Archive for category Herbalism
Herbs : Liver damage
Posted by admin in Alternative medicine, DIETS, Herbalism on April 6th, 2012
In spite of being a user of calendula cream for many years and having an interest in the medically active ingredients in plants, I remain very sceptical when herbal products are promoted. Mostly they are used by practitioners of alternative medicine.
Herbal preparations are not well regulated and can sometimes do harm.
A paper is due to be published in “Internal and Emergency Medicine,” the official journal of the Italian Society of Internal Medicine warning of the dangers of damage to the liver by some products. As yet only the abstract is available. The full article will, when published require subscription to the journal.
HERBAL HEPATOTOXICITY : A HIDDEN EPIDEMIC
COUNTRY : ITALY
“Abstract
Complementary and alternative therapies, including herbal products, have become increasingly popular in the general population and among patients and physicians. Regulations and pharmacovigilance regarding herbal drugs are still incomplete and need to be improved. In fact, herbals are commonly marketed on the Internet, and in many countries they are sold as food supplements, which are beyond the control of drug regulatory agencies. In Europe and the U.S., reports of hepatotoxicity from these products, including those advertised for liver diseases, are accumulating. Many herbal drugs are also commonly used in children, and in women during pregnancy and lactation, because they are believed to be “natural” and, therefore, “harmless.” One emerging problem is people preferring herbal-based slimming aids to conventional dietary and physical activity. In Italy, the use of non-conventional therapies has been reported for 13.6 % of the population, and 3.7 % freely use herbal drugs, unaware of the risks associated with a potential interaction with prescription drugs. In our review, we discuss the problem of the lack of standardization of herbal drugs, the lack of randomized clinical trials regarding the majority of these products, the unawareness of risks by the patients who buy and use them, and, further, the problem of underreporting. For the most commonly used herbal products and slimming aids, we describe their potential hepatotoxicity mechanisms, the causality assessment necessary for a correct diagnosis, and the clinical patterns for which these products seem to be responsible.”
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Calendula cream
Posted by admin in Herbalism, ICONS - Herbs on April 5th, 2012
Calendula cream is made from marigolds.
As a rule, most “alternative medicine” doesn’t wash with me or, for that matter, most medical practitioners that I know.
However, I find herbalism very interesting because at least, unlike homeopathy, there are active ingredients that possibly might do some good (or harm). I even have a book on the toxic substances contained in plants that I read for pleasure. Some plants produce some very powerful substances. Less than a century ago people had to rely on various herbal preparations – some will have worked and others might have been downright dangerous.
I must confess to the fact that for many years I have used calendula cream on areas of rough skin or mild patches of eczema. It seems to be very soothing and in my family it seems to heal. The brand I used to use was Nelson’s calendula cream and I became quite addicted to the marigold smell. However, they seem to have changed the formula in recent years and for me it doesn’t have the same appeal any more.
It should always be remembered that a small number of individuals will develop allergies to very specific plant products as well as the preservatives that might be added to creams and ointments to prevent bacterial contamination to allow a realistic shelf life. For most people though, this will not be a problem.
I always grow old-fashioned pot marigolds in my garden every summer, not because I’m a particular fan of orange flowers but because I love the scent of marigolds so much. Maybe this summer I’ll try to make my own calendula cream.
Here is a link to an article from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center on calendula. Note that before reaching the page on a specific herb or plant, the Sloan-Kettering may draw your attention to the lack of evidence base for the use of many herbs, by asking you to read an introductory page first.
COUNTRY: USA
“Clinical Summary
Extracted from the flower of the marigold plant, calendula is used topically for wound healing (1). Major constituents of the leaves and stems of the plant include lutein and beta-carotene (2). Extracts from calendula demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties (3), which may improve wound healing (4), and antibacterial, antiparasitic (5), anti-HIV (6), cytotoxic and anti-tumor effects (9) (10) both in vitro and in vivo. Further, studies done in mice indicate hepato- and renoprotective effects (14). An herbal formulation containing calendula was found effective in reducing earache in children with acute otitis media (7) (8). Preliminary data support use of topical calendula for prophylaxis of acute dermatitis during radiation therapy in cancer patients (11) (13). More research is needed. Calendula is known to cause allergic reactions (1) (12).”
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