Strictly speaking, body odor is the scent – which may be pleasant, neutral, unpleasant or even impossible for a human nose to detect – given off by a human being. It is genetically determined and specific to an individual (this is how bloodhounds track humans). More often, however, the term is used to refer to the unpleasant scent that can develop when perspiration (which is virtually odorless) comes in contact with bacteria on the skin. Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) is a medical condition that can account for embarrassing and persistent body odor.

What are the symptoms?

Apart from the scent itself, the principal symptom of body odor is sweating.

What are the causes of body odor?

The body has two kinds of sweat glands: eccrine and apocrine. Eccrine glands open onto the skin’s surface, while apocrine glands are found in areas where hair grows, including the scalp, armpits and groin. Sweat from eccrine glands is mostly water and salt, but apocrine glands secrete a fatty sweat. Body odor arises when bacteria on the surface of the skin begin breaking down sweat from apocrine glands.

Although the amount you sweat can be hereditary, it also can be influenced by other factors. Beverages containing caffeine or alcohol can promote sweating, as can spicy foods. In addition, certain drugs can cause excessive sweating. These include aspirin, acetaminophen, excess doses of thyroxine, a thyroid hormone, and some medications used to treat mental disorders.

What is the conventional treatment?

When excessive sweating and the resulting body odor is due to severe hyperhidrosis, the nerves that serve the sweat glands can be blocked with botox injections. Several injections may be needed for optimal results. While this painful treatment stops sweating, it won’t prevent body odor and isn’t permanent – you’ll need more injections in four to eight months.

Certain drugs, called anticholinergics, can help reduce sweating by blocking the actions of acetylcholine, a chemical messenger helps to stimulate sweat glands. This usually yields results in about two weeks but can also cause dry mouth, constipation, blurry vision, urinary retention, loss of taste, dizziness and confusion. When excessive sweating is limited to the armpits, surgery to remove the sweat glands may be recommended. This can lead to “compensatory” sweating elsewhere on the body.

What natural treatments for body odor does Dr. Weil recommend?

Since the bacterial breakdown of sweat is what causes most body odor, try these measures to reduce body odor naturally:

• Because stimulants, including coffee and tea, contribute to body odor by increasing the activity of apocrine sweat glands, try eliminating these beverages and any others containing caffeine.
• Splash rubbing alcohol in the armpits to reduce bacteria on the skin.
• Look for deodorants in health-food stores that contain extracts of green tea, which is a safe, natural antibacterial.

Aluminum in deodorant products can be irritating or harmful. Avoid “natural crystals,” which may contain aluminum – even if they say they don’t.

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Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease in which healthy brain tissue degenerates, resulting in problems with memory, behavior, and other mental abilities. It is the most common cause of dementia (the loss of memory and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life) and the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States. Alzheimer’s disease currently affects an estimated four million older Americans, a number that is expected to triple by the year 2050.

What are the symptoms of Alzheimer’s?

The symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are more serious than the mild memory changes that typically accompany aging. Symptoms may start gradually but eventually become severe enough to interfere with activities of daily living. They include:

• Increasingly worse memory loss, especially forgetting recently learned information
• Difficulty performing familiar tasks, such as cooking or making a phone call
• Difficulty finding the right words
• Problems with abstract thinking, such as trouble balancing a checkbook
• Poor judgment, such as dressing inappropriately for the weather or overspending money
• Misplacing things or putting them in unusual places, like putting car keys in the freezer
• Disorientation, such as getting lost in familiar surroundings
• Loss of initiative
• Changes in mood, behavior, and personality.

Although the course of Alzheimer’s disease is individual and highly variable, most people with the condition will survive about eight to ten years after being diagnosed.

What are the causes?

The exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease isn’t yet clear. However, scientists know that the brains of people with the condition contain abnormal clumps and knots of brain cells, called plaques and tangles. These plaques and tangles are made up of proteins that may be involved in the neuron (nerve cell) death that occurs in Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers also believe that the inflammation observed in the brains of some people with the disease may play a central role.

Who is likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer’s appears be influenced by a combination of genetic, environmental, and other factors. Some major factors that appear to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease include:

• Age. Alzheimer’s disease is most common in people older than age 65.
• Family history. Having a parent or sibling with the disease slightly increases risk.
• Genetic mutations. Three genetic mutations are known to cause early-onset Alzheimer’s, while a form of the APOE gene increases risk of late-onset disease.
• Gender. Women are more likely than men to develop Alzheimer’s disease.
• Other conditions. The same factors that raise the risk of heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, also increase Alzheimer’s risk.
• Education. Research shows a link between lower education levels and higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
• Head injury. Some studies show a link between traumatic head injuries and Alzheimer’s risk.

How is Alzheimer’s disease diagnosed?

Alzheimer’s disease is typically diagnosed after doctors rule out other conditions. There is no specific test used to diagnose or confirm the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. General tests that can help doctors determine whether a patient has Alzheimer’s disease include:

• Physical exam
• Blood tests
• Mental and memory tests
• Brain scans

What is the conventional treatment?

Although there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease at this time, medications can help treat symptoms of the condition. Conventional doctors may recommend one of five prescription drugs currently approved to treat Alzheimer’s, depending on the severity of the illness. These medications are:

• Razayne (galantamine)
• Exelon (rivastigmine)
• Aricept (donepezil)
• Cognex (tacrine)
• Namenda (memantine)

These drugs affect brain chemicals and may help improve symptoms of Alzheimer’s and allow patients to perform daily activities longer than they otherwise would be able to.

What therapies does Dr. Weil recommend for preventing and slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease?

Dietary changes: A 2002 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicated that people who have high blood levels of a toxic amino acid known as homocysteine have twice the usual risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Homocysteine levels tend to be higher in people whose diets are high in animal protein; conversely, fruits and leafy green vegetables provide folic acid and other B vitamins to help the body reduce homocysteine levels. It’s difficult to establish cause and effect, but reducing animal protein and eating more plant foods is a good idea for general health, and may help to prevent or alleviate symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

An anti-inflammatory diet is generally protective against a wide range of diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease is believed to have an inflammatory component.

One particularly promising spice is turmeric; one of its components, curcumin is strongly anti-inflammatory. Elderly villagers in India have one of the world’s lowest rates of Alzheimer’s; the reason may be the turmeric that they consume in their daily curries.

Exercise: Research indicates that regular physical exercise can lower the risk of developing Alzheimer’s by up to 50 percent.  A Japanese study found that among 265 people with both normal mental function and mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s, after one year of moderate exercise intervention, 70 percent of participants showed significant improvement in memory function. And the more the participants exercised, the greater the improvement. Aim for at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity such as walking, cycling or swimming on most days of the week.

Mind/Body: People who participate in mentally stimulating activities such as reading and playing cards are at lower risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. Other research shows that the more years of formal education you have, the less likely you are to develop the condition. The theory is that challenging intellectual activity builds up rich neural connections that function as insurance against later brain-tissue losses, just as well-developed muscles maintain their integrity longer during periods of inactivity than atrophied muscles.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM): In Chinese medicine, Alzheimer’s disease is not yet recognized as a separate disease entity. Instead, it falls under the broader category of senile dementia. Practitioners of TCM often recommend herbal preparations for senile dementia, more research is needed to determine effectiveness.

Supplements: Some studies suggest that vitamins C and E, either in foods or supplements, are protective against Alzheimer’s. In a January, 2004 study published in the Archives of Neurology, researchers reported that older people who took daily supplements containing at least 400 IU of vitamin E and 500 mg of vitamin C were 64 percent less likely to develop the condition.

In May of 2008, the journal Neurology published a study from Boston University School of Medicine showing that people who took ibuprofen for more than five years had a 44 percent lower than normal risk of developing Alzheimer’s and that other NSAIDs reduced the risk by 25 percent. This study included more than 49,000 U.S. veterans aged 55 and older who developed Alzheimer’s and nearly 200,000 who didn’t. Ibuprofen is the active ingredient in Advil, Motrin and other pain medications. While this suggests that NSAIDs have a protective effect, it is not clear which ones work best or that people should start taking any of them to ward of Alzheimer’s. First of all, taking NSAIDs long-term isn’t risk-free. These drugs can cause serious gastrointestinal problems including stomach ulcers and bleeding, and even fatal GI bleeds, and it is not known yet know if the benefits outweigh these risks. More research is needed to look at that and to determine which NSAIDs are most effective. If one (or all) of the drugs prove to work as well as studies so far indicate, the next step will be to determine when to take them – and for how long – for maximum protection.

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba),a traditional herbal preparation made from the leaves of the ginkgo tree can increase blood flow to the brain. Some clinical evidence suggests that ginkgo can be useful in slowing the progression of early Alzheimer’s disease and age-related dementia. If you want to try ginkgo for memory enhancement, take 40 mg of a standardized extract with a ratio of 24% ginkgo flavone glycosides and 6% terpene lactones three times a day with meals. Give it a two-month trial.

Also: Avoid smoking; smokers have twice the risk of developing Alzheimer’s as nonsmokers.  

Protect yourself from head trauma, which has also been linked to increased Alzheimer’s risk, perhaps due to low-grade inflammation as the brain attempts to heal itself. Wear a helmet when on a motorcycle, bicycle, skates or skis, and high-traction footwear when surfaces are icy.

Maintain a normal weight; a study in Neurology online in March, 2008, revealed a potential link between excessive belly fat among people in their 40s and the onset of Alzheimer’s about 35 years later. Of the 6,583 people studied, those in the highest 20 percent in terms of belly size were three times more likely to develop dementia than were those in the lowest 20 percent.

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What are the symptoms of anorexia nervosa?
With anorexia nervosa body weight drops to less than 85 percent of normal for age and height. Patients tend to deny the seriousness of their low weight and have a disturbed and unrealistic view of how much they weigh and how they look. A women of childbearing age who stops menstruating for three or more consecutive cycles is considered affected. The disorder can lead to a number of life-threatening medical complications including cardiac abnormalities (slow heart rate, disturbances in the heart’s rhythm), dangerously low blood pressure, dangerously low body temperature and a low white blood cell count. Other symptoms can include chronic constipation, osteoporosis, and, among teenagers, slowed growth or development, short stature, infertility, hair loss and nail destruction. One tip-off to an unhealthy preoccupation with weight among young girls is how often they weigh themselves. A study from the University of Minnesota published in the December, 2006, issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health found that girls who weighed themselves frequently were more likely to develop anorexia nervosa or other eating disorders.

What are the causes of anorexia nervosa?
While the cause is unknown, biological, psychological and socio-cultural factors influence the development of anorexia nervosa including the powerful influences of the entertainment and fashion industries, which have fostered the perception that beauty and sexual attractiveness equate with being ultra-thin. Those affected with anorexia nervosa tend to be perfectionists and have a personal or family history of obesity, eating disorders, substance abuse, depression, anxiety, anger, low self-esteem or loneliness, a personal history of sexual abuse, teasing and harassment. Participation in competitive sports such as figure-skating, gymnastics, dance and crew, in which body shape and size are a factor in performance, can increase the risk among both boys and girls. Wrestling also poses a risk for young men.

What is the conventional treatment of anorexia?
Treatment depends on the severity of the illness. Hospitalization may be required for those who have lost an excessive amount of weight very quickly or those who have developed serious metabolic problems, clinical depression, psychosis or who are considered at risk for suicide. For less severe cases, treatment may include psychotherapy, cognitive or behavioral therapy, nutrition counseling, medical monitoring and antidepressant drugs. Treatment is most successful when anorexia nervosa is diagnosed early in its course. The longer it persists, the more difficult it is to treat.

What therapies does Dr. Weil recommend for anorexia nervosa?
Eating disorders require professional medical treatment, including family therapy to learn how to help an affected child or other relative. After recovery, some complementary therapies can help prevent relapses. Both touch and movement therapies such as the Feldenkrais Method, a type of bodywork, can be beneficial. The exercises can re-educate the brain and nervous system to develop new ways of moving and perceiving the body. Some patients have improved with a combination of dance/movement therapy. Regular massage may reduce anxiety and depression and help foster a healthier body image.

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Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the diagnostic term for a group of related conditions that affect a person’s ability to sit still, focus, pay attention, finish a task and control impulses. It is considered a disorder of the brain that is present at birth or develops shortly afterwards. ADHD used to be called attention deficit disorder or ADD, but the name was changed in 1994 to better reflect the physical manifestation of frequent, intense, unproductive movement that often characterizes the condition.

What are the symptoms of ADHD?

The main signs of ADHD are inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Depending on the particular variety of ADHD they have, people with the disorder may have trouble focusing on instructions, difficulty following through, trouble waiting their turn, lose or forget things, make careless mistakes, tend to fidget, and may be easily distracted. These symptoms can occur over the course of months and different symptoms may appear in different situations, such as school, work, or home. Some symptoms, such as hyperactivity, are often more subtle in adults, while others, like problems with organization and concentration, may be more obvious.

Who gets ADHD?

Although there is considerable and ongoing controversy, ADHD is estimated to affect between three and 12 percent of school-aged children and appears to be about 10 times more commonly diagnosed in boys than in girls. It is also increasingly diagnosed in adults.

How is ADHD diagnosed?

Physicians initially rely on detailed questionnaires that have been filled out by parents and teachers, and then personally observe the child’s behavior. ADHD is usually diagnosed after a parent or teacher notices its symptoms and refers the child to a doctor. Although these behaviors are more frequent and severe in ADHD, most children without ADHD also exhibit these behaviors at some time, and your child’s physician should first rule out normal development, behaviors consistent with a bored or gifted child, as well as conditions that can cause or mimic ADHD-like symptoms, including seizures, middle ear infections, anxiety, depression, major life changes or stress, and learning disabilities.

ADHD is best diagnosed by a specialist, such as a child psychiatrist or psychologist, developmental/behavioral pediatrician, or behavioral neurologist, who will create a behavior profile of the child based on his or her symptoms. For a formal diagnosis, the behaviors must have lasted at least 6 months and affect at least two areas of a child’s life, such as school, friends, and family. In adults, the symptoms must have started in childhood and been persistent and ongoing.

What are the causes of ADHD?

The exact causes of ADHD are still unclear, but the disorder appears to involve changes in neurotransmitters, or chemicals, that stimulate the areas of the brain that control attention. ADHD may run in families: Studies show that 25 percent of close relatives of children with ADHD also have the condition. Some researchers have also linked ADHD to environmental toxins and smoking during pregnancy, but more studies are needed to confirm such causal links.

What are the conventional treatments?

Conventional treatment for ADHD typically involves multiple approaches, including medication and family and individual counseling.

Medications: Most drugs used to treat ADHD belong to a class of medications called stimulants, which regulate neurotransmitters to increase concentration and attention and decrease impulsiveness and hyperactivity. Common stimulants include methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta), dextroamphetamine/amphetamine (Adderall), and dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine). A newer medication called atomoxetine (Strattera) isn’t technically a stimulant, but it resembles one in its therapeutic action. Conventional doctors may also treat ADHD with antidepressants, which also affect neurotransmitters. These drugs are not benign, and medications for ADHD can cause side effects such as decreased appetite, headaches, insomnia, increased anxiety, irritability, and stomachaches, especially in higher doses. Some reports have linked Stattera to jaundice and depression. Adderall has been linked to unexplained deaths in children and shouldn’t be taken by people with existing heart abnormalities.

Therapy: Behavioral counseling, which helps children and adults learn how to cope with symptoms and manage their lives, is often recommended to treat ADHD. Family counseling can help family members learn more about ADHD and how to better deal with a child, sibling, or adult relative with the condition.

What therapies does Dr. Weil recommend for ADHD?

First, make certain that the underlying cause of your child’s disruptive behavior really is ADHD, and that he or she isn’t acting out difficulties at home or expressing frustration with a learning disability. Be sure to rule out hearing or vision problems, allergies, depression, learning disabilities, or even boredom in a gifted child. In addition, try these measures:

• Take a supplement that contains omega-3 fatty acids. These essential fats are critical for normal, healthy brain development and evidence suggests they may be present in lower levels in people with ADHD.
• Consider food sensitivities. While there’s no evidence that a dietary approach helps in all cases, a 1993 Cornell University study found that eliminating dairy products, wheat, corn, yeast, soy, citrus, eggs, chocolate, peanuts, artificial colors and preservatives seemed to decrease ADHD symptoms. An even earlier study showed that a low-allergen diet supplemented with calcium, magnesium, zinc and vitamins produced favorable results.
• Make sure that basic nutrition is sound. Starting the day with high-sugar or highly  processed foods can lead to hypoglycemia in mid-morning and ADHD type behavior.
• Check the levels of ferritin (iron), zinc, and magnesium. Deficiencies of all of these have been shown in some studies to worsen ADHD symptoms.
• Explore Neurofeedback.. This technique helps people learn to control their own brain waves and can teach people with ADHD how to improve their brain wave patterns.
• Exercise: Working out on a regular basis has a natural calming effect; it also raises levels of norepinephrine and dopamine, which facilitates the ability to focus attention. Martial arts including tai chi and karate can improve self-discipline, boost concentration and slow the restless cascade of intrusive thoughts.
• Meditation: Mindfulness meditation refers to the various forms of practice that involve focusing on body sensations, especially breathing. A preliminary study at UCLA trained participants in meditation, and required them to conduct mindful sitting and walking sessions over eight weeks. Result; cognitive tests revealed participants had increased ability to focus even when other stimuli were competing for their attention.
• Make sure your child is getting the appropriate accommodations at school. Sometimes relatively simple school interventions can make a big difference.
• Employ consistent and positive behavior management at home. Children with ADHD are often subject to almost constant ongoing criticism. Focus on what they do well, not just the areas of difficulty.
• For a comprehensive guide, see ADHD Without Drugs by integrative pediatrician Sanford Newmark, M.D. Dr. Weil strongly recommends the book to all parents, relatives, and friends of children with ADHD.

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Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by behavior limitations that include impaired social interaction, problems with spoken and unspoken communication, and unusual, repetitive, or severely limited activities and interests. These problems can range from mild to disabling. Related conditions include Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (usually referred to as PDD-NOS). Between three and six children out of every 1,000 are estimated to have autism. Boys are four times more likely to be affected than girls.

What are the symptoms of autism?

The hallmark of autism is impaired social interaction. Parents may notice during infancy that a baby is unresponsive to people or will focus intently on one item to the exclusion of others for long periods of time. Sometimes, a child with autism may appear to be developing normally and then withdraw and become indifferent to others.

These children may not respond to their names and may avoid making eye contact with others. They don’t pick up social cues such as the tone of voice or facial expressions and, as a result, don’t grasp what others are thinking or feeling. They don’t watch other people’s faces for clues to appropriate behavior and don’t know how to play with other children. They lack empathy.

Many of these children engage in repetitive movements (rocking or twirling) or may hurt themselves by biting or banging their heads. They tend to start speaking later than other children and may refer to themselves by name instead of “I” or “me.” Some speak in a sing-song voice only about a narrow range of topics.

Many children with autism have a reduced sensitivity to pain, but are abnormally sensitive to sound and touch. As a result, they may resist being cuddled or hugged. Children with autism appear to be at higher than normal risk for fragile X syndrome (a cause of mental retardation), tuberous sclerosis (growth of tumors on the brain), epileptic seizures, Tourette syndrome, learning disabilities, and attention deficit disorder.

What are the causes of autism?

No one knows, but researchers suspect that both genetics and environment contribute to the disorder. They have identified a number of genes associated with autism, and studies have found irregularities in several regions of the brain in autistic people. Some research has suggested part of the problem may be abnormal levels of serotonin or other brain chemicals. If so, this could mean that autism stems from disruption of fetal brain development due to defects in genes that control brain growth and regulate how neurons communicate with each other. But these are theories that have yet to be proved. Although it is suspected some forms may be caused by in-utero exposures to harmful chemicals, research has confirmed that parental practices after birth are not to blame.

What is the conventional treatment for autism?

There is no cure for autism. Instead, treatment focuses on helping children develop social and language skills and on family counseling for parents and siblings coping with an autistic child. Sometimes, physicians prescribe antidepressants to treat symptoms of anxiety, depression, or obsessive-compulsive disorder that can occur among autistic youngsters. Other drugs that may be useful are anti-psychotic medications for severe behavioral problems, anticonvulsants to treat seizures, if any, and stimulant drugs (used to treat attention deficit disorder) to help lessen hyperactivity and impulsiveness.

What therapies does Dr. Weil recommend for autism?

Some studies suggest that autistic behavior may stem from allergies or intolerances to the proteins in milk (casein) and in wheat and other grains (gluten). Limited research does show that some children with autism can’t break down these proteins completely. Instead, fragments known as peptides get into the bloodstream and central nervous system before eventually being eliminated from the body. Several groups of researchers have identified these peptides in urine samples from children with autism. Some of the peptides are chemically similar to morphine and, in theory, may be the agents that cause autistic behavior.

It is well worth trying a gluten-and-casein-free diet to see if it helps a child with autism. Ample anecdotal evidence attests to marked improvement in some youngsters after foods containing gluten and casein were removed from their diets. Parents interested in exploring dietary approaches should read, Is This Your Child? by Doris Rapp, M.D.

Dr. Weil also recommend making sure that children with autism get sufficient omega-3 fatty acids. Recent research indicates that supplementing the diet with these beneficial fats can help address autism as well as depression, bipolar disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Good food sources of omega-3s include wild salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines and bluefish. Omega-3 sources other than fish are few: walnuts, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, and the oils extracted from them, and, to a lesser extent, soy and canola oils and specially fortified eggs.

Children with autism can also benefit from probiotics, products containing the helpful bacteria that normally inhabit the human digestive tract. Probiotics can decrease leakage of large molecules from the gut that can trigger immune reactions with effects on brain function.

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