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

    Reviewing herbs, vitamins, and minerals in treating premenstrual syndrome

    menopauseResearchers from Dalhousie University, in Halifax, Nova Scotia reviewed the evidence and make recommendations for women experiencing symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

    First, the details.

    • 62 herbs, vitamins, and minerals were identified for which claims of benefit for PMS were made.
    • Evidence from well-designed studies was found for only 10.
    • Differences among the studies made it impossible to combine data and conduct a meta-analysis.

    And, the results.

    • Data support the use of calcium for PMS.
    • Data suggests that chasteberry and vitamin B6 may be effective.
    • Preliminary data support benefit with the following:
      • Ginkgo
      • Magnesium pyrrolidone
      • Saffron
      • St. John wort
      • Soy
      • Vitamin E
    • There’s no evidence of benefit with evening primrose oil or magnesium oxide.

    The bottom line?
    The authors concluded, “Only calcium had good quality evidence to support its use in PMS.”

    11/20/09 20:21 JR

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