Alternative Products

The Secret of Great Health Care

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Alternative treatments and their effectiveness

Herbal products are often heralded as a safer alternative than prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Sometimes they are, but sometimes they are not.

In addition to safety there are many concerns with herbal medication. First, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) do not regulate them. Second, companies can put anything into the drug that they want.

Third, labeling can be very confusing on herbal and alternative products. To get the same active ingredient, it may take 1 pill of one product and 4 of another. Fourth, there are different extraction methods used for different companies. One milligram of a product may not equal one milligram from another product.

Drug interactions are a common problem. There are so many drugs and understanding how they interact is problematic. There is limited research on drug interactions with herbal products.

Many products are reasonable to try, but they need to be used with some caution.

Use only reputable products from reputable companies
If you use a lot of herbs, it is beneficial to employ the help of herbalist

The next section will look at some popular products and provide a brief overview.

Many of the products listed below are available at Vitamin World.

Selected products

Echinacea

Use: Prevents colds and flu as it may stimulate the immune system.

Efficacy: Studies are mixed on how well it works. Most studies suggest that it does not prevent colds and the flu.

Side effects: Echinacea is a fairly safe medication. It may be associated with stomach upset, headache, dizziness and some people have an allergic reaction.

Feverfew

Use: For the prevention of migraine headaches and rheumatoid arthritis.

Efficacy: There is some evidence that suggests that it may help prevent migraine headaches, but more research is needed. It is probably not helpful in rheumatoid arthritis, but it may help those with very mild symptoms

Side effects: May be associated with GI upset, bleeding and mouth ulcers.

Garlic

Use: Multiple reported uses including: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease and some cancers.

Efficacy: Garlic may slightly lower cholesterol, but research is not overwhelming. There is research to suggest it may slow down the development of heart disease and may lower blood pressure. Garlic has been said to lower the risk of some cancers, but this has not been proven in research.

Side effects: It may give the person who takes it bad breath, heartburn, or an upset stomach. May be associated with increased bleeding.

Ginger

Use: Ginger is used to treat nausea/vomiting.

Efficacy: It is effective at reducing nausea in pregnancy. It has not proven overwhelmingly effective in its treatment of nausea associated with chemotherapy or from motion sickness.

Side effects: Ginger is generally safe, but it may cause gas, bloating or heartburn.

Ginko biloba
Use: Ginkgo is used for many reasons including fatigue, ringing in the ears, bronchitis, improving the memory, sexual dysfunction, pain in the legs when walking if it is due to fatty blockages and increase cognition.

Efficacy: Variable results. Research suggests that it is helpful in reducing leg pain secondary to blockages in the legs due to fatty blockages. It has mixed results on its effect on memory.

Side effects: Common side effects include: nausea, diarrhea, headache and dizziness. Allergic reaction is possible. It may be associated with bleeding, but otherwise pretty safe.

Melatonin
Use: Melatonin is used in insomnia and Jet Lag

Efficacy: While it is considered safe for short periods of time, research shows that it does not work in long-term sleep disorders. It is mildly effective insomnia. There is little evidence that it helps with jet lag, but it is often used for this purpose. It is somewhat effective for those who are shift workers and need to sleep during the day. While research shows limited effectiveness – it is safe and may be worth a trial.

Side effects: May lead to sedation, headache, nausea, irritability, depression and dizziness.

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SAMe

Use: S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine is used for three conditions: depression, arthritis and liver disease.

Efficacy: SAMe is likely somewhat effective for depression, but more research is needed until it is widely recommended. It has also shown to help improve pain in osteoarthritis, but not as much as traditional medications. It has some effectiveness in the management of itching secondary to liver disease.

Side effects: Side effects are not common but nausea, diarrhea, gas, insomnia and anxiety may be seen.

Saw Palmetto

Use: It helps with urinary symptoms that are caused by a harmless enlargement of the prostate.

Efficacy: Research is mixed on how effective it is. Some studies suggest that it is somewhat effective whereas other research has shown it to be no more effective than a sugar pill.

Side effects: Most side effects are mild, but it may cause an upset stomach, decrease libido and increase blood pressure. Talk to your doctor if you choose to take this supplement.

St John' Wort

Use: St. John’s Wort is mainly used for depression.

Efficacy: It may be somewhat effective in the treatment of mild depression, but it is not very effective for moderate or severe depression.

Side effects: St. John’s Wort is associated with diarrhea, dizziness, nausea, sunlight sensitivity, dry mouth and fatigue. It is also associated with interactions among many other medications. Some common medications it interacts with include antidepressants, digoxin, some drugs for HIV, narcotic pain medication, blood thinners and birth control pills. Combined with antidepressants the side effects of headache, nausea, anxiety may be intensified.

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