Straight Talk About Herbal Supplements
Straight Talk About Herbal Supplements
New Web site discusses their safety, effectiveness
By Jennifer Thomas
HealthScoutNews Reporter
FRIDAY, Jan. 10 (HealthScoutNews) -- If you have high blood pressure, did you
know you probably shouldn't take ginseng? Or that St. John's wort can interfere
with chemotherapy?
Or that garlic capsules and gingko biloba can hinder blood coagulation, a
potentially major problem if you had to undergo surgery?
A new Web site created by experts at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in
New York City provides up-to-date information on the safety and efficacy of 135
of the most popular herbal remedies and dietary supplements, from bee pollen to
shark cartilage and skullcap to milk thistle.
Each entry includes a summary and a critique of all the known medical studies on
the supplement, as well as a link to the original research on the National
Institutes of Health's Medline.
In the past decade, use of alternative treatments has skyrocketed, says Barrie
Cassileth, chief of integrative medicine at Memorial Sloan-Kettering,
who started the site. "But until now there was no easy access to current,
comprehensive information about these agents," she adds.
Research is under way around the globe to scientifically document the effects of
hundreds of herbs and other dietary supplements.
Some studies have proven that certain herbs do have benefits, though in nearly
all cases research is mixed. Zinc, for example, has shown promise in lessening
the duration of a cold by making it difficult for the rhinovirus to replicate.
And some research shows St. Johns wort can help ease depression.
But that means the converse is also true -- herbs can be dangerous.
"Herbs are powerful, biologically active products that do have important
biological effects," Cassileth says. "Those effects can be useful at some times
and harmful under other circumstances."
"Herbs should not be used in a casual fashion because they are serious
medicines," she adds.
For instance, ginseng can cause low blood sugar in diabetics. And valerian and
kava can lessen the effectiveness of prescription drugs by interfering
with the liver's ability to process the medicines, Cassileth says.
Another thing to keep in mind: While much is known about the effects of herbs on
the body, much more is not known.
Dietary supplements are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration,
or any government agency. That means the potency in one bottle of St. Johns
wort, for example, can -- and often does -- vary
dramatically from that in another bottle, Cassileth says.
And you can't even be sure you're getting St. Johns Wort.
"Anybody can put anything on a bottle and put it on a health food store shelf,"
she says. "Some of the herbal remedies have virtually none of what is assumed to
be the active ingredient, some have much higher levels and some are contaminated
with other substances."
On the new Web site, the 135 supplements are listed in alphabetical order by
scientific name. The common name is below it. (Acanthopanax Senticosus is
better known as ginseng. Allium Sativun is better known as garlic).
Each entry includes the brand names the herb is sold under, its purported uses,
its chemical properties, and what's known about how the herb works on
the body.
Each entry also includes a summary and a critique of all the known published
medical studies, instances of adverse reactions, and warnings about potentially
dangerous drug interactions.
Each critique is fully cited and linked to Medline, so that doctors or patients
can retrieve the original research and read further if they wish.
The site will be continually updated, Cassileth says. In a few weeks, Cassileth
and her colleagues are planning to launch a second Web site that will be less
technical and more easily understood by patients.
Dr. David Rosenthal, past president of the American Cancer Society, endorses the
Web site.
"This resource is an invaluable tool for both doctors and patients looking for
comprehensive information about dietary supplements," Rosenthal says.
More information
To visit the Sloan-Kettering site go to
http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/11570.cfm . For more on herbal medicine, visit
the National Institutes of Health.
Copyright © 2003 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
Last updated 1/10/2003
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