Transcript Herbs Lindsay Brown, Kerstin Brueck, Daron Flory What is an herb? Herb- 1.

Herbs
Lindsay Brown, Kerstin
Brueck, Daron Flory
What is an herb?
Herb- 1. A ______________ annual,
biennial or perennial that does not develop
persistent woody tissue but dies down at
the end of a growing season.
 2. A plant or plant part valued for its
medicinal, savory or aromatic qualities.

Some stats…
13,000 plants are used medicinally
 550 are commercially available in the U.S.
 The FDA approves 279 as _______ or
food ingredients

Some facts
In 1996, ___% of American adults reported
using herbs.
 3.24 billion dollars were spent on herbs
 According to a survey, 34% of people had
used at least one “unconventional therapy”

Some facts
10% had seen an herbal practitioner
 45% were seeking alternative tx for
anxiety, and 35% for depression

Are herbs safe?
There is a current lack of ______________
in the U.S. regarding herbs.
-Many people think that just because a
product is labeled “natural” or “organic,”
that it is completely safe-this is not true.
Cont…
-Our bodies do not distinguish between
organic & ______________ drugs- tries to
metabolize both the same
-In telephone survey about depression in
’99, majority believed herbs were safer
than prescription drugs
Vazquez, R.(2001). Professional Psych: Research and Practice. V.
32 p.329
FDA regulation
1962-FDA issued strict guidelines on
safety and efficacy testing requirements
for ______________.
 1972-FDA began a comprehensive review
of all OTC products.
 Modern herb industry (after 1965) held the
FDA in great suspicion and avoided
interaction with them-resulting in herbal
products being taken out of OTC med’s

Cont.
Since herbs are out of the new drug and
OTC business, the botanical industry has
no choice but to offer their products as
______________
 Bad relations between FDA and Herb
companies led to the Dietary Supplement
Health and Education Act (DSHEA)
DSHEA
-clearly says what a dietary supplement is
and what it is not.
-not ______________.
-Unsafe if it presents risk due to regular use
-The claims on the label must be truthful and
not misleading.
DSHEA cont.



“This statement has not been evaluated by the
Food and Drug Administration. This product is
not intended to treat, cure, or ______________
any disease.”
Herbs have to be labeled as “dietary
supplement” and must be scientifically
researched
Herb has to be manufactured under current
good manufacturing practices (GMP’s)
Bottom line…

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
DSHEA basically assured the American
consumers when it comes to using herbal
supplements
Use of Ginkgo, St. John’s wort, kava-kava and
valerian for mood, emotions, and mental states
has increased dramatically
Ex.-Sale of Ginkgo increased by 66.8%, sale of
St. John’s wort by 189.7% from 1997-1998.
St. Johns Wort
One of the most popular herbal remedies
in Europe and the U.S.
 Sale of SJW totaled 6 billion in ’98, rose
2800% in one year alone.
 It comes from the Hypericum Perforatum
plant, which is cut and gathered at the
start of the ______________.

Vazquez, R.(2001). Professional Psych: Research and Practice. V.
32 p.329
Effects of SJW

Depression
 The
most widely publicized alternative treatment for
depression.

OCD
 Significant
decrease on scores on the Yale-Brown
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Scale, which is
similar to that found in clinical trials of standard
prescription anti-depressants.
Vazquez, R.(2001). Professional Psych: Research and Practice. V.
32 p.329
Problems with SJW

Side effects
 Nausea,
heartburn, loose bowels, jitteriness,
______________, fatigue, Phototoxic rash, and
fatigue.
 ______________ has a positive correlation with
increased side effects.
Vazquez, R.(2001). Professional Psych: Research and Practice. V.
32 p.329
Kava-kava



Originated in South Pacific Islands
It is an extract from the ______________ Plant
Consists of compounds related to anaesthetic,
sedating, anticonvulsive, muscle-relaxant, and
sleep properties
Brown R.; Gerbarg, P(2000). American Psychiatric
Press Review of Psychiatry, v.19
Kava-kava treatment uses





Fear
Anxiety-related disorders
Tension
Stress
Mild depression
 Kava-kava
compared
favorable to Benzodiazepines
anti-depressants
Brown R.; Gerbarg, P(2000). American Psychiatric
Press Review of Psychiatry, v.19
Plus and minuses

Positives
 ______________,


learning, memory enhancement
Short-term memory processing
Negatives
 Side


Effects
Liver damage, gastrointestinal disturbances, allergic skin
reactions, movement disorders, attention deficits
Most side effects are dose-response
Brown R.; Gerbarg, P(2000). American Psychiatric
Press Review of Psychiatry, v.19
Omega-3

Component in Fish oils
 ______________

fatty acid
Prevalent consumption in fish eating
countries
 E.g.,
Japan, Taiwan, China
Rees, A.; Austin, M.; Parker, G.(2004). School of
Psychiatry, U of South Wales
Physiological Effects

Helps with:
 Asthma
 Cystic
Fibrosis
 Rheumatoid arthritis

Reduced morning ____________, reduced
number of swollen joints, and joint pain.
Ruxton, C.; Reed, S.; Simpson, M.; Millington, K.(2004). The
British Dietetic Association. V. 17 p.449
Psychological Effects

Helps increase fluidity in neuronal
membranes and help regulate
neurotransmitters
 Depression
 Bipolar
Disorder
 Dementia
Ruxton, C.; Reed, S.; Simpson, M.; Millington, K.(2004). The
British Dietetic Association. V. 17 p.449
Sam-e (S-adenosyl-methionine)
A nutrient or dietary supplement
 Used by more than a million people in
Europe for certain treatments
 Boosts levels of neurotransmitters

 Related
to Omega-3’s function
Brown R.; Gerbarg, P(2000). American Psychiatric
Press Review of Psychiatry, v.19
Treats

Depression
 ______________
Osteoarthritis
 Age-related memory impariment

Brown R.; Gerbarg, P(2000). American Psychiatric
Press Review of Psychiatry, v.19
Side effects
Appears to have among the fewest side
effects of herbal remedies
 The main side effect

 A state
of _________ in patients who had
bipolar disorder

Appears to work well with other
medications
Brown R.; Gerbarg, P(2000). American Psychiatric Press Review of Psychiatry, v.19
Ginkgo Bilboa
From the tree family of Ginkgoacae
 Used for 5000 years
 Increases cerebral blood flow

Mattes; Pawlik (2004). Human Pharmocology;
Increases in the brain



Memory
Concentration
______________
 Helps
with some cognitive
disorders

E.g., Alzheimer’s disease
Mattes; Pawlik (2004). Human Pharmocology;
Conclusion
Herbs are an alternative to prescription
medicines
 They have similar qualities/effects as
meds, but results will more than likely vary
individually
 Remember: A lot of one thing is always a
bad thing
