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

    Using fish oil in treating phenylketonuria

    Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a genetic disorder that can cause brain damage and mental retardation. Treatment is a low-protein diet.

    Now, we learn that fish oil supplementation in children with PKU improved their motor skills (ie, writing, tying shoes, walking and kicking).

    First, the details.

    • 24 patients older than 4 years of age were evaluated before and after supplementation with fish oil for 3 months (15 mg docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]/kg body weight daily).
    • Their response was compared to 22 similar children who did not get the fish oil.

    And, the results.

    • At the start of the study, patients had low omega-3 fatty acid blood levels, and poor motor skills performance compared to controls.
    • Fish oil supplementation increased omega-3 fatty acids and decreased omega-6 fatty acids.
    • The patients treated with fish oil also showed improvement in motor skills.
    • There were no serious side effects and 8 out of 10 patients reported that omega-3 treatment was well tolerated.

    The bottom line?
    Dr. Berthold Koletzko and colleagues from the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, Germany concluded that “Since early and continuously treated patients with PKU benefit from dietary supplementation with n-3 LC-PUFA [omega-3 fatty acids], their addition to the synthetic amino acid mixtures appears advisable.”

    More info on PKU is here.

    Quiz: Why is the Moby Dick photo used with this post?

    7/8/07 14:12 JR

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