[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
I'm sure you've heard Parksie crow about the scientific studies showing
that herbal and energy medicine are inefective. IMHO, that just goes to
show you that you can prove anything that you want to. Especially if the
scientific establishment is paying you to do it.
While I hate to agree with Park about anything, recent reports that
echinacea is ineffective seem to be based on careful research.
I think he also has a valid point that unregulated herbal remedies are a
threat to public health. This is because everyone knows that some herbs are
powerful drugs. Even Park would readily agree that poison ivy causes
rashes, marijuana intoxicates, and the bark of the willow tree yields one
of the most powerful and effective drugs ever discovered: asprin, used to
treat fever, blood clotting and to prevent heart attacks. Unregulated
herbal fen-phen caused widespread, serious damage to people's hearts,
including 30 fatalities.
As temalloy points out, conventional drugs also sometimes cause deleterious
and unexpected side effects. That is why they must be carefully tested
before use, and monitored continuously. I do not see why that same
principle does not apply to herbal medicines. If they are effective (as
some are, no doubt), they should be regulated.
Many important drugs were originally discovered in herbs, trees and
animals, and there are probably thousands more waiting to be discovered.
This is yet another reason why we must preserve biodiversity and wilderness
areas. Many drugs, including asprin, were originally discovered in nature
but later synthesized. This gives better control over dosage and contents,
and in some cases it helps preserves rare species. The endangered Pacific
Yew was the original source of the cancer drug taxol. It took many trees to
supply taxol, but fortunately the drug has now been synthesized.
- Jed
- Herbal medicine Jed Rothwell
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