HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS JAMIEANDREWS4 UNIT 4 PROJECT PROFESSOR EAVES.

HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS

JAMIEANDREWS4

UNIT 4 PROJECT

PROFESSOR EAVES

HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS

• There are many people that try to give herbal supplements a bad name. They say things like: “They don’t work,” “They have severe side effects,” “They aren’t powerful enough,” “There isn’t enough research supporting them,” etc.

• Which is why I am going to be going over a few things about herbal supplements with you today.

OVERVIEWI will be discussing what an herbal supplement is

The history of herbal supplements

The benefits of herbal supplements

I will be going in depth with the health benefits of green tea, echinacea, and rhodiola rosea and what science has to say about them.

The safety of herbal supplements

The things to look for when using an herbal supplement

When to refrain from using them

Lastly, I will be giving some resources and websites for you to check out on your own time, for more information regarding herbal supplements.

WHAT IS AN HERBAL SUPPLEMENT?

An herbal supplement is non-pharmaceutical and mostly come from plant derived substances. Parts of the plant such as the stems, roots, seeds, flowers, leaves, berries, skins, and oils, can all be used in an herbal supplement.

They can be used to improve health, help treat, alleviate, and sometimes even cure medical conditions.

HISTORY OF HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS

HISTORY OF HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS

“Plants had been used for medicinal purposes long before recorded history. Ancient Chinese and Egyptian writings describe medicinal uses for plants as early as 3,000 BC. African and Native American cultures used herbs in their healing rituals, while others developed traditional medical systems (such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine) in which herbal therapies were used. Researchers found that people in different parts of the world tended to use the same or similar plants for the same purposes.” (UMM, 2011)

This goes to show that obviously herbal therapy worked! If it didn’t, why would so many people across the globe use this type of therapy over thousands of years!?

THE BENEFITSThere are countless benefits to using herbal supplements. I will go in depth with: green tea, echinacea, and rhodiola rosea.

A few other herbs that are known for their healing properties are:

Cranberries- they help rid urinary tract infections

Gingko- helps with memory

Flax seed- helps to lower cholesterol

Lavender- helps with insomnia and restlessness

THE BENEFITS

GREEN TEAGreen, black, and oolong tea all come from the same plant, but are fermented differently. Green tea has been known to help improve thinking and mental alertness due to its caffeine properties.

It has been used for a variety of other things as well, such as: “weight loss and to treat stomach disorders, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, bone loss (osteoporosis), and solid tumor cancers.

Some people use green tea to prevent various cancers, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, gastric cancer, lung cancer, and skin cancer. Some women use green tea to fight human papilloma virus (HPV), which can cause genital warts, the growth of abnormal cells in the cervix (cervical dysplasia), and cervical cancer.

Green tea is also used for Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, diseases of the heart and blood vessels, diabetes, low blood pressure, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), dental cavities (caries), kidney stones, and skin damage.

Green tea bags can be used to decrease puffiness under the eyes, as a compress for tired eyes or headache, and to stop gums from bleeding after a tooth is pulled.” (NIH, 2012)

WHAT SCIENCE SAYS ABOUT GREEN TEA

There have been numerous lab studies with green tea and its effects on those with cancer. Although some results show that green tea slows the growth and helps to protect against it, there are still too many mixed results for them to make a solid conclusion.

There is also evidence that suggests green tea helps to improve ones mental alertness, but that is more than likely due to the caffeine content. Again, there is still not enough evidence, to make a conclusion that green tea helps in weight loss, blood cholesterol levels, or protecting from skin cancer.

Green tea has been shown to help reduce the risk or delay the onset of Parkinson’s disease. “Drinking one to four cups of green tea daily seems to provide the most protection against developing Parkinson’s.

Another study showed, women who drank 2 or more cups of green tea each day had a 46% lower risk of getting ovarian cancer than women who didn’t drink green tea.” (NIH, 2011)

In my opinion, not all drugs and medicines work for everyone, while there are mixed results, I would rather try to use something natural to heal my body, than something made in a lab.

ECHINACEA • Echinacea is also commonly known as Echinacea purpurea. • This herb is commonly used to help with alleviating cold and

flu-like symptoms and is most commonly used to treat upper respiratory infections.

• Echinacea contains properties that help to stimulate the immune system, which in turn helps to ward off infections and virus’s.

• “Echinacea is also used against many other infections including the flu, urinary tract infections, vaginal yeast infections, genital herpes, bloodstream infections (septicemia), gum disease, tonsillitis, streptococcus infections, syphilis, typhoid, malaria, and diphtheria.

• Other uses not related to infection include chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), rheumatism, migraines, acid indigestion, pain, dizziness, rattlesnake bites, and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

• Sometimes people apply echinacea to their skin to treat boils, abscesses, skin wounds, ulcers, burns, eczema, psoriasis, UV radiation skin damage, bee stings, and hemorrhoids.” (NIH, 2014)

WHAT SCIENCE SAYS ABOUT ECHINACEAScientists are concerned with the quality of echinacea that is being sold on the market. Some have been known to contain traces of arsenic and lead, so it is important to do some research prior to purchasing.

Research suggests that echinacea has been proven to help alleviate early cold and flu like symptoms, but some of these studies have shown no benefit. They are also suggesting that the quality of some of the echinacea being used, might have been the cause of the poor results.

“Vaginal yeast infections. Taking echinacea and applying a medicated cream to the skin seems to lower the recurrence rate of infection to about 16% compared to 60.5% with econazole alone.

Ear infection. Early research suggests that taking a liquid echinacea extract does not prevent ear infections in children who are prone to ear infections. The risk of ear infection was actually increased by 1.59 times in children receiving echinacea.

Anxiety. Early research suggests that taking 40 mg of echinacea daily for one week reduces anxiety. It does not seem to reduce anxiety when taken at a lower dose.

Exercise performance. Early research shows that taking 8 grams of echinacea daily for 28 days improves breathing capacity during exercise in healthy men.” (NIH, 2014)

RHODIOLA ROSEAAlso known as: Golden Root, Roseroot, and Arctic Root

This herb is becoming very popular due to its ability to help treat depression.

Scandinavia and Russia have been studying this herb for roughly 40 years and has been gaining popularity in Europe as well as the US.

The herb is known for its healing properties and is considered an “adaptogen, meaning that it helps the body and brain cells “adapt to” stress, trauma, anxiety, exhaustion and fatigue. The herb stimulates the nervous system, decreases depression, enhances work performance, eliminates fatigue, possesses antioxidant properties, and has cardiopulmonary protective characteristics.” (Hohtola, 2010)

WHAT SCIENCE SAYS ABOUT RHODIOLA

ROSEAScientists are still studying the anti-stress properties that are found in this herb.

It is still not clearly understood how this plant has the ability to deescalate cortisol levels and tests are still being conducted.

This herb does appear to be safe, but is still not suggested to women who are pregnant or breastfeeding due to insufficient data/studies performed.

Scientists have also stated that this herb does not appear to interfere with most antidepressants. Actually, research has shown that the use of Rhodiola with antidepressants can help with the overall effectiveness and lessen side effects.

ARE HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS SAFE?

Herbal supplements should be treated just like any other supplement or medication that one takes. You should read up and research the herb that you want to take because it will state what counteracts with that supplement and the things that don’t. Also, you should always talk to your doctor prior to taking an herbal supplement because of the potential side effects; plus they could react differently to a medical condition or problem that one might be suffering from.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR WHEN TAKING

HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS

Herbal supplements are regulated by the FDA, but they do NOT need to be approved by the FDA prior to be put out on the shelf.

After the herbal supplement has been put on the shelves for sale, it is the FDA’s responsibility to monitor the safety of the supplement. If it is deemed unsafe, they can have it removed from shelves immediately, or they could also give the company a warning, to change what they need to change.

THINGS TO LOOK FOR WHEN TAKING

HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS

There are a few things that are required on the label to an herbal supplement, by the FDA they are:

Name of herbal supplement

A complete list of ingredients somewhere on the label

Active ingredients

Serving size and amount

Name and address of the manufacturer

THINGS TO LOOK FOR WHEN TAKING

HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS

“Look for scientific research findings. Two good sources include the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and the Office of Dietary Supplements. Both have websites that provide information to help consumers make informed choices about dietary supplements.

Contact the manufacturer. If you have questions about a specific product, call the manufacturer or distributor. Ask to talk with someone who can answer questions, such as what data the company has to substantiate its products' claims.” (MayoClinic, 2014)

WHEN TO REFRAIN FROM USING HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS

• It has been said that herbal supplements should not be taken prior to:

• Surgery- it can actually decrease effectiveness of anesthetics among other things.

• If you are pregnant or breastfeeding- needs to be approved by your doctor, could affect the baby.

• If you’re taking certain medications- Could counteract one another.

• If you are younger than 18 or older than 65- proper breakdown of supplement due to different metabolism could cause complications.

• Again, ask your doctor prior to taking any herbal supplement.

SOURCES FOR MORE RESEARCH

If you are interested in learning more information about herbal supplements and which ones could be good for you, you could locate an herbalist within your local area by contacting the American Herbalists Guild (AHG) at site at www.americanherbalistguild.com.

If you would like to start going to a physician who is considered a licensed naturopath, you can get their contact information at the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP) at www.naturopathic.org.

Another webpage that provides some information on some of the commonly used herbs, can be found at:http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/treatment/herbal-medicine

The link I will be providing is for a book that has endless information about herbal remedies along with many scientific studies. http://books.google.com/books?id=3C6yYSB5_SwC&pg=PA43&lpg=PA43&dq=rhodiola+rosea+and+folklore&source=bl&ots=iDVZNmwh44&sig=LU1iqc9KB2jIYD1EwDCznYXkc3c&hl=en#v=onepage&q=rhodiola%20rosea%20and%20folklore&f=false

REFERENCES

Hohtola A. (2010). Bioactive Compounds From Northern Plants. Adv Exp Med Biol. 698:99-109.

MayoClinic. (2011). Nutrition and Healthy Eating: How do you know if herbal supplements' claims are true? Retrieved on: 01 September 2014, from: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/herbal-supplements/art-20046714?pg=2

Medline Plus. (2014). Echinacea. Retrieved on: 02 September 2014, from: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/981.html

NCCAM. (2014). Echinacea. Retrieved on: 02 September 2014, from: http://nccam.nih.gov/health/echinacea/ataglance.htm