I've conducted laboratory research (controlled, double-blind, placebo vs. intervention studies) with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), including Radix Panacis ginseng or ginseng root (人参 Rén Shēn), which is probably most widely known for its memory enhancing effects and various other health-positive cognitive effects (in TCM, it acts via the heart, lung, and kidney channels as a heat-clearing tonic) and Sclerotium Poriae cocos or the poria mushroom (茯苓 Fú Líng) which is traditionally used in treating memory problems, anxiety, and fluid retention (acting via the heart, spleen, lungs, and kidneys), among others. Although I have no personal experience taking alternative medicines (or any other medicines besides those given in standard vaccines, for that matter), I can definitely attest to its peer-reviewed efficacy from an empirical, scientific standpoint, having conducted laboratory research and extensive literature reviews on the neuropsychological impact of TCM at both the molecular, cellular level and in mental health/clinical settings. It is quite easy to find hundreds of peer-reviewed publications from highly esteemed scientific journals to support the efficacy of TCM.