David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
St John's Wort may help mild depression but caution needed
Thu, Jun 26 2008
Not all dietary supplements and "alternative" products are harmless though. German Institute urges consumers to be more critical of health claims
Many people use "alternative" or complementary products because they see them as a more gentle form of medicine. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care has now analyzed the latest research on several products and released the results along with a guide for consumers.
St John's Wort (hypericum), for example, could help ease mild depression, but it does not help with severe depression.
According to the Institute, conflicting research results in recent years have caused confusion and controversy about St. John's Wort. It concluded this is partly because the effects vary from product to product, and the effect depends too on how severe depression is. The controversy highlights the importance of looking at all clinical trial results to gain a better picture of health care treatments.
"Consumers need to be more critical of all health claims," according to the Institute's Director, Professor Peter Sawicki. "This is as true of dietary supplements and complementary medicines as it is of prescription medicine. Just because a product is made from a plant or vitamins, it does not mean it is necessarily safe in very high doses or for frequent use. And not all medicinal products can provide as much relief as patients expect." The growing evidence that high doses of some vitamins and antioxidants can cause cancer or earlier death is an important reminder that dietary supplements are not necessarily harmless.
Patients need to consider several questions before choosing any treatment, including a dietary supplement. Professor Sawicki said, "Doctors and patients need to know whether treatments have been proven to work in enough good clinical trials that measured benefits large enough to matter to the patient. Whether a medicine is made from a plant or manufactured in a laboratory, the same scientific standards apply if you want to know which treatment might be the best for you."
To help consumers, the Institute also published a new guide for consumers considering using dietary supplements or complementary medicine products. The fact sheet lists key questions that could help people make decisions for or against a particular treatment.
Fact sheet: Using dietary supplements and complementary medicines.
Caution: St John's Wort is known to interact with many prescription drugs used to treat conditions such as anxiety disorders, depression, heart disease, HIV, and seizures or to prevent transplant rejection and pregnancy (oral contraceptives).
If you are taking any prescribed medications consult your doctor before taking a supplement containing St John's Wort, Hypericum or Hyperforin.
Thu, Jun 26 2008
Not all dietary supplements and "alternative" products are harmless though. German Institute urges consumers to be more critical of health claims
Many people use "alternative" or complementary products because they see them as a more gentle form of medicine. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care has now analyzed the latest research on several products and released the results along with a guide for consumers.
St John's Wort (hypericum), for example, could help ease mild depression, but it does not help with severe depression.
According to the Institute, conflicting research results in recent years have caused confusion and controversy about St. John's Wort. It concluded this is partly because the effects vary from product to product, and the effect depends too on how severe depression is. The controversy highlights the importance of looking at all clinical trial results to gain a better picture of health care treatments.
"Consumers need to be more critical of all health claims," according to the Institute's Director, Professor Peter Sawicki. "This is as true of dietary supplements and complementary medicines as it is of prescription medicine. Just because a product is made from a plant or vitamins, it does not mean it is necessarily safe in very high doses or for frequent use. And not all medicinal products can provide as much relief as patients expect." The growing evidence that high doses of some vitamins and antioxidants can cause cancer or earlier death is an important reminder that dietary supplements are not necessarily harmless.
Patients need to consider several questions before choosing any treatment, including a dietary supplement. Professor Sawicki said, "Doctors and patients need to know whether treatments have been proven to work in enough good clinical trials that measured benefits large enough to matter to the patient. Whether a medicine is made from a plant or manufactured in a laboratory, the same scientific standards apply if you want to know which treatment might be the best for you."
To help consumers, the Institute also published a new guide for consumers considering using dietary supplements or complementary medicine products. The fact sheet lists key questions that could help people make decisions for or against a particular treatment.
Fact sheet: Using dietary supplements and complementary medicines.
Caution: St John's Wort is known to interact with many prescription drugs used to treat conditions such as anxiety disorders, depression, heart disease, HIV, and seizures or to prevent transplant rejection and pregnancy (oral contraceptives).
If you are taking any prescribed medications consult your doctor before taking a supplement containing St John's Wort, Hypericum or Hyperforin.
