What Is CAM?

At nutritrue.net Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) has been referenced several times - but what is CAM? 

CAM as defined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a "group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of traditional medicine."  Although the FDA does not approve dietary supplements, they regulate them in order to ensure that the product is that which has been stated on the label.

In the United States, dietary supplements are defined by the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) as a product that is taken by mouth, that contains 1 or more dietary supplemental ingredient and is used with the intent of supplementing one's diet.  A dietary supplement is required to be labeled as such by the FDA.

Complementary Medicine = conventional medicine + holistic therapies
Alternative Medicine = holistic therapies used in place of conventional medicine

Some commonly used CAM practices that may be referenced throughout nutritrue.net are as follows:

Acupuncture or Dry Needle Therapy,

Energy Therapy e.g. -  infrared light (pain therapy),

Body Manipulation e.g. - chiropractic,

Dietary Supplements e.g. - amino acids, enzymes, herbs, metabolites, probiotics, vitamins, etc.

Very few medical doctors in  America are trained in this area. Doctors who are trained in this area are referred to as functional doctors.

Not all supplements are created equal! 
How to know if you are purchasing high quality supplements?
The reputation of the manufacturer is critical!  The following things listed below could seriously alter the intended product results.

Part of the plant used
Ripeness of the plant
Potential lab contaminants
Temperature & Storage

Remember the saying -  "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!" 

Yes, nutrition can be a great intervention tool when something unfortunate happens, but why not start utilizing Nutrition Prevention!  ( see March 25th 2015 Wednesday Wonder)

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References Cited
United States.  Food and Drug Administration.  <www.fda.gov/regulatoryinformation/guidances/ucm144657.htm>
United States.  National Institute of Health.  <nccih.nih.gov/health/supplements>