Probiotics are considered living microorganisms that, when ingested in sufficient quantities, are conducive to the health of their host. The term probiotic is derived from the preposition “pro” (meaning “for”) and “biōtikos” (meaning “fit for life”), and is associated with the introduction of beneficial bacteria, contrasting with the term antibiotic (associated with the destruction of …
Kombucha is a fermented tea beverage created utilizing a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast, commonly referred to under the acronym “SCOBY.” Although its precise origin remains unknown, some allege that kombucha originated in China and may have been named after a Korean physician named “Kombu” who used his tea (“cha”) for healing purposes. Etiological investigations …
Kybella (Deoxycholic acid) is an injectable medication engineered by Kythera Biopharmaceuticals and approved by the FDA in April 2015 for the management of moderate-to-severe submental fat (fat beneath the chin) in adults. Reducing the appearance of a protruding “double chin” with Kybella entails visiting a medical professional to receive a series of subcutaneous [deoxycholic acid] …
Phentermine is a natural monoamine alkaloid derivative that was initially approved by the United States FDA in 1959 as an anorectic (appetite suppressant) for the treatment of obesity. It was popularized throughout the early 1970s under the brand name medication “Fastin,” marketed by King Pharmaceuticals. In the late 1990s phentermine was discontinued from pharmaceutical circulation, …
Qsymia is a weight loss drug engineered by the California-based pharmaceutical company Vivus Inc. It was initially approved by the FDA in 2012 for weight reduction among adults with BMIs (body mass indexes) exceeding 30 kg/m² as an adjunct to interventions such as caloric restriction, dietary modification, and regular exercise. Qsymia is also approved for …
Acupuncture is a form of complementary alternative medicine (CAM) in which a practitioner (acupuncturist) stimulates the skin of his/her client transcutaneously [with needles] or transdermally [with electrical pulses or lasers]. According to proponents of traditional Chinese medicine, the precise stimulation of sites across the skin (referred to as “acupuncture points”) modulates the flow of energy …
Naltrexone is a chemical initially synthesized in 1963 and patented thereafter by the pharmaceutical company Endo Laboratories in 1967. It is considered a substituted derivative of oxymorphone in that the tertiary amine methyl-constituent is replaced with an allyl group (specifically an N-cyclopropylmethyl group) – or a longer chain of carbon atoms. It was initially approved …