What problems do herbal medicines help?
A few of the conditions that phytotherapy can be used to treat are listed below.
• St John's wort has been found to be effective for the treatment of mild to moderate depression.
• Echinacea may be used to treat colds and other respiratory (breathing) infections.
• Garlic may reduce blood cholesterol levels and could potentially lower your risk of heart disease.
• Saw palmetto is useful if you have an enlarged but benign prostate gland.
• An extract of hawthorn berries may be able to treat mild heart failure.
• Ginger may relieve nausea and vomiting.
• Ginkgo biloba is thought to improve mental performance if you have Alzheimer's disease.
• Horse chestnut seed extract has been studied as a treatment for chronic venous insufficiency.
Are herbal medicines effective?
Are herbal medicines effective?
There are herbal medicines available that claim to treat almost any
common complaint, but there is often limited scientific evidence that
these really work. Phytotherapy is based on evidence from clinical
trials, but traditional herbalism isn't. There has been little research
on traditional herbalism and none of the evidence proves its
effectiveness.
Deciding on treatment
Like any medicine, herbal remedies can
have side-effects. These are the unwanted, but mostly temporary,
effects of a successful treatment. Herbal remedies may also interact
with other medicines. It's possible that you may have an adverse
reaction to a herbal medicine - there is a system called the Yellow
Card Scheme for reporting and recording these to the Medicines and
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). You can do this yourself
or your GP can do it for you. If you are taking any medication, you
should speak to your GP or pharmacist before taking any herbal
remedies. You should not stop taking any prescribed medication without
speaking to your GP first. You may have heard reports of fatal toxic
effects with some herbal remedies, although this is rare with products
that originate in the UK. However, in 2003, the MHRA introduced a ban
on using the substance kava kava in herbal remedies and the Food
Standards Agency banned its use in food products. Kava kava comes from
a member of the pepper family and is used in some countries to treat
conditions such as anxiety and tension. Its use was banned after a
significant number of people who were taking kava kava developed severe
liver poisoning and some died as a result. In 2005, the agencies
carried out a review of the evidence on the safety of kava kava and
decided that the ban should continue.
There is no statutory regulation of herbal medicines at present, so you
can't be sure that a herbal medicine definitely works, what it contains
or whether it was produced properly. However, the UK government is in
the process of introducing a system to regulate both herbal medicines
and medical herbalists. Ask your GP or pharmacist for more information
and advice about herbal remedies.
Although some herbal medicines, such as the ones listed earlier, may be
helpful for certain problems, this doesn't mean they are safe in all
situations or suitable for you as an individual.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding you shouldn't use any herbal
medicines as their safety hasn't been established and they could harm
both you and your unborn baby. If you have certain medical conditions
you should not take herbal medicines without supervision from a trained
herbalist or a doctor. You should consult your GP or pharmacist before
taking herbal remedies if you have: • a heart condition
• had or are about to have an operation
• a serious medical condition, or had one in the past
• epilepsy
• type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes
There is a risk that if you take herbal medicines without consulting
your GP, you may delay treating a serious disease which has proven
treatments.
Herbal remedies have been widely used for many years and may be useful
for self-treating minor illnesses. However, natural does not mean
harmless and you should take care not to exceed the recommended doses.
http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/herbal_medicine.html
Is herbal medicine dangerous?
Yes, dangers certainly exist. The most important point to understand
is: Just because something is natural does NOT mean that it is
harmless.
It is the "natural" aspect of herbal remedies that is their big selling
point, and the one that advertisers emphasise when advertising their
products. It should be noted that plants manufacture compounds for
their own benefit: not ours. Plants often contain toxins for their self
protection.
The potential dangers of herbal remedies: Active compounds.
Herbal remedies contain physiologically
active compounds. i.e. drugs. Even where remedies are known to have an
effect, the compounds responsible are often unknown or not well
understood.
Interference with prescribed drugs.
As herbal
remedies contain drugs they can have an effect not only on the body,
but also with other drugs. St John's wort, for example, is known to
counteract the effect of warfarin. This can lead to the death of the
patient. see: Fatal mix of herbal pills and medicines
Dubious safety.
Natural does not mean safe (!)
Most herbal remedies have not been tested for their true effectiveness
or their safety. There is a big misconception about these remedies
being inherently safe. This can lead to consumers taking these remedies
without a thought about overdosing or side effects. Regulation.
Regulation is now in force (see: stricter rules
for herbal drugs - new window). This means that companies that
manufacture herbal remedies have to ensure that they are both safe and
of standardised quality.
Hopefully, this will address the problem which existed where herbal
remedies were potentially dangerous due to that fact that no-one knew
what they contained and in what quantities. Of course, it also may lead
to herbs which do contain active compounds being banned; thus leading
to a group of herbs on sale that are safe, but non-effective.
NOTE: this legislation will only affect over-the-counter herbal
remedies produced in the EU. It does not mean that the problem has been
wholly solved (see: Chinese outlets investigated).
The glaring omission of the new legislation is that nowhere does it
require evidence that herbal remedies actually work. Many potential
dangers of using herbs are known. See Government safety report (PDF -
519Kb). It will be interesting to see what effect this new legislation
actually has. Adulteration. Remedies, especially those imported from
abroad, may have more than just herbs in them to make them appear more
effective. See Adulteration.
Self diagnosis and self prescription.
Many
people, encouraged by books, will self diagnose their conditions and
may pick and mix their remedies for themselves.
Initial misdiagnosis is an inherent danger in itself, and the fact that
most compounds in herbal remedies are not known, it is possible that a
quite inappropriate, or even damaging, remedy will be concocted.
Drugs are often more potent when administered in the presence of other
drugs. This works whether the drug is beneficial or if it is harmful. Untargetted response.
Remedies taken for one condition may
not have the expected response. As they contain active drugs that are
unknown and untested, the active compound could have a deleterious
effect on a part of the body that was not considered as part of the
initial problem.
As there are often thousands of chemicals in herbs there is a
strong likelihood, if not a certainty, that some of them will contain
toxins and carcinogens. Overuse of such untested compounds could lead
to health problems caused by the "remedy".
Pregnancy and breast feeding During pregnancy.
A woman
shares her bloodstream with that of her baby via the placenta. Toxic
and harmful chemicals in the woman's body will be shared with her
child. Many women sensibly quit smoking and give up alcohol during
pregnancy.
In an effort to avoid "drugs" women may be tempted to use "natural"
remedies as they are believed to be harmless. This is not the case. It
is the untested nature of so many herbal remedies that is the cause for
concern; their dangers and/or side effects are simply unknown.
Even advocates of herbal remedies are cautious about their use during
pregnancy: see Taking herbs during pregnancy
We recommend that women should avoid all herbal treatments whilst
pregnant, and seek any health care required from a medical
professional.
Toxic chemicals can also show up in breast milk, having been ingested
by the mother. The same precautions should apply to breast feeding as
to pregnancy.
For an overview of the dangers of herbal medicine see: Chinese
medicines 'can damage your health'
