Alternative Medicine Review back issues from December 2004:
Bursting the analytical bubble.(Editorial)
Dec 01, 2004; ... And you thought when you learned the truth about Santa Claus it ruined your day. Read on .... Practitioners, retailers, and the public are currently suffering through an unrelenting barrage of claims and certifications from companies who claim they meet "cGMP" (current Good ...
FDA proposed GMPs.(Editorial)(United States. Food and Drug Administration)(genetically modified plants)
Dec 01, 2004 ... [68 Federal Register 49:12157, at 12197-12198: March 13, 2003] "For those specifications that we tentatively have determined are necessary (identity, purity, quality, strength, and composition) at receipt, in process, and finished product stage, we are proposing specific testing ...
Inflammatory bowel disease part II: Crohn's disease--pathophysiology and conventional and alternative treatment options.
Dec 01, 2004; ... Abstract Crohn's disease, a subcategory of inflammatory bowel disease, contributes to significant morbidity, particularly in industrialized nations. It can affect people of any age, but is more commonly diagnosed in adolescence and young adulthood. Inflammation and ulceration ...
Pharmacologically active natural compounds for lung cancer.
Dec 01, 2004; ... Abstract This article consists of an analysis of the available scientific research on botanically derived compounds that have potential efficacy in the treatment of lung cancer. The mechanisms of activity reviewed include alkylating agents, topoisomerase poisons, DNA synthesis ...
Evaluation of the effects of Neptune krill oil on the clinical course of hyperlipidemia.(Krill Oil)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Abstract OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of krill oil on blood lipids, specifically total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). METHODS: A multi-center, three-month, prospective, randomized study followed by a ...
Angelica sinensis (Dong quai).
Dec 01, 2004 ... Description Angelica sinensis (commonly known as dong quai) is a fragrant, perennial herb found in mainland China, Japan, and Korea. Other common names for dong quai include Chinese Angelica, dang gui (Chinese), toki (Japanese), tanggwi (Ko rean), and kinesisk kvan (Danish). A ...
Boron.(Monograph)
Dec 01, 2004 ... Introduction Elemental boron was first isolated in 1808. Although it has yet to be recognized as an essential nutrient in humans, recent data from animal and human studies suggest boron may be important for mineral metabolism, brain function and performance, hormone regulation, ...
Valeriana officinalis.(Monograph)
Dec 01, 2004 ... Description Valerian is the common name for over 250 worldwide plant species of the genus Valeriana (Valerianaceae). Although all of the species' roots contain similar medicinal constituents and qualities, in the West Valeriana officinalis is almost exclusively the valerian ...
Plant Medicine in Practice: Using the Teachings of John Bastyr.(Book Review)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Plant Medicine in Practice: Using the Teachings of John Bastyr William A. Mitchell, ND Churchhill Livingstone Publishing; Edinburgh, Scotland ISBN 0-443-07238-8 Hard cover; 458 pgs; $66.95 Compendiums of botanical medicine can be as complex for the master as for the ...
Effects of vitamin K2 on osteoporosis.(Abstracts)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Iwamoto J, Takeda T, Sato Y. Curr Pharm Des 2004; 10:2557-2576. Vitamin K2 is a cofactor of gamma-carboxylase, which converts the glutamic acid (Glu) residue in osteocalcin molecules to gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla), and is, therefore, essential for gamma-carboxylation of ...
Inflammation-induced endothelial dysfunction involves reduced nitric oxide bioavailability and increased oxidant stress.(Abstracts)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Clapp BR, Hingorani AD, Kharbanda RK, et al. Cardiovasc Res 2004;64:172-178. OBJECTIVES: Our aim was to investigate mechanisms of inflammation-induced endothelial dysfunction in humans. METHODS: Endothelial function in twenty-one healthy human volunteers was measured using ...
A report of high-dose selenium supplementation: response and toxicities.(Abstracts)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Reid ME, Stratton MS, Lillico AJ, et al. J Trace Elem Med Biol 2004;18:69-74. Concerns about the toxicity of selenium has limited the doses used in chemoprevention. Based on previous studies, intakes of 400 microg/day and plasma selenium of 1000 ng/ml (Dietary Reference Intakes, ...
Stone forming risk of calcium citrate supplementation in healthy postmenopausal women.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Sakhaee K, Poindexter JR, Griffith CS, Pak CY. J Urol 2004:172:958-961. PURPOSE: We evaluated the effect of calcium citrate supplementation alone or in combination with potassium citrate on the stone forming propensity in healthy postmenopausal women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A ...
Magnesium prophylaxis for arrhythmias after cardiac surgery: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.(Abstracts)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Shiga T, Wajima Z, Inoue T, Ogawa R. Am J Med 2004; 117:325-333. BACKGROUND: Magnesium supplementation may reduce the incidence of arrhythmias, which often occur after cardiac surgery; however, recent findings of the effectiveness of magnesium prophylaxis have yielded discrepant ...
Folate deficiency inhibits the proliferation of primary human CD8+ T lymphocytes in vitro.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Courtemanche C, Elson-Schwab I, Mashiyama ST, et al. J Immunol 2004;173:3186-3192. Folate is required for one-carbon transfer reactions and the formation of purines and pyrimidines for DNA and RNA synthesis. Deficiency of folate can lead to many clinical abnormalities, including ...
Prospective, comparative cohort studies and their contribution to the benefit assessments of therapeutic options: heart failure treatment with and without Hawthorn special extract WS 1442.(Abstracts)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Habs M. Forsch Komplementarmed Klass Natttrheilkd 2004;11 Suppl 1:36-39. BACKGROUND: In addition to testing a drug for its efficacy, pharmacological quality and safety, current policies are increasingly demanding evaluations of the therapeutic benefits provided by a drug in ...
L-arginine and hypertension.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Gokce N. J Nutr 2004; 134:2807S-2811S. Hypertension is a major healthcare problem afflicting nearly 50 million individuals in the United States. Despite its strong causal association with cardiovascular disease complications including myocardial infarction, heart failure, and ...
Phase I clinical trial of oral curcumin: biomarkers of systemic activity and compliance.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Sharma RA, Euden SA, Platton SL, et al. Clin Cancer Res 2004;10:6847-6854. Curcumin, a polyphenolic antioxidant derived from a dietary spice, exhibits anticancer activity in rodents and in humans. Its efficacy appears to be related to induction of glutathione S-transferase ...
Terminalia arjuna reverses impaired endothelial function in chronic smokers.(Abstracts)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Bharani A, Ahirwar LK, Jain N. Indian Heart J 2004;56:123-128. BACKGROUND: Smoking, largely through increased oxidative stress, causes endothelial dysfunction which is an early key event in atherosclerosis. Smoking cessation and antioxidant vitamin therapy are shown to have ...
The probiotic effect of Saccharomyces boulardii in a pediatric age group.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Erdeve O, Tiras U, Dallar Y. J Trop Pediatr 2004;50:234-236. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of S. boulardii in diarrhea associated with commonly used antibiotics such as sulbactam-ampicillin (SAM) and azithromycin (AZT). Four hundred and sixty-six patients ...
Extract of Rhodiola rosea radix reduces the level of C-reactive protein and creatinine kinase in the blood.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Abidov M, Grachev S, Seifuila RD, Ziegenfuss TN. Bull Exp Biol Med 2004;138:63-64. [Article in English, Russian] The effects of extracts of Rhodiola rosea radix on blood levels of inflammatory C-reactive ...
Antidiabetic effect of Pycnogenol French maritime pine bark extract in patients with diabetes type II.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Liu X, Wei J, Tan F, et al. Life Sci 2004;75:2505-2513. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, multi-center study was performed with 77 diabetes type II patients to investigate anti-diabetic effects of the French maritime pine bark extract, Pycnogenol. Supplementation ...
Vitamin K, bone turnover and bone mass in girls.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Kalkwarf HJ, Khoury JC, Bean J, Elliot JG. Am J Clin Nutr 2004;80:1075-1080. BACKGROUND: Vitamin K has been suggested to have a role in bone metabolism, and low vitamin K intake has been related to low bone density and increased risk of osteoporotic fracture. OBJECTIVE: The ...
Alpha lipoic acid inhibits human T-cell migration: Implications for multiple sclerosis.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Marracci GH, McKeon GR Marquardt WE, et al. J Neurosci Res 2004;78:362-370. We have demonstrated previously the ability of the antioxidant alpha lipoic acid (ALA) to suppress and treat a model of multiple sclerosis (MS), relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis ...
Green tea (Camellia sinensis) extract does not alter cytochrome p450 3A4 or 2D6 activity in healthy volunteers.(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Donovan JL, Chavin KD, Devane CL, et al. Drug Metab Dispos 2004:32:906-908. Green tea extract is a widely used dietary supplement. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of a decaffeinated green tea (DGT; Camellia sinensis) extract on the activity of the ...
Further evaluation of docosahexaenoic acid in patients with retinitis pigmentosa receiving vitamin A treatment: subgroup analyses.(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Berson EL, Rosner B, Sandberg MA, et al. Arch Ophthalmol 2004; 122:1306-1314. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether docosahexaenoic acid will slow the course of retinal degeneration in subgroups of patients with retinitis pigmentosa who are receiving vitamin A. DESIGN: A cohort of 208 ...
Betaine in human nutrition.(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Craig SA. Am J Clin Nutr 2004;80:539-549. Betaine is distributed widely in animals, plants, and microorganisms, and rich dietary sources include seafood, especially marine invertebrates (approximately 1%); wheat germ or bran (approximately 1%); and spinach (approximately 0.7%) ....
Carotenoids, vitamin A and risk of adenomatous polyp recurrence in the polyp prevention trial.(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Steck-Scott S, Forman MR, Sowell A, et al. Int J Cancer 2004:112:295-305. One trial reported beta-carotene supplementation was protective of adenomatous polyp recurrence in nonsmokers. We now examine the relation of serum and dietary carotenoids and vitamin A to adenomatous ...
Celiac disease and its endocrine and nutritional implications on male reproduction.
Dec 01, 2004; ... Stazi AV, Mantovani A. Minerva Med 2004;95:243-254. [Article in Italian] The problem of the interference of celiac disease (CD) with the male reproductive system is made evident both by the recognized adverse effects on female reproduction and by the multifactorial nature of the ...
Association of serum total homocysteine with the extent of ischemic heart disease in a Mediterranean cohort.(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Vrentzos G, Papadakis JA, Malliaraki N, et al. Angiology 2004;55:517-524. High total homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations increase coronary disease risk. Therefore, the authors examined the relation between tHcy concentrations and the number of stenotic arteries in patients with ...
Vitamin B6 level is associated with symptoms of depression.(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Hvas AM, Juul S, Bech P, Nexo E. Psychother Psychosom 2004 ;73:340343. BACKGROUND: A low level of vitamin B6 might theoretically cause depression as vitamin B6 is a cofactor in the tryptophan-serotonin pathway. In the present study, we examined the association between ...
Efficacy and safety of Vitamin C vaginal tablets in the treatment of non-specific vaginitis; A randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled study.(Abstracts)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Petersen EE, Magnani P. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2004;117:70-75. Methods: This was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Vitamin C vaginal tablets (250mg) given once a day in patients suffering from non-specific ...
Lycopene: modes of action to promote prostate health.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Wertz K, Siler U, Goralczyk R. Arch Biochem Biophys 2004:430:127-134. Epidemiological evidence strongly suggests that lycopene consumption contributes to prostate cancer risk reduction. Preclinical studies show that lycopene acts via different mechanisms, which have the ...
Soy isoflavone intake lowers serum LDL cholesterol: a meta-analysis of 8 randomized controlled trials in humans.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Zhuo XG, Melby MK, Watanabe S. J Nutr 2004;134:2395-2400. Clinical trials have noted hypocholesterolemic effects of soy protein intake, but the components responsible are not known. This meta-analysis of 8 randomized controlled trials was conducted to more precisely evaluate the ...
Magnesium treatment for sudden hearing loss.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Nageris BI, Ulanovski D, Attias J. Ann Otol Rhilol Laryngol 2004;113:672-675. Magnesium treatment has been repeatedly shown to reduce the incidence of both temporary and permanent noise-induced hearing loss. We hypothesized that it might also improve the permanent threshold ...
Artemisinin induces apoptosis in human cancer cells.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Singh NP, Lai HC. Anticancer Res 2004;24:2277-2280. BACKGROUND: Artemisinin is a chemical compound extracted from the wormwood plant, Artemisia annua L. It has been shown to selectively kill cancer cells in vitro and retard the growth of implanted fibrosarcoma tumors in rats. In ...
Safety of Hypericum extract in mildly to moderately depressed outpatients; A review based on data from three randomized, placebo-controlled trials.(Abstracts)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Trautmann-Sponsel RD, Dienel A. J Affect Disord 2004;82:303-307. Rationale: Hypericum extracts have been regarded as antidepressant drugs wihtout specific side effects by patients, medical professionals and researchers alike. Recently there has been discussion about potential ...
Effect of a Mediterranean-style diet on endothelial dysfunction and markers of vascular inflammation in the metabolic syndrome: a randomized trial.(Abstracts)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Esposito K, Marfella R, Ciotola M, et al. JAMA 2004;292:1440-1446. CONTEXT: The metabolic syndrome has been identified as a target for dietary therapies to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease; however, the role of diet in the etiology of the metabolic syndrome is poorly ...
Coenzyme Q10 serum levels in Huntington's disease.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Andrich J, Saft C, Gerlach M, et al. J Neural Transm Suppl 2004;68:S111-S116. Mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to the neurodegenerative process in Huntington's disease (HD). Coenzyme Q 10 (CoQ10) enhances mitochondrial complex I activity and may therefore provide a ...
Fish intake is associated with a reduced progression of coronary artery atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women with coronary artery disease.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Erkkila AT, Lichtenstein AH, Mozaffarian D, Herrington DM. Am J Clin Nutr 2004;80:626-632. BACKGROUND: Higher intakes of fish and n-3 fatty acids are associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular events and mortality. However. limited data exist on the effect of fish intake ...
The clinical study on the adjunctive effects of aqueous extract from Coptis root for the treatment of chronic periodontitis.(Abstracts)(Brief Article)
Dec 01, 2004; ... Wu YH, Jiang GS, Zhagn SZ, et al. Shanghai Kou Qiang Yi Xue 2004;13:252-255. [Article in Chinese] PURPOSE: To make a therapeutic membrane with aqueous extract from coptis root and explore its adjunctive effects for treating chronic periodontitis. METHODS: Drug membrane from ...
Calendar of events.(Calendar)
Dec 01, 2004 ... December 4, 2004: Oregon Association of Naturopathic Physicians Annual Pharmacy Seminar 2004 in Portland, OR. Contact: OANP, PO Box 5876, Portland, OR 97228. (503) 262-8586. December 11-13, 2004: Integrative Medical Therapeutics for Anti-Aging Conference & Exposition in Miami ...