Herbal supplements for renal patients: what do we know?

The use of complementary and adjunctive therapy has been steadily increasing in the U.S. since the 1960s. This can be attributed to several factors, particularly because over 80 million "baby boomers" are embracing alternative medicine as a way to enhance their medical care. The perceived coldness and remoteness of conventional medicine; the entanglement of managed care in red tape; continued emphasis on "natural" which supposedly connotes "better," as well as the popularity of vegetarian practices have also contributed to the general population's increasing involvement in alternative medicine. In 1999, 40% of all Americans sought alternative medical treatment, outpacing visits to conventional primary care physicians.

Lack of significant changes in nutrition-related parameters with tumor necrosis factor treatment of cancer.

Cancer and its therapies frequently produce anorexia and cachexia. In this study, the acute (3 days) and chronic (4 wks) nutrition-related effects of cancer therapy with recombinant human tumor necrosis factor (rHuTNF) were investigated and described. Nutritional status, as measured by body weight and body composition (body fat and lean-to-fat ratio) with use of bioelectrical impedance, did not appear to deteriorate. None of the serum lipids changed significantly, but triglycerides did rise modestly over four weeks of therapy. Glucose and the peptide hormones (insulin, C-peptide, glucagon, and pancreatic polypeptide) thought to affect appetite did not change with rHuTNF therapy. Therefore, although TNF is thought to contribute to wasting in animal models, it had no negative effect on nutritional status in our small sample. The lack of adverse effect noted in this study is possibly due to the low dose level of rHuTNF or to adaptation.