Thomson Healthcare, Inc.
See book keywords and concepts |
 Rather than concentrating on the isolation of chemicals from herbs and plants in order to develop drugs, the focus of modern research on herbal medicines and botanical dietary supplements should be the establishment of a sufficient science base to support definitive clinical trials using herbal supplements which are the complex matrices found in traditional herbals. Modern research techniques would include detailed phytochemical profiling using mass spectrometry, biological assays including gene expression analysis, and transgenic animal models of chronic disease. |
| In fact, the entire armamentarium of modern medical research can be brought to bear on these ancient herbal medicines to advance their use in modern times. Current problems with manufacturing, processing, contamination, and quality of botanical sources are all potentially soluble with adequate resources and talent over the next several decades. |
| Hepatic and pulmonary complications of herbal medicines. Postgrad J; 68:935-936. 1992
Mohabbat O, Younos MS, Merzad AA et al. An outbreak of hepatic veno-occlusive disease in north-western Afghanistan. Lancet; 2(7980):269-271. 1976
Mohammad FV et al. Bisdesmosidic triterpenoidal saponins from the roots of Symphytum officinale. In: PM; 61(1):94. 1995
Mutterlein R, Arnold CG, Untersuchungen zum Pyrrolizidingehalt und Pyrrolizidinalkaloidmuster in Symphytum officinale L. In: PZ-W; 138(5/6):119. 1993
Noorwala M et al. A bisdesmosidic triterpene glycoside from roots of Symphytum officinale. |
Joerg Gruenwald, Ph.D.
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| PDR for herbal medicines is the product of one of the most thorough and inclusive examinations of the herbal literature ever undertaken. Nevertheless, it's important to remember that it merely summarizes and synthesizes key data from the underlying research reports, and of necessity includes neither every published report nor every recorded fact.
As in all scientific investigation, conclusions regarding the effectiveness of the herbs discussed in this compendium are based on the preponderance of current evidence and cannot be considered firm or final. |
| Deweerdt CJ, Bootsma HPR, Hendricks H, herbal medicines in migraine prevention. In: Phytomedicine 3(3):225-230. 1996.
Govindachari TR et al, (1964) Tetrahedron 21(6): 1509.
Groenewegen WA, Heptinstall S, J Pharm Pharmacol 42:553-557. 1990.
Groenewegen WA, Heptinstall S, Lancet, No 8471, 44-45. 1986.
Groenewegen WA, Knight DW, Heptinstall S, J Pharm Pharmacol 38:709-712. 1986.
Groenewegen WA, Knight DW, Heptinstall S, Progr Med Chem 29:217-238. 1992.
Guin JD, Skidmore G, Arch Derm 123:500-503. 1987.
Hayes NA, Foreman JC, J Pharm Pharmacol 39:466-470. 1987.
Heptinstall S et al. |
| Mitogenic activities in african traditional herbal medicines. In: PM 59(4):354. 1993.
Von R, (1961) Can J Chem 39:1200.
Wagner H, Antivirales Prinzip von Thuja aufgeklart. In: Phytoformum (Medisculab) 1/93:4. 1993.
Zellner J, Arch Pharm 262:381-397. 1924.
Further information in:
Hansel R, Keller K, Rimpler H, Schneider G (Hrsg.), Hagers Handbuch der Pharmazeutischen Praxis, 5. Aufl., Bde 4-6 (Drogen): Springer Verlag Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, 1992-1994.
Leung AY, Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food Drugs, Cosmetics, John Wiley & Sons Inc., New York 1980. |
Thomson Healthcare, Inc.
See book keywords and concepts |
| Sarris J. herbal medicines in the treatment of psychiatric disorders: a systematic review. Phytother Res. 2007 Jun 11; [Epub ahead of print]
Shetsov VA, Zholus BI, Shervarly VI, et al. A randomized trial of two different doses of a SHR-5 Rhodiola rosea extract versus placebo and control of capacity for mental work. Phytomedicine; 10: 95-105. 2003.
Spasov AA, Mandrikov VB, Mironova IA. [The effect of the preparation rodakson on the psychophysiological and physical adaptation of students to an academic load] Eksp Klin Farmakol. 2000 Jan-Feb;63(l):76-8. Russian. |
| PUBLISHER'S DISCLAIMER
PDR for herbal medicines is the product of one of the most thorough and inclusive examinations of the herbal literature ever undertaken. Nevertheless, it's important to remember that it merely summarizes and synthesizes key data from the underlying research reports, and of necessity includes neither every published report nor every recorded fact.
As in all scientific investigation, conclusions regarding the effectiveness of the herbs discussed in this compendium are based on the preponderance cf current evidence and cannot be considered firm or final. |
| For many herbal medicines, these families of compounds contribute to overall biological benefit by acting on several different targets simultaneously. For example, lycopene in a tomato plant is a potent antioxidant but also has effects in prostate cells on DNA and cellular communication. Recent research in animals demonstrated that isolated and purified lycopene did not have the same preventive activity against prostate cancer as tomato paste, which contains the plant's full complement of related phytochemicals including lycopene, phytoene, and phytofluene. |
Hyla Cass, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 Independent, nonprofit research and education organization; great resource for the latest accurate information about herbal medicines.
Consumer Lab—www.consumerlab.com: Independent testing and evaluation of nutritional supplements; a useful tool for choosing the best quality for your money. Requires a subscription, but well worth the nominal fee.
Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN)—www.crnusa.org: Trade association representing dietary-supplement-industry ingredient suppliers and manufacturers; supports high-quality standards under good manufacturing practices (GMP). |
Marshall Editions
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 HERBALISM
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The herbal medicines recommended below promote healing of the hearing apparatus by encouraging circulation to the area, improving antioxidant availability, and decreasing toxins that may be to blame for chronic hearing loss over time.
Asian and Siberian ginseng: Both of these herbs are known to increase and improve circulation in the brain. Studies have shown that increasing circulation to the hearing organ and the surrounding neural tissue improves hearing in some cases. Boil 1 tsp of root in a cup of water to drink, or take 40 drops of tincture, twice daily. |
| TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE
Herbs: In general internal herbal medicines are not used to treat warts. However, if the condition is severe, or warts grow quickly in a short period of time, use the internal formula suggested for plantar warts (see p. 120).
Moxibustion: Performed by a trained practitioner, this treatment can successfully remove warts. The practitioner will burn a small cone of Moxa (a herb) to force the wart to become loose and be detached from skin immediately.
Acupressure: Press and push the wart from its root to remove it. |
| Hair tonic: There are many different recipes available for hair tonics that combine herbal medicines with other ingredients to create a mixture that promotes strong, healthy hair. One recipe includes nettles as a main ingredient. Simmer a few young leaves of this plant in 10 cups of water. Wash your hair and scalp with this liquid, once it has cooled, to 68 improve hair quality.
DRY SKIN
DIAGNOSIS
Dry skin can occur at any age, but it becomes more common as you get older because the number of oil-boosting sebaceous glands becomes reduced, as does the skin's ability to hold moisture. |
David W. Grotto, RD, LDN
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 The seeds are utilized in many herbal medicines to reduce gas and intestinal colic, allay hunger, and diminish indigestion. In the first century, it was noted that after snakes had shed their skins, they ate fennel to restore their sight. It has since been used as a wash for eyestrain and irritations. Fennel seed is widely used in India as an after-dinner breath freshener and also to help in digestion.
Fennel has also been used as a diuretic, to stimulate lactation, and to help with yellow jaundice, gout, and occasional cramps. |
Roberta Bivins
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 For example, acupuncture is applied for lower back pain, homeop-athists treat asthma and allergies, hypnotism is popular with those fighting addiction to nicotine, and herbal medicines address depression. Like these conditions, gout was an important disease in the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, for both commercial and intellectual reasons. It also clearly demonstrates the relationship between medical failure, disease intractability, and the transmission of medical knowledge across cultural boundaries. |
Hyla Cass, M.D.
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| It turns out that many of our modern medicines are derived from traditional herbal medicines:
• Chinese and Greek pharmacies used roots from the plant Rauwolfia serpentina, which contains a tranquilizing substance called reserpine, now used to make drugs that treat high blood pressure.
• Foxglove leaves, once prescribed to treat heart failure, are the source of the modern heart drug, digitalis.
• Senna, a common ingredient in modern-day laxatives, can be found in ancient Middle East hieroglyphics, showing it as a treatment for constipation. |
Roberta Bivins
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| Thus much of the medical information gathered by westerners abroad addressed herbal medicines, and drew on the novel (to Europeans) pharmacopoeia of the tropics. However, as Busschof's encounter with the local Doctress suggests, other forms of medical expertise were also tapped by desperate (or simply curious) European voyagers. |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
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 Numerous natural alternative therapies are available, including lifestyle changes, vitamin and mineral supplementation, herbal medicines, and natural hormones. Many of these have demonstrated their effectiveness in standard scientific studies. But at least an equal number have either shown no effect or an effect that was not significantly greater than the placebo effect. |
| We can also use hormones in a form that may enhance their benefits and minimize their risks, or use a combination of a reduced dose of hormones along with soy and herbal medicines to bring about the most benefit with the least risk.
Women today are insisting on participating in their health-care decisions in a way conventional medicine is just beginning to recognize. I believe that the baby boomer menopausal woman is having and will continue to have a more significant impact on our health-care model than any other previous group of healthcare consumers. |
| A menopause supplement to OB-GYN, the journal of the American College of Ob-Gyn, states, "Focus groups, involving women age 40 to 60, reveal that women know more about herbal medicines than about estrogen." That seems an impressive testimonial to the power of alternative medicine in its alliance with the natural wisdom of women to define their own health-care standards. It is an invitation to alternative medicine to continue to provide women with the wider, healthier options they seek. |
| Aqueous Iodine
3-6 mg daily (prescription item)
Additional Supplements
• B-complex: 10 times the recommended daily dietary allowance
• Methionine: 1 g per day
• Choline: 1 g per day
• Lactobacillus acidophilus: 1 tsp 3 times per day
• Flaxseed oil: 1 tbs per day
Botanicals
Herbal therapies for addressing the symptoms of breast pain, swelling, and cystic nodules in the breast are largely arrived at from traditional uses of herbal medicines and from observational experience in clinical practice. |
| Once osteoporosis has been diagnosed, many of the natural interventions such as diet, exercise, nutritional supplementation, and herbal medicines could be used aggressively in milder cases to slow bone loss and possibly improve bone density, bone strength, bone architecture, and bone health in general. In general, it is my position that in cases of diagnosed osteoporosis, natural intervention should be used to supplement an antire-sorptive therapy intended to stop or slow the rate of bone loss and reduce the rate of fractures. |
| Many plants have been used in traditional herbal medicines designed to treat women with uterine fibroids. The plants and herbal formulations talked about here are used to try to shrink uterine fibroids; herbs used to deal with abnormal bleeding and uterine cramping are discussed in Chapters 1 and 13. |
Gerald E. Markle and Frances B. McCrea
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 The most commonly treatments were herbal medicines,7 massage, megavitamins, self-help groups, folk remedies, energy healing, and homeopathy. Alternative medicine was most often used to treat chronic conditions such as back problems, anxiety, and headaches. The authors suggest that some of the above are "more alternative," some "less." In this latter category are biofeedback, hypnosis, guided imagery, relaxation techniques, "lifestyle diet," and vitamin therapy, which, together accounted for less than 10% of total visits to alternative medical practitioners. |
Brigitte Mars, A.H.G.
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 Making herbal medicines m a ydrotherapy, as healing with water is § M known, has been around for as long as L JL. humankind. And why not? Water is an adaptable conductor of many types of energies, from electricity to magnetism to heat. It is also a solvent, capable of leaching constituents away from other compounds and carrying them in itself. In this way water, and its cousins alcohol and vegetable oils, are able to be infused with the properties of healing herbs. |
Hyla Cass
See book keywords and concepts |
| It turns out that many of our modern medicines are derived from traditional herbal medicines:
?Chinese and Greek pharmacies used roots from the plant Rauwolfia serpentina, which contains a tranquilizing substance called reserpine, now used to make drugs that treat high blood pressure.
?Foxglove leaves, once prescribed to treat heart failure, are the source of the modern heart drug, digitalis.
?Senna, a common ingredient in modern-day laxatives, can be found in ancient Middle East hieroglyphics, showing it as a treatment for constipation.
? |
| Independent, nonprofit research and education organization; great resource for the latest accurate information about herbal medicines.
Consumer Lab—www.consumerlab.com: Independent testing and evaluation of nutritional supplements; a useful tool for choosing the best quality for your money. Requires a subscription, but well worth the nominal fee.
Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN)—www.crnusa.org: Trade association representing dietary-supplement-industry ingredient suppliers and manufacturers; supports high-quality standards under good manufacturing practices (GMP). |
Bottom Line Health
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| English translation of The Complete German Commission EMonographs—Therapeutic Guide to herbal medicines (Integrative Medicine Communications) and of The ABC Clinical Guide to Herbs (ABC).
It was headline news when The New England fournal of Medicine published a study that cast doubt on the effectiveness of echinacea. The message to the countless consumers spending more than $300 million annually on the purported cold-fighting herb? Save your money. |
Dan Buettner
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 At the University of Minnesota, Greg taught medical students the science of herbal medicines and dietary supplements as well as issues in cross-cultural clinical care. There, he was also the principal investigator of the largest clinical trial ever undertaken in the West of a Kampo formula. He obtained FDA approval to import and study in human volunteers keishi bukuryo gan, an 1,800-year-old remedy consisting of four herbs and a mushroom for treating menopausal hot flashes. |
David Winston, RH(AHG), and Steven Maimes
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 Unfortunately, most herbal medicines have not met the USP's strict requirements because peer-reviewed scientific results often are not available.
The USP acknowledges that some herbal remedies have been used for hundreds, even thousands of years, yet it goes on to say:
Scientific evidence regarding these products' safety and efficacy may be rare or nonexistent. Most information about botanicals in the United States chronicles historical use, anecdotal writing, and case reports. There are few randomized, controlled clinical trials for botanicals in the U.S. |
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