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

    Do fatty acid supplements prevent allergic disease?

     Probably not, according to researchers at the University of Edinburgh, in the UK.

    First, the details.

    • 10 articles (representing 6 unique studies) were included in the review.
    • 4 studies compared omega-3 supplements with placebo.
    • 2 studies compared omega-6 supplements with placebo.

    And, the results.

    • There was no evidence of a reduced risk of allergic sensitization.
    • There was no evidence of a favorable effect on the immunological profile.
    • Meta-analyses on the combined data showed no consistent or clear benefit of omega-3 on atopic eczema, asthma, allergic rhinitis, or food allergy.
    • And no benefit of omega-6 on atopic eczema.

    The bottom line?
    “Supplementation with omega 3 and omega 6 oils is probably unlikely to play an important role as a strategy for the primary prevention of sensitization or allergic disease,” concluded the authors.

    The results are contrary to the evidence from basic science and epidemiological studies

    4/28/09 21:07 JR

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