The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) welcomes six new members to the National Advisory Council for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. The council serves as the principal advisory body to NCCAM, the lead federal agency for research on complementary medicine, and a component of the National Institutes of Health.

Resveratrol is a naturally occurring chemical found in red wine and other plant products and is sometimes sold as a dietary supplement. Recently, a study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute looked at how resveratrol works at the cellular level, identifying how it may provide its health benefits.

Recently, several news outlets have been highlighting research studies of the placebo effect. The placebo response can be defined as the benefit patients receive from a treatment that has no active components. Researchers are using innovative study designs to untangle the complexities of the placebo effect.

Soy protein supplements containing isoflavones do not significantly reduce the progression of atherosclerosis (build-up of plaque in the arteries) in postmenopausal women, according to a recent study published in the journal Stroke. However, a subgroup analysis of this study showed that soy supplements may benefit women who had experienced menopause within the last 5 years. Isoflavones are compounds similar to the female hormone estrogen and act like estrogen in some tissues. Previous epidemiological and laboratory research has suggested that isoflavones extracted from soybeans may have cardioprotective effects and may be a safe therapeutic alternative to hormone therapy for postmenopausal women.

The need for careful research on complementary and alternative health practices remains compelling. Tens of millions of Americans are spending $34 billion per year (mostly out-of-pocket) on a variety of complementary approaches, most often without any solid evidence about safety or usefulness.

The opportunities to make real differences in some very challenging health issues are equally compelling. After a decade of mainly exploratory research across a broad array of interventions, practices, products, and disciplines, emerging scientific evidence points toward the need for more targeted investment in selected complementary approaches.