Herbal remedies compete with mainstream medicine

If Dr. WES, a medical blogger had his way there would be no room for natural health care, anywhere any how.

He is just another one of those arrogant mainstream medical folks who can't fathom that there is real science behind natural remedies and it has existed for a very long time.

And of course if we all get savvy and work to keep our health in top shape or re-build it with a healthy food plan and natural supplements or related treatments, his income will be impacted.

I suppose my wish is that enlightenment hits Dr. WES square up the side of his closed mind.

from Essen, Germany -
Mon, 19 Jan 2009. Author: DPA: Herbal remedies compete with traditional medicine

Essen, Germany - From a chamomile infusion for a cold or some fennel tea for an upset stomach, herbal remedies are becoming increasingly popular and are believed to strengthen the body's immune system. Though often self-prescribed, these treatments are gaining acceptance among practitioners of traditional medicine.

"Patients want to avoid the side effects of traditional therapies by turning to natural remedies," says Gustav Dobos, professor of internal medicine and Chairholder of Complementary and Integrative Medicine at the University of Duisburg-Essen.

The Central Association of Doctors for Natural Medicine (ZAEN) also believes herbal and natural remedies are gaining acceptance, especially among people with allergies and chronic health problems.

"We don't want to condemn traditional medicine. Natural medicine is no substitute. But you can be more successful if you work on two tracks," says ZAEN spokeswoman and general practitioner Christel Papendick.

Traditionally, herbal remedies are used to combat minor ailments that can be treated without a doctor. Cloisters and monasteries were the original groundbreakers for herbal medicine, helping to spread them across Europe during the Middle Ages and into the 15th century, says Dobos.

Hildegard, a Benedictine nun from Bingen, who lived from 1089 to 1179, was one of the best-known practitioners. Today, some monasteries still have gardens focused on herbal medicine.

"There's something that reduces the problems and speeds up the healing for almost every illness," says Johannes Gottfried Mayer of the University of Wuerzburg. He runs a research group that focuses on the medical discoveries of monasteries.

Research shows that willow bark was used to combat fever and pain as early as the 13th century. In the 19th century, researchers discovered that the plant's active ingredient was acetyl salicylic acid (ASS), a substance used in modern pain relievers.

Mayer says people are beginning to turn to natural remedies amid growing scepticism about the ability of high-tech solutions to solve all health problems. In addition, most of these herbal remedies are easier for the body to process.

"The mildness of plant remedies is the most interesting part, especially when it comes to treating children," he says.

The only irony is that some plants that can be used medicinally present huge problems for people who could benefit from herbal remedies: the allergic. Plants from the daisy family such as leopard's bane or marigolds can cause allergic reactions and should be used with caution.

Copyright, respective author DHA or news agency, Essen, Germany

Gingko Study Leaves Much to Be Considered

It is interesting to note that Schwabe supplied the gingko tablets for this study. As a pharmaceutical company it has had a financial interest in the Nature's Way brand for some years. It is a German company that focuses on standardized herbal products because of the impact of Commission E and CODEX in that country.

This makes a major difference in the outcome of any study that looks at possible treatments for a disease condition. The low does rate of a 120 mg. tablet is also an issue; the dose may just be too low to achieve any benefit.

Most traditional herbalists would not suggest the use of a standardized product for starters, except in very specific situations. The push to standardized herbal products has come about in an effort to isolate certain factors, generally single elements, found in whole herb products that are thought to be the "effective ingredient". This makes them behave more like drugs rather than herbs.

Gingko can provide antioxidant protection, support normal memory function, promote mental clarity, maintain healthy eyes, support normal hearing function, support the body as it ages, help maintain proper energy, support a healthy cardiovascular system, support healthy blood function, support healthy oxygen flow to the brain and peripheral areas of the body.

Gingko or Gingko biloba as it is commonly known is a popular herb that comes from the gingko biloba tree found throughout the world. It is a herb which has been used for 5,000 years by humans, especially in Chinese or Oriental medicine. It is the most popular prescription drug in Germany and France for symptoms of aging in association with deteriorating memory. In 1988 it was prescribed more than 5 million times in Germany alone. Not only is it used for improved memory functions but it possesses properties which improve blood circulation.

Hundreds of scientific papers have been published on ginkgo, confirming that ginkgo stimulates blood flow to the brain by dilating blood vessels, decreasing platelet aggregation, and being a powerful antioxidant to block oxidation of the fatty cell membrane.

As a result, it improves cerebral vascular insufficiency, memory and peripheral circulation in conditions such as intermittent claudication.

Gingko is not recommended during pregnancy and lactation.

You may read more about gingko here.

In our work we prefer to utilize liquid herbal extracts and sometimes herbal capsules that are a combination of the complete extract and whole herb. We also custom blend combination formulas based on client needs. We also would not hang our hat on the results of this study by failing to offer gingko to people with Alzheimer's disease if the situtaion dictated it.

Referring to the "blood thinning" function of gingko, it may, like vitamin E and other natural products, be a safer alternative to aspirin and warfarin or drugs such as Plavix in the long term.

Ginkgo fails to prevent Alzheimer's in large studyBy CARLA K. JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer
Tue Nov 18, 2008

CHICAGO – The dietary supplement ginkgo, long promoted as an aid to memory, didn't help prevent dementia and Alzheimer's disease in the longest and largest test of the extract in older Americans. "We don't think it has a future as a powerful anti-dementia drug," said Dr. Steven DeKosky of the University of Virginia School of Medicine, who led the federally funded study.

Extracts from ginkgo tree leaves have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, but earlier research on ginkgo and memory showed mixed results. Annual U.S. sales of the supplement reached $107 million in 2007, according to Nutrition Business Journal estimates.

For the new study, appearing in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers recruited more than 3,000 people, ages 75 and older, from voter and mailing lists in Maryland, Pennsylvania, California and North Carolina.

Half were randomly assigned to take 120 milligrams of ginkgo biloba twice a day, a typical dose taken by people who think it may help memory. The others took identical dummy pills.

Participants were screened for dementia every six months. After six years, dementia had been diagnosed at a similar rate in both groups; 277 in the ginkgo group and 246 in the group taking the dummy tablets. When the researchers looked only at Alzheimer's disease, that rate too was similar.

At the start, some people showed mild difficulties with thinking; ginkgo didn't work to prevent dementia in those people either.

Ginkgo appears relatively safe, DeKosky said. There was no difference in the rate of adverse events such as heart attacks and gastrointestinal bleeding between the groups. There were 16 strokes from bleeding in the brain in the ginkgo group versus eight in the placebo group, a difference that wasn't statistically significant, he said, because the number of strokes was too small.

People on the blood thinner warfarin shouldn't take ginkgo because of the risk of increased bleeding.

Proponents claim ginkgo protects the brain by preventing the buildup of an Alzheimer's-related protein or by preventing cell-damaging oxidative stress.

Would ginkgo work better to prevent dementia if people started taking it earlier, say, in middle age? The study didn't look at that, DeKosky acknowledged, adding that following people for 25 years from middle age to old age would be expensive research. The study also didn't test whether ginkgo improves thinking and memory in the short term.

"It would have been terrific if this worked. It's inexpensive, available and relatively safe," said Paul Solomon, professor of neuroscience at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., who wasn't involved in the new study but has studied ginkgo.

"Now with this kind of evidence, you can confidently tell people it didn't show benefit in more than 3,000 people in six years of research," Solomon said.

There may still be a role for ginkgo in treating, rather than preventing, Alzheimer's disease, said Michael McGuffin, president of the American Herbal Products Association, a trade association.

Some previous ginkgo trials have shown no benefit in Alzheimer's symptom treatment, while others have found it comparable to prescription drugs such as Aricept, also known as donepezil.

A four-month supply of ginkgo can cost less than $10. But not all brands contain what their labels claim. ConsumerLab.com, which tests the ingredients in supplements, reported Tuesday that of seven ginkgo products it reviewed, five failed to pass its tests. An eighth ginkgo product also passed the group's test in a voluntary certification program.

The dementia study was funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, which is undertaking large, scientific tests of a number of commonly used dietary supplements. The agency said it's the largest-ever randomized trial of a botanical medicine. There have been larger studies of vitamins and minerals.

DeKosky reported receiving grants from and acting as a consultant for several drug companies, including some that make dementia drugs. Schwabe Pharmaceuticals of Karlsruhe, Germany, provided the ginkgo tablets and identical placebos.
___

On the Net: JAMA: http://jama.ama-assn.org
Ginkgo fact sheet: http://nccam.nih.gov/health/ginkgo
Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press.

'Old treatments' better

Two of the most effective treatments I have ever used with clients experiencing GI problems have been peppermint oil (and tea) as well as fiber or a favorite fiber blend.

A Novartis drug taken off the market recently made me want to pull my hair out because it had such offensive ads. Women were targeted and I think the tome was that IBS was one of those "hypochondriac" and imaginary illnesses.

I guess no one at Novartis knew, or cared, that IBS and other issues like diverticulitis often were from a lack of fiber in the diet.

I like to use peppermint oil. Generally these come in coated capsules but I have had clients use peppermint tea and essential oil effectively. Peppermint oil does soothe and relax, but can fight bacteria as well.

Not to overlook the stress related GI problems, herbs such as marshmallow root for reducing inflammation along with scullcap or similar herbs, and selected flower essences can do quite a remarkable job.

'Old treatments' better for IBS
Older "overlooked" treatments for irritable bowel syndrome may end up being the best option for patients, research suggests.

Fibre, anti-spasmodic drugs and peppermint oil were all found to be effective in a review of the evidence.

Guidelines on IBS should be updated in light of the findings, the researchers say in the British Medical Journal.

A UK expert said there had been a general feeling among doctors that the therapies "didn't work".

Between 5% and 20% of the population is estimated to suffer from IBS which is characterised by abdominal pain and an irregular bowel habit.


This puts these simple remedies back on the agenda
Professor Roger Jones, King's College London

The exact cause of the condition is unknown and recommendations for treatment include dietary advice, antidepressants and alternative therapies.

Fibre, antispasmodics and peppermint oil are used to treat IBS, but evidence of their effectiveness is unclear because of conflicting results from studies, the researchers said.

They have also been overlooked because of the focus on newer more expensive drugs which ended up being withdrawn due to lack of efficacy and safety concerns, they added.

Benefits

By trawling through all the studies comparing the therapies with dummy pills or no treatment, the researchers were able to look at data from 2,500 adult patients with IBS.

Fibre, antispasmodics and peppermint oil were all found to be effective, with doctors needing to treat 11, 5 and 2.5 patients, respectively for one patient to benefit.

Insoluble fibre such as bran was not beneficial; only isphaghula husk - a soluble form of fibre - significantly reduced symptoms.

Hyoscine - extracted from the cork wood tree - was the most successful antispasmodic drug looked at and should be the first choice, the researchers said.

Out of all three treatments, peppermint oil seemed to come out on top.

Both peppermint oil and hyoscine - an antispasmodic not currently widely prescribed in the UK - are available from the pharmacy.

Study leader Dr Alex Jones, a gastroenterologist who has recently moved from Canada - where he did the research to St James University Hospital in Leeds - said the treatments were cheap, safe and had been in use for 15 to 20 years.

"They fell out of favour with the development of new drugs.

"This is good news for patients."

Professor Roger Jones, head of the Department of General Practice at Kings College London, and founding president of the Primary Care Society for Gastroenterology, said: "There is a general feeling that they don't work very well.

"With all of the treatments for IBS, there is a huge placebo effect so it is easy to imagine your treatment is working then the trials come along and suggest they don't.

"This puts these simple remedies back on the agenda."

He added that the study did not pick out which patients would benefit from which treatment but as they are safe and cheap, patients can test what works best for them.

Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/7727459.stm
Published: 2008/11/14
© BBC MMVIII

St. John's Wort treats major depression

Over many years of clinical and educational work in the areas of medicine and natural health care I have seen very good results from using properly prepared extracts of St. John's Wort. This has been in contrast to so many so-called studies about this herb in an effort to downplay effectiveness.

In 2003 I wrote on this issue.

In 2005 I reported on this issue.

And for those of us who now, in the northern hemisphere, are heading into the darker, colder months, I mention St. John's Wort (SJW) in this article from 2004.

Amidst all the work that has shown SJW to be effective for depression and mood elevation among its other benefits I was subjected to a substantial amount of verbal attacks for my position from psychologists and others in mainstream medicine who have a vested interest in promoting drugs, while denigrating natural therapies.

Needless to say, SJW is not fluoride based like the majority of SSRI anti-depressants and it has few if any of the serious side effects similar to these pharmaceuticals. The herb did not push tryptophan out of favor either.

Additionally SJW is a nervous system nutritive and it acts as a very potent form of natural interferon which reinforces its anti-viral benefits.

For excellent quality spagyrically prepared SJW extract please contact us.

St. John's Wort effective for depression
Tue Oct 7, 2008

The herbal remedy St. John's Wort effectively treats symptoms of major depression, an analysis of previous studies found on Wednesday.

St. John's Wort extracts tested in the different trials were better than placebos and as effective as standard antidepressants with fewer side effects, the researchers reported in the Cochrane review, a journal that analyses medical and scientific studies.

"The studies came from a variety of countries, tested several different St. John's Wort extracts, and mostly included patients suffering from mild to moderately severe symptoms," Klaus Linde of the Center for Complementary Medicine in Munich, Germany wrote.

The herb works in a similar way to some prescription antidepressants by increasing the brain chemical serotonin, involved in controlling mood.

The Cochrane review analyzed 29 studies that together included 5,489 men and women with symptoms of major depression and compared the remedy's effectiveness with placebos and standard treatments.

The researchers found that St. John's Wort extracts were not only effective but that fewer people taking them dropped out of the trials due to adverse side effects.

They also noted that results were more favorable in German-speaking countries where doctors often prescribe the remedy and cautioned against using the remedy without medical advice because the extracts can affect other drugs' work.

In Germany such herbal treatments are also more controlled for content, unlike in many other markets where the quality and content of herbal products may vary considerably.

"Using a St. John's Wort extract might be justified, but products on the market vary considerably, so these results only apply to the preparations tested," Linde said.

Depression is a leading cause of suicide and affects about 121 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Standard treatments include Prozac, which U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly and Co introduced in 1987.

The treatment, which belongs to a class of compounds called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), is now off patent and widely available generically as fluoxetine.

(Reporting by Michael Kahn; Editing by Maggie Fox)
Copyright © 2008 Reuters Limited.