Science Business reports, “Martin Ingvar [photo] has been appointed Professor of Integrative Medicine at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, where he will run the recently opened Osher Centre for Integrative Medicine.” (more…)

This is apparently in response to the pet food scandal and the food poisoning linked to Chinese imports. (more…)

Schisandra sphenanthera (Nan Wu Wei Zi, lemon-wood) is “commonly used in Chinese herbalism, where it is considered to be one of the 50 fundamental herbs.” I found no clinical study in humans to support the many claims for this Chinese herbal medicine.

Now, there’s a report of a drug interaction with tacrolimus (Prograf) — a drug used to suppress the immune system in order to prevent organ rejection of liver, kidney, or heart transplants. (more…)

Radiation therapy can disturb bacterial colonies in the intestines and cause radiation-induced enteritis and colitis, leading to diarrhea in cancer patients.

In this study, researchers at the San Camillo Hospital in Rome, Italy used probiotics to reduce this complication. (more…)

The Zoft Gum Company, which makes several herbal supplement chewing gums (eg, breast enlargement, weight reduction) has introduced a new gum to help manage the symptoms of menopause.

There are no studies of this gum for treating menopausal symptoms in women. And the discussion of the gum’s ingredients on the Zoft website is misleading.

This summary should provide balance. (more…)

A news release promotes this product as a “natural cholesterol supplement [that is] effective without side effects.”

And on the LipidShield website there is an unpublished study in 30 men and women to prove it. (more…)

It’s used to treat a broad range of diseases, but nobody believes enough in the formula to do a controlled clinical study.

Why not? (more…)

The former produces skin inflammation and muscle weakness. People with the later condition get weakness of limb and neck muscles, with muscle pain and swelling. (more…)

The US House of Representatives has passed legislation to expedite expansion of chiropractic benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system. The bill was approved 421:1. (more…)

A frozen product labeled monkfish is being recalled after 2 people in the Chicago area ate it and became ill. (more…)

Several were effective. (more…)

Here is an update to an earlier post where many scientists and advocates of evidence-based medicine claimed that giving homeopathy scientific status in the UK is unjustified.

An article in The Guardian reports an intensified effort to stop homeopathic treatment from being funded by the NHS (National Health Service) in the UK. (more…)

The premise of this study is that longer consultation times — as is typical of anthroposophic care — will improve the health of patients with chronic diseases.

Why is it a silly study? (more…)

An article in Mayo Clinic Proceedings recently reported a disconnect between consumers’ use of herbals to treat certain conditions and the scientific support for their use.

The authors suggested that healthcare professionals take a proactive role in educating their patients. The results from this survey suggest doctors are not prepared for this responsibility without further training. (more…)

That’s the conclusion from two researchers who reviewed 15 studies.

Here’s what they found.

• Evidence for a beneficial effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on depression and anxiety was equivocal.
• When active control groups were used, MBSR did not show an effect on depression and anxiety.
• Adherence to the MBSR program was infrequently assessed. When it was, the relation between practicing mindfulness and changes in depression and anxiety was equivocal.

Dr. Irene asks, “What was included with the MBSR? MBSR is not used in isolation of other treatments ” Unfortunately, the abstract doesn’t say.

If you’re interested, here’s a link with background on mindfulness therapies.

5/22/07 20:48 JR

Negotiations to create the Australia New Zealand Therapeutic Products Authority (ANZTPA) have been ongoing for more than a decade.

According to The New Zealand Herald, all medicines, medical and surgical devices and complementary/alternative medicines would be regulated by this agency. (more…)

The FDA regulations will affect supplements makers and be published in a few weeks, according to an article in Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals. (more…)

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic want to know why so few people use herbals in accordance with their evidence-based (read, proven) uses?

I think the answer is obvious, but they wrestle with this question nonetheless. (more…)

The FDA has recalled some shark cartilage capsules.

The brands are listed below. Look here for the relevant lot numbers. (more…)

Motivational interviewing is designed to help people explore and resolve ambivalence.

In this study, it appeared to help manage obesity in women with type 2 diabetes. (more…)