Consumer Reports attack on Herbs highly exaggerated-Regulation pretext

[Guest guest]

The May issue of Consumer Reports once again reached to warn of dangerous

dietary supplements-mostly herbal that are sold in health food stores implying

that great danger lurked to ensnare the unwary consumer. The subtext is that the

Dietary Supplement Health Education Act (DSHEA) that received wider

constituent support and was overwhelmingly passed in 1994 after fierce

resistance from

the FDA and the pharmaceutical interests must be repealed. Kerry Bone, the

herbalist who writes for Dr. V.'s Nutrition & Healing addresses

this in the July 2004 issue.

The Consumer Report article warns of the " Dirty Dozen " herbs that are

supposedly dangerous. Some such as aristolochia and germander should be avoided

and

others such as chapparal,bitter orange, lobelia and yohimbe should be used

under professional supervision. The article goes on to warn of pennyroyal oil

as

being toxic but list only pennyroyal HERB implying dangrer.The whole herb

contains only 1% oil, so it is generally safe at normal dosages. The effects of

pennyroyal OIL occurred only after at least 10 grams of oil were taken. To get

this dosage of pennyroyal oil from the herb you have to consume two pounds of

the herb or about 3,000capsules at once. Scullcap was supposedly linked to

liver damage. Most herbal experts agree that the liver damage seen was not

actually due to scullcap, but an adulterant-germander-which was substituted for

scullcap in certain products. If you verify that it is authentic skullcap on the

label it should be safe. Comfrey is also undeservedly attacked. The FDA wants to

remove it because it because the leaves contain low levels of pyrrolizidine

alkaloids (PA), which have a potential for liver toxicity. The roots contain

much higher concentrations than is in the leaves. The internal consumption of

comfrey root should be avoided, but the leaves should be acceptable. You would

have to consume about 890 leaves a day to develop even a mild toxic effect on

the liver. Kava is dismissed as linked to liver damage, there have been a few

rare cases and it is pointed out that it already having been removed in Germany

(Where the draconian codex regulations have originated and the pharmaceutical

cartel has already severely limited the availability and dosage of safe

dietary supplements). There are many experts who doubt the case against Kava.

This

herb has been used in the Pacific Islands as a staple drink for thousands of

years. The Annual reports of the American Association of Poison Control Center

for 2001 and 2002 available at www.aapcc.org show that there were 7 and 3

deaths loosely associated with ALL herbal products 6 of the 7 in 2001 and all 3

in

2002 were attributable to ephedra products which were removed recently. The

other so called dangerous herbs in this Consumer reports article are SO RARE

they are not even listed in the Poison Control Center reports except for Kava

Kava which was associated with 1 death in 2001 and only 5 major reactions and

Yohimbe that had 3 major reactions in 2002 and 0 in 2001. The relative dangers

of FDA approved prescription drugs that might be substituted for these herbs-as

the drug companies want would multiply the danger by thousands. But they

would also increase the pofitability of these much more dangerous prescription

drugs.

[Guest guest]

Amazing...Ephedra has been banned and some of these " dangerous " substances

may be next...

Yet cigarettes and liquor are readily available...

Money talks.

Bob

Consumer Reports attack on Herbs highly

exaggerated-Regulation pretext

> The May issue of Consumer Reports once again reached to warn of dangerous

> dietary supplements-mostly herbal that are sold in health food stores

implying

> that great danger lurked to ensnare the unwary consumer. The subtext is

that the

> Dietary Supplement Health Education Act (DSHEA) that received wider

> constituent support and was overwhelmingly passed in 1994 after fierce

resistance from

> the FDA and the pharmaceutical interests must be repealed. Kerry Bone, the

> herbalist who writes for Dr. V.'s Nutrition & Healing

addresses

> this in the July 2004 issue.

>

> The Consumer Report article warns of the " Dirty Dozen " herbs that are

> supposedly dangerous. Some such as aristolochia and germander should be

avoided and

> others such as chapparal,bitter orange, lobelia and yohimbe should be used

> under professional supervision. The article goes on to warn of pennyroyal

oil as

> being toxic but list only pennyroyal HERB implying dangrer.The whole herb

> contains only 1% oil, so it is generally safe at normal dosages. The

effects of

> pennyroyal OIL occurred only after at least 10 grams of oil were taken. To

get

> this dosage of pennyroyal oil from the herb you have to consume two pounds

of

> the herb or about 3,000capsules at once. Scullcap was supposedly linked to

> liver damage. Most herbal experts agree that the liver damage seen was not

> actually due to scullcap, but an adulterant-germander-which was

substituted for

> scullcap in certain products. If you verify that it is authentic skullcap

on the

> label it should be safe. Comfrey is also undeservedly attacked. The FDA

wants to

> remove it because it because the leaves contain low levels of

pyrrolizidine

> alkaloids (PA), which have a potential for liver toxicity. The roots

contain

> much higher concentrations than is in the leaves. The internal consumption

of

> comfrey root should be avoided, but the leaves should be acceptable. You

would

> have to consume about 890 leaves a day to develop even a mild toxic effect

on

> the liver. Kava is dismissed as linked to liver damage, there have been a

few

> rare cases and it is pointed out that it already having been removed in

Germany

> (Where the draconian codex regulations have originated and the

pharmaceutical

> cartel has already severely limited the availability and dosage of safe

> dietary supplements). There are many experts who doubt the case against

Kava. This

> herb has been used in the Pacific Islands as a staple drink for thousands

of

> years. The Annual reports of the American Association of Poison Control

Center

> for 2001 and 2002 available at www.aapcc.org show that there were 7 and 3

> deaths loosely associated with ALL herbal products 6 of the 7 in 2001 and

all 3 in

> 2002 were attributable to ephedra products which were removed recently.

The

> other so called dangerous herbs in this Consumer reports article are SO

RARE

> they are not even listed in the Poison Control Center reports except for

Kava

> Kava which was associated with 1 death in 2001 and only 5 major reactions

and

> Yohimbe that had 3 major reactions in 2002 and 0 in 2001. The relative

dangers

> of FDA approved prescription drugs that might be substituted for these

herbs-as

> the drug companies want would multiply the danger by thousands. But they

> would also increase the pofitability of these much more dangerous

prescription

> drugs.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I agree Bob. What's worse is all the ignorant, uninformed media hype about the

" dangers " of herbs and dietary supplements..

Bob Beiswenger <rbeiswenger@...> wrote:Amazing...Ephedra has been banned

and some of these " dangerous " substances

may be next...

Yet cigarettes and liquor are readily available...

Money talks.

Bob

Consumer Reports attack on Herbs highly

exaggerated-Regulation pretext

> The May issue of Consumer Reports once again reached to warn of dangerous

> dietary supplements-mostly herbal that are sold in health food stores

implying

> that great danger lurked to ensnare the unwary consumer. The subtext is

that the

> Dietary Supplement Health Education Act (DSHEA) that received wider

> constituent support and was overwhelmingly passed in 1994 after fierce

resistance from

> the FDA and the pharmaceutical interests must be repealed. Kerry Bone, the

> herbalist who writes for Dr. V.'s Nutrition & Healing

addresses

> this in the July 2004 issue.

>

> The Consumer Report article warns of the " Dirty Dozen " herbs that are

> supposedly dangerous. Some such as aristolochia and germander should be

avoided and

> others such as chapparal,bitter orange, lobelia and yohimbe should be used

> under professional supervision. The article goes on to warn of pennyroyal

oil as

> being toxic but list only pennyroyal HERB implying dangrer.The whole herb

> contains only 1% oil, so it is generally safe at normal dosages. The

effects of

> pennyroyal OIL occurred only after at least 10 grams of oil were taken. To

get

> this dosage of pennyroyal oil from the herb you have to consume two pounds

of

> the herb or about 3,000capsules at once. Scullcap was supposedly linked to

> liver damage. Most herbal experts agree that the liver damage seen was not

> actually due to scullcap, but an adulterant-germander-which was

substituted for

> scullcap in certain products. If you verify that it is authentic skullcap

on the

> label it should be safe. Comfrey is also undeservedly attacked. The FDA

wants to

> remove it because it because the leaves contain low levels of

pyrrolizidine

> alkaloids (PA), which have a potential for liver toxicity. The roots

contain

> much higher concentrations than is in the leaves. The internal consumption

of

> comfrey root should be avoided, but the leaves should be acceptable. You

would

> have to consume about 890 leaves a day to develop even a mild toxic effect

on

> the liver. Kava is dismissed as linked to liver damage, there have been a

few

> rare cases and it is pointed out that it already having been removed in

Germany

> (Where the draconian codex regulations have originated and the

pharmaceutical

> cartel has already severely limited the availability and dosage of safe

> dietary supplements). There are many experts who doubt the case against

Kava. This

> herb has been used in the Pacific Islands as a staple drink for thousands

of

> years. The Annual reports of the American Association of Poison Control

Center

> for 2001 and 2002 available at www.aapcc.org show that there were 7 and 3

> deaths loosely associated with ALL herbal products 6 of the 7 in 2001 and

all 3 in

> 2002 were attributable to ephedra products which were removed recently.

The

> other so called dangerous herbs in this Consumer reports article are SO

RARE

> they are not even listed in the Poison Control Center reports except for

Kava

> Kava which was associated with 1 death in 2001 and only 5 major reactions

and

> Yohimbe that had 3 major reactions in 2002 and 0 in 2001. The relative

dangers

> of FDA approved prescription drugs that might be substituted for these

herbs-as

> the drug companies want would multiply the danger by thousands. But they

> would also increase the pofitability of these much more dangerous

prescription

> drugs.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I agree with your sentiments, . So what's the solution? I've

pondered over this a lot, and believe it is going to be a slow, educational

process for the American consumer. There will be many deaths and illnesses

from prescription medications first, however. I also worry about the effect

of the antidepressants that are being doled out to this country's youth -

what are they going to be like as adults? I expect to see higher suicide

rates and increases in school violence, some of which we have already seen.

More incidents like the lady in Texas who, in a zombie-like state, drowned

her children in a bath tub. Those mind-altering drugs she was taking

" worked " ...they altered her mind. If she ever returns to reality, her

actions will be unbearable for her to think about...I must admit I feel

sorry for her...

Bob

Consumer Reports attack on Herbs highly

> exaggerated-Regulation pretext

>

>

> > The May issue of Consumer Reports once again reached to warn of

dangerous

> > dietary supplements-mostly herbal that are sold in health food stores

> implying

> > that great danger lurked to ensnare the unwary consumer. The subtext is

> that the

> > Dietary Supplement Health Education Act (DSHEA) that received wider

> > constituent support and was overwhelmingly passed in 1994 after fierce

> resistance from

> > the FDA and the pharmaceutical interests must be repealed. Kerry Bone,

the

> > herbalist who writes for Dr. V.'s Nutrition & Healing

> addresses

> > this in the July 2004 issue.

> >

> > The Consumer Report article warns of the " Dirty Dozen " herbs that are

> > supposedly dangerous. Some such as aristolochia and germander should be

> avoided and

> > others such as chapparal,bitter orange, lobelia and yohimbe should be

used

> > under professional supervision. The article goes on to warn of

pennyroyal

> oil as

> > being toxic but list only pennyroyal HERB implying dangrer.The whole

herb

> > contains only 1% oil, so it is generally safe at normal dosages. The

> effects of

> > pennyroyal OIL occurred only after at least 10 grams of oil were taken.

To

> get

> > this dosage of pennyroyal oil from the herb you have to consume two

pounds

> of

> > the herb or about 3,000capsules at once. Scullcap was supposedly linked

to

> > liver damage. Most herbal experts agree that the liver damage seen was

not

> > actually due to scullcap, but an adulterant-germander-which was

> substituted for

> > scullcap in certain products. If you verify that it is authentic

skullcap

> on the

> > label it should be safe. Comfrey is also undeservedly attacked. The FDA

> wants to

> > remove it because it because the leaves contain low levels of

> pyrrolizidine

> > alkaloids (PA), which have a potential for liver toxicity. The roots

> contain

> > much higher concentrations than is in the leaves. The internal

consumption

> of

> > comfrey root should be avoided, but the leaves should be acceptable. You

> would

> > have to consume about 890 leaves a day to develop even a mild toxic

effect

> on

> > the liver. Kava is dismissed as linked to liver damage, there have been

a

> few

> > rare cases and it is pointed out that it already having been removed in

> Germany

> > (Where the draconian codex regulations have originated and the

> pharmaceutical

> > cartel has already severely limited the availability and dosage of safe

> > dietary supplements). There are many experts who doubt the case against

> Kava. This

> > herb has been used in the Pacific Islands as a staple drink for

thousands

> of

> > years. The Annual reports of the American Association of Poison Control

> Center

> > for 2001 and 2002 available at www.aapcc.org show that there were 7 and

3

> > deaths loosely associated with ALL herbal products 6 of the 7 in 2001

and

> all 3 in

> > 2002 were attributable to ephedra products which were removed recently.

> The

> > other so called dangerous herbs in this Consumer reports article are SO

> RARE

> > they are not even listed in the Poison Control Center reports except for

> Kava

> > Kava which was associated with 1 death in 2001 and only 5 major

reactions

> and

> > Yohimbe that had 3 major reactions in 2002 and 0 in 2001. The relative

> dangers

> > of FDA approved prescription drugs that might be substituted for these

> herbs-as

> > the drug companies want would multiply the danger by thousands. But they

> > would also increase the pofitability of these much more dangerous

> prescription

> > drugs.

> >

> >

> >