Research Roundup
"Research Roundup" presents examples of NCCAM-funded research recently published in peer-reviewed journals listed in the National Library of Medicine's PubMed database.
CAM Use High Among Adolescents
Karen M. Wilson, M.D., M.P.H., and colleagues from the University of Rochester conducted the first national survey of CAM use among adolescents in the United States. They analyzed responses from 1,280 adolescents aged 14 to 19 and found that 79 percent had used at least one form of CAM during their lifetime. Females used CAM more than males. The forms of CAM most commonly used were home remedies (such as honey and lemon, or special teas), faith healing or prayer specifically for health, herbal remedies (such as echinacea or St. John's wort), and massage therapy. Among all participants, almost 30 percent had used one or more dietary supplements, and almost 10 percent had used supplements along with prescription medications in the preceding month. Many of the supplements the teens reported using were related to attempts to change body shape (e.g., creatine and weight-loss products).
The authors urged that health care providers be aware of CAM and dietary supplement use by their adolescent patients, because of the lack of standardization in supplements, as well as their potential for safety risks and interactions with prescription medications. Journal of Adolescent Health, April 2006
Contents of Black Cohosh Products May Vary
© Thomas G. Barnes
Black cohosh (Actea racemosa) is an herb native to North America that is becoming more widely used in the United States for health purposes, primarily for menopause-related symptoms. Dr. Bei Jiang and colleagues at Columbia University, the City University of New York, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences recently analyzed the chemical components of 11 black cohosh products available in the United States. They found that four contained an Asian species of black cohosh-which is cheaper and easier for producers to find--either alone or in combination with North American black cohosh. Compared with the species cultivated in North America, the Asian variety has different chemical properties, is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat different conditions, and may have different effects on the body. The remaining seven products contained only North American black cohosh, but with different proportions of the main chemical components.
The researchers concluded that the varying chemical makeup of black cohosh products may produce different health effects, and that methods are needed to ensure their quality and ingredients. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, May 3, 2006*
* Editor's note: A recent review of data by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in Britain found that liver problems could result from taking black cohosh. The problems were rare, but potentially serious. The MHRA will now require that labels on black cohosh products in Britain carry an updated safety warning.
Turmeric and Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms
More than 2 million Americans suffer from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a condition in which the body's immune system attacks the joints, causing pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of function. The herb turmeric has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine (a whole medical system that originated in India) as a treatment for inflammatory disorders, including RA. Janet Funk, M.D., and colleagues at the NCCAM-funded Center for Phytomedicine Research at the University of Arizona created symptoms in rats that mimic those of RA in humans. In a series of experiments, they treated the rats with different preparations and dosages of turmeric extracts. Some received treatment before developing the RA-like symptoms, others afterward. The results (mainly measured in terms of joint swelling) suggested to the authors that an extract processed to contain only curcuminoids (a family of chemicals that is the major component of turmeric; curcumin is one curcuminoid) may be more effective for preventing RA symptoms than a more complex extract containing curcuminoids plus other turmeric compounds (this is similar to commercially available supplements). They also noted that the curcuminoids-only formulas appeared safer and more effective at lower doses. Also, the researchers found that the compounds had greater effectiveness when the rats were treated before instead of after the onset of inflammation. The authors identified a need for well-designed preclinical and clinical studies to look further into turmeric for anti-inflammatory use. Journal of Natural Products, March 2006
Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Cancer
A longtime theory has argued that the adequacy of the supply of antioxidant vitamins to people's cells and tissues has a role in cancer's development, progress, and outcomes. A team headed by Ian Coulter, Ph.D., of the Southern California Evidence-Based Practice Center at RAND, analyzed the literature (selecting 38 studies for detailed review) on whether two antioxidants--vitamin C and vitamin E--prevent, treat, and/or modify the risks for cancer. They concluded that neither of the supplements were effective for these purposes, at the doses and in the populations tested. They noted that there were a few isolated findings of benefit, but these would need to be studied further in order to be confirmed, and the findings from randomized clinical trials were generally negative. Journal of General Internal Medicine, July 2006
