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2008

• Half of Surveyed Physicians Use Placebo Treatments for Patients
  

  Treating patients with placebos has a long, complicated, and often controversial history. A recent national survey of 679 physicians, funded in part by NCCAM, found that about half the physician respondents prescribed placebo treatments on a regular basis.
  October 2008

• Massage Therapy May Ease Pain and Improve Mood in Advanced Cancer Patients
  

  Symptom relief is an important part of end-of-life care, and small studies have suggested that massage therapy may benefit people with advanced cancer.
  September 2008

• Hypnosis May Reduce Hot Flashes in Breast Cancer Survivors
  

  Hot flashes are a problem for many menopausal women and a common side effect of breast cancer treatment. For many breast cancer survivors, vasomotor symptoms result in discomfort, disrupted sleep, anxiety, and decreased quality of life.
  September 2008

• Lifestyle Changes May Affect Cell-Level Processes Related to Disease
  Disease risk, progression, and premature mortality have been linked to telomeres, which are protective DNA-protein complexes that keep cells genetically stable.
  September 2008
• Dietary Supplements: Inpatient Policies in US Children's Hospitals
  A recent study found that there is substantial variation in policies and policy quality in regard to dietary supplement use in children's hospitals even though more than 30% of children in the United States take dietary supplements regularly according to a review of nationally representative data from the 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (Picciano, 2007).
  September 2008
• Study Shows One-Fifth of Internet-Available Ayurvedic Medicines Contain Toxic Metals
  Nearly 21 percent of the Ayurvedic medicines tested were found to contain detectable levels of lead (most common), mercury, or arsenic. All metal-containing products exceeded one or more standards for acceptable daily metal intake. The prevalence of metal-containing products did not differ significantly by country of manufacture.
  August 2008
• Pomegranate Extract May Be Helpful for Rheumatoid Arthritis
  

  Researchers used an animal model of RA—collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) in mice—to evaluate the effects of POMx.
  July 2008

• Metabolism Issue Focuses on Botanicals and Metabolic Syndrome
  

  Botanicals may have the potential to shed light on the causes of metabolic syndrome and to intervene in its progression.
  July 2008

• Two Studies Explore the Potential Health Benefits of Probiotics
  Previous studies indicate that probiotics may have a role in treating gastrointestinal illnesses, boosting immunity, and preventing or slowing the development of certain types of cancer. July 2008
• New Research Gives Insight Into How Acupuncture May Relieve Pain
  Researchers used functional magnetic resonance imagery (fMRI) to monitor brain activity in 15 healthy adults before and after true acupuncture and sham acupuncture.
  June 2008
• Prostate Genes Altered by Intensive Diet and Lifestyle Changes
  A recent pilot study suggests that intensive lifestyle and diet changes may alter gene expression (the way a gene acts) in the prostate—possibly affecting the progression of prostate cancer.
  June 2008
• Study Tests Theory About Prolotherapy Injections for Knee Pain
  Because people may not respond to standard treatments such as rest, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and corticosteorid injections, prolotherapy is becoming increasingly popular as an alternative treatment.
  June 2008
• Research Shows Promise of Pineapple Extract for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
  Researchers have found that bromelain — an enzyme derived from pineapple stems — might be able to reduce inflammation in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
  June 2008
• Grape Seed Extract May Help Prevent and Treat Alzheimer's
  Authors of a new NCCAM-funded study in mice found that grape seed-derived polyphenolics—similar to that in red wine—significantly reduced Alzheimer's disease-type cognitive deterioration.
  June 2008
• St. John's Wort Shows No Impact on the Symptoms of ADHD
  Researchers at Bastyr University conducted a trial of St. John's wort among a volunteer sample of children with ADHD.
  June 2008
• Study Points to Cost-Effectiveness of Naturopathic Care for Low-Back Pain
  Researchers who studied treatment alternatives for low-back pain in a group of 70 warehouse workers found that a naturopathic approach incorporating a range of treatment options was more cost-effective than the employer’s usual patient education program.
  May 2008
• Botanicals May Help Conditions Associated With Aging
  

  To evaluate the effectiveness of botanicals in relation to conditions such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, insulin resistance, and excess fats in the blood, researchers conducted a literature review and examined studies from their own laboratory.
  April 2008

• Study Sheds Light on the Placebo Effect of Medical Encounters
  Researchers have found that a medical encounter may produce its own placebo effects that can bring about significant symptom improvement.
  April 2008
• Meditation May Increase Empathy
  Research at the University of Wisconsin has used advanced brain images to show that compassion meditation may increase the human capacity for empathy.
  March 2008
• Flaxseed Reduces Some Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Disease
  A clinical trial by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Health System explored the effects of flaxseed on various cardiovascular risk factors in adults.
  February 2008
• Botanical Research Centers Featured in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
  The articles highlight different areas related to the centers' research into botanical use, safety, and efficacy.
  February 2008
• Drinking Black Tea Shows No Impact on Cardiovascular Risk Factors
  It is commonly believed that polyphenol antioxidants, found in tea, have a variety of health benefits, including cardiovascular benefits. However, randomized trials to date have yielded mixed results on the effects of tea on cardiovascular risk factors.
  February 2008
• Pilot Study Provides New Insight on Effect of Ginkgo Extract on Dementia in the Elderly
  Overall, in this study in the elderly, researchers did not find a reduction in progression to dementia in those using ginkgo versus those using placebo.
  February 2008
• Acupuncture Shows Promise in Improving Rates of Pregnancy Following IVF
  A review of seven clinical trials of acupuncture given with embryo transfer in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) suggests that acupuncture may improve rates of pregnancy.
  February 2008

2007

• NCCAM Education Grant Program Focus of Academic Medicine Journal Issue
  The October 2007 issue of the journal highlights the results of 15 Education Project Grants.
  October 2007
• Chinese Herbal Formula May Be Helpful for Peanut Allergies
  A study in mice shows that a Chinese herbal formula may help prevent dangerous reactions to peanuts. Peanut allergies affect as many as 6 percent of young children and are a major cause of anaphylaxis.
  June 2007
• Acupuncture May Help Symptoms of PTSD
  Researchers compared the effects of acupuncture and group therapy on the symptoms of PTSD.
  June 2007
• Meditation May Make Information Processing In the Brain More Efficient
  Researchers attempted to determine if intensive mental training through meditation could extend the brain's limits on information processing, reducing "attentional-blink."
  June 2007
• Shark Cartilage Supplement Does Not Extend the Lives of Lung Cancer Patients
  Researchers recently announced the results of a study showing that a shark cartilage supplement did not improve the overall survival of patients with lung cancer. Clinical and Experimental Allergy
  June 2007
• Tai Chi May Help Maintain Bone Mineral Density in Postmenopausal Women
  Tai chi may be a safe alternative to conventional exercise for maintaining bone mineral density in postmenopausal women. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
  May 2007
• Tai Chi Boosts Immunity to Shingles Virus in Older Adults
  The study is the first rigorous clinical trial to suggest that a behavioral intervention, alone or together with a vaccine, can help protect older adults from the varicella virus, which causes both chickenpox and shingles. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
  April 2007
• Study Compares Year-Long Effectiveness of Four Weight-Loss Plans
  The Atkins diet may contribute to greater weight loss than higher carbohydrate plans without negative effects such as increased cholesterol. Journal of the American Medical Association
  March 2007
• Garlic Does Not Appear to Lower "Bad" Cholesterol
  A study casts doubts on the effectiveness of garlic to lower LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels in adults. Archives of Internal Medicine
  February 2007

2006

• Herbal Supplement Fails To Relieve Hot Flashes
  Black cohosh, used alone or with other botanicals, did not relieve hot flashes. Annals of Internal Medicine
  December 2006


• Omega-3 fatty acids may be helpful in psychiatric care
  Omega-3 fatty acids may hold promise for use in psychiatry, particularly for depression and bipolar disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
  December 2006


• Self-Hypnosis Beneficial for Women Undergoing Breast Biopsy
  Women using self-hypnosis during a type of breast biopsy experienced anxiety relief and reduced pain.
  December 2006


• Sleep Disorders and CAM
  Over 1.6 million American adults use some form of CAM to treat insomnia or trouble sleeping.
  September 2006


• Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Cancer
  A review of published literature of cancer-fighting properties of vitamins C and E.
  July 2006


• A Mantram Studied in Adults With HIV
  Archives of Internal Medicine
  July 2006


• Review of CAM for Menopause
  Archives of Internal Medicine.
  July 2006


• Contents of Black Cohosh Products May Vary
  Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
  May 2006


• CAM Use High Among Adolescents
  Almost 80 percent of adolescents have used some form of CAM during their lives.
  April 2006


• Turmeric and Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms
  A study in rats provides early evidence that the herb turmeric could help people with
  rheumatoid arthritis.
  March 2006