Herbs. Are they Safe and Effective?

I have undertaken a course of study to become a certified herbalist. The course work is fascinating and the information extremely valuable. I have so many interesting items to share, but I'd like to start with issues of safety.

If you listen to the news media, you would think that herbs are all poisonous and dangerous. However, the actual statistics reveal a far different picture.

COMPARISON OF CATEGORIES OF POISONINGS
Category 1989
Fatal 		1989
Major 		1988
Fatal 		1988
Major
Antidepressants 140 1315 135 1187
Analgesics 126 705 118 663
Heart Drugs 70 286 65 246
Stimulants & Street Drugs 64 276 101 295
Fumes, gasses, vapors 46 129 39 128
Household cleaners 24 173 19 168
Pesticides 12 111 12 113
Plants, all 1* 32 1* 21

*One death was reported for each of the 2 years covered by this report. The cause of death and the plants involved are unknown. Statistics on plant toxicity from American Assn of Poison Control Centers

Further, compare these numbers to the statistics regarding death and injury for hospital admissions from the American Family Physician (Holland E.G., et al., AFR 1997; 56(7):1781-1788). The authors point out that an estimated one million patients per year are injured while in the hospital, and approximately 180,000 of these people will die because of those injuries. They also stated that drug-related morbidity (serious injury) and mortality (death) are common and are estimated to cost more than $136 billion a year.

HerbsIn view of this data and given the relative toxicity of herbs, which are clearly safer than household cleaners we all use on a daily basis, why all the emphasis on herbal dangers? To fully comprehend the situation, I need to explain the concept of risk/benefit ratio. The words “risk/benefit ratio” present a very scientific, quantitative evaluation, do they not? Yet, the truth is, an actual calculation is never actually performed. The evaluation is subjective, based upon the belief in the idea that the drug or procedure is life-saving; therefore, a greater degree of risk is acceptable in that context.

However, herbs are regarded as useless for therapy; and, therefore, any degree of risk is unacceptable. In part, this viewpoint is based upon ignorance of the actual efficacy of herbal remedies, but much of it is simple prejudice. American healthcare is dominated by pharmaceutical companies. Anything not originating with the drug companies is automatically suspect. (This discussion does not begin to include the financial interests involved in media reporting; I would need a book to even begin that topic!)

There are, however, some genuine concerns regarding herbal safety. Perhaps the largest problem is that you can't be sure what is contained in the herbal remedy. This is an issue of ethics, and as such deserves close attention. For example, skullcap has been implicated as being liver toxic. However, it is common practice in the herbal industry to substitute germander (a much cheaper herb) for skullcap - without acknowledging the substitution. The label states that the product contains skullcap. Unfortunately, germander is extremely liver toxic. Tests on skullcap products implicated in liver damage indicate the presence of germander. Another common substitution is Aristolachia, a common and inexpensive herb, in a number of oriental herbal products. It is substituted for several more expensive therapeutic herbs. Unfortunately, Aristolachia causes severe kidney damage, including renal failure and malignancy of the urinary tract.

Another issue arises with oriental patent medicines that can be obtained in health food stores. Many of them have been removed from the marketplace because they contain pharmaceuticals, which are not listed on the label. In one study, 23.7% of these patent medicines were contaminated. (Ko RJ, Clinical Toxicology, 1999; 37(6):697-708.

What is the message? Be certain of your source of herbs to guarantee that no adulteration has occurred. In our office, we are switching all our herbal remedies to either the Medi-Herb or Metagenics line, because both of these companies conduct extensive raw material testing to assure potency and purity.

There are more issues concerning efficacy which I will cover in next month's letter. Also, I will report on a wonderful NON-ESTROGENIC herb for menopausal symptoms, as well as a wonderful combination formula for fibromyalgia and auto-immune disease. It's practically magic! I can't tell you how much relief I have found using it. So, watch your mailbox for more details.

 [TOP]


Herbs and Some of Their Effects

HerbsI am very impressed with Rehmannia Complex Phytosynergist (RCP). For those of us with auto-immune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia, this product is really a God-send. It contains the following herbs:

1. Rehmannia root which is an adrenal tonic and trophorestorative (i.e., it feeds and nourishes the adrenal glands), an adaptogen, an antipyretic (it fights fever), and an anti-inflammatory.
2. Hemidesmus root which is an immune suppressant which has anti-edema and anti-inflammatory properties.
3. Bupleurum root which is anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective.
4. Feverfew leaf which is an anti-inflammatory.

Since auto-immune conditions are caused by a derangement in the immune system, these herbs directly impact the underlying cause of the disorder. In fact, the adrenal glands are responsible for immune regulation and Rehmannia rebuilds the adrenals, allowing your immune system to function more normally. Dr. Bone, of Medi-Herb, will only say that RCP is palliative – i.e., it reduces symptoms. He does not represent that it will cure auto-immune conditions. I do not want to contradict him; however, I find that it actually improves adrenal function and makes auto-immune conditions much less acute.

RCP was represented as being as effective as cortisone in eliminating pain. I wanted to try it out before I recommended it, and I am so impressed that I wanted everyone to know what a fabulous result I personally have had. It reduced my body pain by 80% after 4 days of use. I then missed a dose. Within 24 hours my body pain recurred. I then took it religiously for approximately 30 days, and when I again missed a dose, I did not experience the flare-up I did after 4 days. I was actually improved and the improvement continued for about 8 weeks. I am now going to resume taking the RCP, since my fibromyalgia symptoms have gradually returned. However, isn’t that exciting? Something that actually deals with fibromyalgia pain! I also experienced an increase in energy and improved mood and outlook – being out of pain will do that for you!

If you suffer with auto-immune symptoms, particularly joint or body pain, I recommend you try RCP for at least 30 days to see what it does for you.

Of course, as with other herbal products, quality control is everything. Medi-Herb continues to be the herbal source I look to for myself and my patients. In Australia, Medi-Herb is a pharmaceutical company and must meet stringent standards of batch testing, documentation and control. Dr. Bone (the founder of Medi-Herb) is passionate about herbal therapy and is a practicing herbalist himself. I have enclosed a brochure which informs you of the issues which are important in quality herbal supplements.

As you may know, I have used various herbs for years. However, I can honestly say that I have never experienced the degree of clinical success with herbs that I have seen since beginning to use Medi-Herb products about a year ago. The improvement in my clinical results has convinced me that a quality product and ethical manufacturer are the only way to insure good results.

 [TOP]


Herbs - Variations in Quality and Non-Estrogenic Menopausal Relief

As promised, this month is a continuation of issues of herbal safety and efficacy. Last month, I touched upon the minimal number of adverse reactions to herbs, as compared to pharmaceuticals, and common household products. I also discussed risk/benefit ratio.

This month, I would like to share with you the interesting information I have recently learned concerning herbal activity and quality. There's a great deal of misinformation regarding herbs and particularly in the area of 'standardized extracts.' Often, a standardized extract simply means that there is a defined weight of herb per ml of extract. The problem comes in the quality of the raw materials. Let me give you two examples.

One sobering example is Andographis, an Ayurvedic herb which has recently become very popular as an anti-viral, anti-microbial agent. It is, in fact, very powerful when the raw herb contains significant quantities of the active compound: andrographolide. However, something unexpected has been happening in batches of raw herb product. The manufacturers of Medi-Herb test each lot of raw material using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), an extremely sensitive and reliable assay technique. The lot in question had been certified to contain 10% andographolide by gravimetric assay. (In essence, they just weighed it!) When assayed by HPLC, it became apparent that the raw product contained none of the active ingredient. And, in fact, it contained an unknown compound. Upon further chemical analysis, it turned out that the unknown substance was deoxyandrographolide, a by-product of andrographolide extraction!

Let me explain: The herbal supplier had extracted the active ingredient to sell to a pharmaceutical house as an antibiotic; then, the raw herb was dried and resold to an herbal manufacturer on the assumption that they wouldn't know any different. And, if the proper testing had not been done, no one would have been any the wiser.

Another example is Tribulus terrestis, an herb from Bulgaria which is very effective for menopausal symptoms. The original studies were standardized to 40 to 45% furanosterolic saponins (the active ingredients) by a very sensitive spectrophotometric method. Tribulus is very costly since the Bulgarian product is in limited supply. Imitators quickly came into the market (usually from China or India) representing that they have 40% saponins. However, upon spectrophotometric analysis, they actually have only 3% of the active ingredient. Again, the gravimetric method was used, which is inappropriate and gives an inaccurate result; and, hence, a useless remedy.

The issue which probably impacts the most people is standardization of Echinacea to levels of polysaccharides. In the first place, polysaccharide is a generic term which includes any polymer of sugar, starch or cellulose. It bears no relationship to the immunologically active components of Echinacea. The best way to determine whether your Echinacea product is immunologically active is to place it on your tongue. It should have a 'bite' or 'tingle,' since the active ingredients (alkylamides and caffeic acid esters) are quite acidic. Another issue is that many manufacturers are using Echinacea flowers or plant parts for their tinctures. The active component is the root, which is much less available since it must mature in the ground for a number of years. Also, the plant and flowers have a much higher risk of allergenicity than does the root-based extract.

I could go on and on. However, these are just some of the highlights that demonstrate the importance of quality control in herbal remedy manufacture: beginning with the first step of checking the raw product, right through the entire production process, up to the final product when the level of active ingredients again needs to be assayed.

The Medi-Herb product line which we have begun to work with fulfills all of these requirements. In fact, in Australia they are considered to be a pharmaceutical manufacturer and are subject to intense paperwork requirements certifying each lot of herb. In fact, they have 85% of the herbal market in Australia and which is pretty amazing when you think about it!

I personally have had major wins with two of the Medi-Herb products: Tribulus® and Rehmannia Complex Phytosynergist® (RCP). I'll discuss the RCP in detail next month. It's wonderful for auto-immune conditions, like fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

However, with regard to Tribulus®: If you've been following my letters over the years, you know how concerned I have been about substituting estrogenic herbs for pharmaceutical estrogens. It's still the medical model, and I know that lifetime estrogen exposure is the largest risk factor in breast cancer. (For more information, see our web site: RichardsFamilyHealth.com) Tribulus® is entirely different. It works at the level of the pituitary and hypothalamus estrogen receptors, allaying the effects of estrogen withdrawal. In one study with Tribulus, 50 women were first given a placebo and then were given the herb. Their primary symptoms included hot flashes (100%), sweating (78%) and insomnia (82%). With active treatment with the herb, 98% experienced symptom improvement. The treatment with the placebo had no effect.

Personally, my experience with Tribulus® has been remarkable. Within the first 3 days of taking it, all of my insomnia had resolved. I was getting up 3 or 4 times a night and having trouble getting back to sleep. About the second or third night I was on the therapy, I slept 8 hours straight through! I thought I was in my 20's and 30's again. Getting more rest has had an incredibly positive effect on my outlook. I still have an occasional hot flash, particularly if I'm under a lot of stress. However, my symptoms are at least 85%-90% gone. Now that I've been using Tribulus® for several months, I have an even greater level of confidence in it. The dose begins at 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening for 1 to 3 months. Once symptom control is achieved, you can step down with your dose to 3 a day, and then 2 per day. Some women can actually stop the herb after several months on it.

The reason finding the minimum dose is important is that Tribulus® is expensive. Good quality Tribulus is in limited supply. However, when you do the math, you would have to take 13 tablets of poor quality (Indian or Chinese) Tribulus to get the same effect and if it would work at all! This is definitely an instance of 'you get what you pay for.'

Incidentally, Tribulus is also the specific for andropause, male impotence and erectile problems. Last weekend's herbal seminar went into detail on protocols for male endocrine disorders. Since I'm not a man, I have no first hand information on the efficacy of Tribulus for male endocrine disorders. So if you, or a man you know, is suffering from poor libido, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, irritability, depression and reduced bone density (which is associated with a reduced testosterone level), consider herbs for increased well-being and vigor. I have protocols which can really help. By the way, were you aware that cholesterol-lowering drugs can lower testosterone levels and lead to many of the symptoms mentioned above? How many men do you know who have been prescribed cholesterol-lowering medication?

Next month, I will share more with you concerning the marvelous properties of herbs in facilitating the body's healing mechanisms. I think it is absolutely amazing that the plants that grow around us contain the answers to so many of our challenges.

 [TOP]


Herbal Alternative to Flu Shots

Cold and flu season is upon us again. I would like to make some recommendations to keep yourself and your loved ones healthy during this time of year. It will probably come as no surprise to you that I don't think a flu shot is a good idea. Let me share with you some of the reasons why.

In the first place, the influenza virus mutates almost as fast as the common cold. Every year, vaccine makers play a guessing game as they try to predict which strain of the flu will be making the rounds this year. Since it takes several months to prepare a large quantity of flu vaccine, there is a pretty slim chance that the match will be good (CDC, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 14 May 1993.)

You may have missed the fact that in 1976 there was a huge public health fiasco when the flu vaccine actually paralyzed 565 infants with Guillain-Barrè Syndrome. Hundreds more suffered major side effects and the government eventually paid out more that $400 million in damages to the victims' families when it was proven that the government had foreknowledge that this particular vaccine was dangerous. When a top research scientist, J. Anthony Morris, tried to warn the public, he was fired by the Division of Biologic Standards, the federal agency in charge of vaccine safety! (Coulter, H., Fisher, B., A Shot In The Dark, Avery Press, 1991)

What you may not know is that there is a statistically significant connection between flu shots and Alzheimer's Disease. Hugh Fudenburg, MD, the world's leading immunogeneticist who has published about 850 peer-reviewed professional papers, explains: "If an individual had 5 consecutive flu shots between 1970 and 1980, the chances of Alzheimer's disease was 10 times greater than those getting . . . no shots." [NVIC International Conference, Sept 1997)

Much of the information contained in this letter is contained in the book The Sanctity of Human Blood: Vaccination is Not Immunization by Tim O'Shea. I highly recommend it as a well-researched and documented indictment of America's public health policy on vaccination.

Instead of flu shots, I recommend that you improve your own immune function. In fact, I have patients with the flu in my office every season - yet, I seldom develop the flu. One approach is to take the extremely potent Echnicacea we carry from Medi Herb, which is distributed in America by Standard Process. It's called Echinacea Premium and is more than twice as potent as over-the-counter Echinacea preparations. If you have some on hand, put a bit of it on your tongue. If it doesn't tingle, it's missing essential active ingredients.

Echinacea is safe to be taken prophylactically. It is not like golden seal, which contains an alkaloid that can damage the liver with long-term use. Echinacea simply revs up the immune system. Should you start to feel ill, immediately add our St. John's Wort to your protocol. The Medi-Herb product is, again, different from over-the-counter preparations. American processed St. John's Wort is processed only to maintain the active ingredient which is believed to be anti-depressant. However, Medi-Herb St. John's Wort which is produced in Australia preserves the anti-viral fraction, as well. The result: a potent anti-viral compound that is extremely effective against a wide range of viral illness, including herpes, influenza, colds, chronic fatigue associated with viral infections such as Cytomegalovirus, etc. It is not effective against "naked" viruses, like wart viruses.

So, to protect yourself, get started on Echinacea Premium right away. We keep a supply of it and the St. John's Wort on hand at all times. I hope this fall season you stay well; if not, call us so that we can help you get back on your feet as soon as possible.

[TOP]


Rehmannia Complex - a Better Choice than Cortisone for Pain Control?

As promised, I wanted to tell you more about the herbs I have been studying. In particular, I am very impressed with Rehmannia Complex Phytosynergist (RCP). For those of us with auto-immune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia, this product is really a God-send. It contains the following herbs:

1. Rehmannia root which is an adrenal tonic and trophorestorative (i.e., it feeds and nourishes the adrenal glands), an adaptogen, an antipyretic (it fights fever), and an anti-inflammatory.
2. Hemidesmus root which is an immune suppressant which has anti-edema and anti-inflammatory properties.
3. Bupleurum root which is anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective.
4. Feverfew leaf which is an anti-inflammatory.

Since auto-immune conditions are caused by a derangement in the immune system, these herbs directly impact the underlying cause of the disorder. In fact, the adrenal glands are responsible for immune regulation and Rehmannia rebuilds the adrenals, allowing your immune system to function more normally. Dr. Bone, of Medi-Herb, will only say that RCP is palliative and i.e., it reduces symptoms. He does not represent that it will cure auto-immune conditions. I do not want to contradict him; however, I find that it actually improves adrenal function and makes auto-immune conditions much less acute.

RCP was represented as being as effective as cortisone in eliminating pain. I wanted to try it out before I recommended it, and I am so impressed that I wanted everyone to know what a fabulous result I personally have had. It reduced my body pain by 80% after 4 days of use. I then missed a dose. Within 24 hours my body pain recurred. I then took it religiously for approximately 30 days, and when I again missed a dose, I did not experience the flare-up I did after 4 days. I was actually improved and the improvement continued for about 8 weeks. I am now going to resume taking the RCP, since my fibromyalgia symptoms have gradually returned. However, isn’t that exciting? Something that actually deals with fibromyalgia pain! I also experienced an increase in energy and improved mood and outlook and being out of pain will do that for you!

If you suffer with auto-immune symptoms, particularly joint or body pain, I recommend you try RCP for at least 30 days to see what it does for you.

Of course, as with other herbal products, quality control is everything. Medi-Herb continues to be the herbal source I look to for myself and my patients. In Australia, Medi-Herb is a pharmaceutical company and must meet stringent standards of batch testing, documentation and control. Dr. Bone (the founder of Medi-Herb) is passionate about herbal therapy and is a practicing herbalist himself. I have enclosed a brochure which informs you of the issues which are important in quality herbal supplements.

As you may know, I have used various herbs for years. However, I can honestly say that I have never experienced the degree of clinical success with herbs that I have seen since beginning to use Medi-Herb products about a year ago. The improvement in my clinical results has convinced me that a quality product and ethical manufacturer are the only way to insure good results.

[TOP]

PRIVACY POLICY: Richards Family Health Center takes your privacy very seriously. Be assured that we do not sell or rent your contact information to anyone.