Complementary Medicine

The use of vitamins, minerals, and other supplements is both popular and controversial. Surveys of people with MS indicate that the use of supplements is one of the most common…

Amino Acids Amino acids are chemicals that are used to synthesize proteins in the body. Mixtures of specific amino acids known as branched-chain amino acids are sometimes recommended for MS….

Androstenedione Androstenedione became well known to the public after the baseball player Mark McGwire acknowledged that he used it in 1998. Androstenedione is a hormone that is sold as a…

Calcium EAP In the early 1960s, Dr. Hans Nieper, a German physician, developed a compound known as calcium EAP. It is also known as calcium-2-aminoethyl phosphate, calcium AEP, and calcium…

Coenzyme Q10 Coenzyme Q10 is also known as CoQ10 or ubiquinone. Like some vitamins, coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant that may decrease free radical damage. Also, coenzyme Q10 may improve…

Creatine Creatine is a supplement that is claimed to increase muscle strength and increase body mass. It is of interest because many people with MS experience weakness. Creatine is made…

DHEA DHEA, or dehydroepiandrosterone, is a hormone that is available as a dietary supplement. It is marketed as an antiaging compound and as a “miracle cure” for many medical conditions….

Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins Oligomeric proanthocyanidins, also known as OPCs, are antioxidant compounds. They are one of the main components in several antioxidant supplements, including pycnogenol and grape seed extract. As noted…

Melatonin Melatonin is a hormone produced in the pineal gland, a small gland in the brain. Melatonin is involved in regulating circadian rhythms, the regular daily cycles of the body…

Lecithin Lecithin, or phosphatidylcholine, is a supplement that is sometimes recommended for MS. It is involved in several body processes and is a major component of cell membranes. Supplements of…