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

    Archive for the 'Chamomile' 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 use in the Manitoba IBD Cohort Study

    Monday, February 27th, 2012

    Researchers in Winnipeg, Manitoba surveyed the prevalence of CAM use in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. (more…)

    CAM options to treat eczema

    Tuesday, September 13th, 2011

    Bastyr Center for Natural Health has published a review. (more…)

    Review: CAM for infantile colic

    Monday, March 28th, 2011

    Almost all babies go through a fussy period. When crying lasts for longer than about 3 hours a day and is not caused by a medical problem (such as a hernia or infection), it is called colic.

    Prof. Ernst and colleagues evaluated nutritional supplements and other complementary and alternative medicines. (more…)

    Herbals used by pregnant women

    Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011

    Researchers from Atlanta, Georgia and Boston report from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. (more…)

    Little evidence that herbals relieve menopause symptoms

    Monday, October 4th, 2010

    Drugs and Therapeutics Bulletin, which is published by the British Medical Journal, has published their review of the evidence. (more…)

    Managing nausea and vomiting in pregnancy

    Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

    nude-pregnancy2 faculty at the University of California at San Francisco and the University of Utah reviewed the evidence and make recommendations for treatment.

    Let’s focus on complementary options. (more…)

    Arsenic, cadmium and lead in medicinal herbs

    Thursday, March 25th, 2010

    This study was conducted at the University of Sofia in Bulgaria using local herbals.

    I don’t know the relevance to herbals in other parts of the world, but the results are disturbing. (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…)

    Chamomile extract therapy for generalized anxiety disorder

    Thursday, February 11th, 2010

    Researchers at the University Science Center, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania report results from the first randomized controlled study of Matricaria recutita (chamomile) extract therapy for generalized mild to moderate anxiety disorder. (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…)

    Key points about commonly used herbals

    Sunday, July 5th, 2009

    Dr. Darrell Hulisz from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio has written a continuing education article on herbals.

    Here are the author’s take-away points, with additional references added. (more…)

    Treating functional dyspepsia with STW 5

    Tuesday, July 31st, 2007

    STW 5 (Iberogast) is an herbal preparation containing 9 plant extracts (including Iberis amara [Candytuft] peppermint, and chamomile). In this study, it was better than placebo in treating functional dyspepsia — a chronic or recurrent pain or discomfort centered in the upper abdomen. (more…)

    A critical review of herbals to treat anxiety and depression

    Monday, July 16th, 2007

    In 2003, Professor Edzard Ernst writing on the Cochrane Collaboration website concluded, “Compared with placebo, kava extract is an effective symptomatic treatment for anxiety although, at present, the size of the effect seems small.” (more…)

    The continuing search to discover medicines from plants

    Saturday, February 10th, 2007

    In her book, The Natural History of Medicinal Plants, Dr. Judith Sumner states, “Now, about 40% of all medicinal prescriptions in the United States contain at least one plant-derived ingredient, and European physicians routinely recommend to their patients herbs such as chamomile and coneflower.”

    Here’s a report from India that gives insight into the extensive work being done by just one group of researchers to identify new drugs from plants.

    (more…)

    The use of CAM among poor Central Americans

    Wednesday, October 18th, 2006

    Reported earlier on the site was a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which found that 36% of Americans use CAM ? 62% if prayer is included.

    Now, here is an estimate of the use of CAM in one Central American country.

    (more…)