Complementary medicine/CMT101/Utilization of CAM

About Vitamins

 * They are organic compounds found in food, that are necessary for good health in very small amounts
 * Many cannot be synthesised by the body
 * Ideally we get sufficient amounts from eating a good diet
 * Individual vitamins are characterised by a capital V and a letter and/or number – eg Vitamin C, Vitamin B12, and so on

About Herbal medicines

 * These are plant medicines, which may include any part of a plant. Usually only one (specified) part of a plant is used medicinally.
 * They are chemically highly complex
 * They may be flowers, seeds, leaves, barks, roots

About Food supplements
European Union definition - European Food Safety Authority


 * Food supplements are concentrated sources of nutrients or other substances with a nutritional or physiological effect, whose purpose is to supplement the normal diet.
 * Functional foods claim to have health benefits beyond their nutritional value.

'''So, when a substance is swallowed and makes health claims - is it a medicine or food? Let us know your thoughts on the | Course Feed'''

The Complementary Medicines Industry
Complementary Medicines Australia is the peak body representing those involved in the production of complementary medicines in Australia. From their website, have a look at About Us and the CMA Industry Audit 2017, and answer the following questions:

The Hierarchy of Evidence
The video above referred 'the research'. This refers to research which has been published in peer-reviewed journals, and it can take a number of forms. The pyramid as illustrated below, indicates the hierarchy in terms of what is seen as the most reliable evidence to the least reliable evidence. The below gives an introductory explanation of the hierarchy of evidence.