Nutrition and Complementary Health Terms

Food carrying nutrients it never contained naturally, added deliberately to reach a whole population through the shopping basket.

A plant whose roots are used as a sedative and to treat certain medical conditions.

A plant whose roots are used as a sedative and to treat certain medical conditions.

The plant behind geranium oil is not a true geranium at all, a naming muddle that has followed it for centuries.

A plant whose daisy-like flowers are used in tea to calm and relax, improve sleep, and help stomach problems.

An intensive juice, enema and supplement regimen promoted as a cancer cure for most of a century, never tested in a controlled trial.

Ginger is a flavorful root long used in cooking and traditional preparations intended to ease nausea and digestive discomfort.

A leaf extract from an ancient tree, sold widely for memory, and repeatedly found no better than placebo in large trials.

Ginseng is a root used in traditional and complementary medicine, commonly taken as a supplement for energy and general vitality.

A plant whose seeds and root have been used in some cultures to treat certain medical problems.

A nursing-derived practice whose claimed mechanism, a flow of vital energy, has never been detected by any physical measurement.

An herb used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat certain medical problems.

An herb used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat certain medical problems.

Plant products sold under food rules rather than drug rules, which is what makes their strength and contents so variable.

A plant whose leaves, stems, and flowers have been used in some cultures to treat certain medical problems.

A system of remedies prepared by repeated dilution, based on principles that predate modern chemistry and conflict with it.

An herbal product sold as an over-the-counter treatment for depression.

Responsiveness to suggestion is a fairly stable individual trait, and a minority of people barely respond to hypnotic technique at all.

Attention is finite, and the technique works by occupying it, which is why sensory detail matters more than the scene chosen.

The root of this plant has been used in some cultures to treat certain medical problems.