Health Tips from Around the World

Global Health Treatments

By Vicki Salemi

What's your type?

In Japan, instead of being asked, "What's your sign?" you're more likely to be asked, "What's your type?" as in blood type. For the Japanese, blood type defines a person's character, so much so that matchmaking agencies, employers and even schools depend upon blood type for compatibility, jobs and even spots in the classroom. Some researchers chalk this up to bogus science, citing that proteins in the blood determine type and have nothing to do with personality, according to Satoru Kikuchi, associate professor of psychology at Shinshu University. But public opinion is a different story.

In 2008, more than 5 million books were sold in Japan that featured how blood type determines personalities. Four were listed as the nation's top 10 best-sellers. The books define each blood type as follows: Type A's are sensitive perfectionists but overanxious; Type B's are cheerful but eccentric and selfish; O's are curious, generous but stubborn; and AB's are arty but mysterious and unpredictable.

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Eel Soda

Forget Red Bull. In Japan, Unagi-Nobori soda isn't your ordinary energy drink --this tonic is infused with eel extract. Eating eel is believed to deliver extra energy during the dog days of summer. Think it sounds fishy? Daphne Miller, author of 'The Jungle Effect' says that "eel is a great source of vitamin A, D and E as well as omega-3 fats. Unfortunately, much like the energy drinks that are marketed here in the U.S., any nutritious upside to the drink is far outweighed by all the sugar, caffeine, food coloring and other additives," she says. The bottom line? If you want to get health benefits from eel, eat the sea animal instead of the soda.

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Potato Halves for Headaches

A health tip from South of the Border? Rubbing potato halves on foreheads to relieve headaches. Is there any truth to this treatment? "A potato has lipoic acid, an antioxidant that may help," says Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., board-certified internist and medical director of the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers. "Most likely rubbing anything wet, cool and firm over the muscles where the headache is coming from, while believing it will help, can work."

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Swallow's Nest for Longevity

Hailing from China, the swallow bird is well known for its protein-filled nests, which are thought to contain a substance that slows down the aging process. "It probably contains high fiber and antioxidants and will likely fill you up so you won't eat as much," says Vincent Giampapa, M.D., author of 'The Gene Makover: The 21st Century Anti-Aging Breakthrough. Indirectly it may help slow down the aging process since people who weigh less tend to live longer. He also notes the Chinese civilization has been around longer than any other civilization so there may be esoteric nutrients we're not aware of yet.

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Duck Tongue for Better Sex

In China, if you want to increase your sexual power, you might consider eating duck tongue. Robert J. Moore III, author of 'Body of Knowledge: The Complete Weight Management System for a Lifetime of Health' is not a believer in this power of this dish: "The tongue is a vascular piece of tissue," he says. "It is half meat and half made up of skin tissue." Any perceived benefit is is likely in the mind of the patient.


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Cigar Smoke for Back Pain

Does rubbing cigar smoke on a sufferer's back help relief pain? Some practitioners in Central America believe it does, but our expert, Moore, disagrees that smoke can can get to the real cause of this problem. "No way," he says. "Back pain is ninety percent muscle spasm and ten percent based on spinal root pain."


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Fish for Exfoliation

In Malaysia, spa-goers have been undergoing a unique exfoliation process incorporating fish. People immerse themselves in tanks and allow a unique breed of fish to nibble away at their dead skin. Although it sounds pretty crazy, this treatment might not be so out-there after all. "This could be effective since there are a lot of fish that clean and preen other mammals," says Moore.


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Vegemite for Healthy Births

You've probably heard of the Australian favorite, vegemite: a dark brown food paste made from yeast extract used primarily as a spread on bread and crackers. What you may not know is that eating is considered by some to prevent birth defects. "It is a rich source of B vitamins and chromium but one serving has only twenty-five percent of the recommended daily amount of folate," says Miller. Studies show that folate is critical in ensuring healthy brain formation in babies. "It is fine for women who are pregnant or who are planning a pregnancy to take brewer's yeast plus a daily prenatal vitamin, but I would not recommend that they take this instead of a prenatal vitamin," Miller says.

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Frog Skin for Diabetes

Researchers from the University of Ulster and United Arab Emirates University have been experimenting with skin secretions from a South American shrinking frog, which they believe could be used to treat type 2 diabetes. Apparently a compound from the frog which grows when they're tadpoles stimulates insulin release.


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Leech Therapy for Tissue Damage

The ancient ritual of placing leeches on an affected part of the body practiced in Egypt in medieval Europe is being embraced once again by modern medicine. When leeches bite a person, their saliva helps promote blood flow to damaged tissue, while preventing clotting. Leech therapy has helped surgeons in the reattachment of limbs and breast reconstruction. As long as leeches are clean and raised in a sterile environment, the treatment is considered safe, says Ann Engelland, pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist.

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