Abstract

With words such as AIDS, allergy and autoimmunity embedded in the popular lexicon, we often equate health with the precision and the tenor of responses to allergens and microorganisms. This leads many people to seek their own solutions to sustain, restore or even boost their immune competence, hoping to live more comfortably and longer. Here, we consider the social and clinical contexts in which these promises of enhanced immunity are pursued through popular practices known as complementary and alternative medicine and the evidence that supports these.

Author affiliations

1. Martin H. Goldrosen is at the Office of Scientific Review, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Suite 401, 6707 Democracy Boulevard, Bethesda, Maryland 20817, USA.
2. Stephen E. Straus is at the Office of the Director, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Building 31, Room 2B11, 31 Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2182, USA.

Correspondence to: Stephen E. Straus² Email: strauss@nccam.nih.gov

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