HERBS, AMINO ACIDS: FAR SAFER THAN ANY DRUG

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" Orthomolecular Medicine News Service " <omns

HERBS, AMINO ACIDS: FAR SAFER THAN ANY DRUG

 

 

 

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Orthomolecular Medicine News Service, November 22, 2005

 

HERBS, AMINO ACIDS, MINERALS: FAR SAFER THAN ANY DRUG

 

(OMNS) American poison control statistics show that in one year, there

were 28 deaths from heroin; acetaminophen (the active ingredient in

products like Tylenol ) killed 147. Though acetaminophen killed over

five

times as many as an illegal drug, few would say that we should make

this generally regarded as safe, over-the-counter pain reliever require

prescription.

 

Yet misconceptions and misinformation about alleged dangers of mineral,

herbal and amino acid supplements are persistent, in spite of the lack

of scientific evidence to support such fearfulness.

 

MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS

The 2003 Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control

Centers Toxic Exposures Surveillance System, published in the American

Journal of Emergency Medicine (1), lists eight deaths in the “mineral

supplement†category. Five are not from supplements at all, but rather

are from pharmacological sources rightly termed electrolytes : two

from sodium and three from potassium (p 389). Pharmacologic doses of

sodium and potassium are usually given in hospital intravenously and

are a

frequent cause of electrolyte imbalance. Two deaths were allegedly due

to iron overdose. Since 1986, there has been an average of two deaths

per year associated with iron supplements. The sole remaining death was

from calcium, a mineral that is employed medically for its antidote

properties. In fact, in 2003, calcium was used as a lifesaving

antidote in

5,228 cases (p 344). There is no evidence that the single listed

calcium death was from a supplement, and the odds are overwhelming th!

at it

was not. That makes a year’s total of perhaps two deaths

“associated with†a supplemental mineral. Caffeine also killed two

people in

2003. Yet tea, coffee and cola soft drinks are not sold with restriction,

prescription, or in childproof bottles, and rather few would maintain

that they need to be.

 

HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS

The 2003 Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers

Toxic Exposures Surveillance System indicates a total of 13 deaths

attributed to herbal preparations. Three of these are from ephedra,

two from

yohimbe, and two from ma-huang. Accepting all seven claims of deaths

attributed to these products, we still find that there were over 20 times

as many deaths each year from acetaminophen.

 

Only three deaths are attributable to other single ingredient

botanicals, and oddly enough, their identity remains unnamed in the

Toxic

Exposures report. Reporting three deaths without naming the cause is a

clear admission of uncertainty.

 

Millions of persons take herbal remedies, and have done so for

generations. Indigenous and Westernized peoples alike have found them

to be

safe and effective, and the 2003 Report of the American Association of

Poison Control Centers Toxic Exposures Surveillance System confirms this

(p 388-389). There have been no deaths at all from cultural medicines,

including ayurvedic, Asian, Hispanic, and in fact, from all others.

 

Additionally, we find:

 

Blue cohosh: 0 deaths

 

Ginko biloba: 0 deaths

 

Echinacea: 0 deaths

 

Ginseng: 0 deaths

 

Kava kava: 0 deaths

 

St John's wort: 0 deaths

 

Valerian: 0 deaths

 

Furthermore, there have been zero deaths from phytoestrogens,

glandulars, blue-green algae, or homeopathic remedies.

 

AMINO ACID SUPPLEMENTS

In 2003, poison control centers reported zero deaths from amino acids.

 

SO WHERE ARE THE BODIES?

Natural health products, such as amino acids, herbs, minerals, and

other nutritional supplements, have a proven safe usage history. This is

clearly demonstrated by the 2003 Annual Report of the American

Association of Poison Control Centers Toxic Exposures Surveillance

System,

published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine.

 

1. Watson WA et al. Vol. 22, No. 5, September 2004, p 335-404.

(http://www.aapcc.org/Annual%20Reports/03report/Annual%20Report%202003.pdf)

 

 

What is Orthomolecular Medicine?

 

Linus Pauling defined orthomolecular medicine as " the treatment of

disease by the provision of the optimum molecular environment, especially

the optimum concentrations of substances normally present in the human

body. " Orthomolecular medicine uses safe, effective nutritional therapy

to fight illness. For more information: http://www.orthomolecular.org

 

Take the Orthomolecular Quiz at

http://www.orthomolecular.org/quiz/index.shtml

 

The peer-reviewed Orthomolecular Medicine News Service is a non-profit

and non-commercial informational resource.

 

Editorial Review Board:

 

Abram Hoffer, M.D., Ph.D.

Harold D. Foster, Ph.D.

Bradford Weeks, M.D.

Carolyn Dean, M.D. N.D.

Erik Paterson, M.D.

Thomas Levy, M.D., J.D.

 

Andrew W. Saul, Ph.D., contact person. Email: omns

 

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