About ten years ago, the government embarked on a multi-billion dollar study to determine which, if any, of the alternative remedies being sold in aisles at pharmacies across the nation actually work.
Here is the positive news: It appears that taking ginger supplements can help ease the nausea associated with chemotherapy.
Here’s the negative news: That’s about it.
Ten years ago the government set out to test herbal and other alternative health remedies to find the ones that work. After spending $2.5 billion, the disappointing answer seems to be that almost none of them do.
Echinacea for colds. Ginkgo biloba for memory. Glucosamine and chondroitin for arthritis. Black cohosh for menopausal hot flashes. Saw palmetto for prostate problems. Shark cartilage for cancer. All proved no better than dummy pills in big studies funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The lone exception: ginger capsules may help chemotherapy nausea.
The only way these supplements (which folks spend billions on) ever actually helped was as a placebo. Now even that’s over. Save your money and your pride and skip it all.
