Word: herbs
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...preparations seem--and are marketed as--"natural," as distinct from synthetic pharmaceutical drugs, adds to their appeal. "A lot of people feel comforted by taking something they regard as a natural substance," says Dr. Sidney Bogardus, who directs Yale's Geriatric Assessment Clinic. "Of course, the substances in an herb are chemicals just as they are in medicine made by pharmaceutical companies. But it seems more gentle and safe, and people are reassured by that...
...relatively inexpensive. Utah's free-enterprise culture has nurtured characters like Tom Murdock, an Arizona entrepreneur who in 1969 started what is now Murdock Madaus Schwabe, whose Nature's Way line is the top-selling herbal brand in health-food stores. Murdock founded the company to market the chaparral herb, which he had used to treat his cancer-stricken wife...
Finally, don't expect a pill to make up for an unhealthy life-style. No herb can take the place of exercise. Some of the most healthful plants you can consume are leafy green vegetables like broccoli and spinach...
...assume that "natural" means safe, unless you want to risk ending up like Socrates, who committed suicide by drinking hemlock. More recently, folks have suffered liver damage from sipping teas brewed from comfrey, an herb that is used in poultices and ointments to treat sprains and bruises and should never be taken internally. Special note to pregnant women and nursing mothers: you should avoid a number of herbs, including Echinacea, senna, comfrey and licorice...
...sure to tell your doctor what you're taking. According to last week's J.A.M.A., 15 million Americans take herbs at the same time as prescription medications. Yet 60% of patients don't tell their doctors that they are taking herbal remedies, which would at least allow the physicians to watch for potentially serious drug-herb interactions...