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Bussmann RW, Sharon D, Vandebroek I, et al. Health for sale: the medicinal plant markets in Trujillo and Chiclayo, Northern Peru. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2007 Dec 10;3:37. PMID: 18070350

A fascinating, well-researched paper. From the introduction:

"Northern Peru is what Peruvian anthropologist Lupe Camino calls the "health axis" of the old Central Andean culture area stretching from Ecuador to Bolivia. The traditional use of medicinal plants in this region, which encompasses in particular the Departments of Piura, Lambayeque, La Libertad, Cajamarca, and San Martin, dates back as far as the first millennium B.C. (north coastal Cupisnique culture) or at least to the Moche period (AC 100–800), with healing scenes and healers frequently depicted in ceramics. Early ethnobotanically oriented studies focused mainly on the famous "magical" and "mind altering" flora of Peru. A first study on "cimora" -another vernacular name for the San Pedro cactus (Echinopsis pachanoi) dates back to the 1940’s. The first detailed study on a hallucinogen in Peru focused also on San Pedro, and tree datura (Brugmansia spp.). A variety of works on these species followed. Coca (Erythroxylum coca) also attracted early scientific attention, as did the Amazonian Ayahuasca (Banisteriopsis caapi). Chiappe et. al were the first to attempt an overview on the use of hallucinogens in shamanistic practices in Peru. General ethnobotany studies in Peru and Bolivia focused mostly on Quechua herbalism of the Cusco area. Other comprehensive studies centered on the border region of Peru and Bolivia around Lake Titicaca and the Amazon. Northern Peru, in contrast, has always been in the shadow of these more touristically important regions, and very few studies have been conducted to date. During the last years, the contemporary use of plants by local healers (curanderos) in Northern Peru has been well documented."

 technorati tags: complementary and alternative medicine integrative medicine complementary medicine herbalism ethnomedicine

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Stokley S, Cullen KA, Kennedy A, Bardenheier BH. Adult vaccination coverage levels among users of complementary/alternative medicine - results from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). BMC Complement Altern Med. 2008 Feb 22;8:6. PMID: 18294382

Interesting finding - users of CAM in the United States were more likely than non-CAM users to be vaccinated for influenza. CDC is wondering if CAM practitioners may be allies in the effort to reduce morbidity and mortality from influenza. 

technorati tags: complementary and alternative medicine integrative medicine complementary medicine influenza vaccination

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Motallebnejad M, Akram S, Moghadamnia A, et al. The effect of topical application of pure honey on radiation-induced mucositis: a randomized clinical trial. J Contemp Dent Pract. 2008 Mar 1;9(3):40-7. PMID: 18335118

Low-tech relief for a major problem. From the introduction:

"Honey is a by-product of flower nectar and the upper aero-digestive tract of the honeybee, which is concentrated through a dehydration process inside the bee hive. Though honey is an age-old remedy from the time of Egyptian civilization, very recently it has found a place in modern medicine. Because of its high viscosity, acidic PH, hydrogen peroxide, high osmolarity, and rich nutritional properties honey can inhibit bacterial growth and enhance healing. Also, honey has been used to manage burns, oral infections, surgical wounds, and pressure wounds. Biswall used topical honey to manage radiation mucositis successfully for the first time."

technorati tags: complementary and alternative medicine integrative medicine complementary medicine head and neck cancers

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Brunner E. Biology and health inequality. PLoS Biol. 2007 Oct 23;5(11):e267. PMID: 17958470

From the open-access journal PLoS - Biology. Includes a discussion of the mind-body problem applied to cardiovascular disease. From the introduction:

"Despite continued growth in the global economy, good health remains elusive for a large proportion of the world’s population. Health inequalities between rich and poor countries are based on historical patterns of development and exploitation that leave millions of people starved of basic material and social amenities. In those rich countries where absolute poverty is largely absent, continuing health inequality is more difficult to understand. The discipline of biology has an important contribution to make in this regard. Studying the pathways responsible for translating social differences into biological differences and chronic disease is an intrinsically challenging pursuit. It is also an ethically compelling application of life science."

technorati tags: complementary and alternative medicine integrative medicine complementary medicine bioethics

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Here you will find new peer-reviewed articles about complementary and alternative medicine.

Future posts will monitor significant papers on CAM in general and specific CAM modalities (eg, acupuncture, herbalism, yoga).

technorati tags: complementary and alternative medicine integrative medicine complementary medicine

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