a brief presentation on herbs and herbal remedies

1. Herbs and Herbal Remedies
Cynthia K Grothe
HW499-01 Bachelor’s Capstone

2. The Old Wives’ Tale
• We have all heard that certain herbs will
cure just about anything, such as garlic
for viruses, or ginger for overall health.
But how much is true?
• How does one decide what to try?
• Are these remedies safe?
• Are there certified herbalists that can
make recommendations?

3. History of Herbal Remedies
• Herbal remedies have been around since the beginning of recorded history.
• Records from 1500BC describe the use of garlic, juniper, and myrrh.
• In 19th century, Samuel Thompson created a gentle root and herb approach
to medicine when he became disenchanted with the side effects of regular
physicians.
• 1864- the National Association of Medical Herbalists is established in
Britain.
• 1945- The NAMH is renamed the National Institute of Medical Herbalists.
(The National Institute of Medical Herbalists. (2014) A Potted History of Herbal Medicine.)

4. What is an Herb?
“An herb can be any form of a plant or plant product,
including leaves, stems, flowers, roots, and seeds. These plants
can either be sold raw or as extracts, where the plant is
macerated with water, alcohol, or other solvents to extract
some of the chemicals. The resulting products contain dozens
of chemicals, including fatty acids, sterols, alkaloids,
flavonoids, glycosides, saponins, and others. Because any
given herb contains multiple ingredients, some manufacturers
attempt to create standardized herbal products by identifying a
suspected active ingredient and altering the manufacturing
process to obtain a consistent amount of this chemical.”
(S.Bent. (2008) Herbal Medicine in the United States: Review of Efficacy, Safety, and Regulation)

5. Popular Herbs
• Depending on who you talk to, there are several herbs that are commonly
recommended for use. Many of these herbs have been tested and studied for
effective uses and they are also available over the counter.
• The FDA does not have a strict protocol for herbs like they do for conventional
medicines.
• Herbs and herbal supplements are considered to be nutritional supplements so there
are no labeling rules on them.
• In order to get the latest research, the best place to look is on the NCCAM website-
http://nccam.nih.gov/
• On the following slides, I will discuss three of the more popular herbs and their
uses. I will also be listing known side effects.
***As with any other dietary changes and medicines, Always talk to your doctor first
before using any of the herbs. If you are allergic to any of those discussed here, DO
NOT USE THEM!! If you are not sure, DO NOT TAKE THE CHANCE!! There is still
research ongoing and the possibility of herbs having an adverse effect if taken with
conventional medications is still very great, so be sure to bring any questions to your
doctor. This presentation is for educational purposes only***

6. Let’s take a look at what Garlic is
recommended for.
• Used to reduce cholesterol- there was some evidence that it reduced LDL, but
further studies have found no evidence of this.
• Used as an antihypertensive- there is indications that it is effective in reducing
systolic blood pressure in hypertensive patients.
• Used to protect against viral infections- regular consumption of garlic may ward off
the common cold.
(McFadden, R. and Patterson, N. (2011) Interactions between drugs and four common medicinal herbs.
Nursing Standard. 25, 19,65-68.)

7. Garlic Side-effects:
• Breath and body odor, heartburn, upset stomach,
and allergic reactions
• Can thin the blood (reduce the ability of blood to
clot) in a manner similar to aspirin
• Has been found to interfere with the effectiveness
of saquinavir, a drug used to treat HIV infection
(NCCAM. (2014) Herbs at a Glance: Garlic.)

8. Next, the Popular Herb St. John’s Wort
• Used to treat mild-to-
moderate depression
• Used in Somatoform
(mental symptoms such as
pain and fear that lack a
reason) disorders
• May be effective in Anxiety
disorders
• May be effective for atopic
dermatitis
• May be effective ADHD
• May be effective for
treatment of Bone diseases.
• May be effective in treating
brain tumors
• May be effective in
controlling symptoms of
herpes
• May be effective for treating
nerve pain
(Mayo Clinic. (2014) Drugs and
Supplements: St. John’s Wort.)

9. Side Effects:
• May cause anxiety,
headache, muscle cramps,
sweating, weakness, dry
mouth, or skin irritation.
• May increase the risk of
photosensitivity.
• May increase the risk of
serotonin syndrome.
• May alter drug levels.
• May cause heartburn, loss
of appetite, diarrhea,
nausea, vomiting, and
constipation.
• May cause dizziness,
tiredness, insomnia,
problems with nervous
system, skin tingling or
prickling, and nerve pain.
(Mayo Clinic. (2014) Drugs and
Supplements: St. John’s Wort.)

10. Ginkgo Biloba
• Effective in the treatment of poor
concentration, confusion, decreased physical
performance, fatigue, headache, dizziness,
depression, and anxiety.
• May improve cognitive performance and
protect against Alzheimer’s
• Offers benefit to people with Generalized
anxiety disorder.
• In combination with antipsychotics, ginkgo
may offer benefits for people with
schizophrenia.
(Mayo Clinic. (2014) Drugs and Supplements:
Ginkgo.)
"Ginkgo Biloba Leaves - Black
Background" by James Field (Jame)
- Own work. Licensed under
Creative Commons Attribution-
Share Alike 3.0 via Wikimedia
Commons -
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
File:Ginkgo_Biloba_Leaves_-
_Black_Background.jpg#mediaview
er/File:Ginkgo_Biloba_Leaves_-
_Black_Background.jpg

11. Side Effects:
• May cause higher or lower blood pressure.
• Drowsiness or sedation may occur.
• May lower blood sugars.
• May increase risk of bleeding.
(Mayo Clinic. (2014) Drugs and Supplements: Ginkgo.)

12. Conclusions:
• Herbalists are not always medically trained, so
they are not permitted to make diagnoses.
• Most states have certification requirements for
Master Herbalists, so be sure they are certified,
and check the accreditations of the practitioner.
• For locating a Master Herbalist in your area, refer
to the NCCAM website (http://nccam.nih.gov/) or
you can also refer to the Mayo Clinic
(http://www.mayoclinic.org/) for uses and side
effects.

13. References:
• Mayo Clinic. (2014) Drugs and Supplements: St. John’s Wort (Hypericum
Perforatum). Retrieved July 30, 2014 from http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-
supplements/st-johns-wort/safety/hrb-20060053
• Mayo Clinic. (2014) Drugs and Supplements: Ginkgo (Ginkgo Biloba). Retrieved
July 30, 2014 from http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-
supplements/ginkgo/background/hrb-20059541
• McFadden, R. and Patterson, N. (2011) Interactions between drugs and four
common medicinal herbs. Nursing Standard. 25, 19,65-68.
• The National Institute of Medical Herbalists. (2014) A Potted History of Herbal
Medicine. Retrieved July 30, 2014 from http://www.nimh.org.uk/?page_id=1722
• National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. (2014) herbs at a
glance: Garlic. Retrieved July 30, 2014 from
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/garlic/ataglance.htm
• Stephen Bent. (2008) Herbal Medicine in the United States: Review of Efficacy,
Safety, and Regulation. J. Gen Intern Med. 23(6): 854-859. Retrieved July 30, 2014
from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2517879/