ACAM (The American College for Advancement in Medicine)
ACAM is a not-for-profit medical society dedicated to educating physicians and other health care professionals on the latest findings and emerging procedures in preventive/nutritional medicine. ACAM's goals are to improve skills, knowledge and diagnostic procedures as they relate to complementary and alternative medicine; to support research; and to develop awareness of alternative methods of medical treatment.
The American Botanical Council's website
offers solid, evidence-based information on medicinal plants and phytomedicines. Much of the information is only available to members, but non-members can access many links in the educational resources section, as well as the news archive and a range of monographs.
BMJ article: What is Complementary Medicine
ConsumerLab
is an independent, authoritative resource that provides full access to, for example, laboratory results and a searchable encyclopedia for its subscribers. However, non-subscribers can access news and information on product recalls, and all users can follow the link on the products page to the iHerb site, where access is free for some of the American Botanical Council publications.
CAM on PubMed
This subset of the US National Library of Medicine's PubMed resource provides access to citations on complementary and alternative medicine from the MEDLINE database and other life-science journals. It also includes links to full-text articles at journal websites and other sources.
Cochrane Library
A search on "herbs" or "herbal medicine" gives you relevant reviews. Examples include: medicinal herbs for hepatitis C infection, rheumatoid arthritis, or Gingko Biloba for cognitive impairment and dementia.
Drug Digest
DrugDigest offers evidence-based therapy information through a searchable database of more than 5000 drugs and herbal products. Users can compare products, check drug interactions, and access overviews that outline the causes, symptoms, treatments, and risk factors of common medical conditions.
Guardian: Health Supplements
This highly informative article is over a year old but the issues it raises are still hotly debated. The author describes various EU and UK directives that would restrict the availability of many health supplements. Links to the sites of organizations with opposing views are also provided.
HEAL
Health Education Alliance for Life and Longevity
Holistic Online Good source Herbal Medicines
ICIM
The International College of Integrative Medicine. Founded in Cleveland, Ohio in 1983, by seven progressive, forward-thinking physicians, the International College of Integrative Medicine (a not-for-profit medical society), has since expanded far beyond its original regional environs into a rapidly growing association with nationwide and international membership. One of ICIM's main goals is the education of health care professionals in the latest research-supported techniques and emerging holistic therapies that show promise for improving patient care.
MD Anderson: Complementary and Integrative Medicine
This site aims to help patients and families decide whether and how to integrate complementary medicine into their treatment plans. Highlights include a robust compendium of evidence-based reviews of herbs and plants, biologics, special diets, and other regimens; relevant US Food and Drug Administration advisories; and links to web resources, journals, books, and other research materials.
MSKCC: Herbs, Botanicals, and other products
A user-friendly, searchable database of "objective information" for oncologists and health-care professionals. This site offers clinical summaries for each agent; details about constituents, adverse effects, and interactions; and potential benefits or problems. Monographs for the general public are also offered, as are evaluations of alternative cancer therapies.
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is 1 of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH is one of eight agencies under the Public Health Service (PHS) in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
The Natural Health Perspective
Health: Alternative: Holistic and Integrated Medicine web site. This is because the Natural Health PerspectiveTM describes a mainly Western outlook on holistic medicine. Our articles present alternative health information that centers around lifestyle choices such as diet, exercise, attitude, and relationships.
NCI: Complementary and Alternative Medicine
The US National Institute of Cancer's information on herbs and other alternative treatments has summaries where available and descriptions are hot-linked to an online glossary of terms.
Scientific American: What's the harm?
This article by Michael Shermer cautions that there is harm in using alternative therapies and supplements. The Scientific American website also includes links to related sites and earlier articles by Shermer - such as "bottled twaddle" - with similar themes.
Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine
The Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine offers the best of conventional and complementary medicine. We believe there are many paths to healing and that health is a cohesive balance of mind, body and soul. Through research, education and the design of healing programs, we value and recognize the wisdom of all healing traditions, including: Prevention, Early Detection and Optimal Wellness.
USDA Food and Nutrition Center
The U.S. Department of Agriculture site features searchable databases, summaries, and web links related to dietary supplements, including vitamins, minerals, and botanicals. This portal page offers access to these resources, along with a section specifically on herbal products.
U.S. Office of Dietary Supplements
An excellent US government resource on herbal and other dietary supplements for health professionals and the general public. Highlights include a downloadable version of the annual bibliography of advances in dietary supplement research for 2002; proceedings from the "Dietary Supplement Use In Women" conference; and comprehensive, relevant health and safety information.
WebMD
On Complementary Medicine.
Whole Health MD
Search under Supplements or Drugs for more information.
Sincerely:
Joseph Saponaro, MD, DABIM, FACP, CPI, CCI, CCTI, CCRC, CCRP
PI (Principal Investigator), DSI (Drug Study Institute)
Board Certified Internist, JPMC (Jupiter Preventive Medicine Center)
DABIM (Diplomat American Board of Internal Medicine)
FACP (Fellow American College of Physicians)
CPI (Certified Physician Investigator) by the AAPP (American Academy of Pharmaceutical Physicians)
CCTI (Certified Clinical Trial Investigator) by the ACRP (Association of Clinical Research Professionals)
CCI (Certified Clinical Investigator) by the DIA (Drug Information Association)
CCRC (Certified Clinical Research Coordinator) by the ACRP (Association of Clinical Research Professionals)
CCRP (Certified Clinical Research Professional) by SoCRA (Society of Clinical Research Associates)
Member, SIMPD (Society for Innovative Medical Practice Design)
Member, ACPM (American College Preventive Medicine)
Ethics Committee Member, Jupiter Medical Center
IRB Member, Jupiter Medical Center
Founder, CertifiedResearchers.com