The Health Gazette - Herbs

New Research Finds African Plant Root Could Beat MRSA Infection

Sun, 17 Sep 2006 18:43:36 -0500

A plant root used in Africa as a traditional remedy could hold the key to combating the potentially fatal Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) infection, according to research findings presented at the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester, 4 to 6 September, 2006.

Pharmacists at King’s College London have discovered that the roots of the shrub Paullinia pinnata possess anti-bacterial properties that are effective against MRSA.

MRSA infections are difficult to combat because the bacteria involved have developed complete resistance to certain antibiotics. Usually it is hospital patients with weakened immune systems who are most likely to become infected.

Health Canada Also Issues Black Cohosh Advisory

Wed, 23 Aug 2006 19:08:50 -0500

It appears that the herb Black Cohosh has come under fire by authorities again, this time in Canada. It is interesting to note that the alarm is being raised in markets where drug companies make -- and want to continue to make -- fortunes in profits from hormone replacement therapy (HRT). It may be that the large numbers of menopausal women in these places means that large amounts of black cohosh are consumed and therefore there is an incidence of the reported problems. However, knowing how the player work, I suspect there is drug company influence behind these alarms.

So now Canada, following similar recent moves in the UK and Australia, has issued an advisory about a possible link between black cohosh and liver damage. The herb is used widely in relieving menopausal symptoms, mainly because it works and increasingly women want to avaoid the serious risks associated with HRT. The US is notably missing from the growing list of countries which have flagged black cohosh.

Natural Compound Interests Lung Cancer Researchers

Tue, 11 Jul 2006 23:33:26 -0500

Milk thistle (with active compound silibinin) could inhibit lung cancer growth and progression according to research from the University of Colorado published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (Vol. 98, pp. 846-85). Silibinin, a flavanone compound in milk thistle, stopped lung cancer growth and spread in mice.

Lung cancer is the most common form of cancer worldwide with over 1.2m new cases diagnosed annually. It also has a poor survival rate, with approximately 75% of people diagnosed with the condition dying within 12 months.

Milk thistle extract is a widely used dietary supplement. It generally contain 80 per cent silymarin, a flavonolignan mixture which contains approximately 40 per cent silibinin. The research used pure silibinin, not silimarin.

Hawthorn Useful as Anti-Hypertensive Adjunctive Therapy

Wed, 14 Jun 2006 22:34:08 -0500

Researchers led by Dr Ann Walker, senior lecturer in human nutrition at Reading University, have found that tablets made from hawthorn flowers and leaves significantly reduce blood pressure readings in patients already taking prescribed medicines for diabetes and hypertension. Significantly, the study showed it was safe to take a natural remedy at the same time as prescribed medication. The study, was published in the latest British Journal of General Practice.

Patients benefited after just four months of treatment with Hawthorn, as widely used herb for cardiovascular support. The anti-hypertensive effect worked in addition to the orthodox drugs being taken by patients.

Pine Bark Extract Reduces Inflammatory Response

Mon, 22 May 2006 05:45:26 -0500

A daily supplement of the French maritime pine bark, Pycnogenol, could reduce the markers of inflammation by 15 per cent, says a joint German-Slovak study.

Inflammation is a normal protective and tissue repair response. However, chronic inflammation, brought about by an over-expression or lack of control of the normally protective mechanism, can lead to a range of inflammatory related diseases, including cardiovascular disease. The study, published recently in the Journal of Inflammation (Vol. 3), supplemented the diets of seven young, healthy volunteers (five men) for five days with Pycnogenol (200 mg). Blood samples were taken at day one after a 24 hour abstinence from flavonoid consumption, and again at day five.

Cinnamon Extends Virtues to Lowering Blood Pressure

Sun, 21 May 2006 23:03:54 -0500

The commonly used spice cinnamon could lower blood pressure in hypertensive people, researchers report. The new placebo-controlled, double-blind study, published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition (Vol. 25, pp. 144-150), supplemented the sucrose and non-sucrose containing diets of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) with whole cinnamon, a cinnamon extract, or chromium.

After three to four weeks of the experiment, the researchers found that the presence of whole cinnamon or cinnamon extract in the diet reduced the systolic blood pressure of the rats.

The Herbal Approach to Stress-Related Illness – UK Herbal Medicine Awareness Week

Mon, 08 May 2006 01:47:37 -0500

A little stress can be good for you but when it gets excessive, it can ruin lives. For this year’s Herbal Medicine Awareness Week, the U.K.'s herbalists are aiming to help people cope with stress and stress-related illness…the herbal way.

The National Institute of Medical Herbalists – Europe’s most respected professional body representing qualified medical herbalists – will stage a week of events, demonstrations and walks to celebrate Herbal Medicine Awareness Week – 19-26 May 2006.

This year the awareness campaign will focus on the herbal approach to treating stress-related conditions, from insomnia to tension headaches and eczema.

Not All Herb Sources Reliable

Sun, 07 May 2006 23:21:19 -0500

In a perfect world everything stated on the label would be as found as described in the product. Even in an imperfect but adequately regulated world this would be so. Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world, or even an adequately regulated one in the U.S. it would seem, when it comes to buying herbal products.

In a report by Dr. Edward J. Kennelly of the City University of New York published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, May 17, 2006, three of 11 products tested to determine ther ingredients did not contain any of the stated main ingredient. Instead, a different (though similar) herb was substituted.

Researchers Studying Chinese Herb As Alzheimer's Treatment

Sat, 06 May 2006 19:43:19 -0500

Researchers from Georgetown University Medical Center's Memory Disorders Program are directing the first U.S. study to determine whether huperzine A, derived from the Chinese club moss plant Huperzia serrata, improves cognitive function in people with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The study, which is recruiting participants at 28 sites across the country, is jointly funded by the National Institutes of Health and Neuro-Hitech Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Huperzine A, a naturally occurring cholinesterase inhibitor, has been used in Chinese folk medicine for the treatment of fevers and inflammation. Although also commonly used in China to treat Alzheimer's, there have been no controlled clinical trials assessing its toxicity and efficacy outside of China. Chinese studies have suggested that huperzine A is well tolerated and effective.

Denmark Withdraws Saw Palmetto

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 02:08:32 -0500

Saw Palmetto is a valuable herb with therapeutic properties suited to the digestive, urinary and reproductive systems. It has been widely popularized by marketing companies as a treatment for benign prostatic enlargement (or hypertrophy or hyperplasia, better known as BPH). The uses for saw palmetto are briefly stated in the Herb Health Guide.

Recently, Danish authorities ordered the withdrawal of saw palmetto products from sale. Evidently this reflects the finding that they were actually on sale when they shouldn't have been, since they have been virtually banned since 2002 in Denmark. Why is this so?

Israeli Clinical Trial Studies Herbal Treatment for IBS

Sat, 08 Apr 2006 23:08:57 -0500

The following documentation of a clinical trial seeking to study the use of herbal medicine for a condition that is not well treated at all by conventional medicine is quite interesting. I thought readers may find it useful. If you happen to be in Israel or have family there perhaps, you could refer them to the researcher if they might qualify as study participants. We shall simply have to hope the trial is able to find sufficient participants and wait to see the outcome.

Combination Herbal Therapy (CHT) Versus Placebo in Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Africans Need Help with Antimalarial Herbs - Urgently

Thu, 06 Apr 2006 01:48:55 -0500

A recent meeting in Nairobi, Kenya documented a heartbreaking plight. As if the AIDS epidemic isn't enough for African nations to deal with, they also must contend with a malarial pandemic. They have criticized the World Health Organization (WHO), an organization I might add that has lost most of its credibility in the last decade, for persuading drug companies not to support the malaria fight by producing drugs from the proven effective atimalarial herbs.

The Africans have also grown wary of western multinational pharmaceutical corporations that have essentially stolen their knowledge to amass fortunes and given nothing in return. While these companies ignore the Africans in their time of great need and most western media fail to inform people of the African situation, 3,000 Africans die needlessly every day from malaria.

Ask a Stupid Question - Get a ...

Tue, 28 Mar 2006 00:41:18 -0600

I was disappointed to see a March 26 headline that read: "Teens' Herbal Product Use Associated With Illicit Substance Use". That might lead a person to think that a causal link has been found between using herbal products and using illicit drugs. Even the clarification in the article that the link is associative rather than causal is unlikely to undo some of the doubt the rather foolish article may raise in the minds of some readers.

The article is from the University of Rochester Medical Center so the astounding bias and mischievous reporting is somewhat understandable. Let's look at the article. It used that attention grabbing headline above and then continued as shown below.

Lavender Your Way To Quality Sleep

Fri, 17 Feb 2006 01:31:51 -0600

Sleeping disorders are commonplace. Everyone has difficulty sleeping from time to time but when it becomes insomnia some action should be taken to correct the problem since having enough, quality sleep is an essential determinant of health.

It has been suggested that in excess of 35% of people aged over 65 suffer with insomnia. In fact more than 70 million people in the United States may be affected by a sleep problem, such as insomnia or sleep apnea, with some 60 percent of them suffering from a chronic sleep disorder, according to the National Institutes of Health. That's a significant problem.

Chinese Herbal Medicine Widely Accepted

Sat, 28 Jan 2006 03:28:40 -0600

Herbal medicine, along with other forms of traditional medical practice, is increasing in prominence in the western developed countries. Traditional Chinese medicine, which includes herbal medicine and acupuncture, seems to be particularly popular.

In Melbourne Australia, RMIT University's Chinese medicine program has just been designated a World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine. It is only the second such centre in the English-speaking world.

Director of the center and head of Chinese Medicine at RMIT, Professor Charlie Xue said its mission will be to improve quality control, increase research and clinical trials, determine better ways to regulate traditional medicine and provide education and technical support to doctors and the public.