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Complementary medicine

Feature: Using dietary supplements and complementary medicines

Complementary or alternative medicines include treatments like acupuncture and herbal medicine. Our fact sheet concentrates on over-the-counter dietary supplements and complementary medicinal products. What do you need to consider if you use them? Our information aims to help you find your way through this big market.

Research summaries

After surgery: Can ginger help prevent nausea and vomiting after an operation?

Low doses of ginger supplements before surgery cannot prevent nausea and vomiting afterwards. Doses of at least 1g might be able to help some people, but more research is needed to be sure. Ginger is not likely to cause major adverse effects. more...

Babies with high risk of allergy: Could prebiotics in infant formulas make a difference?

Infant formulas containing prebiotics might be able to prevent the development of eczema in babies who are at high risk of allergies, but they have not been tested enough to be sure. So far, none of the breast milk substitutes has been shown to provide better protection than breastfeeding. more...

Bowel cancer: Can calcium prevent it?

Trials have shown that daily calcium can prevent bowel polyps. There is still no final answer on whether or not this also prevents bowel cancer. more...

Common colds: Can vitamin C prevent or relieve them?

Taking vitamin C every day to try to prevent colds does not protect most people from colds. It only slightly shortens the amount of time that they are ill. Starting to take vitamin C at the first sign of a cold does not affect the course of the cold. more...

Common colds: Does echinacea work?

It is not clear whether echinacea extracts can prevent colds. Taking some echinacea products when a cold starts might help to reduce the cold's length and severity. Because the available products are very different to one another, more research is needed to be sure. Adverse effects are rare. more...