Michael T. Murray, N.D.
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 In Germany, a special commission (Commission E) developed a series of 200 monographs on herbal products, similar to the OTC monographs in the United States.7 An herbal product is viewed as safe and effective if a manufacturer meets the quality requirements of the relevant monograph or produces additional evidence of safety and effectiveness, which can include data from the existing literature, anecdotal information from practicing physicians, as well as limited clinical studies. |
Ralph Golan, M.D.
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 Choosing herbal products with such a broad range of therapeutic activities will shorten active treatment time with pharmaceuticals and in some cases make them unnecessary.
3. Additional antifungal agents. Many practitioners promote the use of various other agents to kill or inhibit yeast overgrowth. These are protein-digesting enzymes, tanabilt, dioxychlor,18 food-grade hydrogen peroxide,19 intravenous hydrogen peroxide, and oral and intravenous ozone. I've spoken with individuals who have experienced "miracle" responses to some of these agents. |
Michael T. Murray, N.D.
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| It is, therefore, essential that you understand the more popular herbal products as detailed in this book.
Reference
1. McCaleb RS: Food ingredient safety evaluation. Food Drug Law Journal 47, 657-665,1992.
1
Aloe vera
Key uses of Aloe vera:
Topical:
• Wound healing
• Sunburn
• Minor skin irritations Oral:
• Constipation
• Peptic ulcers
• Immune system enhancement
• Diabetes
• Asthma
General description
Of the more than 300 species of aloe, the most popular medicinal variety is currently Aloe vera. |
| Grinding is employed in the production of crude herbal products as well as in the initial phases of extracts.
Often the material must be prechopped or minced before feeding it into a grinder. A number of machines can be used to grind herbs, but the most widely used is the hammer mill. These machines are simple in design. The hammers, arranged radially, follow the rotation of the shaft to which they are attached, breaking up the material that is fed into the machine from above. A grid on the walls of the chamber determines the size of the material that is passed through it. |
| Most major suppliers of herbal products feature formulas containing these herbs. Use well-respected brands and follow the dosage instructions on the label. Angelica and licorice are discussed in Section II (Chapter 2—Angelica Species; Chapter 22—Licorice); a brief discussion of chaste berry and black cohosh is included here.
Chaste berry
The chaste tree is native to the Mediterranean. Its berries have long been used for female complaints. As its name signifies, chaste berries were used to suppress the libido. |
Margarita Artschwager Kay
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 Health food stores in Tucson are stocked with herbal products, some of which are native to the American and Mexican West. The claims made for these products are sometimes quite at variance with the facts turned up by scholars.
Here is an example: recently a plant native to Amazonia with a wide range of uses by South American Indians has become immensely popular outside of its native region. The plant is Uncaria tomentosa, a jungle liana, whose bark is used as an herbal remedy known in Spanish as una de gato and in English as cat's claw. |
the Editors of PREVENTION
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 There are a few herbal products that can help you turn the grapes of wrath into the raisins of moderate displeasure.
Psyllium
Take 3 grams daily. Psyllium, sold under brand names such as Meta-mucil, is your number one ally in the fight against hemorrhoids, says
Cause: Hemorrhoids are almost always self-inflicted. A diet low in fiber can often cause chronic constipation, which results in lots of pressure on the delicate veins surrounding the rectum. They become inflamed and protrude and often bleed.
Pregnant women often get hemorrhoids, too. |
Linda B. White, M.D.
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 But it also means that the manufacturers of herbal products are limited in the claims they can make on the labels—even when those claims have research to support them.
Specifically, manufacturers are permitted to make what's called structure and function claims—in other words, they can say only that a product affects the structure and function of a body part or system. So a product label for a standardized ginkgo extract can say, "increases microcirculation to the brain. |
the Editors of PREVENTION
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| Once again, drugstores (and grocery stores) are stocking their shelves with dozens of herbal products. Sandwiched between the vitamins and the aspirin, you'll find everything from aloe and black cohosh to witch hazel and valerian root. But what you won't find on all those packages is prescriptive advice. Because of federal regulations, manufacturers can allude to the possible usefulness of an herb, but they can't make direct claims about curing a specific disease or condition. This means that the job of figuring out exactly which herb to select is strictly up to you. |
American Medical Publishing
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| Many independent studies have shown that the quality and safety of herbal products varies considerably from company to company. Also, consider this: many herbs come from underdeveloped counties in South America or elsewhere around the world. That means even herbs that are otherwise safe can contain impurities as they are packaged, including harmful bacteria, fungus and even other plants that get mixed into the vat. so to speak. One guideline is to look for the words "standardized extracts" on product labels. |
the Editors of PREVENTION
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| Before you try the remedies in this book, check the following safety guidelines, based on the American herbal products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook, a recognized source of herb safety information, and on the advice of experienced herbal healers. Then you can enjoy the world of herbal healing with confidence.
Herb
Cautions and Safety Guidelines
Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria)
None; generally regarded as safe.
Alfalfa (Medicago sativd)
None; generally regarded as safe.
Aloe (Aloe barbadensis)
Do not use gel topically on any surgical incision; may delay wound healing. |
| If you'd prefer to go the' natural route, there are helpful herbal products to look for as well as homemade cures to try.
Tea Tree
Look for hair products containing tea tree oil at health food stores, or add 10 to 20 drops of essential oil to an average-size bottle of regular shampoo. Tea tree oil has been called nature's antiseptic, but it could be just as well-described as nature's antifungal. That's because the clear to pale yellow, eucalyptus-smelling oil of the Australian Melaleuca quinquenervia tree inhibits the growth of fungi, including the one responsible for some cases of dandruff. |
| When she graduated in 1982, Salter realized that there was a shortage of quality herbal products on the market. To fill the niche, she started The Herbalist, a Seattle business specializing in the manufacture of herbal formulas.
Although she now can manage her asthma with other herbal remedies, Salter still downs a cup of that horrible horehound tea when she has a stubborn cough.
The dose for boswellia is similar to that for T. asthmatica. Look for a product with 60 percent boswellic acids. "If you can get both of them, take them together," Dr. Yates says. |
Janet Zand, LAc, OMD, Allan N. Spreed, MD, CNC, James B. LaValle, RPh, ND
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 When evaluating herbal products, it is important to know what to look for. Some companies quote scientific studies to support the use of certain herbs, but do not actually use the same extracts in their products that were used in the studies. Some other companies do indeed put quality extracts in their products—but not enough to be effective. Still others misuse the word standardized to mean that their capsules weigh the same amount every time, not that they contain the same amount of active ingredient. |
Michael T. Murray, N.D.
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| Your best assurance of quality and results when using herbal products is to use products from those suppliers who employ quality control standards and good manufacturing practices. Standardized extracts that state the level of active compounds provide the greatest benefit, owing primarily to more accurate dosages.
References
1. Bonati A: Formulation of plant extracts into dosage forms. In: The Medicinal Plant Industry (Wijeskera ROB, ed.). CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 1991, pp. 107-114.
2. Karlsen J: Quality control and instrumental analysis of plant extracts. |
Robyn Landis
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 We'll also discuss how to choose herbs and herbal practitioners, whom to trust (and not) in a crowded and unregulated environment, generic one-size-fits-all herbal products, and when to consult a medical doctor.
FORMS AND PREPARATIONS
There are a number of forms in which herbs can be used, and several common ways to prepare them. There is no one best way—the "ideal" form and preparation varies from herb to herb, as well as from person to person. |
James A. Duke, Ph.D.
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 Standardized means that the herbal products have been processed a bit to guarantee a known minimum level of one or more of the major active ingredients. These products are the best quality you can purchase. Standardization largely compensates for the natural variability you find in bulk herbs—the kind available in bins or jars and measured out according to weight—and it takes the uncertainty out of herbal preparations. You know exactly how much of the active ingredients you're getting.
Unfortunately, standardization makes herbs more expensive than the bulk herb would be. |
Larry Trivieri, Jr.
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 AHPA is the major trade association dedicated to ethical and responsible commerce and advancement of the herbal products industry. AHPA's members consist of botanical suppliers, distributors, growers, and marketers who are dedicated to creating products that are used to enhance health through the use of herbs.
American Herbalists Guild 1931 Gaddis Road Canton, Georgia 30115 (770) 751-6021
Website: www.americanherbalist. |
Robert S. McCaleb, Evelyn Leigh, and Krista Morien
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 Handbook for Herbal Healing: A Concise Guide to herbal products. Capitola, CA: Botanica Press, 1994.
Hobbs C. Herbal Remedies for Dummies. Foster
City, CA: IDG Books Worldwide, 1998. Hobbs C. Natural Liver Therapy: Herbs and Other
Natural Remedies for a Healthy Liver. Capitola,
CA: Botanica Press, 1993. Hobbs C. Stress and Natural Healing. Loveland,
CO: Interweave Press, 1997. Hoffmann D. The Complete Illustrated Holistic
Herbal: A Safe and Practical Guide to Making and
Using Herbal Remedies. Boston: Element Books,
1996.
Hoffmann D. |
| Drug/Herb Interactions
One of the most common questions we are asked at the Herb Research Foundation concerns the potential for herbal products to interact with prescription or OTC drugs or with other herbs. Little information is available about possible herb/herb or herb/drug interactions. What many people do not realize is that very little is known about drug/drug interactions and drug/food interactions as well. Our understanding of how the hundreds of substances we consume might affect one another is in its infancy. |
| Supplement laws in the United States now require full disclosure of ingredients, including binders, fillers, and other inert ingredients that are used to make tablets and other herbal products. Some companies explain what each compound is for; others do not. The key ingredients in a supplement— the herbs or nutrients included—are listed in a special place on the package called the "Supplement Facts" panel. This panel lists required information about the ingredients, including what part of the plant is used, the genus and species, and the content of key ingredients. |
| Interpreting Supplement Labels
Government regulations in many countries prevent companies from making forthright claims about medicinal uses of herbal products. In the United States, companies can make "statements of nutritional support," often called structure/Junction claims because they relate to the way an herb affects the structure or function of the body. Claims about supporting wellness and maintaining healthy body functions are acceptable if there is evidence to support such claims. Consider, for example, possible label claims for garlic, which lowers cholesterol. |
| The home of the European Scientific Cooperative on Phytomedicine (ESCOP) provides a forum (in five languages) for reporting adverse reactions to herbal products.
Phytopharmacognosy http: / / www.phytochemistry.freeserve.co.uk Professional herb information, including the Internet mailing list by the same name, which carries on a rather overwhelming discussion (sometimes dozens of messages per day) concerning various botanical topics.
UK Herb Society Home Page http:/ / sunsite.unc. |
| Guidelines for Choosing Products
One of the most common questions today is how to choose herbal products. Dozens of brands are available, each claiming to be the best. Frequent stories in the media proclaim that the herb industry is "unregulated" and warn that products may not contain the ingredients they claim. The result is confusion that leaves the pharmacist, the physician, and the general public wondering how to select the highest quality product. |
Ralph W. Moss PhD
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 Presently in America there are around 1,600 different herbal products on the market. Some of these have become household words, and are advertised in mainstream media. Those of us who grew up thinking of herbs as "guerrilla medicine" did neck-wrenching doubletakes when we saw packages of St. John's Wort and Ginkgo biloba piled high at Wal-Mart.
The majority of consumers (79 percent in one survey) feel that herbs are safe and probably effective for many conditions currently treated with pharmaceuticals or over-the-counter drugs. And there is not yet an end in sight. |
| As to price, there is a scale that ranges from virtually free (most of us know where to find unsprayed dandelions or red clover tops) to extremely expensive. Some herbal products are as expensive as standard cancer care.
In any case, be sure to thoroughly research any treatment before you begin. The Internet is an excellent resource, although one must be wary of aggressively promotional or irresponsible sites. In addition to the sites of the conventional agencies, you might also consult Steve Dunn's CancerGuide or my own site, www.ralphmoss.com, which has many useful links. |
| In addition, the price of this substance is high compared to other herbal products, although reasonable when compared to chemotherapy.
Finally, although no herbal product has a better track record of publications, a glance at the references will show that most of them are in relatively obscure European journals, and none in such core publications as JAMA, the New England Journal of Medicine, Cancer, etc. The scientists doing the work are mainly of Eastern European origin, which may also count against them in some Anglo-American circles. |
| In fact, new herbal products are the subject of entire "newsletters," which turn out to be simply advertising gimmicks, ready to be sent out by the hundreds of thousands. Some of these products (but not all) are worthless and dangerous. This is the seamy side of the herb and cancer business.
Yet other books and articles err in the opposite direction. They sneer-ingly denigrate any possible use of herbs for cancer, while managing to insult the reader's intelligence. These are the pronouncements of professional detractors of CAM and herbal treatments. |
Larry Trivieri, Jr.
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| Also, a number of mail-order purveyors sell herbal products, as do alternative and conventional health practitioners.
THE POLITICS OF HERBAL MEDICINE
The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes that nearly 80% of the world population in developing countries is dependent on traditional medicine for primary health care.6 Herbal medicine constitutes a large part of what is practiced as traditional medicine around the world. |
Ralph W. Moss PhD
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| Then again, some of the herbal products discussed in this book are inordinately expensive. The worst involve some secret remedy that has allegedly been suppressed by the cancer establishment. An individual who died from some irresponsible injections of herbs gave her "alternative" doctor $16,000 in three weeks for the privilege (209).
Occasionally, suppression of competitive treatments by the medical establishment does take place. I have detailed some instances of such suppression in my book, The Cancer Industry. |
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