National Center For Complementary And Alternative Medicine

Breast cancer survivors needn't worry about eating soy, according to a new study presented at the American Assn. for Cancer Research in Orlando this week. Fears that the isoflavone chemicals found in soy -- which have estrogen-like properties -- might raise the risk of cancer recurrence seem unfounded. The conclusion comes from a large study compiling data from more than 18,000 women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer; an average of nine years after diagnosis, no statistical difference was seen between groups of women who ate a lot of soy and those who ate very little, both with regard to either recurrence of the cancers or death.

Long touted as an elixir of eternal mental acuity, the herbal extract ginkgo biloba in fact does not prevent or delay the progression of dementia or Alzheimer's disease, according to a clinical trial reported today involving thousands of volunteers between the ages of 75 and 96.

There are few things more frustrating than finding a health care treatment that works for you — a chiropractic adjustment that relieves nagging lower back pain or a yoga class that helps reduce anxiety — only to find that your insurance won't pay for it. But this is often the case when using products and services deemed "alternative" or "complementary medicine. " Most individuals with private insurance have little, if any, coverage for alternative medicine.

Leon Wittman tweaked his shoulder in 1994 while attempting to keep his basement from flooding during a thunderstorm by scooping water out of a window well with a bucket. His left arm began to ache. He realized about a year later that he rarely used it anymore and could no longer comfortably sleep on that side. A physician said the only cure was surgery. Wittman and his wife Charlene have always shied away from physicians, preferring to "maintain a good attitude, drink lots of water and figure things out on our own," as he puts it. And so he opted instead to try a pain relief supplement that included acetaminophen, alfalfa, cramp bark and valerian root -- which, he says, improved his shoulder within a month.

A treatment that removes heavy metals from the body has long been touted as an alternative therapy to combat hardening arteries. Now a 10-year, $31-million clinical trial has found that chelation therapy does help heart attack patients slightly reduce their risk of serious heart problems - but not enough for the researchers to encourage mainstream cardiologists to offer it to their patients. The trial revealed a very modest benefit for patients who took chelation therapy rather than a placebo, according to results published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Assn.

St. John's wort for the treatment of depression sounds like a great alternative to prescription drugs with their high costs, relatively lengthy kick-in time and sometimes major side effects. After all, it's been used for centuries, and not only that, it's also an herb--a natural product--and natural products are safe. Right? Wrong.

AROMATHERAPY -- the use of plant oils to improve well-being -- sounds lovely, doesn't it? How wonderful if a whiff of lavender could make you feel drowsy, or a little dab of rosemary oil could relieve muscle pain. There's certainly a plausible biological basis for the idea that scents can have a direct effect on the body. On the yucky side, for instance, nothing makes me nauseated more quickly than the odor of those "air fresheners" that taxi drivers hang in their cabs.

Summer travelers who love the water don't just gravitate to hotel swimming pools and the beach. Many also visit hot mineral springs at spas and resorts, where business booms in summer despite the heat. Those who visit the springs are hoping to relax, reduce stress and find other benefits. The dissolved solids in hot springs can include sulfur, calcium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate and other substances, each credited with particular health benefits.

The ancient Chinese technique of sticking needles into the skin to relieve pain, nausea and many other ills can indeed make people feel better -- more mellow and more energized. Many researchers used to think this lovely state was mostly due to the placebo effect.

Herbs for prostate cancer? Doctors in this country have gone from ridiculing to recommending to once again rejecting the idea, all in a few years. But the debate over using natural therapy to treat this difficult disease is not over. Earlier this year, thousands of American men battling prostate cancer were stunned when the dietary supplement PC Spes was taken off the market.