Complementary and Alternative Medical Therapies for Diabetes The
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
(NCCAM), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH),
defines complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as a "group
of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and
products that are not generally considered to be part of
conventional medicine." Complementary medicine is used with
conventional medicine, whereas alternative medicine is used
instead of conventional medicine. Some people with diabetes use
CAM therapies to treat diabetes. Although some of these
therapies may be effective, others can be ineffective or even
harmful. Patients who use CAM therapies should keep their health
care providers informed. Links to information about some CAM
therapies are provided below. For more information, talk with
your health care provider. For tips on talking with your health
care provider about CAM, see NCCAM's Time to Talk campaign. This
fact sheet from NCCAM gives basic informat