Wednesday, April 7, 2010 as of 11:14 AM ET
Alternative medicine is any practice claiming to heal "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It may be based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence.
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Kava, an herb from the Pacific islands whose roots yield relaxing compounds, has been sold in the U.
S. for a long time. In 1900 kava extract appeared in the Sears Roebuck catalog as a "temperance wine," an alternative to demon drink. Buyers who purchased the extract received a free tea set. Up until the 1950s kava products were registered in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia, the official compilation of approved medicines, for the treatment of both gonorrhea and nervousness.Captain Cook may have been the first non-native to be offered kava, and he was put off by it. The root of the plant is traditionally ground by native people and mixed with a little water. The mixture is squeezed and strained into a coconut shell and drunk. The feeling of relaxation is immediate and pleasant. Compounds in kava relax tense muscles and work in the amygdala, the anxiety centers of the brain. For Captain Cook, the relaxing native drink looked un-appealing."Kava time" in late afternoon is a regular feature of Pacifi...Mike Musiker, 80, was recently diagnosed with a cataract in both of his eyes."I was saying to my golfing friends, 'Where'd the ball go?'" Musiker said. "The depth, ...
Australian scientists have discovered how anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin prevent tumors from spreading.The breakthrough by researchers at Melbourne's Peter ...
The Medicine Hunter, Chris Kilham, recently spent the day with Steve "Wildman" Brill in New York's Central Park, to learn about foraging for medicinal and edible pla...
Scientists are reporting hints that embryonic stem cells can ease blindness in some people.It's the first results from the use of embryonic stem cells in humans.The ...
Medication via remote-control instead of a shot? Scientists implanted microchips in seven women that did just that, oozing out the right dose of a bone-strengthening...
If you’re a doctor, pharmacist or other health care practitioner, you know that many people who walk into your office are using supplements, such as herbs. But schoo...
Tired of long waits at the hospital for medical tests? If Korean researchers have their way, your smartphone could one day eliminate that -- and perhaps even tell yo...
U.S. prosecutors in Colorado started a crackdown against nearly two dozen medical marijuana dispensaries located within 1,000 feet of schools, giving the proprietors...
If you feel like you are coming down with a case of the sniffles - don't despair. There are some natural remedies that can help you feel better in no time by boostin...
When a piece of muscle in a person's heart dies from lack of blood flow, it scars over and is lost. But a team of researchers from the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute ...
The 33 Chilean miners who were trapped underground after their mine collapsed in August 2010 spurred an impromptu experiment, of sorts, into treatments for fungal fo...
Burdock root was made famous in the 1940s by George de Mestral, a Swiss inventor, after he noticed on a walk how the seeds of the plant attached themselves to his cl...
Three months of acupuncture improved breathing problems in people with chronic lung disease, in a new study from Japan.According to one researcher, the benefits seen...
For several months each year, Dr. Joe Tafur works in a family medical clinic in Arizona, practicing conventional medicine. The rest of the year, he's south of the bo...
On the mornings she undergoes chemotherapy, Jeanne Safer hypnotizes herself en route in the taxi.She starts by closing her eyes, then rolling them up to the top of h...
The herb thyme is more effective in treating acne than medicated creams, UK scientists claimed Wednesday.Researchers from Leeds Metropolitan University, in northern ...
Weight-loss surgery did a better job of controlling type 2 diabetes in overweight and moderately obese patients than the most advanced medical treatment for the dise...
With more states opting to legalize the sale of medical marijuana , researchers are taking a closer look at the use of cannabis to treat chronic illnesses.Dr. Manny ...
Recently while traveling in New Zealand , I had the opportunity to learn more about a remedy that derives from a plant native to that country. Manuka honey, made fro...
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