[Alternative medicine. Past, present, future. Part 2]

Part 2 highlights the use of food products, bioactive additives, micronutrients, and phytotherapyforprevention of diseases. Many studies demonstrated positive effect of omega-3 PUFA, stanols, sterols, and esterified pargarines, soluble cellulose, controlled alcohol consumption, tea, Mg-enriched dietetic factors, folic acid combined with vitamins B6 and B12 on subjects with the initially enhanced homocysteine level. Garlic is known to reduce blood lipids, hawthorn may be useful at early stages of cardiac insufficiency, ginkgo biloba in arterial and cerebral disorders, horse chestnut for the treatment of peripheral vascular pathology. Results of controlled studies indicate that the use of many foods for prevention of different diseases is currently based on recommendations of individual doctors and needs to be substantiated by evidence-based practice. Physicians treating and educating patients must be well aware of alternative and supplemental therapeutic modalities with the use of foodstuffs, bioactive additives, micronutrients, and phytotherapy.