The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

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  • Recent Comments

    Positive effect of vitamin A on cancer risk

    Less than a month ago I summarized the results of a study where taking vitamin A was associated with increased risk of death. The significance of the results was debatable, but the headline was clear.

    Now, researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm report “High intakes of vitamin A, retinol, and provitamin A carotenoids may reduce the risk of gastric cancer.”

    Confused?

    Don’t be.

    Researchers from the Karolinska Institute followed more than 82,000 Swedish adults for about 7 years. During that time, high intake of vitamin A and retinol from foods and from foods plus supplements, and high intake of alpha-carotene and beta-carotene from diet were associated with a lower risk of stomach cancer.

    The bottom line?
    The researchers concluded there is “a possible protective role of vitamin A in gastric carcinogenesis.” The key word is “possible.” It’s contribution (if any) to your health remains to be determined by future studies.

    As with the earlier study, file this information under the category of “nice to know but not to act on.”

    For now, I’ll continue to take a multivitamin.

    3/11/07 13:42 JR

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