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

Archive for the 'Folic Acid' Category

B vitamins and the risk of dementia

Saturday, December 3rd, 2011

Researchers at Harvard Medical School, in Boston, examined the effect of taking folic acid, vitamin B-12, and vitamin B-6 on cognitive change in women with cardiovascular disease or risk factors cardiovascular disease. (more…)

CAM options for treating depression

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

Emily Matthews, a reader of this blog, provides this overview of depression and complementary treatment options.

About 20 million Americans suffer from clinical depression. Low levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter, are thought to contribute to depression. Depression is also associated with diseases like diabetes, heart disease, chronic pain, hormonal imbalance, hypoglycemia, stress, impaired thyroid function, environmental toxins, and unhealthy lifestyles. (more…)

The effect of prenatal folic acid on language in children

Sunday, October 23rd, 2011

An international group of researchers examined the association between mothers’ use of prenatal folic acid supplements and the risk of severe language delay in their children at age 3 years. (more…)

Dietary supplements and the risk of death in older women

Tuesday, October 11th, 2011

Dietary supplements are commonly taken to prevent chronic disease.

Researchers in Finland, Norway, and the Republic of Korea studied the long-term health consequences. (more…)

Options to prevent colorectal cancer

Tuesday, June 28th, 2011

Colorectal cancer is strongly associated with a Western lifestyle.

Researchers at Harvard Medical School, in Boston, present an overview of the evidence. (more…)

Adding tai chi improves antidepressant drug therapy

Saturday, June 25th, 2011

During the New Clinical Drug Evaluation Unit Meeting, researchers at David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, reported that adding tai chi to escitalopram (Lexapro, Cipralex, Seroplex) treatment further reduced the severity of depression. (more…)

The value of nutritional supplements in older adults

Tuesday, May 24th, 2011

We commonly take them, but studies show mixed results regarding their health benefits, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center, in Durham, North Carolina. (more…)

Supplements or food to prevent heart disease in women?

Saturday, May 7th, 2011

Researchers at the MedStar Research Institute, in Hyattsville, Maryland, reviewed studies of nutrition in women.

Those emphasizing gender differences in nutritional requirements were selected for this review. (more…)

CAM for major depressive therapy

Friday, April 15th, 2011

The American Psychiatric Association’s Task Force on Complementary and Alternative Medicine reviewed the evidence and report their findings.

Here are their findings. (more…)

CAM (not St John’s wort) to treat depression

Tuesday, April 12th, 2011

Researchers at Goulds Naturopathica, in Hobart TAS, Australia, reviewed the evidence. (more…)

Do B vitamins and folic acid affect cognitive function?

Wednesday, January 26th, 2011

Researchers at the University of Western Australia, in Crawley, studied B6, B12, and folic acid. (more…)

Folic acid and prostate cancer risk

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

The effects of folic acid-containing supplements may differ from natural sources of folate, according to the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. (more…)

Effects of US healthcare reform on CAM

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

Jane Hoback, writing in Natural Foods Merchandiser, has listed areas of interest to CAM practitioners. (more…)

The effect of diet on depression in older people

Sunday, December 13th, 2009

little guyClaire Williamson, Nutrition Scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation in London, has reviewed the evidence. (more…)

Vitamins to prevent macular degeneration

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of severe irreversible vision loss in older Americans.

Researchers from Harvard Medical School in Boston examined the combined effect of folic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), and cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12) on the risk of AMD. (more…)

Prenatal use of folic acid and child development

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

The benefits and risks of folic acid fortification of food – once thought to be clear — are being debated again.

In this study from researchers at the University of Iowa, the effects of prenatal use of folic acid (and other dietary supplements) on child development at 3 years of life were evaluated. This summary focuses on the folic acid results. (more…)

Should we add CAM to Rx treatments?

Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

 Researchers from the University of Queensland, in Australia evaluated the evidence for adding nutritional and herbal medicines to antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and benzodiazepines. (more…)

Caution on folic acid food fortification

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009

Folate depletion is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer.

But research from the University of Chile, in Santiago suggests, “A folate fortification program could be associated with an additional risk of colon cancer.” (more…)

March was colorectal cancer month

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

Here’s a summary of what has been covered on this site about CAM and colorectal cancer. (more…)

Benefits and risks of vegan diets

Sunday, March 15th, 2009

 Veganism is a diet and lifestyle that excludes using animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose.

Dr. Winston Craig from Andrews University, in Berrien Springs, Michigan reviews both, and makes recommendations. (more…)