89 percent of hispanic women use herbal remedies

A new study comparing use of herbal remedies among Hispanic women and non-Hispanic white women showed higher than expected use of herbal treatments by both groups, 89% and 81%, respectively. Notably, less than 1 in 6 Hispanic women and only a third of white women discussed the use of herbal treatments with their doctors, as reported in an article published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

In "Prevalence of Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Herbal Remedy Use in Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White Women: Results from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation," authors Robin Green, PsyD, et al., from Albert Einstein College of Medicine (Bronx, NY), University of Colorado School of Medicine and School of Public Health (Aurora), and University of Washington (Seattle), examined the use of integrative medicine approaches such as botanical and herbal remedies. The highest reported use of herbals was as teas. The researchers emphasized the need for physicians to ask patients about herbal treatments to identify potential interactions with or patient use as replacements for conventional medications.

"The survey is yet another sign of how deeply once 'alternative' choices are permeating daily behavior," says JACM Editor-in-Chief John Weeks, johnweeks-integrator.com, Seattle, WA., "and especially in a Hispanic population after early use data led many to portray complementary and alternative medical use as predominantly a phenomenon among a white and privileged class."