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Don't Bogart That Wort, My Friend
© John McManamy
Apr 4, 2000
"As many as 15 million Americans
may be at risk for potential herb-drug interactions ... "
We know that nature's way may be the best way. The catch is we don't know
enough about nature, itself. The ultimate natural remedy for depression or
mania or memory enhancement is probably sitting on the bottom of a rain
forest someplace, or in the belly of some sea creature that even the fish
don't know about. In the meantime, alarming numbers of people are
experimenting on themselves with what's out there, often without telling
their doctors, an astounding 60 percent, according to a Mayo Clinic study. Since 1994, when new laws went into effect virtually removing supplements
from FDA control, supplement sales have grown by nearly 80 percent, from
$8.8 billion to a projected $15.7 billion for 2000. No doubt, some
of these substances represent the right choice for many, but the idea of
freely available weeds or roots or bulbs in pill form is disconcerting to
many medical practitioners, who fear that as many as 15 million Americans
may be at risk for potential herb-drug interactions. Moreover, there might not be as much "nature" in "natural" as suppliers would like you to believe. In a major investigative piece, The Washington Post found that
increasing numbers of Americans are falling seriously ill or even dying
after taking dietary supplements that promise everything from extra energy
to sounder sleep. Among its findings: - Dangerous contaminants and poor quality control in supplement ingredients.
California investigators in 1998 found that nearly one-third of 260 imported
Asian herbals were either spiked with drugs not listed on the label or
contained lead, arsenic or mercury. Last month, state officials discovered
five Chinese herbals that contained powerful diabetes drugs.
- Poison control centers in various states are reporting adverse reactions
to a broad range of supplements. Pittsburgh documented 198 incidents
involving herbal supplements in the 15 months ending last March, with
ginseng and St. John's wort the most frequently mentioned substances. In
Georgia, ephedra and melatonin, a sleep aid, led the list in 1999.
- In Long Island, a mother gave her 18-month-old baby a teaspoon of
eucalyptus oil last year after a store clerk told her it was good for a
fever. The child suffered permanent neurological damage and almost died.
- The FDA's monitoring system implicated dietary supplements in 2,621
adverse events between 1993 and 1998, with 184 of them resulting in death.
The American Association of Poison Control Centers received 6,914 reports on
supplements in 1998 alone, including 1,369 cases involving treatment in a
health care facility.
To survey some of nature's most popular offerings: ST JOHN'S WORT Some 27 European studies have more than demonstrated its
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The copyright of the article Don't Bogart That Wort, My Friend in Depression is owned by John McManamy. Permission to republish Don't Bogart That Wort, My Friend in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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