OBJECTIVE To survey the extent of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among women for the alleviation of menopausal symptoms. DESIGN A total of 1,296 eligible women aged 45 to 65 years were recruited from three Sydney menopause clinics, general practice clinics, and government agencies between July 2003 and July 2004. Volunteers were invited to complete a 19-item questionnaire co...

Many women with PMS use alternative therapies, although there has been little research to demonstrate their efficacy. This systematic review provides a comprehensive discussion of dietary supplements and herbal remedies commonly used for premenstrual syndrome (PMS), including calcium, magnesium, vitamin B6, evening primrose oil, Vitex agnus castus, ginkgo biloba and St John’s Wort. Randomized c...

BACKGROUND Many persons use botanicals and dietary supplements for chronic conditions that do not respond to traditional Western medications. Tricyclic antidepressants, a common treatment option for diabetic neuropathy, can have many side effects and are a poor choice in certain populations (eg, the elderly). As such, patients might turn to botanicals and dietary supplements, not realizing that...

The name Primula or primrose is derived from the word primary or first, referring to the early growth and flowering in spring (Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium, 1976). More than 400 species of primula exist in the family Primulaceae (Griffiths, 1994). Other important horticultural genera in this family, besides primula, include pimpernel (Anagallis), rock jasmine (Androsace), persian violet, alpin...

Many of the features of the premenstrual syndrome are similar to the effects produced by the injection of prolactin. Some women with the premenstrual syndrome have elevated prolactin levels, but in most the prolactin concentrations are normal. It is possible that women with the syndrome are abnormally sensitive to normal amounts of prolactin. There is evidence that prostaglandin E1, derived fro...

Gamma-linoleic acid in the seed oil of evening primrose makes it nutritionally and pharmaceutically valuable. If evening primrose wants to be cultivated as an annual plant, sowing time is important. By the late sowing and depends to time most plants do not produce flower stem and stay in rosette stage until next spring. To solve this problem, the present study was performed. Seedling were trans...

OBJECTIVE To quantify patterns of Natural Health Product (NHP) use in Canada. METHODS The Food Habits of Canadians surveyed 1,543 Canadian adults using a 24-hour recall to record dietary supplements. Prevalence of use by user profile was examined. RESULTS Forty-six percent of women and 33% of men reported taking at least one Natural Health Product with a mean of 2.3 among users. The highest...

The differences are reported in the triacylglycerol (TG) structures of oils containing gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) from Oenothera biennis Linn seed oil (OBLO) from the wild plant, evening primrose seed oil (EPO) from a cultured plant, and bio-GLA oil (BIO) from a mold, the physiological functions of which were ascertained by animal testing. Reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic s...