Research
Evidence Matters
This page provides research findings, scientific evidence, and reports written by government agencies and professional organizations on many of the subjects included on the Caring Ambassadors website. It will be regularly updated, so check back often.
Integrative Health and Medicine
What is Integrative Medicine? The Bravewell Collaborative. 2011.
The Efficacy and Cost-Effectiveness of Integrative Medicine. The Bravewell Collaborative. 2010.
Integrative Medicine: Improving Health Care for Patients and Health Care Delivery for Providers and Payors. The Bravewell Collaborative. 2010.
IOM (Institute of Medicine). 2009. Integrative medicine and the health of the public: A summary of the February 2009 summit. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Yusuf S, Hawken S, Ounpuu S, et al. Effect of potentially modifiable risk factors associated with myocardial infarction in 52 countries (the INTERHEART study): case-control study. Lancet. 2004; 364:937-52.
Complementary
Susan McQuillan M.S., RDN. Get Up and Dance to the Music. A review of 28 scientific studies found that dancing supports mental health. Psychology Today. November 2021.
Nahin RL, Boineau R, Khalsa PS, Stussman BJ, Weber WJ. Evidence-based evaluation of complementary health approaches for pain management in the United States. Mayo Clin Proc. 2016 Sep;91(9):1292-306.
Furst DE, Venkatraman MM, McGann M, et al. Double-blind, randomized, controlled, pilot study comparing classic Ayurvedic medicine, methotrexate, and their combination in rheumatoid arthritis. J Clin Rheumatol. 2011;17(4):185-92.
Mathie et al. Randomised placebo-controlled trials of individualised homeopathic treatment: systematic review and meta-analysis. Systematic Reviews. 2014, 3:142
Shang A, et al. Are the clinical effects of homoeopathy placebo effects? Comparative study of placebo-controlled trials of homoeopathy and allopathy. Lancet. 2005 Aug 27-Sep 2;366(9487):726-32.
Kassab S, Cummings M, Berkovitz S, van Haselen R, Fisher P. Homeopathic medicines for adverse effects of cancer treatments. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2009, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD004845. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004845.pub2.
American Massage Therapy Association. Research Roundup: Massage Beneficial in Oncology Care.
American Massage Therapy Association. Research Roundup. Vol. 4.
American Massage Therapy Association. Research Roundup.
Well-being
Ann Marie Roepke, Eranda Jayawickreme, Olivia M. Riffle. Meaning and Health: A Systematic Review. Applied Research in Quality of Life. 2013;9(4)1055-79.
Helliwell, John F., Richard Layard, and Jeffrey Sachs, eds. 2015. World Happiness Report 2015.
New York: Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
Morgan N, Irwin MR, Chung M, Wang C. The effects of mind-body therapies on the immune system: meta-analysis. PLoS ONE. 2014;9(7).
Corporation for National and Community Service, Office of Research and Policy Development. The Health Benefits of Volunteering: A Review of Recent Research, Washington, DC 2007.
Kvillemo P, Branstrom R. Coping with breast cancer: a meta-analysis. PLoS ONE. 2014. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112733
Spiritual Work
Koenig HG. Religion, Spirituality, and Health: The Research and Clinical Implications. ISRN Psychiatry. 2012;1-33.
Mueller PS, Plevak DJ, Rummans TA. Religious involvement, spirituality, and medicine: implications for clinical practice. Mayo Clin Proc. 2001;76:1225-1235.
Stress Management
Chen KW, Berger CC, Manheimer E. Meditative therapies for reducing anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Depress Anxiety. 2012; 29(7): 545–562.
Nidich SL, Rainforth MV, Haaga DA. A randomized controlled trial on effects of the Transcendental Meditation Program on blood pressure, psychological distress, and coping in Young adults. Am J Hypertens. 2009; 22(12): 1326–1331.
Support
Holt-Lunstad J, Smith TB, Layton JB. Social relationships and mortality risk: a meta-analytic review. PLoS Medicine. 2010;7(7).
Nutrition
Manzel A, Muller DN, Hafler DA, Erdman SE, Linker RA, Kleinewietfeld M. Role of “Western Diet” in inflammatory autoimmune diseases. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2014; 14(1): 404-16.
American Dietetic Association. Position of the American Dietetic Association: Nutrient Supplementation. 2009.
Katz DL, Meller S. Can we say what diet is best for health? Annu Rev Public Health. 2014. 35:83–103.
Healing
Webster A. The Power of Resilience in the Face of Cancer. Coping Magazine. 2018.
Danaher TS, Brand SR, Pickard LSS, Mack JW, Berry LL. How a Child With Cancer Moved From Vulnerability to Resilience. J Clin Oncol. 2017;35(27):3169-3171.
Scott JG, Warber SL, Dieppe P, Jones D, Stange KC. Healing journey: a qualitative analysis of the healing experiences of Americans suffering from trauma and illness. BMJ Open. 2017;7(8):e016771.
Measuring the Magic of Healing. Ojala L. Scientific American. 2018.
Long-term/Chronic Illness
IOM (Institute of Medicine). 2012. Living well with chronic illness: A call for public health action. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Johnson NB, Hayes LD, Brown K, Hoo EC, Ethier KA. CDC national health report: leading causes of morbidity and mortality and associated behavioral risk and protective factors— United States, 2005–2013 MMWR. 2014;63(4):1-27.