CAMéxico: Mexican herbal remedy usage across borders

Background: Research suggests that 55-75% of US Latinos use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), with herbal and botanical preparations being the most common. In North Carolina, Latino population growth is unprecedented, with Guanajuato being one of the top five Mexican states from where individuals emigrate. Herbal medicine use among Mexicans and Mexican-Americans has not been well-researched.

Methods: This cross-sectional study examined what herbs and herbal combinations were used at the household level, including their purposes, the most frequently used herbal remedies, and where herbs and knowledge of herb use were obtained among a total of 102 Mexican participants; 76 participants were surveyed in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico and 26 in North Carolina, US. All data was collected in Spanish.

Results: All participants reported at least one herbal remedy usage in the last year. For participants in Mexico, the most frequently used remedies were honey with lime, chamomile, aloe vera, eucalyptus, and rue. The most frequently reported herbal remedy purposes among participants in Mexico were for cough, stomach, general health, kidneys, and nerves. Knowledge of herbal remedies was most frequently obtained from family and community elders.

Next Steps: Only 33% of all US CAM users discuss CAM practices with their health care provider (HCP). To share study findings with HCPs as a way to promote effective patient-provider communication and safe, culturally inclusive treatment strategies for a growing minority population, a toolkit highlighting common Mexican herbal remedies, their efficacy ratings, and potential drug interactions will be created and disseminated to HCPs with a large Latino clientele in central North Carolina.