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.

  • Recent Posts

  • Recent Comments

    Poor quality control with milk thistle supplements

    At the end of 2006 I listed milk thistle as a supplement worth additional research. This was because of a study in people with diabetes where milk thistle was associated with a decline in A1c circuclating in blood.

    Now, ConsumerLab.com has tested 12 milk thistle products.

    7 products failed their tests.

    • 1 supplement had 20% of the expected amount of silymarin compounds — the key active components in milk thistle.
    • 4 other products provided no more than two-thirds of their expected amounts.
    • Another fell short by 16%.
    • 1 supplement failed to identify the part of milk thistle used — an FDA labeling requirement.

    It makes it difficult for consumers to achieve positive results when the manufacturers fail to maintain quality control.

    6/16/07 19:35 JR

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