Complementary and Alternative Medicine with Curative Intent: Macrobiotics and Faith Healing

FUNDING SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Cooperative agreement U48/CCU409664: SIP 6-00)

TIMELINE: October 2000 – September 2002

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Jane Teas, PhD (USC ASPH)

CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Joan Cunningham, PhD (USC ASPH)
Andrew Cousins, PhD

This study focused on the use of macrobiotics as a complementary therapy used by cancer patients, and faith/spiritual healing for physical and mental ailments. Both of these therapies have in common that they are patient - initiated. Neither can be studied in conventional randomized studies. Both work in parallel to biomedicine, and neither is well understood by conventional physicians. The contributions these two practices might make to improving the quality of life and increasing the length of life are potentially vast. To understand these modalities, we are interviewing people who use these therapies and healers who advocate these therapies. We are also reviewing associated literature that support or critique these therapies or otherwise address fundamental aspects of mechanism. In addition, we are completing a Best Case series analysis of people whose use of macrobiotics may have altered the course of their cancer, and for whom medical documentation of their disease course and therapies is available.
For more information, go to the project website at http://www.macrobiotics.sph.sc.edu/.

Publications and Presentations

Macrobiotics and Cancer

Publications:

Kushi LH, Cunningham, Hebert JR, et al. The Macrobiotic Diet in Cancer. Journal of Nutrition. 131: 3056S-3064S, 2001.

Whetstone J. "Miso Soup and Support Groups: Macrobiotic Practice." Master's Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC. 2000.

Papers presented:

Teas J. Macrobiotics and Peace. American Anthropology Association Annual Meeting, Chicago IL. November 19-23, 2003.

Teas J. Macrobiotics for Cancer: Theory and Practice. Society for Applied Anthropology. Portland OR. March 19-23, 2003

Cousins A. What is Macrobiotics? The body, health and healing in macrobiotic theory. Society for Applied Anthropology, Atlanta GA. March 6-10, 2002.

Leatherman T. Nutritional analysis of macrobiotic diets. Society for Applied Anthropology, Atlanta GA. March 6-10, 2002.

Cunningham J. Macrobiotics as alternative medicine. Society for Applied Anthropology, Atlanta GA. March 6-10, 2002.

Whetstone J. Miso soup and support groups: Lifestyle change among macrobiotic practitioners in Columbia, SC. Society for Applied Anthropology, Atlanta GA. March 6-10, 2002.

Teas J. The cultural construction of seaweed: From slime to the macrobiotic sublime. Society for Applied Anthropology, Atlanta GA. March 6-10, 2002.

Verma P. Physician attitudes to macrobiotics. Society for Applied Anthropology, Atlanta GA. March 6-10, 2002.

Teas J. Health Effects of Seaweed. International Macrobiotic Summer Conference, Allardsoog-Holland. July 14-20, 2001.

Teas J. A Review of Iodine and Arsenic in Dietary Seaweeds. Kushi Institute Summer Conference, Boston, MA, 2000.

Posters presented:

Harmon B, Teas J, Hebert J, et al. A Comparison of typical Macrobiotic Diets to the Dietary Reference Intakes - Preliminary Results. First Annual SC Nutrition Research Consortium, October 17, 2003. Irmo, SC

Teas J, Cunningham JE, Rice G, et al. Macrobiotics and Cancer: Interviews with Macrobiotic Practitioners. American Association of Cancer Research International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, Boston MA. October 14-18, 2002.

Cunningham J, Cousins A, Teas J & Kushi. L. Macrobiotics for Health, Healing and Cancer Prevention: Progress Report. American Institute for Cancer Research. Washington DC. July 16-17, 2001.

Cunningham J, Teas J, Jack A, et al. Macrobiotics and Cancer. Royal Society of Chemistry Biologically, Active Phytochemicals in Foods. Norwich, UK. Sept.26-28, 2001.

Faith and Healing Presentations

Presentations

Teas J. Healing among the faithful. University of South Carolina Medical Humanities Lunch Seminar, October 30, 2002.

Teas J, Heiney S, Cousins A, et al. Concepts of Healing Among Doctors and Patients. The Carolinas Medical Humanities Group. College of Charleston. Saturday, September 21, 2002.

Teas J. Faith and Healing: Overview of a new study at USC. Alpha Xi Chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. Columbia, SC. Feb 23, 2001.

Posters Presented

Teas J, Cousins A, Heiney SP, et al. Healing Imagery Among Charismatic Christians in South Carolina. International Center for the Integration of Health and Spirituality (ICIHS) Integrating Research on Spirituality and Health and Well-Being Into Service Delivery: A Research Conference, National Institutes of Health Campus Bethesda, Maryland April 1-3, 2003.

Heiney SP, McWayne J, & Teas J. Holy Ground: A phenomenological study of hospital chaplains. International Center for the Integration of Health and Spirituality (ICIHS). Integrating Research on Spirituality and Health and Well-Being into Service Delivery: A Research Conference, National Institutes of Health Campus Bethesda, Maryland April 1-3, 2003.

Cousins AL, Jackson G, Heiney S, et al. Faith and Healing among Christians in South Carolina. Spirituality & Healing in Medicine. Harvard Medical School and the Mind/Body Medical Institute. Boston MA. Dec 15-17, 2001.

Cousins AL, Heiney S, Verma P, et al. Data in search of analysis: How can we understand patient narratives that attribute healing to faith? Alpha Xi Chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. Columbia, SC February 2001.