What Is the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) Website?

Updated

nccih.nih.gov is the official website of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), a center within the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). It is a government health information and research site, not a commercial store or a source of personalized medical advice. It is most useful if you want evidence-based, plain-language information about complementary and integrative health approaches—such as herbs, mind and body practices, and pain management—or if you are looking for NIH-funded research and funding opportunities in this field.

What NCCIH is and what the site covers

NCCIH is a federal research center. Its stated focus is supporting research on the "whole person," and the site reflects that by combining consumer health information with research news and grant information.

The site's main content areas include:

  • Health Information — general consumer-facing material
  • Health Topics A-Z — an alphabetical index of conditions and approaches
  • Be an Informed Consumer — guidance on evaluating health claims
  • For Health Care Professionals — material aimed at clinicians
  • Herbs at a Glance — quick summaries of specific herbs
  • Pain — a dedicated section on pain and complementary approaches
  • Know the Science — tools for understanding research evidence
  • Research — what NCCIH funds and conducts
  • News — announcements, blog posts, and advisory council meetings

Who each section is for

The site serves several distinct audiences, and knowing which part applies to you saves time:

If you are… Start with
A general reader curious about a supplement, herb, or practice Health Topics A-Z, Herbs at a Glance, Be an Informed Consumer
A clinician For Health Care Professionals
A researcher seeking funding Research, Funding Opportunities, News
Someone trying to understand study quality Know the Science

What makes it a credible reference

Because NCCIH is part of NIH, its content is tied to federally funded research rather than marketing. The site publishes research results, clinical digests, and summaries of studies—for example, a clinical digest on multiple sclerosis and complementary health approaches, and research results on how heat and pain are sensed. It also lists advisory council meetings and funding deadlines, which signals that the research side is actively maintained.

This matters most when you are comparing a health claim you saw elsewhere against a neutral summary. NCCIH is designed to help you "be an informed consumer," which generally means it explains what the evidence does and does not support rather than promoting a product.

What it is not

  • It is not a substitute for advice from your own health care provider.
  • It is not a retailer; the site is informational.
  • It does not offer personalized treatment recommendations.

Practical tips for using the site

  1. Use Health Topics A-Z when you have a specific herb, supplement, or practice in mind.
  2. Use Herbs at a Glance for a fast summary before reading longer material.
  3. Use Know the Science if you want to judge whether a study you read about is trustworthy.
  4. Check News and Research if you need current NIH activity or funding dates rather than background information.

If your goal is to understand what complementary and integrative health approaches have evidence behind them—and what that evidence actually shows—NCCIH is a reasonable first stop. If your goal is a diagnosis or a treatment decision for your own situation, use it as background and bring your questions to a qualified provider.