Abstract
In the current issue of the Cochrane Library (Issue 3, 2004), there are more than 25 systematic reviews addressing the use of vitamins in the prevention or treatment of disease. Vitamins have been a mainstay of health since their discovery in the early 1900s, so a question arises as to when using vitamins is considered complementary as opposed to conventional medical practice. Complementary or alternative vitamin use encompasses those uses that are outside of accepted medical practice. The use of vitamin C to prevent scurvy is accepted medical practice. The use of vitamin C as a therapeutic adjunct to asthma is not. This paper summarizes 15 Cochrane systematic reviews on the complementary use of vitamins for an array of conditions including the common cold, Alzheimer's disease, asthma, chemotherapy-induced mucositis, and depression.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.