From the Wall Street Journal 8/29/02
The Growing Case Against Herbs
Herbal supplements are part of a broader category of dietary supplements that also includes an array of vitamins and minerals. Unlike prescription drugs, which must be proved effective and safe before they are sold to the public, a dietary supplement generally can only be removed from the market after it's been shown to be harmful.
The herbal market is continuing to grow overall, although certain supplements have fallen out of favor. The industry says its products are safe when used as directed, while the medical establishment says many are worthless, leaving consumers a bit perplexed. While consumers await the results of ongoing research, the AMA and other groups urge people to tell their doctors they are using supplements; the information could help ward off dangerous drug interactions between herbal products and pharmaceuticals.
Conflicting Studies
The ephedra controversy shows how contentious all the conflicting studies can be... Ephedra is under attack because of dozens of heart attacks and strokes\in people who have taken ephedra products. The AMA wants it banned, But Metabolife International Inc., the product's leading marketer, cites a study from researchers affiliated with Harvard and Columbia universities that shows "no adverse events and minimal side effects" among patients taking an ephedra-andcaffeine product. Claims to the contrary, including reports of
facalities, are anecdotal junk science" that is drowning out good science, the company argues.
The university study was far from perfect, says Dr. Woosley. The subjects in that trial were under medical supervision, and those with serious health conditions were screened out, so any unusual effect the supplement had on those already at risk wouldn't have been noticed. Plus the limited size of the study by
the time it was over-46 people on ephedra and 41 on a placebo-means it was impossible to find the
1-In-100 or 1-in-1,000 risks that emerge in the large trials drug companies submit to the FDA.
European Conclusions Differ
Supplement makers' main research ammunition comes from reputable scientists in Germany and elsewhere in Europe, where supplements have been a mainstay for decades. For many U.S. researchers, those studies are lacking. "It's not the kind of science you would see presented to the FDA," says Ronald Turner, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Virginia medical school and author of a recent study on echinacea. His 2000 study found the herb had "no significant effect on either the occurrence of infection or the severity of illness." The study received funding from Procter & Gamble Co., which makes Vicks cold-related products.
The ginkgo study was conducted by Paul Solomon of Williams College and published this month In the
AMA's medical journal. Mr. Solomon says he tried to do an 'FDA-quality study" to test claims that ginkgo could improve memory In as little as four weeks. The conclusion: "When taken following the manufacturer's
instructions, ginkgo provides no measurable benefit in memory or related cognitive function to adults with healthy cognitive function."
From the Wall Street Journal 8/29/02
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