Tag Archives: complimentary and alternative medicine
Report: Colon cleansing lacks evidence to support its use
In my best-selling book, Alternative Medicine: The Christian Handbook, in the chapter on “Colonics,” co-author Donal O’Mathuna, PhD, and I conclude: “There is no scientific basis for using or recommending colonics for general health.” A new report confirms our recommendations.
Survey: 38 million US adults turning to alternative therapies
WebMD reported, “Most Americans believe that prescription medications are the most effective treatments for many common illnesses, but a Consumer Reports survey of more than 45,000 people finds that three-fourths of us are turning to alternative therapies like yoga and … Continue reading
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Tagged Alternative Medicine, Alternative Medicine: The Christian Handbook, complimentary and alternative medicine
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No evidence for Gripe water as treatment for infant colic
The Los Angeles Times reports, “Gripe waters have never been tested as remedies for colic” in babies.
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Children's Health, Parenting
Tagged alternative medicine and children, colic, complimentary and alternative medicine, gripe water, infant colic
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Flaxseed does not help reduce hot flashes
A new study is showing that flaxseed is NOT associated with a significant reduction in hot flashes for women with menopausal symptoms or breast cancer survivors taking anti-estrogen drugs.
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Woman's Health
Tagged alternative therapies, alternative therapy, alternative treatments, complimentary and alternative medicine, flaxseed, menopausal symptoms, menopause, perimenopause
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White mulberry for type 2 diabetes
For some strange reason, I’ve had more folks searching my web site for “white mulberry for diabetes. So, here’s my take on the topic.
Posted in Alternative Medicine
Tagged Alternative Medicine, alternative therapies, alternative therapy, alternative treatments, complimentary and alternative medicine, diabetes, mulberry, type 2 diabetes
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Feds issue warning to makers of unproven STD treatments
The AP reports, “Federal health officials are cracking down on bogus pills and supplements that their makers claim will cure or prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) like HIV, herpes and genital warts.”
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Infectious Disease, Men's Health, Woman's Health
Tagged Alternative Medicine, alternative therapies, alternative therapy, alternative treatments, complimentary and alternative medicine, STD
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Infants are being given potentially harmful herbal supplements
About one in ten infants are given unregulated and potentially unsafe herbal products or teas by their moms.
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Children's Health, Nutritional Health, Parenting
Tagged Alternative Medicine, alternative therapies, alternative therapy, alternative treatments, colic, complimentary and alternative medicine, herb, herbal remedies, herbal tea, herbs
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Alternative Medicine and Children – Part 7 – The Bottom Line? The Risks Are Simply Too Great for Children
In general, we believe that alternative medicine is inappropriate for children. Why? The potential risks are too high.
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Children's Health, Parenting
Tagged Alternative Medicine, alternative medicine and children, alternative therapies, alternative therapy, complimentary and alternative medicine, herb, herbal remedies, herbs
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Alternative Medicine and Children – Part 6 – Vaccination and Alternative Medicine
The anti-vaccination movement has no better friends than in the alternative medicine world. In the Massachusetts study mentioned in my last blog, less than one-third of the homeopaths recommended immunization, and almost 10 percent actively opposed immunization. In England, the most … Continue reading
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Children's Health, Infectious Disease, Parenting
Tagged Alternative Medicine, alternative medicine and children, alternative therapies, alternative therapy, alternative treatments, complimentary and alternative medicine, delayed vaccines, DPT vaccine, homeopath, homeopathy, measles vaccine, vaccination, vaccination rates, vaccine, vaccine effectiveness, vaccine myth, vaccine safety, vaccine schedule, vaccines, whooping cough vaccine
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Alternative Medicine and Children – Part 5 – Homeopathy
Homeopathic remedies are commonly given to children. In fact, one study found that children comprised one-third of all the patients seen by homeopaths. But, is homeopathy safe and effective in children?
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Children's Health, Parenting
Tagged alternative medicine and children, alternative therapies, alternative therapy, alternative treatments, complimentary and alternative medicine, homeopathy
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Alternative Medicine and Children – Part 4 – Herbs and Herbalism
So far in this series on alternative medicine and children, I have been concerned with the chemical aspects of herbal remedies. In this blog, I’d like to address herbalism, which is more like a religious approach to herbs and raises … Continue reading
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Children's Health, Nutritional Health, Parenting
Tagged alternative medicine and children, alternative therapies, alternative therapy, alternative treatments, complimentary and alternative medicine, herbal remedies, herbalist, herbs
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Alternative Medicine and Children – Part 3 – Herbs for Children and the Risks
As pediatric surgeons were performing surgery on children in the 1990s, some noticed an increase in bleeding problems. They could not explain their observations until researcher, led by Kathi J. Kemper, M.D., found a connection between bleeding problems and children’s … Continue reading
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Children's Health, Parenting
Tagged alternative medicine and children, alternative therapies, alternative therapy, alternative treatments, complimentary and alternative medicine, herbal remedies, herbs
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Alternative Medicine and Children – Part 2 – Chiropractic for Children
The most common pediatric complimentary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapy requiring a therapist is chiropractic. One estimate claims that the number of children being treated by chiropractors increased 50 percent between 1997 and 2000. This same study found that while many … Continue reading
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Children's Health, Parenting
Tagged alternative medicine and children, alternative therapies, alternative therapy, alternative treatments, chiropractic care, chiropractors, complimentary and alternative medicine
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Alternative Medicine and Children – Part 1 – Introduction
In this, my newest series of blogs, I want to discuss the growing interest in alternative medicine among adults that has now carried over to children and into the offices of pediatricians and family physicians.
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Children's Health, Parenting
Tagged alternative medicine and children, alternative therapies, alternative therapy, alternative treatments, complimentary and alternative medicine
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Herbal remedies of limited help for colic
Colic is the bane of many sleep-deprived parents of newborns — but even though some crying, colicky babies may respond to alternative medicine remedies their use has little or no support from clinical trials, according to a recent systematic review. … Continue reading
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Children's Health, Parenting
Tagged alternative therapies, alternative therapy, alternative treatments, colic, complimentary and alternative medicine, fennel, herbal tea, sugar
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Report highlights potential dangers of complementary and alternative medicines for children
In my evidence-based book on alternative medicine, Alternative Medicine: The options, the claims, the evidence, how to choose wisely, I wrote a cautionary chapter on the risks and dangers of many alternative therapies and natural medications in children in which … Continue reading
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Children's Health, Parenting
Tagged Alternative Medicine: The Christian Handbook, alternative therapies, alternative therapy, alternative treatments, complimentary and alternative medicine
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Chiropractic Care: an evidence-based evaluation
I’ve had several questions from readers about my views on chiropractic care. It’s a topic I reviewed for my evidence-based book, Alternative Medicine: The options, the claims, the evidence, how to choose wisely, that was co-published and endorsed by the … Continue reading
Posted in Alternative Medicine, General Health
Tagged Alternative Medicine: The Christian Handbook, alternative therapy, alternative treatments, chiropractic care, chiropractors, complimentary and alternative medicine, spinal manipulation
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U.S. spending millions to see if herbs truly work
People have been using herbal supplements for centuries to cure all manner of ills and improve their health. But for all the folk wisdom promoting the use of such plants as St. John’s wort and black cohosh, much about their … Continue reading
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Medical Economics
Tagged Alternative Medicine, Alternative Medicine: The Christian Handbook, alternative therapies, alternative therapy, alternative treatments, complimentary and alternative medicine
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Lower-Priced Resveratrol Supplements Pass Quality Tests While Some Higher-Priced Brands Flunk
Nature’s Code ResveratrexConsumerLab.com has reported that tests of supplements containing resveratrol — a compound promoted as “life-extending” — revealed that two products provided only 43.4% and 86.7%, respectively, of their listed amounts of resveratrol. These two products were among the … Continue reading
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Medical Economics, Nutritional Health
Tagged alternative therapy, alternative treatments, complimentary and alternative medicine, consumerlab, resveratrol
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FDA announces crackdown on chelation therapy — finally!
I’ve written about chelation for many years. In my book, Alternative Medicine: The Christian Handbook, I conclude, “Evidence against (chelation’s) effectiveness in heart disease is so clear, its continued use raises serious ethical questions. The therapy is very expensive and can be … Continue reading
Posted in Alternative Medicine, General Health
Tagged Alternative Medicine, Alternative Medicine: The Christian Handbook, alternative therapies, alternative therapy, alternative treatments, chelation, complimentary and alternative medicine, fraud, quackery, quacks
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Yoga: Should Christians Be Concerned?
Yoga is an alternative therapy that raises difficult questions for Christians. The physical and breathing exercises taught in yoga classes may improve general well-being. However, as a deeply religious practice with the goal of union with the divine, it is … Continue reading
Homeopathic Cobra Venom for Pain? Watch out!
According to the experts at the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, Cobroxin and Nyloxin are new homeopathic products used for chronic pain. They come as an oral spray and topical gel. The bad news is that these products contain a “5X … Continue reading
Acupuncture found lacking for fibromyalgia
Reuters Health is reporting on a new study examining the treatment of fibromyalgia with acupuncture. Indeed, acupuncture may provide some temporary pain relief for people with fibromyalgia, but does not help with fatigue, sleep problems, or physical function, according to … Continue reading
Many autism therapies are unproven and risky
In a gripping series exploring autism and its treatments, the Los Angeles Times reports that “after reviewing thousands of pages of court documents and scientific studies and interviewing top researchers in the field, an investigation by the Chicago Tribune found … Continue reading
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Children's Health, Parenting
Tagged Alternative Medicine, Alternative Medicine: The Christian Handbook, alternative therapies, alternative therapy, alternative treatments, autism, autism spectrum disorder, chelation, complimentary and alternative medicine
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Newly released test show most Milk Thistle supplements are substandard
White Plains, New York — December 2, 2009 — A recent review by ConsumerLab.com of ten milk thistle supplements showed that only one met ConsumerLab.com’s quality standards. Two products failed to properly list the part of the milk thistle plant … Continue reading
Herbal remedies need real regulation
In my best-selling book, Alternative Medicine: The Christian Handbook, I explain the reasons that natural medications (herbs, vitamins, and supplements) received so little regulation in the United States, and the many problems this causes for health consumers. Now, David Frum, … Continue reading
No Science to Back Actress Somers’ Potentially Harmful Menopause Advice
Miserable in menopause, Elizabeth Alsgaard pondered an awful choice: Drenching hot flashes or hormone therapies that might raise the risk of cancer. What former actress Suzanne Somers raved about held much more appeal — custom-mixed “bioidentical” hormones, just like ones … Continue reading
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Woman's Health
Tagged alternative therapies, alternative therapy, alternative treatments, bioidentical hormone therapy, complimentary and alternative medicine, compounding pharmacists, estriol, estrogen, hormone replacement therapy, hormone therapy, menopausal symptoms, menopause, natural medications, saliva testing
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Physician calls for increased FDA regulation of dietary supplements
In my book, Alternative Medicine: The Christian Handbook, I lament the lack of regulation of dietary supplements in the U.S. Because of this lack, it’s very difficult for consumers to know, when it comes to herbs, vitamins, and supplements, if … Continue reading
Posted in Alternative Medicine, Nutritional Health
Tagged Alternative Medicine, Alternative Medicine: The Christian Handbook, alternative therapies, alternative treatments, complimentary and alternative medicine, herbs, natural medications, supplements, vitamins
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The Ten Commandments of Preventive Medicine – Part 8 – Alternative Medicine
In my latest book, 10 Essentials of Happy, Healthy People, I teach people how to utilize these ten essentials that are necessary to live a happy and highly healthy life. Under The Essential of Self-Care, teach what I call “The 10 Commandments … Continue reading
Posted in Children's Health, Men's Health, Nutritional Health, Parenting, Woman's Health
Tagged Alternative Medicine, Alternative Medicine: The Christian Handbook, alternative therapies, alternative therapy, alternative treatments, complimentary and alternative medicine, herbs, natural medications, supplements, vitamins
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