Alternative therapies in health and medicine
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Altern Ther Health Med · Mar 2009
Randomized Controlled TrialDoes valerian improve sleepiness and symptom severity in people with restless legs syndrome?
To compare the effects of 800 mg of valerian with a placebo on sleep quality and symptom severity in people with restless legs syndrome (RLS). ⋯ The results of this study suggest that the use of 800 mg of valerian for 8 weeks improves symptoms of RLS and decreases daytime sleepiness in patients that report an Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) score of 10 or greater. Valerian may be an alternative treatment for the symptom management ofRLS with positive health outcomes and improved quality of life.
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Altern Ther Health Med · Mar 2009
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyRelative bioavailability comparison of different coenzyme Q10 formulations with a novel delivery system.
Commercial coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10, ubiquinone) formulations are often of poor intestinal absorption. The relative bioavailability of CoQ10 has been shown in National Institutes of Health-funded clinical trials to be increased by its delivery system. We investigated the bioavailability of a new CoQ10 formulation based on a new and patented technology, VESIsorb, with 3 other commercially available CoQ10 products, an oil-based formulation and 2 solubilizates. ⋯ The relative bioavailability calculated using the AUC(0-10h) values was also the highest for colloidal-Q10; the AUC(0-10h) values were 30.6, 6.1, 4.9, and 10.7 microg/mL*h for colloidal-Q10, solubilizate 1, the oil-based formulation, and solubilizate 2, respectively. Differences in Cmax and AUC between colloidal-Q10 and the 3 other formulations were statistically significant. In summary, the data presented suggests that colloidal-Q10 improves the enteral absorption and the bioavailability of CoQ10 in humans.
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This review covers research from the last 5 years on the most popular complementary and alternative therapies used during pregnancy and labor and potential underlying biological bases for their effects. MEDLINE was searched and papers were reviewed for the most popular complementary and alternative therapies used during pregnancy and labor, including massage therapy, acupuncture, relaxation, yoga, and exercise. ⋯ The labor research generally shows that alternative therapies reduce pain and thereby the need for medication. Although the literature suggests positive effects of alternative therapies for pregnancy and labor and some potential biological mechanisms, the research has several methodological limitations.