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.

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    Maca plant as a treatment for menopausal symptoms

    Maca (Lepidium meyenii), a plant in the mustard family has been used in the Andes to manage anemia, infertility, and female hormone balance.

    Researchers in South Korea and the UK reviewed the evidence for relieving symptoms of menopause.

    First, the details.

    • 4 studies of maca-based treatment were reviewed
    • Each used a placebo control.
    • All patients were healthy peri-menopausal, early postmenopausal, and late postmenopausal women.

    And, the results.

    • All studies reported favorable effects of maca on menopausal symptoms.

    The bottom line?

    Despite the positive results, the authors concluded, “The results of our systematic review provide limited evidence for the effectiveness of maca as a treatment for menopausal symptoms.”

    The small number of studies, small number of participants, and the average quality of study design limited their ability to draw firm conclusions.

    The safety of maca has not been proved.

    10/19/11 22:13 JR

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