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Aromatherapy: More Than Just a Pleasant Scent?
Posted 25 Apr 2012 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, April 25 – Aromatherapy is beginning to enter the medical mainstream, with groups as diverse as the American Cancer Society and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs touting the use of fragrance as a therapy that can complement traditional health care. There's little evidence to suggest that aromatherapy can directly cure illness, but research has found it can help reduce a wide range of symptoms and side effects in some people. "Many specific ailments can benefit from aromatherapy blends and treatments," said Monika Meulman, president of the Canadian Federation of Aromatherapists. "For example, insomnia, nausea, headaches and migraines, and aches and pains are often improved with aromatherapy – just to name a few." Aromatherapy involves the use of what are called essential oils, which are very potent distillations of the fragrant portions of plant life such as flowers, ... Read more
Related support groups: Evening Primrose, 5-HTP, Green Tea, Garlic, Valerian, Cranberry, St. John's Wort, Evening Primrose Oil, Primrose Oil, Milk Thistle, Black Cohosh, Ginseng, Damiana, Saw Palmetto, Valerian Root
Herbal Medicines for Arthritis Not Backed by Evidence
Posted 12 Jan 2012 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 11 – There is little evidence to support the widespread use of herbal medicines to relieve the symptoms of osteoarthritis, according to a review of these products. Osteoarthritis is a painful condition that involves damage to cartilage and other structures in and around the joints, particularly the fingers, knees and hips. It differs from rheumatoid arthritis, which is an immune-based disorder. Devil's claw, cat's claw, ginger, nettle, rosehip, turmeric, willow bark, Indian frankincense and vegetable extracts of avocado or soybean oils are all among the herbal medicines traditionally used to treat osteoarthritis. "Unfortunately, a large number of people suffer from osteoarthritis pain," said one expert, Dr. Robert Graham, an internist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. "Current pharmacological management is largely focused upon reduction of pain and of ... Read more
Related support groups: Osteoarthritis, Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Voltaren, Meloxicam, Advil, Diclofenac, Mobic, Aleve, Motrin, Indomethacin, Glucosamine, Toradol, Etodolac, Flector
Study Finds Green Tea Offers No Protection From Breast Cancer
Posted 28 Oct 2010 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Oct. 28 – Although some research has suggested that drinking green tea might help protect women from breast cancer, a new, large Japanese study comes to a different conclusion. "We found no overall association between green tea intake and the risk of breast cancer among Japanese women who have habitually drunk green tea," said lead researcher Dr. Motoki Iwasaki, from the Epidemiology and Prevention Division at the Research Center for Cancer Prevention and Screening of the National Cancer Center in Tokyo. "Our findings suggest that green tea intake within a usual drinking habit is unlikely to reduce the risk of breast cancer," he said. The report is published in the Oct. 28 online issue of the journal Breast Cancer Research. For the study, Iwasaki's team collected data on 53,793 women who were surveyed between 1995 and 1998. As part of the survey, the women were asked how much ... Read more
Related support groups: Green Tea, Breast Cancer, Prevention
Green Tea Compound Slowed Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Posted 7 Jun 2010 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, June 7 – A key component of green tea has shown promise as a non-toxic treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Researchers at the Mayo Clinic are now in the second phase of trials with early-stage, asymptomatic patients to explore the potential of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) to strike a blow against this type of leukemia. "The benefits we have seen in most CLL patients who use the chemical suggest that it has modest clinical activity and may be useful for stabilizing this form of leukemia, potentially slowing it down," lead author Dr. Tait Shanafelt, a Mayo Clinic hematologist, said in a news release. Shanafelt's team is slated to present its findings Monday at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting, in Chicago. The latest research builds on earlier Mayo lab work from eight years ago, during which EGCG's potential to curtail the survival of CLL ... Read more
Related support groups: Green Tea, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)
Drinking Green Tea May Protect Eyes
Posted 25 Apr 2010 by Drugs.com
SATURDAY, April 24 – Beneficial ingredients in green tea penetrate into the tissues of the eye and may help protect against glaucoma and other eye diseases, says a new study. Researchers analyzed eye tissue from rats that drank green tea and found that the lens, retina and other tissues absorbed significant amounts of green tea catechins, which are antioxidants believed to protect the eye. Catechins include vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein and zeaxanthin. The action of the green tea catechins in reducing harmful oxidative stress in the eyes lasted for up to 20 hours. "Our results indicate that green tea consumption could benefit the eye against oxidative stress," wrote Chi Pui Pang of the department of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Eye Hospital, and colleagues. The findings are published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food ... Read more
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Insight on Herbals Eludes Doctors, Patients Alike
Posted 8 Apr 2010 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, April 8 – Medical personnel tend to think that people in general – themselves included – are poorly informed about herbal medicines and that their patients' faith in the power of such remedies is misplaced, according to a new survey. The survey was conducted online among 164 subscribers to the journal Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, which published the results online April 8. More than 80 percent of the respondents were doctors, mostly family physicians, and most of the other respondents were pharmacists. More than 85 percent of the survey participants indicated that they believe the public is poorly informed about herbal medicines. None considered the public to be well informed. However, 75 percent said that doctors also are poorly informed on the subject, with 22 percent indicating that doctors are "moderately well informed." Nearly half (48 percent) of the respondents ... Read more
Related support groups: Evening Primrose, 5-HTP, Green Tea, Cranberry, Evening Primrose Oil, St. John's Wort, Valerian, Garlic, Primrose Oil, Milk Thistle, Ginseng, Black Cohosh, Saw Palmetto, CoQ10, Damiana
Green Tea May Ward Off Eye Disease
Posted 21 Feb 2010 by Drugs.com
FRIDAY, Feb. 19 – Substances found in green tea work their way into the tissues of the eye and could protect against common eye diseases like glaucoma, researchers say. The findings, published in the current issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, suggest that the substances, known as catechins, are absorbed by the lens, retina and other parts of the eye. Catechins are antioxidants thought to protect the body against damage from oxygen. According to Chi Pui Pang and colleagues from the department of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, it wasn't known if catechins make their way from the mouth to the gastrointestinal system to the eyes. The study authors gave green tea to rats and then tested their eyes to see if catechins affected them. They did, reducing oxidative stress in the eye for up to 20 hours. "Our results indicate that ... Read more
Herbal Remedies Can Cause Cardiac Problems
Posted 1 Feb 2010 by Drugs.com
MONDAY, Feb. 1 – The growing number of Americans who are taking traditional herbal medications for heart problems are unaware of the dangers those treatments pose, a new report says. "They may be safe," said Dr. Arshad Jahangir, a consultant cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, and author of a report in the Feb. 9 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. "But in the United States, where patients often take multiple medications, there is a potential for harm." While up-to-date statistics aren't available, it appears that more than 15 million Americans are using herbal remedies and the number is growing, Jahangir said. "Consumers of these products think they are not getting proper attention from their physicians," he said. "The typical hands-on communication between physician and patient is getting compromised, and they are seeking that type of relationship." ... Read more
Related support groups: Evening Primrose, 5-HTP, Green Tea, Cranberry, Evening Primrose Oil, St. John's Wort, Valerian, Garlic, Primrose Oil, Milk Thistle, Ginseng, Black Cohosh, Saw Palmetto, CoQ10, Damiana
Green Tea May Help Treat Uterine Fibroids
Posted 28 Jan 2010 by Drugs.com
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 27 – Green tea extract shows promise as a treatment for uterine fibroids, say U.S. researchers who add they'll soon begin human trials of the therapy. Uterine fibroids, which affect 40 percent of women of reproductive age, cause excessive vaginal bleeding, anemia, fatigue and lack of energy. Currently, hysterectomy is the only treatment option. Green tea extract can kill human leiomyoma cells in tissue cultures and can eradicate fibroid lesions in lab animals, according to Dr. Ayman Al-Hendy, director of clinical research at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn., and colleagues. Their findings were published Jan. 14 in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. "If we can prove this compound is effective, millions of women can start self-treatment and self-management," Al-Hendy said in a news release. He and his team are recruiting volunteers to take part in ... Read more
Related support groups: Green Tea, Uterine Leiomyomata / Fibroids
Green Tea May Lower Lung Cancer Risk
Posted 12 Jan 2010 by Drugs.com
TUESDAY, Jan. 12 – Antioxidants in green tea appear to significantly lower the risk for developing lung cancer among smokers and nonsmokers alike, new research from Taiwan reveals. The study suggests that smokers and nonsmokers who consume a minimum of one cup of green tea per day appear to have a nearly 13-fold and fivefold lower risk, respectively, for developing lung cancer than smokers and nonsmokers who don't drink any green tea. "The health effect of green tea consumption could modify the risk of lung cancer, particularly among smokers," said study author I-Hsin Lin, of Chung Shan Medical University in Taichung. Lin and her team are scheduled to present their findings at a lung cancer conference this week in Coronado, Calif. The conference is sponsored by the American Association for Cancer Research and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. The observed ... Read more
Related support groups: Green Tea
Green Tea May Help Prevent Oral Cancer
Posted 1 Dec 2009 by Drugs.com
THURSDAY, Nov. 5 – A new study appears to add to growing evidence that green tea might help protect against cancer. U.S. researchers gave 41 volunteers with pre-malignant mouth lesions green tea extract for three months at doses of 500 milligrams per meter squared (mg/m2), 750 mg/m2 or 1,000 mg/m2. The extract was taken by mouth. Other participants took a placebo. The study found that about 59 percent of people taking the highest dose of the green tea extract showed a clinical response, compared with 18 percent of those who took a placebo. The researchers also noted a trend toward improvement in certain biomarkers that could predict cancer development. During the study period of about 28 months, 15 people developed oral cancer. People who took the green tea extract and those who didn't were equally likely to develop the cancer. However, people who had mild to moderate dysplasia, or ... Read more
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Herbal Supplementation, Vomiting, Nausea/Vomiting, High Cholesterol, Diarrhea, Infectious Gastroenteritis