Can Chinese medicinal herbs relieve chronic fatigue syndrome: Part 3

So what does all this mean?

For individual suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome the Chinese herbs are not a magic bullet. The methods used by the Chinese to analyze the symptoms were flawed and reports were always positive (remember, china is a major exporter of oriental medicine and is in the business to make money, so you will never find negative reports or side effects with any Chinese products!).

So for the moment, there are no meaningful data on Chinese herbs and their efficacy in treating chronic fatigue.

However, one thing is known about Chinese herbs- they are often contaminated with real drugs and impurities.

So if you have chronic fatigue the choices are simple- buy unknown herbs from China whose efficiency has not been proven or take conventional medicine which do little and are very costly!.

Can Chinese medicinal herbs relieve chronic fatigue syndrome: Part 2

The first observation made by the researchers was that the majority of published reports in china were never reviewed by other scientists for critic, data analysis was poor and no studies were randomized.

Just like in North America, many of the studies were published by authors who had a vested interested in the herb. Moreover, many authors were paid to perform research by the herb manufacturers.

Can Chinese medicinal herbs relieve chronic fatigue syndrome: Part 1

Unfortunately there is no great treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome and this has led many people to turn to alternative health care supplements.

It is estimated that there are close to 5-10 million people with this disorder in the USA alone but the numbers are much higher world wide.

For some unknown reason people have been flocking to Chinese therapies for all their medical ailments. Some individuals seek Chinese herbs because of the mystic; some may have read reports and others because they have no choice.

There is ample written about Chinese herbal medicine but much of it is not based on science but mostly based on folk lore, anecdotal reports and “grand ma tales.”

Now North American researchers assessed the effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine herbal products in treating chronic fatigue syndrome.

The results of various randomized clinical trials involving Chinese herbs and chronic fatigue were analyzed. More than 2400 references were evaluated.

Does Echinacea help treat the common cold? Part 2

Each health food store has a different amount of the herb and neither the quality nor quantity is assessed. Some vendor’s use Echinacea extracts from the flower, others obtain it from the stem and others use the roots- so it is difficult to know which part of the herb is effective.

The problem with the herb industry is that everyone is in a rush to make money and these manufacturers have started to sell all sorts of CRAP to any gullible consumer. Talk to any person in North America and the majority will have some type of herbal medicine underneath the bed (because the closets are already packed with the conventional medicines and cough mixtures).

Even though the recent studies show that Echinacea may help reduce intensity of the cold, its safety in the long run has not been established. The few reported side effects of the herb include stomach upset and diarrhea. Further, the herb also the ability to adversely interact with prescription medications.

Unfortunately, most consumers want immediate relief from symptoms and rush out to the nearest health supplement store to buy jugs and gallons of herbs, lotions and potions. In the majority of cases, the common cold virus does not require any treatment except rest, fluids and perhaps Tylenol.

Does Echinacea help treat the common cold? Part 1

All consumers should understand that the common cold is caused by a virus. We have only a few drugs to treat viral infections and these drugs are hardly ever used to treat the common cold- the reason is expense, side effects and build up of resistance. The common cold is best treated by an annual vaccine taken sometimes in late October or just before the common cold season starts.

However, the common cold vaccine only works in less than 70% of individuals. So what are the other choices?

Well, the latest studies reveal that finally one herb may help reduce symptoms of the common cold. Echinacea may reduce severity of symptoms - further it may also reduce duration of the cold by a day or two.

Unfortunately, Echinacea does not prevent the common cold. However, there are some studies which show that Echinacea does not work when it is taken after the cold has started. Researchers claim that this herb must be taken within the first 24 hours after the onset of symptoms to have any benefit.

Moreover the herb does not work in all individuals nor does it prevent recurrence of the common cold. The major problem with all herbs is that there is no standardization or quality control.