Practitioner-Suggested Supplement Use May Lead To Better Results - Survey
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Sixty percent of consumers using alternative medicine therapies inform their doctors of such treatment, with only 5% of doctors expressing disapproval, according to results of a Consumer Reports survey appearing in the magazine's May issue.
|
Sixty percent of consumers using alternative medicine therapies inform their doctors of such treatment, with only 5% of doctors expressing disapproval, according to results of a Consumer Reports survey appearing in the magazine's May issue. Approximately 25% of readers surveyed who tried alternative therapies during a two-year period did so at the recommendation of a doctor or nurse. "More than half of those recommendations were for herbals and other supplements, most typically for arthritis and prostate problems," the magazine reports. "Readers who tried herbal treatments on the advice of either their health professional or an alternative practitioner were more likely to report good results than those who simply treated themselves," CR says. "This might be due to the 'white coat' effect producing positive expectations of a cure. But given the odd choices of alternatives that some readers made for themselves without guidance - ginkgo biloba for arthritis, garlic for prostate problems, echinacea for allergies - the superior scores may also be because health professionals made more appropriate choices." Consumer Reports asked more than 46,000 readers about the two worst medical conditions they experienced in the past two years, what treatments they used and how they rated the results. More than 16,000 respondents - almost 35% - reported using alternative therapies, including megavitamins and supplements. Overall, 52% of respondents who tried herbals and supplements said they felt much better or somewhat better as a result, the survey found. Nevertheless, the magazine notes some "highly touted alternatives" - such as melatonin for insomnia, saw palmetto for prostate problems, garlic for cholesterol and high blood pressure, St. John's wort for depression and echinacea for respiratory infections - scored poorly on effectiveness. Megavitamins were reported to be more effective in treating allergies and arthritis than over-the-counter medicines, although significantly more respondents used OTCs than vitamins. The findings are curious in light of the Institute of Medicine's recent report stating insufficient evidence exists to support claims that megadoses of dietary antioxidants can prevent chronic diseases (1 (Also see "Vitamins C, E, Selenium Upper Limits Set For First Time By FNB" - Pink Sheet, 17 Apr, 2000.)). |