Never under-estimate the value of adding spices to your food.  As a young woman, I travelled extensively in less-than developed countries, and by dint of adding hot peppers to everything I ate, I avoided the dire consequences  that usually attend foreign travel.

Let alone the fact that without spices , food can be pretty blah!

The spice curcumin, from turmeric, one of the major ingredients in curry powder, and used extensively by itself also, has been studied for its effect on serious conditions, such as Alzheimer'sd and cancer prevention.  Now a new study shows that it can also affect cholesterol and LDL beneficially, as can cayenne pepper or capsaicin.

Here is the study

Here is a great (and simple) way to use turmeric frequently

Here you will find both curcumin and  cayenne pepper

We have previously gone into the many ways a study of a natural substance can lead to a negative result, some an inevitable consequence of studies intended for synthetic substances, some which almost feel engineered to fail - here is a new one.

I am sure all of us who use herbal medicine remember the negative study of Echinacea and its use against the common cold?  Now comes another study which shows it to be very effective.

Research from  the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy published in the Lancet shows "Using a method that calculates the Odds Ratio of incidence of the common cold in the pooled participants, the researchers found that echinacea decreased the odds by 58 per cent (the statistically significant odds ratio was 0.42 with a 95 per cent confidence interval ranging from 0.25 to 0.71).

They also found by using a random effects statistical model that the effect of echinacea was to reduce the duration of a cold by 1.4 days (the statistically significant weighted mean difference was -1.44 with a 95 per cent confidence interval ranging from -2.24 to -0.64)."  

The reason for the different results? The first study looked only at Echinacea's effect on Rhinovirus - which is only one of app. 199 viruses involved in the common cold.  Echinacea may not help with Rhinovirus, but is apparently extremely effective against the rest! 

So, does Echinacea help with colds or not?  The studies I like say it does:  it both protects against the onset of a cold, and shortens its duration.  It also protects against respiratory infections.  

What about the studies I DON'T like?  It helps to consider the source.  When a negative study can be traced back to a non-neutral source, it will almost always be found that the herb administered is either 1) the non-effective part medicinally or 2) given in incorrect amounts.

Bear this in mind whenever you see a negative study on a nutrient:  1) what is the source of the study? and 2) does it go against the majority of other study results? A discriminating intelligence will determine the truth.

Where there is no disagreement, however, is in the warnings which suggest that OTC cold medications are not safe for young children.  This quote from the report gives me extra amusement: "There are no studies demonstrating the safety and effectiveness of cold and cough medications in this under age 2 population,"  says Ian Paul, MD, a pediatrician and assistant professor of pediatrics at the Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pa.

I recall very well how frightening it is to be a Mother with a sick child, but with fevers,  remember that high temperatures have a purpose:  they are Nature's way of fighting a disturbance in the body.  Unless the child is very uncomfortable, it is best to let fever run its course.  Here is an explanation ( including when to worry) with valuable information, though I do not endorse the references to ibuprofen and acetaminophen.

Zinc Echinacea tablets for Children

Try Gaias's Quick defense for your self

It's always a revelation to see how the media  manipulate us!  I would be ashamed, for example, to use the kind of prose that seems to sell so many supplements.  I have more respect for my readers, and would rather let them decide for themselves based on the facts.

What has set me off this time?  A widely read woman's magazine has published a report guaranteed to cause everyone to assume that Kava Kava is toxic.

Here is the article in Good Housekeeping:
http://lifestyle.msn.com/MindBodyandSoul/PersonalGrowth/ArticleGH.aspx?cp-documentid=1203095

Pretty convincing, you will say.  I sent the piece off to Gaia Herbs for a comment, since their product featured prominently in the photo, and this is their reply:

"I have seen this article and am aware of the European reports about Kava Kava, however we do not have an official response at this time.  One of the reports about Kava toxicity addresses the issue of using the stem and leaves in products,  the stem and leaves are toxic and they may have (not proven) been used in the products in Europe and possibly in No Doz.  Substituting the leaves and stems, (which are cheaper) for the root, is called adulteration and is illegal. We only use the roots of the Kava plant and have never had an adverse event reported to us re: Kava.  No Doz apparently contains caffeine and is a product to keep you awake, so it makes me wonder why Kava is listed as an ingredient in the first place. I would say that a full analysis of the product is necessary. It may be easy to jump to conclusions from an article however, I would like a fuller history of OTC medications such as Tylenol which is a big cause for liver transplants in the US as well as alcohol intake (considering that the couple in the article are in the wine business). Alcohol and Tylenol are a toxic combination.

We do not recommend Kava for anyone under 18 years or for longer than 4 weeks of continuous use. "

Indeed, alcohol and Tylenol ARE a toxic combination!  I have posted about that in the past,  as you may see here:  This hang-over cure DE-livers.  However, Doctors are still in denial about this pretty much all over:  how much easier and more convenient to blame a herbal supplement.

What do we learn from this?  1) Be safe!   Don't buy the cheap stuff:  there are many ways to make things cheaper, and none of them have to do with making them better. 2) Before believing an attack on herbs and nutrients, get the whole story.

My article on Kava Kava is here

458 deaths annually from liver failure due to Tylenol

The University of Virginia recently published a study in the New England Journal of Medicine stating that Echinacea did not prevent or treat colds.

Frustrating isn't an adequate word for the effect these poorly designed studies have on  health professionals, and this one is another clone in the line "How to prove a nutraceutical doesn't work"!

1. The researchers wrote: "it is conceivable that other chemicals in echinacea are important." The study only used one plant, Echinacea augustifolia. Many commercial preparations also use Echinacea augustifolia and Echinacea purpurea. The researchers  wrote: "Given the great variety of echinacea preparations, it will be difficult to provide conclusive evidence that echinacea has no role in the treatment of the common cold." (Well, that tells us what they are out to do, doesn't it??)

2. The researchers wrote: "It is possible, although unlikely, that echinacea works on other respiratory viruses." The study used one of 300 known cold and respiratory viruses. According to a New York Times article, July 28, 2005, Study Says Echinacea Has No Effect on Colds by Gina Kolata : "one of the study's authors, Dr. Rudolf Bauer, agreed that the study should be repeated with other echinacea species, preparations and doses."

3. The World Health Organization has endorsed echinacea as a treatment for the common cold.

4. The dosage in the study was the equivalent of 900 milligrams of dried echinacea root per day, which is 330 percent lower than the three grams that is commonly used commercially and recommended by organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Canadian Natural Health Products Directorate.

5. As reported in Len Monheit's editorial at www.npicenter.com, According to Dr. Michael Murray, the Director of Education for Factors Group of Nutritional Companies, "What determines the effectiveness of any herbal product is its ability to deliver an effective dosage of active compounds. The specific components of echinacea responsible for its immune-enhancing effects are the polysaccharides, alkylamides and the cichoric acid. While each of these components is effective alone, the greatest degree of effectiveness occurs when the three active components are combined and at a specific ratio." None of the three extracts used on the 399 study participants actually contained all of the three necessary compounds.

Poor old echinacea!  It may be the victim of dirty tricks, but it's still in my repertoire of effective remedies.

This is a lengthy response, but I think it very important that you understand that there is a difference between the companies who market mainly to the general publlic, and those smaller companies which are more insular in their approach.

Here is the article reporting on the problem ( though I was amused to see that 14 out of  70 apparently qualifies for "most" status).

Here is the response of Himalaya USA, our main Ayurvedic Company, and one we have carried since their first year in the USA. I think you will find it reassuring!  You will find their products here.

The recent article about Ayurvedic Medicine in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) illustrates two major issues within the herbal healthcare industry:

1. the illegal importation of products and

2. the need for the FDA to fully enforce DSHEA.

As the article noted, these herbal products were purchased at South Asian grocery stores in the Boston area. The specific products purchased and tested did not meet FDA regulations because they were not properly labeled and were adulterated with heavy metal contaminants. These products should never have made their way to any store shelf in the United States.

Himalaya USA is the sole authorized importer of products manufactured by The Himalaya Drug Company, which takes enormous care to produce herbal healthcare products to pharmaceutical grade standards, employing Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and earning ISO 9001 certification for excellence in manufacturing.

Himalaya Herbal Healthcare products are steeped in Ayurvedic traditions yet manufactured to conform to the strictest limits of purity and without the inclusion of heavy metals. Himalaya’s ISO 9001 certification has added to the world-class stature of its products used by consumers around the world and is clearly demonstrated by Liv.52® (LiverCare®) becoming the first herbal healthcare product recognized as an herbal drug in Switzerland.

Himalaya Herbal Healthcare products are safe and effective. Consumers should look for the statement "Distributed by: Himalaya USA" to be guaranteed they are taking a quality herbal supplement.