Don't believe all those medical studies you hear on T. V.

PRIME – May 2014 By Jonathan Evans Herbal Information Specialist, the Herbarium You all know that I really do not like doing this, but I cannot sit idly by and let poor "medical studies' make outlandish, blanket statements. I was watching a local newscast when these stories appeared. No blame to the news people; this is a canned segment and they simply read the notes. I tried to contact the news director but no one has answered my calls. Allow me to let you peek behind the curtain of some widely reported "studies" We automatically think, "Oh, a study, it must be performed following strict guidelines, etc." Sorry to disappoint you, but somebody is getting paid and wasting a lot of money – usually taxpayer money – to do these studies. Example number one: A study reported that taking large doses of vitamins and minerals after a heart attack did not help, even though there was an 11 percent reduction in recurrence. By the way, half the subjects dropped out of the study. How can you draw a negative conclusion from a positive result with 50 percent of the study data gone? Example number two: Taking a low dose multivitamin had no effect on cognitive function in elderly male subjects. Actually the subjects were all doctors in relatively good health, so this study really did not give much of a cross section of people. The subjects also were checked after a year and asked to remember if they took their vitamins. Some people did not take the vitamins for up to four months, then had to go back and reconstruct whether or not they took the pills. Quite rigorous protocols, don't you think? Example number three: A study was reported that said glucosamine doesn't work. That's quite a statement. Of course, I checked out the methodology behind the study. Glucosamine comes in three forms, sulfate, Hcl, and NAG. The study used the Hcl form, which is not the recommended form of glucosamine. The product, Regenasure, used in the study was from Cargill and Coca-Cola paid for the study. The product used in the study also contained red and yellow dye, and other questionable elements, making it not exactly the first name in health products. What should have been reported was Regnasure did not work. How in all that is holy can you report a silly study on a garbage product and paint everything with the same brush? There are hundreds of studies on Glucosamine, showing improvement. For heaven's sake. a doctor wrote the original book called "The Arthritis Cure"! And if these stories are any indication of how "studies" are done, we have a real problem with our health researchers. Does anybody out there do fact checking? Are all the people who have benefitted from using the right stuff just experiencing the placebo effect? Is the positive data just anecdotal? Reader's questions Dear Jonathan, Now that medical marijuana is available in Massachusetts will the Herbarium be carrying it? – Phil Dear Phil, No. – Jonathan Dear Jonathan, I have interstitial cystitis. I have been using several medications but nothing is helping very much and this is getting expensive and annoying. Do you have any recommendations? – Marilyn Dear Marilyn, Over the years we have found chlorophyll to be very helpful. The dosage is one-to-two tablespoons in water once or twice a day is good. Marshmallow tea (Althea officinalis) has been shown to help and a Yale University study recommended the amino acid, L- Arginine. – Jonathan Dear Jonathan, I use a statin drug to control my cholesterol. The drug company suggests using Co-enzyme Q 10. What is it? – Francis Dear Francis, Very simply Co-enzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is the spark plug that ignites the body's engine by jump starting energy production within the cells. It is recommended by everyone because statins reduce the body's ability to produce CoQ10. CoQ10 is helpful in treating heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, aging, HIV, muscular dystrophy, periodontal disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, congestive heart failure and cholesterol. – Jonathan Dear Jonathan, I recently went to the dentist and had my gums scraped. I never want to do that again. Are there any herbs to help with gingivitis or gum disease? – Edmond Dear Edmond, We have seen people get very good results using myrrh powder as a mouth rinse or after brushing. Put a small amount on your brush and gently brush up around the gums. Myrrh is a great antibacterial and anti microbial and an astringent. There are several products out from Herbalist and Alchemist, Herb Pharm and Herbarium. These formulas help fight the germs and tighten the gums. – Jonathan Please send your questions on botanical remedies to Natures Rx: Jonathan Evans via email at herbarium258@gmail.com. Questions can also be submitted by regular mail to: The Herbarium, 264 Exchange St., Chicopee, Mass. 01013. If requesting additional information from Evans, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope.