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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    Archive for the 'Aloe Vera' Category

    Herbal treatments for acne vulgaris

    Monday, July 11th, 2016

    Faculty members from Hamdard University in New Delhi, India have published a review on Medscape of treatment options for acne, with emphasis on herbal treatment options.

    Here’s a summary of the herbal section. (more…)

    Acne treatments

    Saturday, July 11th, 2015

    The surest way to know that there is no truly effective treatment for a condition is to count the number of treatment recommendations. The more recommendations, the less likely it is that any of them have a significant effect. I’m not sure if there is a tipping point. Whether 6 or 12 or 20 recommended treatments guarantee that you will have less than complete cure.

    Here are some of the recommendations from just one article.

    (more…)

    Use of herbal medicines during HIV/AIDS treatment

    Thursday, February 2nd, 2012

    Researchers at Mbarara University of Science and Technology, in Uganda evaluated the use of herbal medicines among patients at the HIV clinic of Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital. (more…)

    Aloe vera following hemorrhoidectomy

    Monday, January 3rd, 2011

    Researchers at Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, in Iran studied Aloe vera cream to reduce pain and promote healing. (more…)

    Does aloe vera affect blood pressure?

    Thursday, December 9th, 2010

    There’s evidence that about 5% of hypertensive Nigerians use aloe vera to lower blood pressure.

    Researchers at the University of the Pacific, in Stockton, California, studied the effects of oral aloe vera on blood pressure measurements. (more…)

    Herbals to treat psoriasis: A review of the evidence

    Monday, March 15th, 2010

    Dr. Sharon Jacob from the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center in Florida and colleagues reviewed the scientific support for herbals used by patients with psoriasis.

    Here are the highlights.
    (more…)

    Treating scabies with Aloe vera

    Saturday, December 5th, 2009

    Scabies is a contagious skin disorder caused by a mite (photo) that burrows into skin and causes an itchy rash. Topically applied prescription drugs are effective but have side effects; and cost is an issue in developing countries.

    Researchers at Obafemi Awolowo University, in Nigeria compared the response to Aloe vera vs benzyl benzoate (Ascarbiol). (more…)

    Acute liver disease associated with taking aloe vera by mouth

    Friday, September 21st, 2007

    It has been reported in 3 people. (more…)