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Glancing at the official looking labels on the bottles of natural remedies
in drugstores and supermarkets, you might assume that some government agency
has made sure the contents
really work. You may even
decide that, being "natural," all of these dietary supplements must be
safe. But you'd be wrong. Laws vary by country, but even in
the highly regulated United States, companies can sell virtually any supplement
they please, as long as its label does not claim to treat a disease.
Studies have shown impressive
results for a number of these remedies; other supplements have caused illness,
usually because of misuse. To help you navigate the supplement jungle,
here's the lowdown on some natural remedies.
Valerian
Valerian’s aroma has a certain cheesy ripeness, but its sedative impact
is nothing to wrinkle your nose at. It's widely used 
by
Europeans-the French buy over 50 tons a year-in part because it's so safe.
"They use valerian in Europe to break addictions to prescription sleep
aids like benzodiazepines," says Robert McCaleb, president of the U.S.
Herb Research Foundation.
As for efficacy, some research has shown that valerian can induce and improve
sleep. In one study, 89 percent of the subjects reported better,
quality sleep, and 44 percent reported "perfect sleep."
Experts recommend two to three grams of the powdered root, or up to one
teaspoon of the tincture, before bedtime. If you're taking it in
extract form, consult the label, since concentrations vary. Valerian
should not be taken with other sedatives.
Cholestin
Cholestin is the brand name for a strain of yeast fermented on rice.
Known generically as red yeast rice, which is used as a food throughout
Asia, Cholestin contains natural substances that have the ability to lower
cholesterol.
Varro Tyler, one of America's foremost
herb experts and author of The Honest Herbal, says Cholestin has "an extraordinary
safety record." Research, he adds, shows that along with diet and exercise,
the substance can reduce serum cholesterol by an average of 25 to 40 points.”
At the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of California at Los
Angeles, Internist David Heber prescribes the supplement to patients.
Drugs frequently aren't prescribed unless cholesterol levels top 240.
But, says Heber, "some people above 200 are at risk for a heart attack,
especially if they have other risk factors, including obesity, hypertension,
smoking or a family history of heart disease." Heber recommends that people
consult their physician before trying Cholestin, particularly if they are
already taking cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Melatonin
Secreted by the pineal gland, the hormone melatonin helps set the body’s
clock and may trigger the onset of sleep. It's no wonder it's been
promoted as a cure for jet lag (its best-established use) and as a sleep
aid. But melatonin scored its big hit thanks to the fear of aging.
Levels of hormones such as testosterone, estrogen and melatonin rise through
young adulthood then drop off in middle age and old age. If youthful
levels could be maintained, could the debilitating effects of aging be
staved off?
Studies with mice suggested they
might. U.S. oncologist William Regelson and Italian immunologist Walter
Pierpaoli transplanted pineal glands from young mice into middle-aged and
elderly mice, hoping to boost their melatonin levels. The mice “appeared
to grow young before our eyes," Regelson and Pierpaoli wrote in The Melatonin
Miracle.
But the Journal of the American Medical Association has since published
an article raising concerns about melatonin: among others, that it may
make people less fertile and inhibit sex drive in men, and that it constricts
arteries in the brains of rats.
In April 1997 the U.S. National
Institute on Aging launched a media campaign to dissuade people from taking
anti-aging hormones because of the potential risks. The institute says
claims for the anti-aging properties of melatonin are as yet unproved.
It suggests that people who choose to take any hormone supplements do so
under a doctor's supervision.
If you're trying to beat insomnia, start with 0.5 mg. before bedtime, says
melatonin researcher Al Lewy. (You can increase the dose to as much as
3.0 mg. if necessary.) For jet lag, the dose is 0.5 mg., or less if you
get sleepy on this dose, but the regimen is more complicated. Start taking
it the day before you travel-when you awake if traveling westward, in midafternoon
if heading east. When you reach your destination, continue on this schedule
according to your home- town clock.
Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfates
Glucosamine sulfate comes primary from crab shells, chondroitin sulfate
mostly from cow cartilage. These two substances first pounced onto
the American stage in January 1997 with a book called The Arthritis Cure
by University of Arizona sports physician Jason Theodosakis. In Asia and
Europe, however, they have been studied for almost 40 years.
The human body produces both compounds and uses them to make cartilage.
When people with osteoarthritis took the supplements in double-blind trials,
the substances eased aches as well as standard painkillers did, though
more slowly. They appear to have few side effects. U.S. scientists
have reserved judgment on much of the research done elsewhere and cite
the need for larger, long-term studies.
Should arthritis sufferers rush out to buy this stuff? Well, the
substances aren't a cure, the title of Theodosakis's book notwithstanding.
The risks of long-term use are unclear, ideal doses haven't been determined,
and the quality of supplements varies widely. And no one thinks these
substances will prove able to restore cartilage that's eroded down to the
bone. They may, however, protect cartilage and even slow down its
loss.
Echinacea and Goldenseal
These herbs are frequently used in combination to fight off infection and
speed the healing of wounds. Studies of echinacea suggest it boosts
the immune system by increasing the activity of white blood cells. (Because
it increases such activity, echinacea may do more harm than good if you
have an autoimmune disease.)
"I use echinacea, but I wish the scientific work on it were better," says
herb expert Tyler. "There have been about 30 clinical trials, and
many of them tested a different mixture or strain of the herb. All of the
trials agree, at least, that it rarely causes adverse side effects.
Goldenseal, often-used in conjunction with echinacea, works differently.
"It's okay as an antiseptic for sores in the mouth," Tyler says. "But claims
that it stimulates immunity are nonsense." Experts also say it works as
a topical antibacterial agent for wounds, and taken internally, it eases
stomach and intestinal irritation, including travelers' diarrhea.
Though there have been no long-term clinical trials of goldenseal, numerous
studies have been conducted on its active ingredients, and experts agree
it is safe. Pregnant women, however, should avoid it.
Stick to echinacea in uncombined formulas if you are trying to fight off
a cold, flu or urinary tract infection. Experts suggest six to nine
milliliters of echinacea juice per day.
Ginkgo
One of the best-studied and most popular extracts in Europe, ginkgo is
prescribed more than five million times a year in Germany alone. Numerous
studies have shown that ginkgo can increase blood flow in the brain and
the extremities, alleviate vertigo and ringing in the ears, and improve
mild to moderate dementia. Often advertised as a smart pill, there's
one catch, according to Tyler: "If you have a normal brain, it won't improve
your cognitive functions. But if you're elderly and are suffering
some memory loss, ginkgo is worth a try."
The evidence of its safety is solid. A number of clinical trials report
that
adverse side effects such as stomachache,
headache or skin rash are very rare-and completely reversible. But
be sure to ask your doctor if ginkgo is right for you.
The dose ranges from 120 to 240 mg. daily. You may have to use it
for six weeks before seeing results, says the Herb Research Foundation's
McCaleb. According to experts, the most effective ginkgo formulations
are those extracted from the leaves using a strictly controlled process
developed in Germany.
St. John's Wort
This herb is the most popular antidepressant in Germany: one brand alone
outsells Prozac three to one. In 1996 an article in the British Medical
Journal summarized the results of 23 clinical trials on St. John's wort.
Fifteen of the studies compared the herb, also known as hypericum, with
a placebo; eight measured the herb against older antidepressants (the pre-Prozac
variety). St. John's wort outdid the placebo for relief of mild to
moderate depression, and had fewer side effects than the drugs.
Internist Cynthia Mulrow, one of the article's authors, says she would
recommend the herb as an option for people with mild to moderate depressive
symptoms. More seriously depressed people who haven't been helped
by drugs could try it as well, under a doctor's supervision. Recommended
dosage: 300 mg. of the standardized extract three times per day.
