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FRIDAY, Jan. 4 (HealthScoutNews) -- Some of the six best-selling herbal treatments may not live up to their claims, and one may be useless, a new report says. The study, conducted by noted British alternative medicine researcher Dr. Edzard Ernst, looked at a compilation of medical literature on gingko biloba, St. John's wort, echinacea, ginseng, saw palmetto and kava, which together ring up more than $590 million in sales annually in the United States alone. His study appears in the current issue of The Annals of Internal Medicine. Text Continues Below
The study results aren't surprising, says another alternative medicine expert, Dr. James Dillard, clinical medical advisor at the Rosenthal Center of Alternative and Complementary Medicine at Columbia University in New York City. "Doctors who are familiar with prescribing these treatments are well aware of what the studies show, and both the value of these treatments and their limitations," says Dillard. "However, I think the study is very valuable for physicians who have not had the opportunity to research these treatments, or especially for those consumers who may be self-treating without knowing what they can expect in terms of proven results," he says. Of the six herbs, the one that came up the clear loser in Ernst's study was ginseng. "Well-conducted clinical trials do not support the efficacy of ginseng to treat any condition," he writes, adding 16 clinical trials used ginseng for a variety of ailments, and all yielded poor results. Ernst's research also indicated ginseng's potential for adverse effects, including insomnia, diarrhea, vaginal bleeding, severe headaches, hypertension, hypotension, and nausea. People with heart disease, blood pressure problems or diabetes should avoid the herb, Dillard says. He's unwilling, however, to write off ginseng. In China, it's used as a kind of tonic, much like a multivitamin, Dillard explains. Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | Next >>
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