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

    Herbal options to treat mood and anxiety in menopausal women

    Here’s a review by researchers at the University of Illinois, Chicago that focuses on the scientific support for the use of herbals in women during menopause. It differs a bit in its conclusions from a more general review posted here recently.

    Both reviews list St. John’s wort as the most useful herbal for alleviating mood and anxiety changes during menopause.

    Both reviews conclude that ginkgo and valerian do not appear to be useful in reducing depression or anxiety in these women.

    In the middle are?

    Kava

    • Promising in peri- and postmenopausal women (careful in the amount and duration of use).
    • Effective for anxiety in the other review.

    Black cohosh

    • Useful in alleviating mood and anxiety changes during menopause.
    • Not listed in the other review.

    Ginseng

    • Might be effective during menopause, but more research is needed
    • Not listed in the other review.

    7/13/07 21:44 JR

    Leave a Comment

    You must be logged in to post a comment.