Forget for a minute what prescription drugs do inside the body–because certain pills can be a pain in the nose before they ever reach the mouth.

Diabetics are complaining that metformin stinks so bad they have a hard time taking it–and some people can’t even take it at all. Patients compare the odor to anything from dead fish to dirty socks.

It’s not hard to see why nausea ranks high on the list of this med’s side effects. Since another side effect is gas, some people even report belching out that awful smell.

What’s even more remarkable about this is that doctors and researchers have basically been ignoring this complaint for years. Not dismissing it–ignoring it. Researchers writing to the Annals of Internal Medicine say there’s literally nothing regarding the smell in the medical literature.

Yet it doesn’t take much hunting online to find stench complaints that go back years. Try doing a Google search for “Metformin fish smell” and you’ll turn up a few gems. One user describes it as “a combo of dead fish and wet dog” in a 2002 complaint.

Not exactly something you’d want to put into your mouth.

There’s a reason many things that taste and smell bad really are bad: Our bodies are warning us away from them. So what do you think our senses are saying about this drug? I’ll give you a hint: You won’t find “pleasant dirty sock odor” in many wine reviews.

On the other hand, maybe this could be the start of something new–and all meds can openly advertise how bad they are with a carefully selected odor. Antidepressants could be given a litter-box scent, weight-loss drugs could reek of skunk, and statins could smell like the county dump.

But forget what drugs smell like–because it’s what they do that really matters most of all, and at the end of the day, you have options that not only smell better, but that are better for you, too.

Many diabetics find that by carefully controlling their diet and regularly exercising, they can not only control the condition… but beat it. Plenty of diabetics who’ve committed to these changes have reduced and even eliminated the need for meds and insulin.

Of course, talk to your doctor before you stop taking any med. But if you commit to those changes, then over time you could trade those awful drug odors for the sweet smell of success.

There are some pretty good reasons to avoid antidepressants: They’re dangerous, and they don’t work– just to name two. But for pregnant women, there’s an even bigger reason: the potential for damage to the unborn baby.

But now, pregnant women suffering from depression don’t have to face that risk. According to a new study, acupuncture can help pregnant women overcome depression. No drugs, no side effects–for mom and baby alike.

In the largest study of its kind, researchers assigned 150 pregnant women with clinical depression to one of three treatments for eight weeks: acupuncture for depression, acupuncture that was not designed for depression, and massage.

The acupuncture designed for depression provided relief for 63 percent of women, versus just 44 percent for the patients getting the other treatments, according to the study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology.

There are powerful meds on the market that aren’t nearly as effective. Some of them offer no relief at all–yet doctors keep dishing them out. These drugs are bad enough for the adults who take them, even leading to suicide in some cases… but they can also do awful things to unborn babies.

One new study found that babies, especially boys, born to mothers who use antidepressants during pregnancy are more likely to face developmental delays in their first 19 months. They have more trouble sitting up, more problems with gross motor function and shorter attention spans, according to the study in Pediatrics.

A 2004 study found babies born to mothers who used selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) meds during pregnancy were more likely to face problems like tremors, abnormal heart rhythms and troubling sleep patterns in their first days. Other studies have linked some antidepressants to an increased risk of heart defects.

Researchers say animal studies have found longer-term and even permanent damage after exposure to these meds during pregnancy… and are calling for longer-term studies in humans.

Women who fight depression during pregnancy shouldn’t ignore it because they also have a higher risk for postpartum depression. And even that can have a direct impact on the baby’s health. Studies have found that babies face problems with both cognitive and emotional development when mom battles the postpartum blues.

Fortunately, you don’t have to put up with the drugs OR the depression. As the latest study shows, all you really need is the ability to withstand the almost painless pinch of the acupuncture needle.

The march of common sense, amazingly, continues as the American Cancer Society takes a big step away from PSA tests.

It’s one of the most inaccurate and unnecessary medical tests ever designed… and as a diagnostic tool, it’s practically worthless. Yet millions of men have been given these exams as a routine part of aging.

That could be about to change.

In its first major revision of prostate cancer screening guidelines in nearly a decade, the American Cancer Society now says doctors need to explain to their patients the problems with this test before they offer it. That means discussing the high risk of false positives and the fact that we now know this test leads to overtreatments– including millions of unnecessary and life-altering surgeries.

They’re also recommending that docs ditch digital rectal exams altogether–or a least stop giving them automatically–since they’ve shown no benefit at all.

Hear that? That’s the sound of the earth moving. But while these groundbreaking new recommendations are a step in the right direction, this is only a single step.

After all, they’re not abandoning these tests completely, which would be a real win for common sense… just limiting them and opening up the door for more informed decision- making. That’s when docs explain the options, and then ask patients for their input–instead of just ordering them around, as many of them have been accustomed to doing.

What happens now is up to those doctors–and their patients. Will doctors REALLY tell their patients about the problems with these tests? Will patients really take the time to understand the risks?

It’s like buying a car… never trust the salesman’s word. But unless you do your homework before you reach the dealer, his word is all you’ll have.

The truth of the matter is that most people who develop prostate cancer do so late in life… or at least late enough that this slow-growing disease will never pose a threat. We’re all going to die of something… but the odds are pretty low you’ll die of prostate cancer.

The treatment, on the other hand, is the exact opposite of healthy aging–and comes with side effects that include incontinence and impotence, a one-two punch that could have you spending your final years in misery.

All for a treatment you never needed to begin with.

The secret to beating breast cancer could be growing on vines in the tropics right now.

Researchers have found that the extract of the bitter melon fruit, which grows in Asia, Africa and South America, kills breast cancer cells, according to a study published in Cancer Research. And it didn’t appear to do any damage at all to healthy cells, according to the study.

The scientists say the bitter melon appeared to block chemical pathways used by cancer cells to help themselves divide, essentially turning them off… and killing the cells.

These tests were done in a Petri dish, so it remains to be seen if bitter melon will have the same power inside of a living body.

But hopefully, we’ll find out. Next up will be tests on animals, followed eventually by humans. If it’s successful, it would come as bad news to the makers of tamoxifen–the main drug currently given to women to help fight recurrent breast cancer. Tamoxifen has been linked to everything from discomforting side effects like nausea and vomiting to potential deadly conditions such as pulmonary embolism.

It’s also been linked to mental problems, including mood swings and depression.

Bitter melon, on the other hand, is… well, for one thing it’s bitter. And ugly. In addition to a name that basically says “don’t eat me,” these long green fruits are studded with spiky, wart-like knobs.

They look kind of like mutant cucumbers.

And unlike most fruits, which grow sweeter over time, bitter melon grows into its name. The longer you wait, the more bitter it will be.

But don’t be fooled by appearances, taste or even the name, because in addition to the potential power to block breast cancer, bitter melon is packed with vitamin C, flavonoids… and some pretty powerful natural healing properties.

As always, talk to your doctor before taking bitter melon… but it’s widely used by diabetics in other nations–and may be especially helpful in controlling blood sugar levels.

It’s also commonly used to help aid digestion, cure constipation and control gas. Some research has found antiviral properties in bitter melon, and there’s been some preliminary research that shows it could fight HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

It can be eaten–the Chinese cook it in stir-fry dishes– but it might take an acquired taste for most. A better choice may be bitter melon capsules, which give you all those benefits… and none of the bitterness.