Word: herbal
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...Because herbal remedies are not regulated in the U.S., consumers should read the best available studies before trying them. With a few notable exceptions, much of the information about herbs on the Internet is unreliable. But authoritative books are available from the American Botanical Council and the Medical Economics Company. (See "Hitting the Books on Herbal Cures," p. 65.) Here are a few other tips...
...Physicians have legitimate concerns about the safety, efficacy and potential misuse of the herbal products that their patients are snapping up. More and more M.D.s, like their patients, accept that some herbal products may help where conventional treatments fail. The difference is that doctors tend to be more demanding of proof. Or as Dr. Yank Coble of the American Medical Association puts it, "In God we trust. All others must have data...
...more intriguing studies, conducted in Australia, found merit in Chinese herbal treatments for irritable-bowel syndrome, a gastrointestinal disorder that strikes 10% to 20% of the population in many industrialized countries and for which conventional medicine often offers only symptomatic relief. The study also showed the lengths to which researchers must go to make sure that the benefits ascribed to herbal remedies are not due to a biased analysis of data, or to patients' expectations--the so-called placebo effect...
...were randomly given pills that contained either a placebo of flavored compounds that tasted like herbs but had no medicinal effects, a standardized extract of 20 herbs designed to support bowel function in general, or the individually prescribed herbs. After 16 weeks of treatment, the two groups that received herbal medicines had fewer symptoms and less pain than the placebo group. But 14 weeks later, only the group that received tailor-made herbal remedies still felt better...
...Make sure what you're taking is pure. Last May the FDA verified industry reports that certain shipments of ginseng were contaminated with high levels of a fungicide. Elaine Kang-Yum, a pharmacist at the Hudson Valley Poison Control Center in Tarrytown, N.Y., who tracks herbal medicines, says some imported Chinese remedies have been doped with Valium or other prescription drugs...