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The Institute of Medicine to Evaluate Six Dietary Supplements

Daily Supplements to Help Treat Ear Infections

Pomegranate Seed May Cause Breast Cancer Cells to Self-Destruct

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Herbal Profile: Clover

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The Institute of Medicine to Evaluate Six Dietary Supplements

The Institute of Medicine has picked six controversial dietary supplements for a new evaluation program it developed for the Food and Drug Administration.

The six, which may pose health hazards, will serve to test the framework for determining the safety of supplements, which have become a major industry in recent years but face only limited government regulation.

The institute, a branch of the National Academy of Sciences, said in a preliminary report Wednesday that it had selected the supplements chaparral, chromium picolinate, glucosamine, melatonin, saw palmetto and shark cartilage for reviews.

The supplements chosen for the first safety evaluations cover a variety of types and uses, the institute noted. The selected supplements and the reason they were chosen, are: 

Chaparral, because of concerns about liver toxicity. Used in an herbal tea. 

Chromium picolinate, because of reports of kidney toxicity and effects on insulin regulation in diabetics. Promoted to reduce body fat. 

Glucosamine, because of concerns about its use by diabetics. Sold as an arthritis treatment. 

Melatonin, because of reports of complications. Used to treat sleep disorders and jet lag. 

Saw palmetto, because of reports of heart problems. Sold as a prostate treatment. 

Shark cartilage, because of a report of hepatitis following ingestion. Promoted as a treatment for cancer and other health conditions. 

Source: AP Wire 
 

Daily Supplements to Help Treat Ear Infections

Researchers from the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, writing in the current issue of Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology, focused on 44 children with otitis media or middle ear infection.

After taking blood samples, they discovered that three important chemicals - eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), an omega-3 fatty acid that helps decrease inflammation, vitamin A and selenium - were lower in the children than in adults.

The researchers then gave supplements containing these nutrients to the children and discovered that they were able to reduce the levels of antibiotics needed to treat otitis media when they were taken in association with the supplements. Otitis media is common and expensive to treat, and often follows upper respiratory infections to which children are particularly prone during the winter.

Source: Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology, 2002;111:642-652; Ivanhoe News Wire

Pomegranate Seed May Cause Breast Cancer Cells to Self-Destruct

Israeli researchers have found that pomegranate seeds could have breakthrough implications for breast cancer treatment and the safety of HRT therapy.

Technion-Israel Institute of Technology found that pomegranate seed oil triggers apoptosis in breast cancer cells, a mechanism that causes the cells to self-destruct.  In addition, pomegranate juice can be toxic to most estrogen-dependent breast cancer cells, while leaving normal breast cells largely unaffected.

In the first study, laboratory-grown breast cancer cells were treated for three days with pomegranate seed oil. The researchers observed apoptosis in 37-56% of the cancer cells, depending on the amount of oil applied.

In the second study, both normal and cancerous breast cells were exposed to pomegranate wine and pomegranate peel extracts, which contain polyphenols. The vast majority of the normal cells remained unaffected by the two pomegranate derivatives. But more than 75% of the estrogen-dependent cancer cells, and approximately half of the non-estrogen dependent cancer cells were destroyed by exposure to these same pomegranate products.

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Herbal Profile...

Common names: Red Clover, Trefoil, Wild Clover

Range: Native to Europe, Asia and northern Africa.  Naturalized in other parts of the world.

August 11–17: International Horticultural Congress: The Future of Medicinal Plants, Toronto. Symposium will have four sections including ethnobotanical resources, chemistry, standardization, and productions. Contact: IHC 2002, c/o Congress Canada, 49 Balthurst St. Suite 100, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5V 2P2. Email: IHCREG@congresscan.com. Website: http://www.ihc2002.org.

August 21–25: 14th International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) Organic World Congress and Exhibition:"Cultivating Communities",  Victoria B.C., Canada. Main themes include: organic production and environmental responsibilities, redesigning food systems, and people and the process of change.  Contributions to the program are invited until November 7, 2001. Contact: IFOAM 2002, c/o Building 20, 8801 East Saanich Road, Sidney  BC V8L 1H3, Canada. Ph: 250/655-5652; fax: 250-655 5657. Email: ifoam2002@cog.ca; website: www.cog.ca/ifoam2002.

August 22–25: Wild Mushrooms Telluride, Telluride, CO. Designed for persons interested in expanding their knowledge of edible, poisonous and psychoactive wild mushrooms, this conference will focus on the cultivation of diverse mushroom species, emphasizing practical principles and techniques. Faculty includes Paul Stamets, Andrew Weil, MD, Gary Lincoff, and more. Contact: Fungophile, Inc., PO Box 480503, Denver, CO 80248-0503. Ph/fax: 303/296-9359. Website: http://www.telluride.com/mushroom.html

August 23–25: 15th Annual Women’s Herbal Conference: “Honoring the Wisdom of Our Ancestors, Monadnock Region of southern New Hampshire. Includes more than 60 workshops on women’s health, herbs, and well-being, 3 hour intensive workshops, kids camp, crafts, activities, herb walks, massage, and more. Contact: WHC c/o Katie Pickens, 2984 Elmore Pond Rd, Wolcott, VT 05680. Email: sagemt@sagemountain.com; http://www.sagemountain.com.

August 31–September 2: Rocky Mountain Herbal Gathering: “Roots in the Rockies, Estes Park, CO. Speakers include Mark Plotkin, Rosita Arvigo, Susun Weed, Feather Jones, and Paul Bergner. 50% of the profits from this event will go to Unite Plant Savers (UpS)- a grassroots organization dedicated to preserving, conserving and restoring native medicinal plants and their habitats. Contact: Rocky Mountain Center for Botanical Studies, 2639 Spruce St., Boulder, CO 80302. Ph: 303/442-6861. Email: rmcbs@indra.com; website: http://www.herbschool.com.

Source: American Botanical Council (ABC)

DISCLAIMER:  The contents herein are not intended and should not be construed as being in any form or manner an attempt at diagnosis, therapy or medical advice. While the editors and contributors strive for accuracy, neither collectively nor individually do we assume responsibility for injury and specifically disclaim any warranty, express or implied, for any products or services mentioned herein. If a medical condition exists, we suggest that you seek competent attention and or/counseling by a qualified health practitioner.

Copyright 2002, The Herbal Muse Press