Natural products were the most popular alternative treatment used by the nearly 24,000 adults and more than 9,400 children interviewed for the survey.
The survey included a general question asking participants whether they had used any herbs, supplements, and other natural products within the last 12 months. It also contained a specific question asking respondents to indicate which products, from a list of 45 possibilities, they had used within the last month.
Because the question was worded as usage within the last month, this could have influenced the final rankings of the top ten products. A remedy, such as echinacea has a seasonal usage, typically during the late fall and winter, and if you responded to the survey in the summer, you might not have used this cold-fighting product in the previous month.
Products, such as fish oil and glucosamine, have year-round uses -- factors that may have led to their respective number one and number two rankings.
Another NCCAM survey done in 2002 was equally large, but did not include children. A few natural remedies that appeared on the top ten list in 2002 but dropped off it in 2007 include St. John's wort, peppermint, ginger, and soy supplements.
A few products appeared on the top ten list for the first time. They included Coenzyme Q10, flaxseed, and combination herb pills. ABCNews.com covered the story and highlights the top ten list. To review online click here http://abcnews.go.com/health/coldandflunews/Story?id=6467771&page=2
