The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point

Archive for the 'Echinacea' Category

Acne: Recommendations are easy; data, scarce

Monday, July 11th, 2016

Herbalists recommend more than a dozen herbal remedies for acne and scarring, according to a recent article.

Unfortunately, only 1 of these herbals is supported by the results of a study in patients. (more…)

Ineffective herbal remedies for treating acne

Monday, July 11th, 2016

I recently came across a website advocating herbals to treat or prevent acne.

The website isn’t important, but the results of my PubMed searches might be useful. (more…)

CAM for the common cold?

Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012

While rhinoviruses cause upto half of colds, up to 200 other viruses have been implicated.

Researchers at the University of Ottawa, in Ontario, reviewed the evidence for CAM to treat and prevent the common cold. (more…)

Use of herbal supplements by pregnant women

Monday, January 2nd, 2012

Researchers at the University of Oslo, in Norway, studied the use of herbal supplements by pregnant Norwegian women. (more…)

Herbal supplements: Caveat Emptor

Thursday, August 11th, 2011

Researchers at the University of Leeds, in Woodhouse, evaluated written information provided with commonly used herbal products in the UK in advance of a European Union Directive that tightens regulations for some herbal products, including requirements to provide safety information. (more…)

Echinacea to treat the common cold?

Wednesday, June 8th, 2011

In a study sponsored by the NCCAM, researchers from the US and Australia looked for potential benefits. (more…)

Lack of effect of an Echinacea cocktail on exacerbations of COPD

Saturday, May 21st, 2011

Upper respiratory tract infections frequently exacerbate chronic-obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Researchers in Indonesia and Switzerland evaluated the effect of Echinacea purpurea + micronutrients in order to reduce the severity of these infections. (more…)

Does Echinacea interact with HIV drugs?

Wednesday, May 4th, 2011

Not much, according to researchers in Spain. (more…)

CAM use among African American breast cancer survivors

Wednesday, April 20th, 2011

Researchers in Boston and Washington, DC, determined the prevalence of multivitamins, folic acid, and herbal supplement use. (more…)

Is there a significant risk of an echinacea/warfarin interaction

Wednesday, January 12th, 2011

Yes, but…

Echinacea has an effect on the “blood thinner” warfarin (Coumadin), but it’s not likely to be life threatening, according to researchers at the University of Sydney, in Australia. (more…)

CAM to treat the cold and flu

Saturday, September 18th, 2010

Dr. Mark Moyad (photo) is Director of Preventive and Alternative Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor.

His recommendations. (more…)

CYP2D6-mediated herb-drug interactions

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

Cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) is a liver enzyme responsible for the metabolism of approximately 30% of all drugs.

Researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock studied the effect of CYP2D6 on the metabolism of several herbal supplements and the risk of drug interactions. (more…)

Lack of drug interactions with echinacea

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

Researchers from Georgetown University in Washington, DC report that when taken short term, Echinacea purpurea products (roots and/or aerial parts) do not appear to be a risk to consumers. (more…)

Risk of taking herbals in people with heart disease

Monday, April 5th, 2010

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and Arizona collaborated to review the risks of herbal:drug interactions.

The abstract is a bit skimpy on details, but the American Pharmaceutical Association has a nice summary, which will be summarized further here. (more…)

Drug-herbal interaction review

Saturday, March 20th, 2010

Prof. Ernst reviewed popular herbal medicines.

It’s a long list. (more…)

Quick review of Echinacea

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

As part of the Charms & Harms series in the Journal of Primary Care, Dr. Joanne Barnes, from the University of Auckland, in New Zealand distilled the evidence. (more…)

Prevalence of CAM use during HAART in HIV

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

HAART is the acronym for Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy — aggressive treatment used to suppress HIV viral replication and the progression of HIV disease.

Researchers from the Hospital San Pedro, in Spain surveyed the use of medicinal plants in HIV patients receiving HAART. (more…)

Echinacea/sage spray to treat acute sore throat

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

sore throatResearchers in Switzerland compared Echinacea/sage to chlorhexidine/lidocaine. (more…)

Does published research affect supplement sales?

Friday, October 9th, 2009

It depends on what’s being reported.

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health and Mayo Clinic reviewed sales of 5 popular supplements in light of emerging negative evidence. (more…)

Safety review of popular herbal products

Saturday, July 25th, 2009

Dr. Darrell Hulisz from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio reviews popular herbals.

Let’s focus on safety issues. (more…)