Complementary Medicine / Alternative Medicine News From Medical News Today

Treatment With Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Associated With Increased Risk Of Cancer, Death

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST

Patients with heart disease in Norway, a country with no fortification of foods with folic acid, had an associated increased risk of cancer and death from any cause if they had received treatment with folic acid and vitamin B12, according to a study in the November 18 issue of JAMA.

Early Research Into The Role Of Vitamin D Suggests It May Ease Symptoms Of MS

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST

Australian researchers have presented findings at a national scientific conference for medical research in Hobart, Australia that suggests vitamin D may play a role in preventing relapses in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The research, which is yet to be published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, may form the basis of a larger clinical trial that would take several years to complete.

Why Consumers Turn To Alternative Medicine

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST

Alternative health remedies are increasingly important in the health care marketplace. A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research explores how consumers choose among the many available remedies. "Examples of the wide array of health remedy options available to consumers include drugs, supplements, acupuncture, massage therapy, Ayurveda, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (to name a few).

Family Caregivers, Simple Touch Techniques Reduce Symptoms In Cancer Patients

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST

Family caregivers can significantly reduce suffering in cancer patients at home through use of simple touch and massage techniques. These findings were recently reported at the 6th International Conference of the Society for Integrative Oncology. The study, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, evaluated outcomes of a 78 minute DVD instructional program and illustrated manual in a sample of 97 patients and their caregivers.

At-Risk College Students Reduce HBP, Anxiety, Depression Through Transcendental Meditation

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST

The Transcendental Meditation technique may be an effective method to reduce blood pressure, anxiety, depression, and anger among at-risk college students, according to a new study to be published in the American Journal of Hypertension, December 2009.

Heart Experts Say Early End To Key Study On Benefits Of Niacin, A B Vitamin, In Keeping Arteries Open Was Premature

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST

Heart experts at Johns Hopkins are calling premature the early halt of a study by researchers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Washington Hospital Center on the benefits of combining extended-release niacin, a B vitamin, with cholesterol-lowering statin medications to prevent blood vessel narrowing. Cardiovascular atherosclerosis, as it is also known, is believed responsible for one in three deaths in the United States each year.

Heart And Bone Damage From Low Vitamin D Tied To Declines In Sex Hormones

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST

Researchers at Johns Hopkins are reporting what is believed to be the first conclusive evidence in men that the long-term ill effects of vitamin D deficiency are amplified by lower levels of the key sex hormone estrogen, but not testosterone. In a national study in 1010 men, to be presented Nov.

EU Grants Nearly 1.5 Million Euros ($2.25 Million) For Complementary Medicine Research Network

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST

A three-year project called CAMbrella will receive nearly 1.5 million euros of European Union funding to establish a research network for the study of complementary medicine. The center for complementary medicine research at "Rechts der Isar," the university hospital of the Technische Universitaet Muenchen will coordinate the project for the winning applicant group, which includes 16 scientific organizations from 12 European countries. The project will begin in January 2010.

Brief Training In Meditation May Help In Pain Management

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST

Living with pain is stressful, but a surprisingly short investment of time in mental training can help you cope. A new study examining the perception of pain and the effects of various mental training techniques has found that relatively short and simple mindfulness meditation training can have a significant positive effect on pain management.

NPA Issues GMP Certification To Chinese Supplier

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST

The Natural Products Association (NPA) has announced it has issued good manufacturing practices (GMP) certification to a Chinese raw materials supplier. The company is the first in China to earn certification through NPA, joining more than 80 U.S. businesses currently GMP-certified by the association. Shandong Zhongyuan Greentech Co., Ltd.

Heart Health Boosted By Yoga

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:00:00 PST

Heart rate variability, a sign of a healthy heart, has been shown to be higher in yoga practitioners than in non-practitioners, according to research to be published in a forthcoming issue of the International Journal of Medical Engineering and Informatics. The autonomic nervous system regulates the heart rate through two routes - the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The former causes the heart rate to rise, while, the parasympathetic slows it.

Can Stress-Reducing Transcendental Meditation Help CHD Patients Prevent Future Heart Attacks?

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:00:00 PST

The National Institutes of Health's National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute will fund a $1 million collaborative study by the Center for Natural Medicine and Prevention at Maharishi University of Management Research Institute and Columbia University Medical Center to determine whether the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation technique can help patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) prevent future heart attacks, strokes and death.

FDA Warns Consumers On Sexual Enhancement Products

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers that Stiff Nights, a product marketed as a dietary supplement for sexual enhancement, contains an ingredient that can dangerously lower blood pressure and is illegal. Over the past several years, the FDA has found

Yoga May Be Effective For Chronic Low Back Pain In Minority Populations

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Center found that yoga may be more effective than standard treatment for reducing chronic low back pain in minority populations. This study appears in the November issue of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. Low back pain is common in the United States, resulting in substantial disability and cost to society.

Prayer Treatments Covered In Health Care Reform Bills

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:00:00 PST

Prayer treatments may get a boost in health care legislation, raising debate about what constitutes healing and the separation of church and state. The

Interim Study Data Demonstrate Eligen(R) B12 Oral Formulation Achieves Comparable Results To B12 Injection

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST

Emisphere Technologies, Inc. (OTC BB:EMIS) announced that interim data from an ongoing study demonstrated its high-dose oral Eligen® B12 (1000mcg) performed as well as or better than B12 injections in individuals with Vitamin B12 deficiency. Normal levels of serum B12 and active B12 were achieved by 100 percent of those study participants who have currently taken Eligen® B12 (1000mcg) 15 days into the 90-day study when the first blood samples were taken.

FDA: Procter & Gamble Unlawfully Marketing Two Vicks Cold And Flu Medicines Containing Vitamin C

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent a warning letter to Procter & Gamble notifying the company that its Vicks DayQuil Plus Vitamin C and Vicks Nyquil Plus Vitamin C are illegally marketed combinations of drug ingredients and a dietary ingredient. Both of the over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, which contain vitamin C in addition to several drug ingredients, are marketed as treatments for cold and flu symptoms.

New Study Reviews Science Behind Efficacy Of Biofield Therapies - Reiki, Therapeutic Touch And Healing Touch

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:00:00 PST

Biofield therapies, which claim to use subtle energy to stimulate the body's healing process, are promising complementary interventions for reducing the intensity of pain in a number of conditions, reducing anxiety for hospitalized patients and reducing agitated behaviors in dementia, over and above what standard treatments can achieve. However, longer-term effects are less clear. Dr. Shamini Jain, from the UCLA Division of Cancer Prevention and Control Research, and Dr.

Tai Chi Exercise Reduces Knee Osteoarthritis Pain In The Elderly

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 PST

Researchers from Tufts University School of Medicine have determined that patients over 65 years of age with knee osteoarthritis (OA) who engage in regular Tai Chi exercise improve physical function and experience less pain. Tai Chi (Chuan) is a traditional style of Chinese martial arts that features slow, rhythmic movements to induce mental relaxation and enhance balance, strength, flexibility, and self-efficacy.

Natural Products Foundation Representatives Meet With Federal Regulators On Truth In Advertising Campaign

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 PST

The Natural Products Foundation (NPF) recently met with officials from both U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to turn over the names of 10 companies that have continued to make drug or disease claims in their advertising and other promotional materials. These meetings were part of an ongoing effort through the foundation's Truth in Advertising (TIA) program, which aims to first educate advertisers to help them bring their advertising into compliance.

Mortality Rates Reduced Among Children Whose Mothers Received Iron-folic Acid Supplements

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:00:00 PST

Offspring whose mothers had been supplemented with iron-folic acid during pregnancy had dramatically reduced mortality through age 7, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Researchers found that other supplement combinations, including the multiple micronutrient supplement, did not confer the same benefit. Nearly 40 percent of pregnant women worldwide are estimated to be anemic.

More People Rely On Alternative Medicine

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:00:00 PST

As consumers look to save money in a tough economy, many turn to alternative health care options. CBS 4 reports: "Health care costs are soaring. Thousands of people are without jobs and without the benefits afforded them. Now, those people are turning to preventative or alternative measures. ...

Propolis Has Proved To Be A Product With Ability To Have Beneficial Effects For Health

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 03:00:00 PST

Growing concerns about health has caused the scientific community to focus their interest on investigating functional foods which contribute to boosting the prevention and reduction of the risk of suffering from certain illnesses. The benefits of this product lies in its composition and, thus, its study, identification and subsequent extraction provides a useful tool which enables making high added-value products, given their high concentration of biologically active compounds.

Yoga And Tai Chi As Pathways To Better Health

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 01:00:00 PST

For an investment of 20 minutes each morning, the payback is reduced stress, a sense of calm and peace, improved strength, limberness, better immune function and lower blood pressure. It's not too good to be true. The investment is practicing yoga or tai chi, which were developed and revised over many centuries.

Use Of Omega-3 With Treatment For Depression In Patients With Heart Disease Does Not Appear To Provide Benefit

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:00:00 PST

Contrary to the findings of some studies, new research indicates that augmenting antidepressant therapy with an omega-3 fatty acid supplement does not result in improvement in levels of depression in patients with coronary heart disease, according to a study in the October 21 issue of JAMA.

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