Comments on: Forget the Echinacea http://www.medrants.com/archives/2456 Internal medicine, American health care, and especially medical education Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:15:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Kevin Kennedy-Spaien http://www.medrants.com/archives/2456/comment-page-1#comment-46903 Kevin Kennedy-Spaien Fri, 29 Jul 2005 13:31:21 +0000 http://medrants.com/archives/2005/07/28/forget-the-echinacea/#comment-46903 While I am ambivalent regarding the efficacy of Echinacea in the treatment of the common cold, according to an interview on NPR this test used a much lower dose than what manufacturers recommend, and the researchers involved merely dismiss this criticism without addressing it adequately. Echinacea, in my opinion, is probably useless in treating colds, but if someone is going to the effort of debunking something, they really should have caught a problem like this in the protocol beforehand. While I am ambivalent regarding the efficacy of Echinacea in the treatment of the common cold, according to an interview on NPR this test used a much lower dose than what manufacturers recommend, and the researchers involved merely dismiss this criticism without addressing it adequately.

Echinacea, in my opinion, is probably useless in treating colds, but if someone is going to the effort of debunking something, they really should have caught a problem like this in the protocol beforehand.

]]> By: R. G. LACSAMANA, M.D. http://www.medrants.com/archives/2456/comment-page-1#comment-46422 R. G. LACSAMANA, M.D. Thu, 28 Jul 2005 18:29:55 +0000 http://medrants.com/archives/2005/07/28/forget-the-echinacea/#comment-46422 This is another study that effectively has demolished claims for just one of many herbal supplements touted to be effective for specific ailments. It's a strong argument on why the government ought to insist on stricter standards before allowing untested products peddled as supplements rather than drugs. The fact they are not labeled as drugs should not be a reason for unscrupulous manufacturers to continue to fool the public. When we consider that more Americans visit so-called alternative practitioners than primary care physicians, at least according to a report in 1997, it's not hard to imagine how millions of dollars are being wasted on useless products, never mind the possible harm that they can inflict. The FDA has repeatedly told us one of its top priorities is to make sure drugs approved for use after intensive clinical trials are effective and safe. Why not revise current laws to cover similarly the hundreds of "supplements" now being sold to guarantee their safety and efficacy? It's time to stop the hypocrisy and to demand more transparency from alternative medicine and its many unscientific practices. This is another study that effectively has demolished claims for just one of many herbal supplements touted to be effective for specific ailments. It’s a strong argument on why the government ought to insist on stricter standards before allowing untested products peddled as supplements rather than drugs.

The fact they are not labeled as drugs should not be a reason for unscrupulous manufacturers to continue to fool the public. When we consider that more Americans visit so-called alternative practitioners than primary care physicians, at least according to a report in 1997, it’s not hard to imagine how millions of dollars are being wasted on useless products, never mind the possible harm that they can inflict.

The FDA has repeatedly told us one of its top priorities is to make sure drugs approved for use after intensive clinical trials are effective and safe. Why not revise current laws to cover similarly the hundreds of “supplements” now being sold to guarantee their safety and efficacy?

It’s time to stop the hypocrisy and to demand more transparency from alternative medicine and its many unscientific practices.

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