Herbal medicine is the use of leaves, flowers, stems, seeds, fruits, bark, berries, and roots of plants to prevent, relieve, and treat acute and chronic illnesses and to maintain health. While many herbs and plants seem to be safe and helpful, others can have toxic, even deadly, effects.

Indications: According to the American Botanical Council, one-third of all adults in the United States use herb and plant products in search of cheaper, gentler, natural choices to mainstream medicine.

Herbal cures are big business with billions of dollars spent each year. Herb and plant use to obtain good health are no longer confined to the realm of folklore. For example, an adult woman may take Kava Kava to help calm job stress and Echinacea when she feels a cold coming on.

Use: Herbs and plants have active properties similar to regulated drugs.

When using herb and plant treatments, knowledge is the key. Just because something is considered natural, grown in nature, does not mean that it is good to use.

The federal government classifies these products as dietary supplements as defined under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) and are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the same as drugs.

In 2007 the FDA issued a final rule regarding current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) 21 CFR part 111 for dietary supplements. The rule was drafted in the hope of protecting the public health by increasing quality in regards to production, packaging, labeling, and storage. These rules may not apply to products produced outside our boarders so extra caution is warranted in those cases. Manufacturers products do not undergo the strict clinical testing demanded by the FDA for other prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Manufacturers are not required to provide detailed information about their product's contents, side effects, safety, or effectiveness. They need only to provide reasonable guarantee that their product contains no harmful ingredients. However, in 2004 ephedra products were removed from the U.S. market by the FDA because on unacceptable risks.

They cannot make medical claims for the product unless they have FDA approval, but they can make claims about the product's benefits without supporting proof. The preparation Ginkgo may be sold to make an individual's memory better but not to treat dementia or Echinacea can be labeled as an immune booster but not a cold remedy.

Complications: Consumers need to read about the product that they wish to use before taking it. These products should only be purchased from reputable sources.

Very young and old consumers, whose metabolism may be altered through disease and individuals who have allergic responses can have a dramatic response to the products. An allergic reaction can happen with a first exposure or after you have taken the product several times. Symptoms of an allergic reaction can include rash, swelling, itching, and/or difficult breathing. If you think you are having an allergic reaction, call your doctor/healthcare provider and/or go to the nearest emergency room and/or call the emergency medical service for help.

All users need to be aware that herbs/plants have active compounds just as prescription and over-the-counter drugs do and should be cautious about herb-drug-food interactions.

Most current research on herbs used as drugs has been done in other countries. Drug and herbal companies in America are just beginning to work together to adopt standards to achieve greater agreement in product quality.

Consumers of herbs and plants need to be smart and beware that while these products can help; they can also cause harm.

For any questions about their use, a qualified herbalist or healthcare professional needs to be consulted. As an example, the following popular medicinal herbs and plants can be useful, but they also can cause complication(s).

Herb-Medication Interactions Table

-The combination of some herbal supplements and medications could have serious side effects.
-The following table may provide information on the interactions of some common herbal products. Clinical studies are lacking so this list is not complete.
-Please discuss with your doctor /healthcare provider any herbs you are taking, or plan on taking, for further questions/explanations of possible side effects.
-Be cautious of foods and beverages that contain herbs (example: Snapple's Moon Tea, Arizona's Memory Elixir, etc). Read food labels carefully!

References

References for HERB-MEDICATIONS TABLE:

1. The Natural Pharmacist Herb-Drug Interactions for Professionals. Retrieved from http://www.tnp.com/prointeract.asp

2. The Pharmacist's Letter (n.d.). Retrieved from www.pharmacistsletter.com

3. Facts and Comparisons. The Review of Natural Products-Monograph System

4. Healthmall Herbal Remedies Specific Herb-Drug Interactions. (2000). Retrieved from http//www.healthmall.com/specific.html

5. Micromedex Health Care Series. Volume 106. Micromedex, Inc, 1974-2000

Additional Information:

The following are some web sites to provide you with more information about herbal medicine and medicinal herbs.

American Botanical Council
American Dietetic Association
Healthworld Online's Herbal Medicine section
Herb Research Foundation
National Institute of Health Office of Dietary Supplements

Additional References

Food Dietary Supplement. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.fda.gov/fooddietarysupplement/consumerinformation.

ABC Herbalgram. (2009). Retrieved from http://abc.herbalgram.org

Dietary Supplements. (2009). Retrieved from http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/

PDR. (2007). PDR for Herbal Medicines, (4th ed). Montvale, NJ: Thomson Healthcare Inc.

Al-Achi, A., (2008). An Introduction to Botanical Medicines History, Science, Uses, and Dangers. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.

Tracy, T.S. and Kingston, R.L. (2007). Herbal ProductsToxicology and Clinical Pharmacology, (2nd ed). Totowa, NJ: Humana Press Inc.

Developed in 2002 by Jean Venn, Pharm D; Julie L. Smith, MS, RD, LD, CDE; Linda Pierce, PhD, RN at the University of Toledo for the Caring~Web©

Revised: 2010 by Gregory Siegel JD RPh CGP; Julie Smith MS, RD, LD, CDE and Linda Pierce PhD RN