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How to make
Dandelion Root "Coffee"
The Lyn Li Reisen
Memorial Fund for Children Grant - Spring 2008 -
Christine Haller
Educating the Herbalists
by Our Members
Artemisinin, Malaria, and Cancer
by CJ Puotinen
Will the Real Mullein Please Stand
Up? by
Gretchen Gould
Habanero
Pepper, I am Totally Present by David Dalton
Ask Goldie
Goldie Oatstraw answers your herbal questions.
QUESTION: For the past several months, I
haven't been able to find a source of eyebright (Euphrasia
officinalis). It seems to have disappeared, and I've
had to reformulate two of my products. Do you know where
I can find some?
GOLDIE ANSWERS: Eyebright is a small annual
plant native to Britain, the European continent, and
subarctic regions of North America. Difficult or
impossible to cultivate, eyebright grows well in the
wild, especially in meadows and open fields. The
problem, according to government officials, is that
eyebright is hemiparasitic. Its roots have food nodules
that attach to the roots of surrounding plants. Because
of eyebright's parasitic nature, its seeds are
considered a threat to other plants, including grasses
and citrus crops, and their importation has been banned.
Trinity, Frontier, and other large distributors report
that their recent shipments of eyebright are being "held
at the dock" by the US Department of Agriculture.
Shipments of powdered eyebright have not been delayed.
According to Steven Dentali, Vice President,
Scientific and Technical Affairs at the American Herbal
Products Association,
www.ahpa.org, cut and sifted eyebright is allowed
into the U.S. if it is accompanied by documentation
stating that the herb was harvested while in flower or
before seeds could set. "If it doesn't contain seeds,"
he explains, "it does not pose a threat." Those needing
more information should contact Michael McGuffin,
Director of the AHPA, at 301-588-1171, extension 201.
Ginkgo Doesn't Work?
Excerpted from NEHA Journal, Fall 2003
QUESTION: Is it my imagination, or is there a
growing anti-herb bias in medical research? A physician
friend told me that ginkgo does nothing to improve
memory, and he says the proof is in the Journal of the
American Medical Association.
GOLDIE ANSWERS: “Ginkgo for Memory
Enhancement: A Randomized Controlled Trial” by Paul R.
Solomon, PhD; Felicity Adams, BA; Amanda Silver, BA;
Jill Zimmer, BA; and M. DeVeaux, PhD, appeared in the
August 21, 2002, issue of JAMA. Its objective was to
evaluate whether ginkgo preparations improved the memory
of 230 participants (98 men and 132 women) between the
ages of 60 and 82 over a 26-month period from July 1996
to September 1998 as measured by objective
neurophychological tests and subjective ratings. At the
end of the double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, the
researchers concluded that ginkgo doesn’t perform any
better than a placebo (sugar pill).
The study has been
roundly criticized for its flawed design, and you’ll
find representative responses on the Smart Publications
website, http://hfn-usa.com/articles/0200912ginkgoresponse.htm.
Smart Publications points out that the ginkgo tablets
were not identical to the capsules used as placebos and
that the researchers who distributed the pills and also
counted them to measure compliance were the evaluators
themselves. “A double-blind test means that neither the
participants nor the examiners should be able to tell
the active compound from the placebo,” the report notes.
The dose chosen for the
experiment was 120 mg. of ginkgo (40 mg. three times per
day), although numerous studies have already shown that
ginkgo requires much higher doses to provide significant
benefits and that a low dose like 120 mg per day
requires more than six weeks to produce notice-able
effects.
"The thing we wonder most
about is why the researchers didn't obtain their ginkgo
directly from the manufacturer . . . Boehringer
Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals (the manufacturer) could have
supplied them with real placebo tablets identical to the
ginkgo. It seems that they didn’t ask and instead used
capsules as a placebo in a study using tablets. Seems
unbelievable.”
In their JAMA report, the
researchers said, “The issue of quality control has been
raised as a potential source of variance in studies
using over-the-counter compounds. One limitation of the
present study is that we did not analyze the content of
the ginkgo used in this study. However, the manufacturer
claims that ginkgo `is processed under strict guidelines
ensured through extensive quality control.’”
Smart Publications
replies, “This is the most unscientific part of the
article. They should have named lot numbers of the
product they used and independently confirmed the
certificates of analysis they obtained from the
manufacturer for active ingredients. Can you imagine
going through all the trouble of designing, funding, and
carrying out this study, all the time knowing of quality
control problems in over-the-counter supplements, and
then not assuring the quality of the product? Lastly,
the product is a tablet. Maybe it was made wrong and has
poor dissolution. A tablet that doesn’t dissolve quickly
won’t be of any benefit, and research has already shown
that many ginkgo products not only don’t contain the
stated level of active ingredients, but they also don’t
dissolve properly. Just this quality-control paragraph
alone makes the study worthless. Did JAMA really print
this?"
In their
conclusion, the researchers wrote that there were no
significant differences between the ginkgo and placebo
groups for any outcome measure. “The results of this
6-week study indicate that ginkgo, marketed
over-the-counter as a memory enhancer, did not enhance
memory performance on standard neuropsychological tests
of learning, memory, naming, naming, and verbal fluency,
or attention and concentration. Moreover, there were no
differences between ginkgo participants and placebo
controls on subjective self-report of memory function or
on global rating by spouses, friends, and relatives.
These data suggest that when taken following the
manufacturer’s instructions, this compound provides no
meaningful benefit in cognitive function to elderly
adults with intact cognitive function."
Of course both of the
groups improved, says the Smart Publications article.
“These people took their tests only twice, at the
beginning of the study and again at the end. Is there
any drug or supplement that is a more powerful mental
aid than experience? With so many problems inherent in
the study’s design, one has to wonder why this
particular study has received so much attention, both
from JAMA and the media. Strangely absent in the study
is any discussion of the newest research on ginkgo,
which shows that ginkgo can up-regulate important genes
associated with stress resistance and antioxidant
protection in cells.
Although ginkgo is
routinely touted as a memory supplement, its real
benefits are much more far-reaching. Ginkgo has shown
itself to be a true anti-aging strategy, having the
ability to increase activity of important protective
gene systems in cells, prevent mitochondrial
degeneration, thought to be a major cause of aging, and
extend lifespan in animals. To throw out decades of
impressive research on Ginkgo biloba extract because of
one poorly designed study would certainly not be smart.
Ginkgo may not make you a genius in six weeks, but to
say it is worthless is not only wrong, it is
intellectually dishonest and contrary to the facts."
You aren’t imagining an
anti-herb bias in much of the media, and as herbs become
increasingly popular, we can expect the trend to
continue.
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Liver Protection
Excerpted from NEHA Journal, Winter, 2002 Issue
QUESTION: My mother recently became very ill,
and the cause is liver failure. To the surprise of
everyone in the family, she has been a closet drinker
for decades. She has always been interested in natural
remedies and would like to take something besides
symptom-suppressing drugs. What herbs would be the most
helpful for her?
GOLDIE ANSWERS: The late Varro E. Tyler,
Ph.D., Sc.D., a leading expert on the scientific
validation of medicinal herbs, considered milk thistle
seed (Silybum marianum) one of the most important and
effective herbs for liver protection and repair. In the
December 2001 issue of Prevention (www.prevention.com,
phone 1-800-813-8070), he reviewed the research on milk
thistle seed, which has been inconclusive regarding
cirrhosis of the liver. “That said,” he wrote, “here’s
what I believe: When it comes to alcohol-related liver
damage, milk thistle improves patients’ survival time
and general health. Once you’ve stopped drinking, the
herb may help your liver recover from some of the
effects of the abuse."
Dr. Tyler was most impressed by the intravenous use
of milk thistle seed infusions, a therapy used
throughout Europe to reverse the often-fatal liver
damage caused by eating Amanita mushrooms. This
treatment saves lives every year, especially in Germany,
where collecting wild mushrooms is a national pastime.
“Administering the compound by injection may be
critical,” he wrote, “because silimarin [the herb’s
active ingredient] is not well absorbed from the
digestive tract into the bloodstream. Perhaps the active
compounds could be made more absorbable in some way, or
perhaps the dose should be increased."
In addition to milk thistle seed, he recommended
artichoke (Cynara scolymus) for its ability to stimulate
bile flow and possibly protect the liver; schisandra (Schisandra
chinensis), a Chinese adaptogen that contains compounds
that have been shown to protect liver cells from toxic
agents; and turmeric (Cucuma domestica, C. longa), which
stimulates bile flow.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is another
liver-friendly herb. According to Michael Tierra in his
Book of Herbs (New York: Pocket Books, 1983), dandelion
clears obstructions and stimulates the liver to detoxify
poisons. “Serious cases of hepatitis have been cured
within a week or two when diet is controlled and limited
to easily digested foods,” he wrote. A similar program
may help your mother.
______________________________________________________
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Comfrey and Cancer
Excerpted from the NEHA Journal, Winter 2001 edition
QUESTION: I use comfrey root and leaf (Symphytum
officinale) in a salve for scrapes, burns, etc. I gave
some to a friend whose daughter reported that "comfrey
causes cancer," according to her biology teacher. Can
you refer me to some sources so I can provide this
teacher with more information? Is there a "right" time
to pick comfrey leaf? Is there evidence connecting the
ingestion of comfrey root with liver disease?
GOLDIE ANSWERS: Comfrey has been
removed from most health food store shelves and tea
blends because it contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs)
that, when isolated and fed in large doses, can cause
liver damage and cancer in laboratory rats. In centuries
of use, with an annual consumption in Europe and North
America of hundreds of tons of comfrey, no adverse side
effects were ever documented. In 1984 a woman who had
been taking comfrey-pepsin tablets developed liver
disease and, since then, three additional cases of human
liver disease have been reported in people who took the
herb. No one knows whether comfrey caused these
illnesses, for liver disease has many potential causes,
but it might have, or it might have worsened a
pre-existing condition. Citing comfrey's long
history of safe use, some herbalists continue to use it
in the treatment of broken bones, respiratory problems,
digestive disorders, and as a general tonic. Comfrey is
said to be a significant source of protein, second only
to the soy bean among plants. Other herbalists, alarmed
by comfrey's bad press, recommend that it be removed
from all herbal preparations. PA-free comfrey tinctures
are available for those who wish to take advantage of
comfrey's exceptional properties without the risks (if
indeed there are any) posed by its
 pyrrolizidine
alkaloids. Ed Smith, the founder of Herb Pharm,
developed the first PA-free comfrey tincture using the
same method that is used to make water-processed
decaffeinated coffee. According to Smith, it is
impossible to know without testing whether your comfrey
contains high or low levels of PAs, as growing
conditions make a difference. Harvesting methods do not
change its PA content.
Like most leafy herbs, comfrey
should be harvested early in the day when dry. Its
leaves contain large amounts of water, so let them wilt
in the shade before infusing them in oil.
One holistic veterinarian reported
raised blood-test liver counts and symptoms of liver
disease in two dogs that took comfrey capsules. When the
capsules were discontinued, the symptoms went away. It
may be that the dogs were unusually sensitive to
comfrey, that the comfrey was contaminated, that the
comfrey contained unusually high PA levels, or that it
was simply a coincidence. The Australian herbalist
Robert McDowell, famous for treating bone cancer and
other bone-related ailments with a tincture that
contains equal parts comfrey, horsetail (Equisetum
arvense), yarrow (Achillea millefolium), and marine pine
bark (Pinus maritima), reports that the tincture is well
tolerated by pets and people even when taken for long
periods. Many herbalists who use comfrey internally
recommend that it be taken in combination with
liver-supporting herbs like milk thistle seed and that
it be taken in courses, such as five days on and two
days off, for four weeks on and one week off. The only
adverse side effect I've found regarding comfrey's
internal use is that the rapid regrowth of broken bones
can interfere with surgical implants.
Regarding the external use of comfrey, I
find no evidence of danger or potential danger except
for its use in deep puncture wounds where it can trap a
puncture wound's infection. Comfrey applied externally
speeds the healing of broken bones and could cause the
same rejection of surgical pins, as described above.
Otherwise, comfrey appears to be free of adverse side
effects, safe, and effective for external use as a
poultice, compress, fomentation, rinse, soak, spray,
infused oil, or salve. Its external use has never been
shown to cause cancer, liver disease, or any other
illness. Some herbalists theorize that because comfrey's PAs can enter the bloodstream if it's applied to open
wounds, treating open wounds with comfrey might be
dangerous, but I can find no evidence to support this
theory. On the contrary, comfrey heals open wounds so
quickly that the treatment is far too brief to pose a
hazard, if indeed one exists.
Comfrey's ability to repair serious
injuries and even regenerate bone and skin is well
documented. When my husband was bit by a spider, his
hand doubled in size, was hot to the touch and very
painful, and a red line grew up the inside of his arm
from wrist to elbow. I dug up part of a comfrey plant
and put its roots and leaves through our wheat grass
juicer, recombined the juice and pulp, and wrapped his
hand in comfrey, plastic wrap, paper towels, and tape.
The comfrey quickly pulled the infection out and by the
next morning his hand was completely normal. A woman I
know was dragged down a flight of concrete stairs by a
dog, badly scraping her face. Seriously infected,
swollen and pus-filled, she refused conventional
treatment and applied fresh comfrey poultices. The
comfrey immediately pulled infection from the injury,
then healed her skin without a scar.
In 1993, Sam Biser published "Bone
Regeneration," a report on the healing power of comfrey.
Carefully documented case studies, complete with photos,
show how Dr. John Christopher's comfrey teas (comfrey
and lobelia, or Regeneration Tea made of comfrey and
other herbs) stimulated dramatic healing. The tea caused
a woman's shattered kneecap (three-fourths of which had
been surgically removed) to grow back; healed
Christopher's daughter's broken back; regrew three
fingertips after they were severed at the knuckle; and
healed hip fractures, bone spurs, curved spines, crushed
toes, third-degree burns, and dermatitis. Dr.
Christopher reported one case in which a middle-aged
woman was losing bone along her spinal cord. An x-ray of
her spine showed that one vertebra was completely
missing and another severely damaged. The woman used
Regeneration Tea as a compress, and in less than a year
of daily treatment, soft cartilage began to fill the
empty spaces. Within another year, this soft cartilage
turned into hard bone.
Regeneration Tea consists of 6 parts
each comfrey root and oak bark (Quercus robur), 3 parts
each gravel root (Eupatorium purpureum), mullein (Verbascum
thapsus, V. fillia), marshmallow root (Althea officinalis), and walnut bark (Juglans regia), 2 parts
wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), and 1 part lobelia
(Lobelia inflata). To brew, combine 1 gallon distilled
or filtered water with 1 cup loose tea in a stainless
steel pot. Let it stand overnight or for a few days in
the refrigerator. Then heat the tea to just below the
boiling point, but do not boil. Simmer gently for 20
minutes. After 20 minutes, strain the tea (do not use an
aluminum strainer) and press as much tea as possible out
of the herbs. Return the strained tea to the heating pot
and simmer, uncovered, until the volume is reduced by
half. Store the tea in a glass jar or bottle and
refrigerate.
There is so much confusion about
comfrey, even among practicing herbalists, that the
comments of your friend's daughter's biology teacher
aren't surprising. To put this herb in perspective, it
is helpful to imagine that comfrey is a prescription
drug. Compared to the side effects listed by
pharmaceutical companies in their products' magazine
ads, comfrey's risks seem insignificant.
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