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Stop
popping pills and get nutrients from food
April 22, 2009
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
We’re
a nation of pill-poppers. The nutritional supplement industry
estimates that Americans spend more than $6 billion every
year on vitamin- and mineral-packed pills, gel caps, powders
and tablets.
It’s a testament to the allure of the quick-fix, given
that little evidence exists to support most of the exaggerated
health claims made for nutritional supplements.
Now many people are expanding their supplement habits to include
herbs.
Herbs are plants used in small quantities for a variety of
effects. Culinary herbs, for example, are plants used in small
quantities for the flavor or aroma their leaves add to foods.
Examples include mint, rosemary, thyme and cilantro.
Medicinal herbs, on the other hand, are used for the health
benefits some people believe the plants offer. Examples of
medicinal herbs include black cohosh, Echinacea, gingko, valerian,
hoodia, feverfew and dozens more.
Some herbs even pull double duty.
Ginger, for example, tastes good in soups, sauces and entrees.
It also has the power to relieve nausea and vomiting during
pregnancy – safely – according to the National
Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, or NCCAM,
a unit of the National Institutes of Health.
A list of common herbs, their uses and potential side effects
is available online from NCCAM at nccam.nih.gov/health/herbsataglance.htm.
By themselves, herbs are whole foods – a sprig or a
few leaves of this or that. Taken as supplements, though,
concentrated and packaged in pill, capsule or powder form,
their active ingredients have more potential to have an effect.
Just as people take vitamin and mineral supplements because
they think the pills provide protection against cancer or
heart disease, or that they boost the body’s immune
system, herbal supplements are often touted as having a wide
range of health benefits as well.
Are the claims true, or are herbal supplements expensive shortcuts
that don’t live up to the hype?
In most cases, it’s too early to tell. While the federal
government is sponsoring research, the science is largely
still evolving.
If you have an interest in herbal supplements it’s best
to take some precautions to use them safely. Federal guidelines
regulating the marketing and sale of supplements are much
less stringent than the standards applied to over-the-counter
and prescription drugs.
Be sure to tell your health care provider about any herbal
supplements you are taking. It’s important because:
* Herbal supplements have the potential to interact with other
medications. They may inhibit or enhance the effects of certain
drugs.
* Herbal supplements can affect your risk of bleeding during
surgery. They can also change the way your body responds to
anesthesia. If you plan to have surgery and are taking herbal
supplements, let your doctor know.
* Available research may not apply in your case. Most of the
research on herbal supplements has been conducted on adults,
and very little has been conducted on pregnant women, nursing
mothers or children.
Fortunately, there are some excellent online sources of reliable
and up-to-date information about herbal supplements. In addition
to NCCAM, I also recommend:
* The Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes
of Health. Go to http://ods.od.nih.gov/.
This site provides fact sheets with information about the
background and safety of specific herbal supplements.
* MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. Library of Medicine and
the National Institutes of Health. Go to http://medlineplus.gov/.
This site lets you to search by the first letter of herbs
and other supplements for detailed information compiled from
a variety of authoritative sources.
* The Herb Library at the People’s Pharmacy. Go to:
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/archives/herb_library/index.php.
We have much more to learn about the potential for herbal
supplements to support health. In the meantime, the best value
for your long-term health is a weekly shopping basket full
of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Suzanne
Havala Hobbs is a licensed, registered dietitian and clinical
associate professor in the Department of Health Policy and
Management and the Department of Nutrition in the UNC Gillings
School of Global Public Health. Send questions and comments
to suzanne@onthetable.net.
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