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

    Saffron to treat PMS

    This is the first study of saffron to treat premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in humans.

    First, the details.

    • Women, 20 to 45 years old, with regular menstrual cycles and PMS for at least 6 months were studied.
    • After monitoring the women for 2 menstrual cycles, they were randomly assigned to take saffron capsules 30 mg/day (15 mg morning and evening) or placebo for an additional 2 menstrual cycles.
    • Neither the researchers nor the women knew the treatment given (blinded).

    And, the results.

    • At the end of the study, 76% of the women taking saffron had a 50% or greater reduction in PMS symptoms, vs 8% of the women taking placebo, a significant difference.
    • There were significant differences between groups in the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores — a 21-question multiple choice questionnaire used to rate the severity of a patient’s depression.

    The bottom line?
    It’s a small study, but deserves to be followed-up with another.

    5/8/08 22:10 JR

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