Alternative and complementary medicine: Is it right for you?

herbal meds
These might not seem like medicine, but they can work- as long as you do your research.

Thinking of alternative or complementary medicine?

The field of alternative and complementary medicine (ACM) can be confusing. It covers a huge range of products and practices and may lack the scientific evidence that forms the basis of conventional medicine. There are a lot of helpful or at least not-harmful ACM products and practitioners, but sometimes unproven expensive and harmful ACM is recommended to those who are vulnerable.

Protect yourself and decide what is right for you by doing some research. Read scientific evidence from sources that are not selling the product or service.

The Cochrane Collaboration is an international organization that produces Cochrane Reviews, a systematic review of healthcare interventions. The reviews are intended to help providers, practitioners, and patients make informed decisions about health care. Check the Complementary Medicine section as it has reviews that might help you educate yourself about alternative and complementary medicine.

What about natural health products?

Did you know that 71% of people in Canada report using natural health products, including vitamins and minerals, herbal remedies and teas, additive-free foods, and organic foods? Of those, 45% rate themselves as unfamiliar with natural health products. [1]

Watch out for interactions between natural health products and prescriptions or over-the-counter medications.

Health Canada has developed regulations to ensure that natural health products are safe, effective, and of high quality. However, the regulations cannot ensure that the product contains what is on the label or even that the amount in each tablet or drop is consistent. Find more information at Health Canada's "Safe Use of Natural Health Products" page.

[1] Baseline Natural Health Products Survey Among Consumers, Ipsos Reid, 2005.

One way to protect yourself and to decide what is right for you is to educate yourself by reading about scientific evidence from sources that are not selling the product or service

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If you do decide to use alternative or complementary medicine, keep in mind that there can be interactions between natural health products and prescription or over-the-counter medications.

For more information, see 

" on Health Canada, which has information about risks to consider and ways to minimize these.

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