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

    Review: Botanicals to reduce skin aging and wrinkling

    Prof. Ernst tells us, “Although topical creams and other anti-aging products purport to reduce the appearance of aging and skin wrinkling, there has been no critical analysis in the scientific literature of their effectiveness.”

    Get ready.

    First, the details.

    • 11 studies of botanical extracts for reducing skin wrinkling and the appearance of aging met all the inclusion criteria.
    • All of the studies were poorly designed.

    And, the results.

    • A significant reduction in skin wrinkling was noted for…
      • Date kernel extract
      • Cork extract
      • Soy extract
      • Rosaceae
      • Peony extract
    • No significant reduction was noted for…
      • Green tea
      • Vitaphenol® (a combination of green and white teas, mangosteen and pomegranate extract)
      • Maca root
    • Adverse effects were frequently not reported.

    The bottom line?

    The authors concluded, “There is some weak evidence to suggest that several botanical extracts may be effective in reducing the appearance of skin aging but no evidence that this effect is enduring.”

    11/22/10 19:48 JR

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