Blisstree » herbal supplements

Some Herbs May Raise Blood Lead Levels

Marijke Durning, RN — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 23:47:36 +0000

Herbal supplements seem like a safe bet to many people because they’re natural. While this may have some merit, many poisons are natural too – just think of what can happen if you eat the wrong type of mushroom. So, it’s important to know not only what herbal supplement you are taking, but what its effects are overall. You don’t want something that is supposed to help you end up causing more harm.

To show you how this can be, a study out of Massachusetts, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, found that some herbal supplements can raise the level of lead in women’s blood, sometimes to unsafe levels.

The researchers studied 12,807 men and women who were at least 20 years old. What they found was that there was an average 10% increase in blood lead levels in women who used specific herbal supplements, but this wasn’t found in men. And, if the women used Ayurvedic or traditional Chinese medicine herbs, their levels were 24% higher than those who didn’t use the herbs. Another herb that raised levels high (23% higher) in women was St. John’s wort.

While children are vulnerable to the effects of lead in the blood, children of women who had high blood lead levels when they were pregnant could end up with significant health problems because of the lead’s effect on the developing brain.

It is important to understand that not all herbal supplements are harmful – but if you do take some, it is important to understand what they can do to your body.

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Image: PhotoXpress.com

Post from: Blisstree

Some Herbs May Raise Blood Lead Levels

Artichoke May Lower Cholesterol

ruth — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 20:03:39 +0000

In study sponsored by Lichtwer Pharma, a German manufacturer of herbal supplements, UK researchers found that a preparation of artichoke leaf extract helped decrease cholesterol levels in healthy adults with raised cholesterol levels.

Plasma total cholesterol levels dropped on average 4.2 per cent and increased by 1.9 per cent among the control group, making a 6.1 per cent differential.

These results were observed in test subjects who were given four 320mg Lichtwer Pharma-branded (Cynara) supplements per day for 12 weeks. Seems to be a lot, for so little an effect, but hey, every little bit counts, and who knows what the effects may be if one continues to take the supplements for extended periods?

According to the researchers,

“This study provides further evidence that ALE may help reduce plasma total cholesterol in adults with mild to moderate hypercholesterolemia. It is suggested that the type and amount of extract used, in addition to the apparent positive health status of the study population, may have affected the observed magnitude of this response.”

For further reading, you may want to read the manuscript published in Phytomedicine, doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2008.03.001.

Photo: from Nutricenter

Post from: Blisstree

Artichoke May Lower Cholesterol

Herbal Dietary Supplements and Anesthesia

ruth — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 20:36:28 +0000

If you’re taking herbal dietary supplements such as echinacea, ginkgo, garlic, St. John’s wort and others, or even Vitamin E supplements, and you’ll be undergoing a medical procedure that will require the administration of anesthetics, be sure to let your doctor know what supplements you are taking. A lot of herbal supplements have side effects and drug interactions. Have a look at this flyer from the American Society of Anesthesiologists: What You Should Know About Herbal and Dietary Supplement Use and Anesthesia.

Hat Tip: Help My Hurt

Post from: Blisstree

Herbal Dietary Supplements and Anesthesia