Laetrile has had its ups and downs as an alternative medicine. Created from amydalin, a substance found in fruit pits and sold as an alternative anti-cancer drug by Ernest Krebs, Sr. and his son from the 1950s through the 1970s, laetrile has never...
The graviola tree, botanically known as Annona muricata, grows in the rainforests of the Amazon and Caribbean islands. It produces a fruit that is popular among native peoples. Graviola fruit, seeds, leaves, bark and roots have all been used as...
Aromatherapy is a popular treatment for everything from stress relief to nausea. The modality uses essential plant oils with strong scents to achieve a therapeutic effect. The therapy also works with oils made from spices. The treatment is widely...
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, but improvements in diagnosis and treatment have led to an increased patient survival rate, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Alternative...
Alternative treatments are any type of treatment not considered traditional medicine. They include exercise, meditation, herbal treatments and vitamin therapy. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that patients use alternative therapies for...
Cancer is the result of abnormal and uncontrolled cell division, which causes malignant growths called tumors. The exact cause of this abnormal growth is unknown, but it's thought to be related to free radical damage. Although the medical...
Almond oil is a carrier oil made from sweet almond kernels. These kernels are warmed, then pressed to extract the oil, according to the Bella Sugar website. This oil is rich in vitamin E and has a pale yellow color. Sweet almond oil offers several...
About 14,000 people die from bladder cancer each year, according to the Clinic of Urology in Milwaukee, Wis. Risk factors for bladder cancer include obesity, cigarette smoking, tobacco use and a diet lacking in fruits and vegetables. Consuming a...
Cancer comes in many different forms with many different causes. No one path into or out of the disease exists. Though the disease may appear dramatically different in different individuals even if it is the same cancer type, strategies to fight...
Certain foods produce acid in the body, while others, although they taste acidic, have an alkalizing effect on the body. If your blood has excessive acidity due to toxins and stress, or if you suffer from acid reflux, it is important to avoid an...
Bitter almond oil is different than that of sweet almond because it contains amygdalin, which is also found in plum, apricot and peach pits. Sweet almonds do not have this substance, which is toxic, so these almonds and their oils are safe. While...
Many books have been written about breast cancer. Whether searching for treatment information, research assistance or emotional support, books can meet many of the changing needs of the patient going through this often difficult process. These...
Fruits offers numerous health benefits if you have cancer. You can eat a wide variety of healthy fruits. Fruits are easy to transport when going to and from treatment, work or daily activities. They are typically quite inexpensive and most people...
Subtle aromatherapy is the use of essential oils for spiritual or health purposes. Some people may use scent as an aid to meditation or yoga practice. Others find that aromatherapy can benefit their mood. You can easily find subtle uses of...
Probiotics and prebiotics can both help to improve digestion and overall health. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) explains that prebiotics are food ingredients that cannot be digested, but instead, stimulate...
Cancer can attack at any age and can affect virtually any part of the body. It occurs when cells mutate and begin to grow out of control. Conventional cancer treatment includes chemotherapy, radiation and even surgical intervention. Because of the...
The Mayo Clinic lists massage and aromatherapy as two alternative therapies that can help to ease the pain and stress of cancer treatments. You can find them together in settings as diverse as hospitals and day spas. Clinical research studies are...
In the prostate, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) protein production occurs in small amounts at all times in men. Having a high level of PSA in the blood, as indicated by the PSA test, may not indicate prostate cancer. Non-cancerous conditions...
Yoga is a type of stretching exercise practice that has numerous potential health benefits. Although most people use yoga to improve their overall sense of well-being or enhance physical fitness, try yoga as a complementary therapy to help in...
Laetrile, also known as B-17, isn't a vitamin at all, but rather a chemically-modified form of a substance called amygdalin. Laetrile does not occur naturally in any foods, although amygdalin does. Laetrile, used as a popular alternative cancer...
Estrogen-like chemicals that occur naturally in some plants are called phytoestrogens. Three types of phytoestrogens can be found in various foods isoflavonoids, lilgnans and coumestans. More than 300 plants contain some form of phytoestrogen, but...
The normal treatments for liver cancer are chemotherapy, surgery to remove the diseased portion of the liver or liver transplant surgery when the liver is too diseased to respond to just getting out a piece of it. Your liver is about the size of a...
Being diagnosed with high cholesterol can be frightening. To many people, this is synonymous with impending heart attacks and strokes. While high cholesterol does increase your risk of developing these diseases, you can take action to lower your...
Aloe vera (aloe) is a type of plant that has been utilized in the treatment of skin-related infections, rashes and burns. Dried aloe vera has also been used as an oral laxative to treat constipation and other gastrointestinal problems. According...
For hundreds of years, traditional healers have used water for therapeutic purposes. The medicinal use of water, known as hydrotherapy or water therapy, can take dozens of different forms. These practices vary tremendously in their safety and...
Prostate cancer, one of the most common forms of major cancer in men, can be treated successfully especially if it is caught in the early stages. Prostate cancer tends to grow slowly, so aggressive treatment may not always be necessary. If...
Cervical carcinoma, or cervical cancer, is cancer of the cervix. The cervix is the bottom area of the uterus just above the vagina. This type of cancer is most often diagnosed in women over the age of 30, according to the Mayo Clinic, and it is...
Soy is a subtropical plant that is native to southeastern Asia. Soy is often used as a meat replacement and touted as a healthy substitute for foods like milk and cheese for vegans; however, men who consume soy can be at a risk of serious diseases...
Vitamin therapy, a form of alternative medicine, utilizes isolated micronutrients -- which are vitamins and minerals -- for the purpose of preventing and treating disease. Although mainstream health care providers approve of some forms of vitamin...
