Qi Spot

Tammy Cohen, in this article, talks about the impending ban on unregulated or unlicensed herbal medicines in the EU.  Now, many of my comrades in the “alternative” medicine field are up at arms regarding this.  It does indeed look like a big bad Pharmacorp conspiracy to drive natural remedies underground.  However, I am reminded of the fact that there is truly a need to regulate the “herbal medicine” industry.

Why is this so?  This is because there are unscrupulous dealers and “healers” out there who are merely trying to make a quick buck.  They can be considered guilty of the very “crimes” we accuse Big Pharma of.  I for one have seen cases in our hospital (the Philippine General Hospital) of renal failure from an overdose of herbs like ginseng.  The whole renal-failure-due-to-ephedra in that weight loss clinic a few years back was not so much because the herb was bad, but because some wannabe herbalist was using it against it’s intended purpose.  He was using Ma Huang (Herba ephedrae)’s diaphoretic and diuretic properties to effect weight loss DESPITE the fact that any cursory glance at a Chinese herbal textbook would let one know to stop Ma Huang intake once perspiration occurs lest yin deficiency (excess fluid loss) occurs.  A toxic “off label” use, so to speak.

Chinese Herbs: Safe and Effective When Used Properly

Now for some commentary on the article:

Today, with the ease of the internet, you can self-diagnose, order next day delivery, and even learn how to make your own.

Sigh, if only it were that simple.  Chinese Medicine prides itself in customization of the treatment to an individual patient.  Two people with seemingly similar symptoms might get totally different treatments based on pattern discrimination.

But renewed debate about the safety of these remedies was sparked last week following the news of an EU crackdown on herbalists and Chinese medicine practitioners who operate unregulated at present. Under the new law, from 2011 sales of all herbal remedies except for a small number of products for minor ailments will also be banned. Regulators warn that many of us believe that “herbal” is synonymous with “safe”, whereas herbal remedies can be deadly.

Now this is not good.  The answer to unregulated herbal remedies should be obvious: regulation.  Yet the proposed solution is similar to the Ma Huang incident in America: do we censure the idiot herbalist wannabe or ban the misused herb? We ban the misused herb because it is easier, more convenient, and possibly more profitable for (fill in the blank).

“Research we conducted last year found a significant proportion of people believed ‘herbal’ means ‘benign’,” says Richard Woodfield, Head of Herbal Policy at the Medicines and Health care products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). “That means people are more liable to self-medicate, and to neglect to inform their doctors, even though there’s a risk that the herbal remedy will react with any prescription drugs. They’re also more vulnerable to fraudulent, even criminal operators who put products out which are heavily adulterated with dangerous pharmaceuticals.”

Unfortunately this paragraph rings true, as I mentioned before.  The last statement in particular can refer to unscrupulous Chinese patent medicine manufacturers who include steroids or valium in their so-called “Chinese medicines”.

The actress Sophie Winkleman is reported to have taken aconite, or monkshood, found in some ‘herbal Valium’ last month to calm her nerves prior to her wedding to Freddie Windsor….

The plant while relatively harmless in licensed homeopathic remedies in which it is rigorously diluted, can be extremely dangerous, in herbal remedies, even lethal.

Aconite, or fu zi in Chinese medicine, is known to be toxic which is why it is usually prepared first by stir-frying with fresh ginger.  Even then it is still used with other medicinals to reduce toxicity and enhance therapeutic effects.

The article describes many more instances, but I won’t mention them anymore here.  The next few paragraphs are important (because I obviously agree with them)

The MHRA believes regulating the herbal medicine industry is the best way to limit abuses and ensure consumers are aware of potential dangers. All herbal medicines sold over the counter in the UK should according to the law be licensed. The MHRA assesses them on safety, quality and patient information. By 2011 a new scheme, which is currently being rolled out, will be in place.

“Check for products which have the THR (Traditional Herbal Register) or Product Licence (PL) number on the label,” advises Richard Woodfield.

Many herbal practitioners want even further regulation.”We want to be registered,” says Dee Atkinson, spokesperson for the National Institute of Medical Herbalists and herself a qualified medical herbalist. “Herbs are not harmless, they are drugs, just as pharmaceuticals are drugs and as such they should be prescribed by a qualified, registered practitioner.

I wish I could emblazon that last paragraph in gold lettering, plug it to Christmas lights and put a mariachi band to announce it.  It is SO SO SO SO TRUE!!!  Especially for Chinese medicine.