Author: Personal Liberty News Desk

Routine visits to the dentist can help prevent avoidable health problems, such as tooth decay, infection and cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, approximately one in 20 people suffer from severe anxiety regarding dental procedures and often postpone visits to their provider.

However, a recent study has found that the ancient Chinese art of acupuncture may be capable of treating patients with dental anxiety, also known as odontophobia.

"We can offer patients a safe, fast and cheap treatment for their odontophobia," said lead researcher Palle Rosted, from the department of oncology at Weston Park Hospital in Sheffield, England, quoted by Health Day News. "By offering acupuncture, the dentist has an extra tool in his bag."

In the study, Rosted and his colleagues tested acupuncture on 20 patients who had been suffering from moderate to severe odontophobia for a number of years. Each patient’s anxiety level was checked before and after treatment using the established Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) questionnaire.

The research team found that the average BAI score fell from 26.5 to 11.5 after five minutes of acupuncture. Moreover, all patients were able to complete their visit to the dentist after being treated by a licensed acupuncturist.

The focus of the nation’s attention may have been on healthcare reform in recent weeks, but on the heels of that legislative victory the Democrats are now planning to push through sweeping financial system regulations.

On March 23, the Senate Banking Committee advanced financial reform by releasing a bill sponsored by Senator Chris Dodd (D-Conn.). The highlights of the bill include the proposal to create the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) to "identify potential threats to the financial stability of the U.S." and counteract them. The agency would also have the power to break up a big financial institution that poses a "grave threat to financial stability."

Moreover, the legislation creates the Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA) that is independent from banks’ veto power over consumer protections, writes and enforces rules against abusive lending practices and cover all providers, including payday and auto lenders.

In contrast with the healthcare legislation, the bill has some bipartisan support. In fact, Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) commented that "Republicans want to reach a bipartisan agreement on substantive financial reform that protects taxpayers, strengthens our economy, and preserves the competitiveness of our financial markets."

He added that "over the coming days, my Republican Banking Committee colleagues and I will give chairman Dodd’s proposal the serious consideration it deserves."

The Senate action follows the vote in the the House of Representatives last December when that chamber passed its version of the financial reform bill on a party-line vote. That bill also creates a consumer protection agency, imposes new guidelines on hedge funds and on derivatives trading, and outlines procedures for unwinding failed businesses.

President Obama appointed 15 nominees to administrative posts on Saturday without Senate confirmation. The list of appointees included Craig Becker to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), a highly controversial choice that has spurred the anger of the GOP, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and many other business groups.

Obama was able to bypass the necessary confirmation of the Senate—which overwhelmingly rejected Becker’s nomination last month—by appointing his candidates while Congress was in recess. The White House justified the move by claiming that Republicans have purposefully set up "roadblocks" to stall progress, resulting in an "unprecedented level of obstruction."

All 41 Republicans in the Senate and more than 20 business groups wrote to Obama last week, urging him not to appoint Becker, a former lawyer with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) who may unfairly represent the interest of labor unions, the GOP argued.

"Time and again questions have been raised over Mr. Becker’s ability to serve in an honest and impartial manner on the NLRB, yet this administration chose to ignore the questions and concerns and instead forced their will on the American people," said Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.).

In response, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki stated that the five-member labor board has been operating with only two members while "our country is recovering from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression," according to Fox News.

Men who are suffering from high cholesterol and are looking for an alternative to traditional medications such as Crestor®, Zocor®, or Lipitor® may be in luck. According to a new study from Iowa State University’s Nutrition and Wellness Research Center, consuming minimal amounts of daily flaxseed lignans can moderately decrease cholesterol in men in as few as three months.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, approximately 17 percent of Americans suffer from high cholesterol, which often contributes heart disease and other significant health issues.

In the study, lead author Suzanne Hendrich and her colleagues monitored 90 people who were diagnosed with high cholesterol, but were otherwise healthy. The participants were divided into three groups and were assigned to take daily capsules containing zero, 150 or 300 milligrams of flaxseed lignans for three months.

At the point of follow-up, the research team found that consuming at least 150 milligrams of flaxseed lignans per day can decrease cholesterol levels in men by approximately 10 percent. However, the treatment did not produce any significant results in women.

"There are certainly some people who would prefer to not use a drug, but rather use foods to try to maintain their health," Hendrich said. "So this potentially would be something to consider."

With Easter just around the corner, researchers have discovered some great news for chocolate lovers. According to a new study, consuming a small amount of dark chocolate each day can significantly reduce a person’s blood pressure and lower their risk of heart disease.

For the research, German investigators analyzed the dietary and exercise habits of nearly 20,000 people under the age of 65 for a period of at least eight years.

After evaluating the data, the research team found that those who ate an average of 7.5 grams of dark chocolate each day had lower blood pressure and were nearly 40 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke than those who consumed the least amount of chocolate.

"It’s a bit too early to come up with recommendations that people should eat more chocolate, but if people replace sugar or high-fat snacks with a little piece of dark chocolate, that might help," said the study’s lead author Brian Buijsse, a nutritional epidemiologist at the German Institute of Human Nutrition.

However, he also cautioned chocolate consumption should not increase daily caloric intake or replace healthy foods.

Responding to the murder of a well-known Arizona rancher by an alleged illegal immigrant, prominent former and current members of the GOP have called on President Obama and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to properly secure the border between the United States and Mexico.

Former Representative Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) told Fox News on Tuesday that the seemingly random act of violence is an all too common example of the lack of control that authorities have north of the Mexican border.

"There is not going to be any effective barrier on that border because there is no desire to stop illegal immigration," he said. "They’re not using any human resources effectively."

The 58-year-old rancher was found murdered at his estate on Saturday and authorities found footprints leading back to a large gap in the border fence just south of his property line.

Meanwhile, Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) has said that the Homeland Security office has yet to respond to his pointed letter demanding that Secretary Napolitano send National Guard troops to help secure the area, CBS News reports.

"The people of Arizona and the United States demand and deserve secure borders," McCain wrote. "I hope that you will take a personal interest in ensuring that Arizonans can feel safe and protected on their own property and not live in fear of the increasing violence along the border."

Responding to the Obama administration’s education reform legislation, which was passed in conjunction will the highly controversial healthcare bill, officials with the student loan giant Sallie Mae told Fox News on Tuesday that layoffs in the private sector are imminent.

"The student loan provisions buried in the healthcare legislation intentionally eliminate valuable default prevention services and private sector jobs at a time when our country can least afford to lose them," Conwey Casillas, vice president of public affairs for Sallie Mae, told the news source.

As part of the new bill, known as the Healthcare and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act, the federal government will bypass financial institutions and will begin lending directly to students, effectively eliminating a large percentage of Sallie Mae’s dwindling profits.

Meanwhile, Obama continued to express his disdain for large banks and other financial institutions, referencing the fact that Sallie Mae spent $3 million last year to lobby against the legislation.

Casillas estimated that the student loan powerhouse will be forced to layoff approximately 2,500 employees by the summer to compensate for their expected losses.

A large study has found that being happily married may actually be good for physical health—at least when it comes to the risk of having a fatal stroke.

The study presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2010 found that single or unhappily married men may have an elevated risk of fatal stroke in the coming decades.

The results were based on findings from 10,059 civil servants and municipal workers with an average age of 49 who participated in the Israeli Ischemic Heart Disease Study in 1963. Using the national death registry and other records, researchers tracked the fate of the men through 1997.

Researchers found that both single men and men who reported dissatisfaction with their marriage had a 64 percent higher risk of dying from a stroke than men who considered their marriages very successful.

The research team admits there are several limitations to their study, including a lack of data on nonfatal versus fatal strokes and information on participants’ medical treatment after the first five years of the initial study. Women also weren’t included.

Among the best ways to prevent strokes are controlling hypertension, avoiding smoking, eating a healthy, low-fat diet and exercising, according to the National Stroke Association.

After campaigning with her former presidential running mate John McCain, Sarah Palin energized a Tea Party crowd in Nevada on Saturday, urging them to "take back America."

The choice of state was not accidental, as Nevada is the home state of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat. In fact, Palin stressed Reid will have to explain his voting record when he comes back to the state to campaign for reelection this fall.

The former Alaska governor also expressed hope that the big government politics and the big spending promoted by this Congress will come to an end in November.

"You’re fired!" Palin told a cheering crowd of some 9,000 Tea Party activists gathered in a small former mining town south of Las Vegas.

Some polls are showing Reid may be losing ground in the Silver State, due in part to a persistently high unemployment rate. However, Democrats hope that if the healthcare reform proves popular, he and other Democrats who currently appear vulnerable will be able to hold on to their seats.

To that end, President Obama was in Iowa City last week trying to convince Americans that the enacted reform will benefit them and their businesses in the long run.

Although democrats claim healthcare reform will provide millions of Americans with medical insurance, there is no guarantee that there will be enough doctors to treat the sudden influx of new patients.

Over the past decade the United States has seen the number of students training to become primary care physicians and registered nurses dwindle rapidly, and the recently passed healthcare bill is bound to only exacerbate the issue.

According to the Associated Press (AP), several recently published reports have predicted a shortfall of approximately 400,000 primary care physicians over the next 10 years due to other career paths and medical specialties having better pay, improved hours and a higher profile.

"I think you have a real supply issue," said Fred Earley, the president of Mountain State Blue Cross Blue Shield, quoted by the Charleston Daily Mail.

"I think we have a real concern over whether we have the number of physicians or primary care providers to provide the care for all these additional people that are going to be accessing the health care system," he added.

The federal government has estimated that 65 million people currently reside in areas that are experiencing a shortage of local doctors. In Massachusetts alone, approximately 40 percent of family and general practitioners are not accepting new patients, a record number for the state that is only expected to increase over the next few years.

Despite the fact that dozens of state attorneys general filed a lawsuit last week to overturn the recently passed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, there are many politicians, mainly on the Left, who have vowed to defend the healthcare bill.

Among them is Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell, who signed a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, in which he and the governors of Washington, Michigan and Colorado offer to do just that.

"We believe the legal efforts [of those who seek to overturn the bill] will fail in court, unnecessarily delay the urgent need to get our citizens access to healthcare and waste our state tax dollars," Rendell and others wrote.

"As you prepare and deliver your defense of this landmark legislation, you have our commitment to work with you, at your request, to assist in this effort," they added.

The act was passed by the House of Representatives on March 21, and signed by President Obama two days later, although there was another vote after the Senate failed to pass two amendments to the reconciliation package. To date, at least 14 state attorneys general joined the lawsuit filed in a federal court in Florida by that state’s chief prosecutor Attorney General Bill McCollum.

Consuming foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids can significantly reduce a woman’s risk of developing endometriosis, a painful condition that causes sections of the womb lining to grow outside of the uterus, a new study has found.

Endometriosis, which has no cure, is a debilitating disease that affects approximately 10 percent of women over the age of 18 and often leads to infertility.

In the study, lead investigator Stacey Missmer, an assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School, analyzed the diets of more than 70,000 women who took part in the U.S. Nurse’s Health Study. After 12 years of follow-up, the researchers discovered that 1,199 women had been diagnosed with endometriosis.

After comparing the subjects’ dietary questionnaires to the incidence of endometriosis, Missmer found that women who ate foods with the highest levels of omega-3s had a 22 percent lower risk of developing the condition than those who consumed minimal amounts of the nutrient.

Meanwhile, the research team also discovered that women who consumed high levels of trans fats had a 48 percent increased risk of endometriosis.

Foods rich in omega-3s include tuna, salmon and many vegetables. Fish oils and related compounds are also available in the form of nutritional supplements.

The healthcare bill received the final endorsement from the House of Representatives last week, and President Obama set out to promote the proposal among the American people, but many conservatives continue to vow to push for its repeal.

Among them is David Larsen, Republican candidate for the 7th Congressional District in New Jersey this November, who said that the Democrats’ celebration is premature as he will oppose the individual mandate if sent to Washington, based on his belief that it is intrusive and will lead to inefficiencies.

"Washington just handed another whopping tax to business and the average American better get used to waiting in lines [to get medical care]," he said.

Attorney General Henry McMaster of South Carolina, who joined a lawsuit against the federal government, echoed Larsen’s concerns, saying that the individual mandate is "unconstitutional and a violation of state sovereignty and individual liberty," according to CNN.

Meanwhile, President Obama was in Iowa City on March 26 to promote the bill, which he called "a historic step" that would give 32 million more Americans access to affordable healthcare.

He also challenged his Republican opponents to repeal the law, saying "go for it," The Washington Post reported.

"If they want to have that fight, we can have it," he added, quoted by the news provider.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has announced that the Pentagon will soften its policy of not allowing openly homosexual individuals to serve in the military.

Gates said that anonymous, third party complaints will no longer trigger an investigation under the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. With the new guidelines, which will go into effect in 30 days, informants must present complaints under oath and each case needs to be reviewed by a senior officer at the level of a one-star general or higher. Military leaders are also advised to ignore complaints based on simple hearsay.

Furthermore, military personnel can no longer be expelled from any branch of the armed forces based on information provided to lawyers, clergy and psychotherapists, CNN reports.

“I believe these changes represent an important improvement in the way the current law is put into practice, above all by providing a greater measure of common sense and common decency,” said Gates.

Meanwhile, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said that the new guidelines undermine the enforcement of the law, which Gates admitted can only be repealed by Congress.

“The new regulations only invite open defiance of the law which was passed by Congress and signed by President Clinton,” concluded Perkins.

The FBI is currently investigating several reported death threats and acts of vandalism aimed at Democrats who voted to overhaul the healthcare system.

While more than 10 lawmakers complained of threats leading up to the final vote, two congresswomen from New York and Arizona reported that the windows of their district offices had been smashed soon after the measure was passed.

Furthermore, the FBI is also investigating an alleged incident concerning Representative Tom Perriello’s (D-Va.) brother, who told investigators that a gas line had been purposefully severed at his Charlottesville home. Apparently, Tea Party activists had posted the address online assuming that it was the congressmen’s estate, encouraging members to stop in and "express their thanks" for his vote, Fox News reports.

Meanwhile, Representative Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.), who herself received "alarming" threats, blamed leaders of the GOP on Wednesday for "fanning the flames" of hatred toward Democrats, according to USA Today.

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) condemned the acts of violence in an interview with Fox News, calling the threats "unacceptable."

"Yes, I know there is anger, but let’s take that anger and go out and register people to vote, go volunteer on a political campaign, and let’s do it the right way," he said.

As the Senate Republicans are trying every parliamentary tool to kill the new healthcare reform bill, other conservatives are calling on Americans to "fire" the Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections.

Among politicians who are expressing similar views is former presidential candidate Gary Bauer who said that the passage of the healthcare bill was "a tragic mistake," and warned Democrats that "elections have consequences." He also stated that the only remedy for what he called a disaster was a ballot box this November.

Meanwhile, the National Taxpayers Union (NTU)—a nonprofit organization working for lower taxes, smaller government and economic freedom—has called on the Senate to reject the bill.

Pete Sepp, NTU vice president for policy and communications, explained that a substantive healthcare reform can be enacted by allowing insurance competition across state lines, establishing less burdensome tax treatment for insurance purchases and pushing through malpractice reforms.

In his view, "Unbridled spending, tax hikes and a more powerful, less accountable government are not the ways to lower costs and improve quality of care."

Many people eat when they’re stressed. But there are certain foods that can actually help reduce stress and help individuals stay healthier by avoiding stress-induced health problems such as hypertension, heart disease, stomach problems and obesity.

Foods high in folic acid such as asparagus, help the brain produce the chemical serotonin, which is a mood stabilizer.

Experts say foods high in antioxidants including vitamins C and E, as well as the mineral selenium can repair damage to cells caused by stress. Citrus fruits, berries and nuts are all known for being high in antioxidants.

Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids may also be beneficial for fighting stress. Experts say packing a tuna sandwich for lunch on particularly stressful days can help avoid stress and depression.

EMaxHealth.com suggests eating oatmeal as a healthy carbohydrate to fuels the brain’s production of serotonin. Putting milk on your oatmeal also fights stress since because foods high in calcium can reduce muscle spasms and soothe tension.

Nutritional supplements containing these stress-busting vitamins can also help individuals who don’t get enough from food sources.

And, exercise, meditation and deep breathing exercises may also help keep you healthy and stress-free.

As the Democrats pushed through the $940 billion healthcare reform bill, and President Obama signed it into law, the National Inflation Association (NIA) has said the legislation will significantly contribute to an outbreak of hyperinflation in the United States by 2015.

Although the Congressional Budget Office is estimating that the healthcare bill will cost $940 billion over the next 10 years, NIA members pointed out that when Medicare was created in 1966 the House Ways and Means Committee estimated that in 1990 its cost would reach $12 billion per year.

However, the actual cost that year was $107 billion—meaning it was 792 percent more than what had been projected—and today Medicare costs $408 billion annually.

“If history is any indication, the actual cost [of the healthcare reform] will likely be several trillion dollars,” the organization asserted. “[We] believe the healthcare bill will be the final nail in the coffin of the U.S. economy and will just about guarantee that we will see hyperinflation by the year 2015.”

According to NIA, in addition to the healthcare bill and rising interest payments on national debt, another major catalyst for hyperinflation will be social security payments, which adjust to the CPI-index.

United States researchers have found that walnut consumption significantly reduces the growth of tumors in mice genetically programmed to develop prostate cancer.

In the study, lead researcher Paul Davis, a professional nutritionist working with the University of California, Davis Cancer Center, fed a diet of whole walnuts to a group of lab mice predisposed to prostate cancer and compared the progression of the disease to that of subjects on a normal diet.

After 18 weeks of follow-up, Davis and his colleagues found that consuming the human equivalent of 2.4 ounces of walnuts per day resulted in a 30 percent to 40 percent tumor growth reduction compared to mice in the control group.

The investigators also found that mice on the walnut diet had lower blood levels of insulin-like growth factor, which is a protein that had been linked to prostate cancer in separate studies.

“This study shows that when mice with prostate tumors consume an amount of walnuts that could easily be eaten by a man, tumor growth is controlled,” concluded Davis. “This leaves me very hopeful that it could be beneficial in patients.”

Although walnuts are high in fat, they have also been linked to improved heart health and an enhanced metabolism.

President Obama made good on his promise to conservative Democrats on Wednesday by signing an executive order reaffirming restrictions on federal funding for abortion services.

In order to acquire the final few votes to push through healthcare legislation in the House, Obama made an 11th-hour deal with Representative Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) and other anti-abortion Democrats to eliminate a loophole in the Senate’s version of the bill, which many members of the House found to be inadequate.

However, Stupak and his colleagues are taking fire from fellow abortion opponents for allowing the president to buy their votes for an executive order that many conservatives believe to be rather ambiguous.

In fact, Stupak has taken heavy criticism from both sides of the aisle. While pro-life supporters say he is allowing more openings for abortion, pro-choice members believe the order may eventually lead to the denial of abortion services for women, Fox News reports.

Stupak defended the decision on Tuesday, comparing the order to other historically significant initiatives, such as Lincoln’s resolution to free the slaves.

“Throughout history, executive orders have been an important means of implementing public policy,” said the Michigan representative. “The most famous executive order was the Emancipation Proclamation signed by President Lincoln in 1863.”