The herbal minefield

[pointy]

The questions I've seen in this forum indicate to me that those using it are generally aware that herbs can have adverse effects and that the claims made about them don't necessarily reflect reality.

I have no problem with taking herbs per se, I just think that if you do plan on taking them, you need to do some research and think critically. There are some issues that I believe everyone considering taking herbs for therapeutic purposes needs to be aware of, so I thought I'd share this link to provide some background.

http://www.quackwatch.org/01Quackery...ics/herbs.html

Here are some quotes from the webpage highlighting the main points.

Little Public Protection

In the United States, herbs intended for preventive or therapeutic use would be regulated as drugs under federal laws. To evade the law, these products are marketed as "foods" or "dietary supplements" without health claims on their labels. Since these are not regulated as drugs, no legal standards exist for their processing, harvesting, or packaging. In many cases, particularly for products with expensive raw ingredients, contents and potency are not accurately disclosed on the label. Many products marked as herbs contain no useful ingredients, and some even lack the principal ingredient for which people buy them. Surveys have found have found that the ingredients and doses of several products varied considerably from brand to brand.

Much Unreliable Information

To make a rational decision about an herbal product, it would be necessary to know what it contains, whether it is safe, and whether it has been demonstrated to be as good or better than pharmaceutical products available for the same purpose. For most herbal ingredients this information is incomplete or unavailable. Even worse, most published information about herbs is unreliable. The late Varro E. Tyler, Ph.D., former dean of the Purdue University School of Pharmacy and a leading authority on pharmacognosy (the science of medicines from natural sources), observed:

More misinformation about the safety and efficacy of herbs is reaching the public currently than at any previous time, including the turn-of-the-century heyday of patent medicines. The literature promoting herbs includes pamphlets, magazine articles, and books ranging in quality from cheaply printed flyers to elaborately produced studies in fine bindings with attractive illustrations. Practically all of these writings recommend large numbers of herbs for treatment based on hearsay, folklore, and tradition. The only criterion that seems to be avoided in these publications is scientific evidence. Some writings are so comprehensive and indiscriminate that they seem to recommend everything for anything. Even deadly poisonous herbs are sometimes touted as remedies, based on some outdated report or a misunderstanding of the facts. Particularly insidious is the myth that there is something almost magical about herbal drugs that prevents them, in their natural state, from harming people.

Also mentioned in the article are a few sites that provide some fairly reliable information about various herbal products. This is the only one that doesn't require you to pay for detailed information:

http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/11570.cfm

Hope this helps.

[Beggiatoa]

I wonder how many of you guys taking Meds thoroughly research them? You'll be surprised how many awful side effects many common medications have...

I haven't heard of too many people being harmed by herbs..

this is my recent favorite. Fosamax, a drug supposed to help with osteoporosis, can cause jaw bone necrosis. What?? Yeah, that means your jaw bone rots and falls off. lol

http://www.youhavealawyer.com/fosama...-necrosis.html

I really don't understand why people fear herbs. It's dumb and unfounded. The quackwatch guy is an imbecile and he's no authority on the subject to be making conclusive statements like he does.

[ecotec83]

I normally do a lot of research before taking anything, even prescriptions medications. I agree that there is a lot of conflicting information and a potential for serious complications, as well as little standardization of quality or dosage. One brand may be stronger/weaker than another or one brand may vary depending on the batch. Some of the more well known companies do quality testing to ensure that each batch is exactly the same. Many overseas countries such as Germany widely use st. john wort to treat mild depression instead of modern medications. If used correctly by someone with appropriate knowledge herbs can be just as effective as many of todays drugs and in some cases a lot safer.