Peer-Reviewed Articles
Bitter melon has many historical and theoretical uses, ranging from an abortifacient to a hemorrhoid treatment. It also has a long history of use as a hypoglycemic agent. Its hypoglycemic effects have been explored to the greatest extent and have aided in our understanding of its pharmacology and mechanism of action, leading to several studies looking at bitter melon as a hypoglycemic agent in type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Celery extract has been shown in animal studies to help prevent stroke, improve blood flow, and act to protect the brain and enhance energy production.
Boswellia is an ancient remedy with numerous modern clinical applications. Extracts of the gum resin with 20% to 30% AKBA represent viable alternative treatments of osteoarthritis. Boswellia extract is also a promising treatment for other inflammatory conditions, including asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and cerebral edema. Further research is needed to adequately assess its efficacy for these applications.
Most herbs and supplements have not been thoroughly tested for interactions with other herbs, supplements, drugs, or foods. The interactions listed below are based on reports in scientific publications, laboratory experiments, or traditional use.
The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has steadily grown in recent decades, followed by an increase in insurance coverage for various CAM providers (eg, naturopathic physicians, acupuncturists, massage therapist, chiropractors). However, with rising healthcare costs, insurers and policy makers have expressed concerns about the cost-effectiveness of healthcare, both conventional and CAM. Although more prospective outcome studies are needed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of CAM, there have been published research studies demonstrating that CAM is cost-effective and may present cost-savings due to inexpensive treatments, lower technology interventions, and its emphasis on preventative medicine.
Long-term use of oral contraceptives (OCs) and of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) have been linked to increased blood coagulation, with its increased risk of cardiovascular problems. Their long-term use also has been linked to altered immune and inflammatory factors, suggesting an increased risk of chronic immune disorders with an inflammatory component, including cancer. This report reviews these various risks. Also discussed are 2 natural food extracts, one showing anticoagulant effects and the other exhibiting certain anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects.
Isoflavones from soy have both estrogenic and antiestrogenic action, and in vitro and animal studies have shown possible interference with hormone blockade agents used in breast cancer aftercare. Epidemiological data, however, suggests that soy consumption is not associated with increased risk in any population of women with a history of breast cancer. Further, there appears to be a linear relationship between decreased risk of recurrence and/or mortality and increasing soy consumption.
As fevers are seen as a beneficial healing process, naturopathic physicians tend to use conventional antipyretics more sparingly than allopathically trained practitioners, depending on patient, parent, and professional comfort.
Metabolic syndrome is a common condition that can increase complications in breast cancer treatment and increase risk of recurrence. While metformin is a promising therapeutic agent, intensive lifestyle interventions and natural therapies can be safely and effectively implemented in people with metabolic syndrome before they become diabetic. Natural medicine interventions such as exercise, dietary counseling, herbal medicine, and dietary supplementation can help optimize outcomes during and after cancer treatment. Strategies discussed in this article include various diets, management of cortisol levels, sleep, avoidance of obesogenic compounds, and use of the nutrients chromium, zinc, vanadium, magnesium, myo-inositol, alpha lipoic acid, fish oil, vitamin D, CoQ10, L-carnitine, herbal bitters, cinnamon, berberine, and green tea.
Diminished ovarian reserve, a natural process by which the follicular pool diminishes with time, is often clinically asymptomatic but presents a challenge to those wanting to become pregnant. Although pelvic ultrasonography and day 3 serum hormone testing have long been common methods of assessing ovarian reserve, promising research suggests the utility of anti-mullerian hormone testing to identify patients with diminished ovarian reserve. Conventional wisdom would suggest that in vitro fertilization is the only answer for diminished ovarian reserve, but preliminary research offers hope that egg quality and ovarian reserve can be improved by dehydroepiandrosterone, melatonin, and myo-inositol.
