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Supplements and Complementary Medicine

  • An antioxidant is any substance that protects the body from free radical damage. Free radicals are very reactive chemicals that can cause damage to living tissue via a process called…

  • Bilberry is a herb whose fruit has been used in human herbal medicine for centuries for the treatment of diarrhoea and eye problems. Eye conditions relating to impaired blood flow including…

  • Tea is second only to water as the most consumed beverage in the world. Both black and green tea are made from the tea plant, Camellia sinensis. The highest quality teas are derived from young…

  • Various forms of calcium are available for supplementation. Calcium bound to lactate, citrate, ascorbate, and other organic acids appears more easily and completely absorbed than inorganic…

  • Carnitine (L-cartinine) is an amino acid (protein building block) that the body uses to turn fat into energy. Specifically, carnitine is required for transporting long chain fatty acids and…

  • Chamomile (Matricaria recutia, Chamomilla recutita) is commonly used in human herbal medicine as a mild sedative, anti-inflammatory (especially of the gut) and as a spasm relieving…

  • Choline is a supplement that is available in several forms, including phosphatidylcholine (PC).Choline is naturally made in the body, and it is a major component of cell membranes and…

  • Chondroitin sulfate is the major glycosaminoglycan (GAGS - see separate article found in this series) found in cartilage. It attracts fluid inside joints, helping to ensure shock absorption…

  • The underlying philosophy of all alternative and complementary medical therapies is the ‘holistic’ approach, in which the patient is treated as a ‘whole’ being, rather…

  • Enzymes catalyse biochemical (metabolic) reactions involved in virtually every function in the body, from digestion to tissue repair, and from hormone function to energy production. Without…