Word-of-Mouth Advice About Herbs
A survey by researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota has found that most people rely primarily on the advice of family and friends when it comes to using herbal products.
Writing in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Lisa Harnack, D.PH. of the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and colleagues also noted that for 11 of the 13 most commonly used herbs, less than 60 percent of the respondents rated the herb as effective or very effective.
Beginning in the early 1990s through 1998, sales of herbal products in the United States increased by approximately 25 percent annually. In 1999, sales of herbs exceeded $3.3 billion. Since 1998, herbal sales have leveled off somewhat, although market analysts still project an average annual growth rate of 9.7 percent through 2004.
The survey was conducted by using data tapes from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Service Division to randomly selected 752 adults age 18 or older to receive a mail survey between June and August 1999. Of the original sample, 580 people were eligible and 376 of them returned a completed survey.
The survey found that 61 percent of the respondents had used an herbal product during the past 12 months, with significantly more women reporting the use of herbs compared to men. The use of specific herbs ranged from 30.9 percent for ginseng to 3.0 percent for milk thistle. Herbs reported to have been used by 10 percent of more of the respondents included ginseng, echinacea, garlic, ginkgo, St. John's wort, ginger, ephedra and goldenseal.
"Because herbs are being used frequently to treat or prevent an array of health conditions, physicians must become educated about herbs so they can identify potentially unsafe herbal use practices," said Harnack. "Becoming more knowledgeable will prepare physicians for discussing herbal remedies with patients who, at present, are relying predominantly on family and friends for information."
She strongly recommended that physicians begin asking all of their patients about herb use when they obtain a medical history. They may be able to head off possibly dangerous interactions, she said, as well as identify herbs with known toxic effects.
SOURCE:
Mayo Clinic Proceedings, July 2001; 76:688-694