Herbs Great for the Cold and Flu Season
posted by Health Hints @ 10:09 AM
6 Comments
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Monday, September 3, 2007
To Be Herbal or Not to Be Herbal!!
Many people nowadays are turning to “organics” and “naturals” otherwise known as herbals. The rising popularity of herbal supplements has created a new fad if not a new health lifestyle. But before you join the bandwagon, here are some things you need to know about this mean, “green” dietary supplementing machine.
What is the difference between a drug and a dietary supplement?
According to the definition set by food and drug administrations in different countries, drugs are chemicals that can prevent, prolong the life, treat other effects of a health condition, improve the quality of life, and/or cure ailments and diseases, or alter the function of any part or chemicals inside the body. These drugs have approved therapeutic claims. For example, paracetamol is a drug given to bring down the body temperature in fever. Ascorbic acid is indicated for the treatment of scurvy. Iron supplements are given to treat mild cases of anemia.
Herbal supplements are not classified as drugs but as dietary supplements. The main difference is that they do not have approved therapeutic claims unlike in the case of drugs. Moreover, dietary supplements could either contain vitamins, minerals, herbals, or amino acids, all aimed to add to or supplement the diet of an individual. They are not intended to be taken alone as a substitute to any food or medicine.
Most of the manufactured medicines we now have once came from animals and plants. Through the years, chemists isolated the life-saving or life-curing components and separated them from the harmful ones. This lead to the further drug research and drug development that lead to the production of a different variety of drugs for many ailments and conditions from synthetic sources. But still we have semi-synthetic drugs, as well as drug that more or less approximate more natural composition. Since herbal supplements are made from a mixture of crude herbs reduced into powder or gel form, and later on packaged as tablets and capsules, there is a possibility that life-threatening or at least body chemistry-altering components are still present, thus the expression of concern from the medical community.
Is there a growing concern with the use of herbal supplements?
Yes. With the rising popularity of using and consuming anything herbal or organic is the proliferation of fake herbal supplements that threaten to endanger lives. If that’s the case, then why are herbal supplements given drug administration approvals? One way of ensuring the safety of the people is to have all candidate drugs, food, drinks, and dietary supplements registered with the proper authority. Otherwise, they would pose more risk with these things being sold in the black market for a hefty sum. We could ensure the quality and safety of herbal supplements if they get proper classification with the food and drug administration. Moreover, people may be able to file the proper complaints in the event a worsening of health condition is proven to be linked to the use of a particular herbal supplement.
Is using herbal supplements worth the risk?
Yes. It cannot be discounted that many who have tried herbal supplements experienced an improvement in their health—whether this is due to the herbals themselves or due to a placebo effect, as long as they do not worsen the condition of an individual, then using them is worth the risk. But of course, certain things must be considered before taking those herbal supplements:
Your doctor knows best.
First of all, clear your condition with your doctor. Ask him/her if taking a particular herbal supplement is safe given your health condition. People with heart, liver, or kidney trouble or malfunction, are usually not advised to take these, or at the minimum is to take these herbals in minimum amounts. All substances pass through the liver and kidney to be processed and filtered respectively. Kava, which is used to relieve people from stress, has been pulled out from the Canadian, Singaporean, and German markets because it contains substances that cause liver damage. Certain herbals such as Ephedra used for losing weight, contains chemicals with heart-inducing effects that can increase heart rate, which in turn can exhaust the heart and cause heart attacks in several documented cases by the American Medical Association.
Follow the directions for use.
Never take more herbal supplements than what is directed by the doctor or as instructed on the bottle. Each individual reacts differently to the components of herbal supplements. While it is perfectly safe for one individual to take in a supplement of primrose oil capsules, another person may be allergic to it. So, do not even think about downing one bottle of
It has no approved curative effect.
No matter how the product pamphlet or the label of the bottle sounds about how it has been found to be helpful in certain health conditions, these herbal supplements are not therapeutic. So do not substitute these for the medications prescribed by your doctor for the treatment of certain diseases, or for the maintenance of blood pressure, lowering of blood sugar and cholesterol, and fight off infections.
What is the difference between a drug and a dietary supplement?
According to the definition set by food and drug administrations in different countries, drugs are chemicals that can prevent, prolong the life, treat other effects of a health condition, improve the quality of life, and/or cure ailments and diseases, or alter the function of any part or chemicals inside the body. These drugs have approved therapeutic claims. For example, paracetamol is a drug given to bring down the body temperature in fever. Ascorbic acid is indicated for the treatment of scurvy. Iron supplements are given to treat mild cases of anemia.
Herbal supplements are not classified as drugs but as dietary supplements. The main difference is that they do not have approved therapeutic claims unlike in the case of drugs. Moreover, dietary supplements could either contain vitamins, minerals, herbals, or amino acids, all aimed to add to or supplement the diet of an individual. They are not intended to be taken alone as a substitute to any food or medicine.
Most of the manufactured medicines we now have once came from animals and plants. Through the years, chemists isolated the life-saving or life-curing components and separated them from the harmful ones. This lead to the further drug research and drug development that lead to the production of a different variety of drugs for many ailments and conditions from synthetic sources. But still we have semi-synthetic drugs, as well as drug that more or less approximate more natural composition. Since herbal supplements are made from a mixture of crude herbs reduced into powder or gel form, and later on packaged as tablets and capsules, there is a possibility that life-threatening or at least body chemistry-altering components are still present, thus the expression of concern from the medical community.
Is there a growing concern with the use of herbal supplements?
Yes. With the rising popularity of using and consuming anything herbal or organic is the proliferation of fake herbal supplements that threaten to endanger lives. If that’s the case, then why are herbal supplements given drug administration approvals? One way of ensuring the safety of the people is to have all candidate drugs, food, drinks, and dietary supplements registered with the proper authority. Otherwise, they would pose more risk with these things being sold in the black market for a hefty sum. We could ensure the quality and safety of herbal supplements if they get proper classification with the food and drug administration. Moreover, people may be able to file the proper complaints in the event a worsening of health condition is proven to be linked to the use of a particular herbal supplement.
Is using herbal supplements worth the risk?
Yes. It cannot be discounted that many who have tried herbal supplements experienced an improvement in their health—whether this is due to the herbals themselves or due to a placebo effect, as long as they do not worsen the condition of an individual, then using them is worth the risk. But of course, certain things must be considered before taking those herbal supplements:
Your doctor knows best.
First of all, clear your condition with your doctor. Ask him/her if taking a particular herbal supplement is safe given your health condition. People with heart, liver, or kidney trouble or malfunction, are usually not advised to take these, or at the minimum is to take these herbals in minimum amounts. All substances pass through the liver and kidney to be processed and filtered respectively. Kava, which is used to relieve people from stress, has been pulled out from the Canadian, Singaporean, and German markets because it contains substances that cause liver damage. Certain herbals such as Ephedra used for losing weight, contains chemicals with heart-inducing effects that can increase heart rate, which in turn can exhaust the heart and cause heart attacks in several documented cases by the American Medical Association.
Follow the directions for use.
Never take more herbal supplements than what is directed by the doctor or as instructed on the bottle. Each individual reacts differently to the components of herbal supplements. While it is perfectly safe for one individual to take in a supplement of primrose oil capsules, another person may be allergic to it. So, do not even think about downing one bottle of
It has no approved curative effect.
No matter how the product pamphlet or the label of the bottle sounds about how it has been found to be helpful in certain health conditions, these herbal supplements are not therapeutic. So do not substitute these for the medications prescribed by your doctor for the treatment of certain diseases, or for the maintenance of blood pressure, lowering of blood sugar and cholesterol, and fight off infections.
Labels: herbal medicine, herbal remedy, holistic medicine
posted by Health Hints @ 1:31 PM
0 Comments
Saturday, September 1, 2007
Echinacea Products Often Not As Promised
Here is an interesting article from WebMd
Echinacea Products Often Not As Promised
Labels on popular herbal supplement frequently inaccurate
WebMD Medical News
March 26, 2003 -- A new study provides yet another example of how you don't always get what you pay for when it comes to buying herbal supplements. A sampling of popular echinacea products shows that only about half actually contain the same amount of the herb indicated on the label, and many don't contain any echinacea at all.
Researchers say sales of echinacea represent about 10% of all herbal supplement sales in the U.S. Herbal supplements are currently not subject to FDA evaluation and approval, but the agency proposed new labeling standards for nutritional supplements to help ensure quality control earlier this month.
In recent years, echinacea has gained a reputation as an immune-system booster and cold fighter, although clinical evidence about the herbal supplement is limited. In addition, researchers say most consumers are not aware that there are three different species of echinacea, and each is responsible for different effects.
In the study, published in the March 24 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers purchased 59 echinacea products from local retail outlets in the Denver, Colo. area in August 2000 and evaluated their contents.
Researcher Christine M. Gilroy, MD, of Presbyterian St. Luke's Hospital, and colleagues found that six (10%) of the products contained no measurable traces of the herbal supplement, according to laboratory tests. In fact, the contents were consistent with what was promised on the labels in only 52% of the samples.
The study found the labeling of the various tablets, capsules, softgels, and liquids varied greatly and only four (7%) met all four of the FDA's labeling requirements. Those regulations require that the label of nutritional and herbal supplements contain:
The dietary supplement statement regarding suggested use of the product as a dietary supplement;
A supplement fact box listing active ingredients;
An FDA disclaimer, stating that the product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease and any claims have not been evaluated by the FDA;
Nutrition facts, listing nutritional information (calories contained, etc.).
The samples labeled as "standardized" were more likely than others to contain the labeled levels of the active ingredient than others. Researchers say many herbal preparations use the term "standardized" to imply that the herb contained in the product is uniformly comparable to other preparations of the same herbal supplement.
But researchers say the correlation between the labeled milligrams of the herb and the measured milligrams was weak in both standardized and nonstandardized preparations. Of the 21 standardized products, nine met the quality standard described on the label.
Researchers note that although dietary supplements remain unregulated by the FDA, the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) launched a program in February 2001 to ask manufacturers of dietary supplements to voluntarily comply with testing of ingredient samples and adhere to quality standards set by USP.
SOURCES: The Archives of Internal Medicine, March 24, 2003.
Echinacea Products Often Not As Promised
Labels on popular herbal supplement frequently inaccurate
WebMD Medical News
March 26, 2003 -- A new study provides yet another example of how you don't always get what you pay for when it comes to buying herbal supplements. A sampling of popular echinacea products shows that only about half actually contain the same amount of the herb indicated on the label, and many don't contain any echinacea at all.
Researchers say sales of echinacea represent about 10% of all herbal supplement sales in the U.S. Herbal supplements are currently not subject to FDA evaluation and approval, but the agency proposed new labeling standards for nutritional supplements to help ensure quality control earlier this month.
In recent years, echinacea has gained a reputation as an immune-system booster and cold fighter, although clinical evidence about the herbal supplement is limited. In addition, researchers say most consumers are not aware that there are three different species of echinacea, and each is responsible for different effects.
In the study, published in the March 24 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers purchased 59 echinacea products from local retail outlets in the Denver, Colo. area in August 2000 and evaluated their contents.
Researcher Christine M. Gilroy, MD, of Presbyterian St. Luke's Hospital, and colleagues found that six (10%) of the products contained no measurable traces of the herbal supplement, according to laboratory tests. In fact, the contents were consistent with what was promised on the labels in only 52% of the samples.
The study found the labeling of the various tablets, capsules, softgels, and liquids varied greatly and only four (7%) met all four of the FDA's labeling requirements. Those regulations require that the label of nutritional and herbal supplements contain:
The dietary supplement statement regarding suggested use of the product as a dietary supplement;
A supplement fact box listing active ingredients;
An FDA disclaimer, stating that the product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease and any claims have not been evaluated by the FDA;
Nutrition facts, listing nutritional information (calories contained, etc.).
The samples labeled as "standardized" were more likely than others to contain the labeled levels of the active ingredient than others. Researchers say many herbal preparations use the term "standardized" to imply that the herb contained in the product is uniformly comparable to other preparations of the same herbal supplement.
But researchers say the correlation between the labeled milligrams of the herb and the measured milligrams was weak in both standardized and nonstandardized preparations. Of the 21 standardized products, nine met the quality standard described on the label.
Researchers note that although dietary supplements remain unregulated by the FDA, the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) launched a program in February 2001 to ask manufacturers of dietary supplements to voluntarily comply with testing of ingredient samples and adhere to quality standards set by USP.
SOURCES: The Archives of Internal Medicine, March 24, 2003.
posted by Health Hints @ 10:48 PM
0 Comments
Monday, August 27, 2007
Health Hints Blog
This is the very first post of my new blog. My blog is going to cover all kinds of different health hints, from different ways of taking care of your body with herbal remedies, conventional medicines, and several different methods of healthcare. Feel free to post your own remedies and healthy hints.
Labels: Health hints
posted by Health Hints @ 1:31 PM
1 Comments
