Herbal News June 2000

For centuries, Chinese herbalists have relied upon a medicinal compound known as Danggui Longhui Wan for the treatment of leukemia. Recently, German researchers have uncovered the primary constituent of this formula that exhibits anti-cancer activity.

Danggui Longhui Wan is comprised of nearly a dozen herbal formulas that share the common ingredient of Qing Dai and is derived from several different plants. The anti-cancer constituent of the formula has been identified as indirubin and approved for clinical trials in the treatment of chronic myelocytic and chronic granulocytic leukemia after it was found that indirubin treatment resulted in 26% of 314 chronic myelocytic leukemia patients experiencing a complete remission and 33% evidencing a partial remission.

The action of indirubin is to prevent cell division and proliferation of cancer cells by inhibiting cyclin-dependent kinases that determine cell growth.

First Annual Herbal Benefits Banquet Held in Colorado

At least 150 people attended the first-ever Herbal Benefits Banquet at the Omni Interlocken Resort in Broomfield, Colorado in March. Sponsored by the Herb Research Foundation (HRF), guests were treated to an epicurean feast that incorporated a variety of culinary herbs. As an added bonus, diners learned more about the health-giving benefits of their meal via placards placed at the table describing the natural compounds contained in different herbs and their effects.

Highlights of the evening included the presentation of HRF's first Merit Award given by HRF President, Rob McCaleb, to Tom and Kate Chappell of Tom’s of Maine®. In his acceptance speech, Tom confirmed his commitment to HRF's policy of developing agribusiness in Africa by agreeing to purchase herbal material from African farmers. (Note: Tom’s of Maine® is well known for responsible personal care products but has recently decided to expand into the herbal extract market.)

Numerous organizations contributed their support to the event, including Frontier Natural Products, Celestial Seasonings,
Nature’s Apothecary and the Rocky Mountain Center for Botanical Studies. The Herb Research Foundation celebrates its 15th year of operation this year.

	Kaiser-Permanente to Conduct Research on Feverfew
Kaiser-Permanente has announced that it will launch a double blind, placebo-controlled study to learn the efficacy of the feverfew supplement Migra-Lieve in treating migraine. The study is expected to last for approximately three months. Migra-Lieve, manufactured by Natural Science Corporation of America is currently in use by some physicians and pharmacists and clinics such as the New York Headache Center in New York City.
Chat Schedule June 6, 2000 2:00 pm EST Chat about the Use of Acupuncture for Oral and Cranial-facial Pain with Dr. Warren Morganstein, D.D.S., M.P.H. Dr. Morganstein received his training in Acupuncture from the Medical Acupuncture for Physician’s Program conducted by the UCLA Medical School. Dr. Morganstein practices acupuncture in the Orofacial Pain Clinic at the University of Maryland Dental School and general dentistry in the dental clinic at the Anne Arundel County Health Department in Annapolis, MD. To participate in this chat: OneBody.com

Mistletoe May Prolong the Lives of Some Pancreatic Cancer Patients
Mistletoe (Viscum album) has been used for decades by herbalists to treat a variety of cancers. But, studies of its efficacy have shown conflicting results.
However, recent findings indicate that mistletoe may benefit those suffering from pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is a very progressive disease, with an average of 12-18 months survival time after diagnosis. Researchers at the Lukas Clinic in Switzerland examined the effects of a mistletoe preparation marketed as Iscador™ and manufactured by Weleda. The 10 year study examined the survival rates of patients in different stages of the disease and their response to Iscador injections. Of the 320 patients treated for at least three weeks during the study, 292 succumbed to the disease. Of this number, most were in the advanced stages of the illness and were treated concurrently with chemotherapy with little benefit and only a few cases were operable. The survival rates of the remaining patients treated with Iscador were compared to those in existing literature. By comparison, Iscador-treated patients in stages III and IV had a survival rate twice as long as those reported in other studies, with one study using a different mistletoe preparation. In addition, the small number of patients (29) that underwent surgery, experienced a slightly longer life span than those reported in other studies. Researchers have also noted that mistletoe therapy has an analgesic effect thereby reducing pain. Faraji, M. H. et al. The effect of sour tea (Hibiscus sabdariffa) on essential hypertension. Journal of Ethnopharmacology , 1999; Vol. 7, pp. 231-236. (Note: Misteltoe-formulated injections are only available by prescription.)

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Books on Herbal Medicine, Cooking and Gardening

~ Recommended reading ~

The Naturally Clean Home: 101 Safe and Easy Herbal Formulas for Nontoxic Cleansers

Beauty to Die For: The Cosmetic Consequence

Rosemary Remembered - an herbal mystery!

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Herb of the Year ~ Rosemary

"As for Rosmarine, I lett it runne all over my garden walls, not onlie because my bees love it, but because it is the herb sacred to remembrance, and, therefore, to friendship; whence a sprig of it hath a dumb language that maketh it the chosen emblem of our funeral wakes and in our buriall grounds." -- Sir Thomas More (1478-1535)