to prevent ultraviolet radiation in the sun's rays from reacting with molecules in your skin and creating compounds called reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS are unstable molecules that can damage your skin from the inside out and accelerate its natural aging process. Read more

Ingredients:

1 small to medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped into bite-size chunks
2 medium leeks, washed and chopped into big slices
2 carrots, cut into thick chunks
1 medium to large parsnip, chopped into big chunks
1 yellow onion, quartered
6 cups of vegetable broth or organic chicken broth
3-6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and ground black pepper (optional)

Directions: Read more