Researchers at the Medical University of Vienna reported disappointing results. (more…)

During the American Society of Nephrology Annual Meeting, researchers at Western Galilee Hospital in Nahariya, Israel, reported that patients on hemodialysis who drank moderate amounts of pomegranate juice saw improvement in lipids, blood pressure, and the number of antihypertensive medications required. (more…)

Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin, determined if pomegranate juice improved the recovery of skeletal muscle strength after eccentric exercise in subjects who routinely performed resistance training.

Eccentric exercise causes muscles to lengthen while lower a weight. (more…)

During the American Society of Nephrology’s 43rd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition, researchers at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, in Haifa, Israel reported their results in patients with chronic kidney disease. (more…)

Prof. Ernst tells us, “Although topical creams and other anti-aging products purport to reduce the appearance of aging and skin wrinkling, there has been no critical analysis in the scientific literature of their effectiveness.”

Get ready. (more…)

During the Society for Endocrinology BES 2011 conference, researchers at the Queen Margaret University, in Edinburgh, Scotland, studied the effects of drinking pomegranate. (more…)

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) told POM Wonderful that their UK billboard showing a bottle of pomegranate juice and a hangman’s noose, and proclaims the juice can “cheat death” must be taken down.

ASA says “We considered the evidence… but concluded that it fell short of showing any direct relation between consuming the product and a longer life.”

So, what’s the evidence? (more…)

The paucity of well-designed studies in patients makes it difficult to make specific recommendations, according to researchers at the University of Toronto, in Ontario. (more…)

  In this patient, it appears there was greater “blood thinning” effect when pomegranate was taken with warfarin (Coumadin), according to this report. (more…)

Areas of interest for the nutraceutical industry and consumers include digestive health, omega-3, superfruits, and weight management, according to this article in Nutraingredients.com | Europe. (more…)

MayoClinic.com has reviewed the topic and has recommendations.

Here are the highlights. (more…)

Several years ago a study in human liver tissue and in rats concluded that pomegranate juice inhibited CYP3A — a liver enzyme in the cytochrome P450 system important for metabolizing drugs. The implications were that — just as with grapefruit — people taking drugs such as statins for cholesterol might be exposed to much higher blood levels and greater risk of side effects.

We now find that when studied in healthy volunteers, pomegranate juice is not associated with this risk.

(more…)

Dr. Brent Bauer is Director of the Mayo Clinic Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program. He was interviewed for a podcast on cholesterol-lowering supplements, which is available here. (more…)

But, Dr. Harin Padma-Nathan from UCLA is a well-recognized researcher in this field, and he thinks more study is warranted. (more…)

Another study reports that black cohosh is useless to prevent hot flashes and night sweats associated with menopause.

Here are the results from the Herbal Alternatives (HALT) for Menopause Study, funded by the National Institutes of Health.

(more…)

The first clinical trial of pomegranate juice in patients with prostate cancer reported a “significant prolongation of PSA [prostate-specific antigen] doubling time” from 15 to 54 months among men with a rising PSA following surgery or radiation for prostate cancer. This was accompanied by other positive changes at the cellular level, according to the researchers from the David Geffen School of Medicine in the July issue of Clinical Cancer Research.

(more…)

Do you have vacation time coming in 2006? Herbalgram.org has listed the 2006 events calendar. Rather than the same Caribbean vacation or week at the Jersey shore, consider linking your vacation to a CAM meeting.

Here’s one that makes my tastebuds tingle.
July 30-Aug 5: Wild Foods Mountain Retreat. A week-long program in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Forage for wild edible and medicinal plants, and prepare tasty and nutritional meals.

Hmm, Hmm, Hmm.

Other must attend meetings.

October 16-17: First International Symposium on Pomegranate and Minor Mediterranean Fruits. Adana, Turkey.

or

October 28-30: The 2nd Internatiomal Symposium on Saffron Biology and Technology (ISSBT). Mashhad, Iran.

Do you think CAM is becoming too specialized?

Want to see more? Go to the Herbalgram.org website.

7/18/06 13:20 JR