By Jonathan Evans
Herbal Information Specialist/Business Representative for the Herbarium
It’s beginning to look a lot like the drug companies are ready to make more money. In November, a new study came out pointing to the relative safety of using Celebrex – a member of the NSAID family – for arthritis inflammation.
NSAIDS and your heart
Back in 2004, the pharmaceutical giant Merk withdrew Vioxx – another member of the NSAID family – from the market. Vioxx was taken off the market after a three-year randomized, placebo controlled clinical trial which showed after 18 months of use, Vioxx increased relative risk for confirmed cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and strokes.
Celebrex was a similar type of anti inflammatory. Vioxx went away but the FDA said it would keep an eye on Celebrex. Fast forward to November, 2016. A big news report said Celebrex is no more dangerous than other NSAIDs. Essentially, the story, as it appeared, said after following a 10-year study of 24,000 people, there was no significant increase in cardiac events, compared to Ibuprofen and Naproxen, two older NSAIDs. In fact, the Celebrex patients had a slightly lower incidence of problems.
Sounds good on the surface, but if you read a little into the study there were a couple of weaknesses that stood out.
First, there was no placebo control group in the study. This was explained away as being unethical in withholding a pain reliever from a person in pain. This begs the question: how did you do the original studies without the placebo? Second, of the 24,000 people in the study, two-thirds of the people did not complete the study. So, I read this as only 8,000 people actually participating. Not so big a study now, is it?
Third, it seems the results of the study, statistically speaking, were very close (2.3 percent, 2.4 percent, 2.5 to 7 percent) . It did not show any of the three NSAIDs were good for you.
Finally, if Celebrex is slightly better than the other two, does this mean you should change over to a more expensive prescription for not that big a difference of safety?
I understand that the drug companies want to make money, and they sure do make a lot.
Natural alternatives to NSAIDS
No one even is looking at the wonder supplements we recommended following the Vioxx fiasco. Turmeric, (Curcuma longa) at a 95 percent curcumin content worked as effectively as Celebrex or Vioxx and did not cause any heart, stomach, kidney or liver problems. Bromelain, ginger and boswellia, all have demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity with no negative side effects, and they tend to be much less expensive.
A word about feasting
With the holidays here, most of us will be eating a wee bit too much and suffering from that “bloated” feeling, and maybe a little indigestion.
That is the key word – indigestion – meaning you did not digest. It does not mean you have too much stomach acid. Indeed it means you do not have enough at the time. Do not grab a Tums or some such antacid product. Look to things like pineapple or papaya to help with digestion (if your host or hostess has it available) Otherwise, digestive enzymes can really save the day. These little powerhouses help break the food down into usable parts. Enzymes are needed to digest and absorb the nutrients. Most of the enzymes found in raw foods are cooked out as it is processed, so it becomes very important to replace them by supplementation.
A good digestive formula should include amylase, protease and lipase. Pancreatin is also a good enzyme product. Taking the enzyme before you tuck into a big meal is good, but it is also helpful to take it after the meal. You can also use betaine hydrochloride and pepsin – which is exactly what it sounds like, hydrochloric acid, the same stuff you should have in your tummy. Try these items instead of your antacids and you will feel and see the difference.
— Jonathan
Please send your questions on botanical remedies to Natures Rx: Jonathan Evans via email at herbarium258@gmail.com, or 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.
