The entire “wellness” industry has been on its BS binge for quite some time now, although herbs have been used for many millennia to “cure” conditions, it doesn’t mean they are effective beyond a placebo. Sure, there are exceptions but when you pit a pharmaceutical drug vs one sourced from “natural ingredients”, the pharmaceutical version is more often then not far more potent.
What are Herbal Remedies?
I haven’t heard anybody give me a definition for what exactly “Herbal Remedies” actually are? I visit trade shows and it seems everybody has their own self-serving definition of what a Herbal Remedy is and why their product is better then any pharmaceutical grade medications out there. As a result, here is my unbiased definition
Herbal Remedy: product sourced from many natural ingredients whose origins are dubious, it’s effectiveness relies heavily on both the placebo effect and on generational trust (it’s been used for thousands of years, so it must work safely). Often promoted as a supplement in modern times without any double blind clinically based studies to backup incredibly exaggerated marketing claims. Herbal Remedies are sold in a variety of formats, from homemade bags to pharmaceutical looking packaging at various price points that aren’t related to effectiveness nor quality. Some are effective but the vast majority are not, relying on a shotgun approach verses a laser one by the pharmaceuticals.
Natural cures for EVERYTHING!
The “wellness industry” likes to promote the reason why their “natural cures” aren’t widely available is due to pharmaceutical companies trying to protect their turf and corrupt government agencies getting in the way of healthy alternatives. I am sure there is some elements of that but while the pharmaceuticals must spend billions proving their product works before reaching the marketplace, the wellness industry is hell bent on not spending a dime on studies that would prove (more likely disprove) their effectiveness. Instead, they rely on pharmaceutical sounding words, testimonials, slick marketing and promises that they must know are over-the-top. Among the most successful out there is Mannatech but there are many more out there as well.
The Wellness Industry Circumventing a Paradox
I believe the entire “wellness industry” is in sort of a paradox, it cannot prove their product work in a clinical setting yet they cannot gain acceptance by the medical field without proving their product works. How to circumvent this seemingly endless paradox? Well, keep telling people they work, if you say something often enough, the general populous will eventually believe it’s a fact. Open any health magazine (Muscle & Fitness, Cosmopolitan, Runners World, Flex etc… ) and you will see this effort in full force, listen to the radio and you will hear the same, watch television and commercials are pushing useless herbal remedies as well.
Times article about potential dangers of herbal remedies
Dr. Sanjay Gupta wrote an interesting piece for Time which outlines the “wellness industry” in rather stark terms, here is a summary:
- use of herbal supplements by the general public has jumped 83% in the past decade and is now worth 22.3 billion dollars a year!
- most common mistake herbal remedy users make is believing the product actually works
- 19% of herbal remedy users are trying to treat specific conditions, not general wellness and wellbeing
- 2/3 of herbal preparations have never been clinically proven for effectiveness
- 2002, the FDA put out a warning against the dangers of supplements using kava root due to its potential to cause liver damage
- 2004, FDA banned ephedra after it was linked directly to over 100 deaths
- Ayurvedic supplements (Indian and South Asian preparations) may be laced with heavy metals such as mercury and lead
- Saint-John’s-wort has an anti-depressive effect but also interferes with some HIV medications and heart drugs like warfarin and digoxin
What to do?
Well, before you spend another dime on naturally sourced supplements, be sure to visit a doctor and share your concerns. He or she knows far more about health then either of us and can lead you in the right direction. Secondly, tell your doctor each and every medication you are taking, some herbals that do work interfere with pharmaceuticals. Thirdly, if it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is, save your money.
The Bottom Line
Effective herbals may have their place in overall health but should never be taken in replacement or in conjunction with pharmaceuticals unless cleared by your health practitioner.
Buzzvia
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1625175,00.html

Canada, like many of the worlds countries, suffers from a substance abuse problem among a certain subset of its population. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry recently published a paper based off the research from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
According to a BBC report sourcing a recent World Health Organization study, South African rates of obesity are approaching those in the industrialized world. I was surprised to hear this considering the only things we hear coming out of Africa are starvation, poverty and war.
I like seeing statistics about major events, they tend to summarize the level of engineering (physical and mental) involved to pulling them off. Here are a few from the upcoming 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.
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Much like alcohol, the substances in cola acts as fantastic leaching agents throughout the body. Cola such as Pepsi and Coke, should only be given to the drain.
Being the eldest child, I find it interesting that a study by the Norway National Institute of Occupational Health along with the Norwegian Armed Forces Medical Services have reached a conclusion that I knew all along. First born children have a higher IQ then their siblings
Health.com has written a rather interesting article about odds of dying from any particular disease during any given year to help put into perspective our fears of catching them. I have put next to them, lifetime odds and preventative steps you can do RIGHT NOW to increase your odds for the better. Keep in mind that although there is a strong genetic component to some of these diseases, lifestyle has also has a huge influence not only acquiring them but their overall effect on your body (severity of the condition).
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Each year, the United States Social Security Administration (USSSA) releases the top baby names for the previous year, with related statistics based on 4.2 million Social Security Card requests. I use to have a client that had 3 employees with the same name as mine so it was utter confusion when ever anybody wanted to ask a colleague a question… anyways, here are the results for last year!
Living a healthy lifestyle is actually easy once you get the habits down pat, so why are people finding it so hard?
Before I begin to say anything, review the animated picture in this weeks issue. Does one color scheme make you feel more comfortable? What do you think they represent (does it matter)? Why do you think those colors where chosen? Who is the intended audience? I could easily go on with the questions but let me tell you now that they both represent exactly the same thing. Although I redid the map, I left one with the original color scheme with shades of blue and updated the other with mine with are shades of red. Does giving you this additional information help you at all to figure out what it is showing?
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