Alternative Medicine

A new clinical study will explore the brain-gut interaction in patients with functional dyspepsia and whether certain drugs can effectively relieve symptoms of this disorder. Functional dyspepsia is a costly and chronic disorder that can cause severe stomach pain often reported as cramping, bloating and gas, or great discomfort or fullness after eating. »»»

Two studies report that exercise and yoga can help maintain and in some cases improve quality of life in women with early-stage breast cancer. The first study found that resistance and aerobic exercise improved physical fitness, self-esteem and body composition, and that resistance exercise improved chemotherapy completion rates. The second study demonstrated that yoga was particularly beneficial for women who were not receiving chemotherapy during the study period. »»»

Dietary therapy using flaxseed can decrease hot flashes in some postmenopausal women who do not take estrogen. A hot flash is often described as a flush of intense warmth across much of the body that may be accompanied by sweating, reddening of the skin, or, occasionally, cold shivers. Hot flashes occur in varying frequency and duration, even during sleep, and often cause or accompany sleep deprivation, anxiety and irritability. »»»

New research by scientists in Taiwan has shown that an 800-year-old formula, 4 Agents Decoction (Si Wu Tang), does not significantly reduce menstrual pain after three cycles of treatment; however, a beneficial effect may be present after a longer treatment. The dosage regimen and treatment length used in this study are not associated with adverse reactions. »»»

The Internet is serving as a fertile medium for "HIV denialists" to spread false ideas about HIV/AIDS, which could have terrible public health consequences, say scientists in a policy paper in PLoS Medicine. »»»

NIST has issued a suite of Standard Reference Materials for ginkgo biloba, one of the most popular dietary supplements in the marketplace. The new reference materials are designed to help researchers validate the accuracy of analytical methods for flavonoids and terpene lactones (plant constituents that may be associated with the perceived effectiveness of ginkgo) as well as toxic elements in ginkgo. »»»

Lupus is an autoimmune disease affecting more than 5 million people around the world. It particularly affects women of fertile age. A new study shows that reducing stress in people also decreases some symptoms of this disease. Patients who received psychological therapy significantly reduced their levels of stress, anxiety and depression, achieving even lower levels than those of the general population. »»»

A study published in the July 1 issue of the journal SLEEP finds that large segments of the US population use valerian or melatonin to treat their insomnia. »»»

People with diabetes are risking their health by not discussing their use of complementary and alternative therapies with the health professionals managing their conventional treatment. »»»

Complementary therapies in assisted reproduction may diminish the effectiveness of medical treatment for infertility in women, a scientist will tell the 23rd Annual Conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Lyon, France, Wednesday, July 4. »»»

"There is an enormous amount of interest in using meditation as a form of therapy to cope with a variety of modern-day health problems, especially hypertension, stress and chronic pain, but the majority of evidence that seems to support this notion is anecdotal, or it comes from poor quality studies," say Maria Ospina and Kenneth Bond, researchers at the University of Alberta/Capital Health Evidence-based Practice Center in Edmonton, Canada. »»»

Increasingly, drug abusers are getting their next fix from their medicine cabinets, instead of from drug dealers. More than 6 million Americans abuse prescription drugs, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. One in 10 teenagers admits to abusing painkillers, such as Vicodin and Oxycontin. Painkillers cause more overdoses than cocaine and heroin combined. »»»

Echinacea, the most popular herbal supplement in the United States, cuts the chances of catching the common cold by 58 percent and reduces the duration of the common cold by 1.4 days, according to a new University of Connecticut study to be published in the July issue of the prominent British medical journal, The Lancet Infectious Diseases. »»»

Scientists offer an in-depth examination of cancer-related fatigue, with hope that a better understanding of the topic will prompt new research and treatment. »»»

Women whose sexual desire diminishes during menopause are more likely to report disturbed sleep, depression symptoms, and night sweats, according to recent research. To the best of the research team's knowledge, this marks the first time that sleep disturbance has been independently associated with diminished sexual desire during or after menopause. »»»

Researchers have generated preliminary data suggesting that a form of American ginseng provides greater improvements in fatigue and vitality in patients who receive the highest doses tested, compared to lower doses or no treatment. »»»

Researchers have found that practicing yoga may elevate brain gamma-aminobutyric levels, the brain's primary inhibitory neurotransmitter. The findings suggest that the practice of yoga be explored as a possible treatment for depression and anxiety, disorders associated with low GABA levels. »»»

When is an herbal tea a safe and effective sleep aid, and when is that same tea a risky pharmaceutical choice? Health care professionals face such questions daily, and a University of Arkansas researcher cautions that they may need to acquire advanced clinical skills in order to assure patient safety. »»»

Herbal agents could be used to treat inflammatory bladder diseases, according to a preliminary study that looked at the ability of green tea to protect bladder cells from inflammation. The study found that components of green tea protected bladder cells from damage in culture. Green tea, reported to have many health benefits, is rich in powerful antioxidants that make it a desired remedy for many medical conditions. »»»

Sales of herbal dietary supplements have skyrocketed by 100 percent in the United States during the last 10 years, but most people don't consider evidence-based indications before using them, according to a recent study. »»»