Many developing countries rely on traditional medicine as an accessible and affordable treatment option for human maladies. However, until now, scientific data has not existed to evaluate the potential toxicity of medicinal plant species in Peru. Scientists from the William L. Brown Center of the Missouri Botanical Garden in St…
Acupuncture significantly reduces levels of a protein in rats linked to chronic stress, researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) have found. They say their animal study may help explain the sense of well-being that many people receive from this ancient Chinese therapy…
Does vitamin D supplementation protect people from bone fractures, cancer and cardiovascular disease? Researchers wrote in Annals of Internal Medicine in two separate articles that so far there is no compelling evidence to support any of these claims. Article 1 - studies have indicated that vitamin D supplementation may play a role in reducing the risk of developing cancer and bone fractures…
While many consumers equal ‘natural’ with ’safe’, botanicals and botanical preparations such as plant food supplements may contain compounds, like the so called alkenylbenzenes, that are of concern for human health. At high doses these chemical compounds can cause liver cancer in experimental animals…
Natural health products and medicinal foods should be subject to the same regulations as pharmaceutical drugs to ensure safety and efficacy, states an editorial in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal)…
Spas that offer massage therapy using fragrant essential oils, called aromatherapy, may have elevated levels of potentially harmful indoor air pollutants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and ultrafine particles, according to an article in Environmental Engineering Science, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc…
Complementary and alternative medical (CAM) treatments such as herbal supplements have become increasingly popular in the United States, especially among older patients and those with chronic pain…
A physician on a medical relief mission to Africa sees pregnant women sip a medicinal tea prepared by local witch doctors when the time for birth arrives. Made from the leaves of a plant called “kalata-kalata,” the tea speeds labor and delivery. Scientists analyze the plant and discover a remarkable new substance…
Many patients suffering from chronic pain try alternative and complementary treatments as these are often viewed as natural and therefore risk-free. Prof. Edzard Ernst (Exeter, UK) warned at the EFIC Congress ‘Pain in Europe VII’ that patients are being bombarded with misinformation on the subject but that in fact very few alternative pain treatments are supported by well-founded evidence…
According to a study published this week in the September/October 2011 issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion (Vol. 26, No. 1, pp. 56-60), people with consistently high health care costs experienced a 28 percent cumulative decrease in physician fees after an average of five years practicing the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation technique compared with their baseline…