A herbal remedy is a medicinal product consisting of a substance produced by
subjecting a plant to drying, crushing or any other process.
Safety- herbal remedies are medicines made of plant, fungus or trees but being
‘natural’ doesn’t make them safe
Types: Ayurveda, kampo, traditional Chinese medicine and Western herbal
medicine
Traditional Herbal Medicines Registration Scheme
1st May 2011- contains correct ingredient, right dose and no additional materials
Only treatment for minor conditions suitable for self medication
Administration orally, externally or inhalation
Product licence (PL) RCT data to prove efficacy
Traditional herbal registration (THR) efficacy based on traditional use of
product
Unregulated if sold as food supplement
Usage
70-95% of population in developing countries dependant on traditional
medicines
Estimated UK use of alternative medicines is 10.6-46.6% but herbal uses only
7% (telephone survey 2014)
2003 £130 million on herbal products (growth of 60% from 1998)
Conventional medicines from plants: aspirin, atropine, digoxin, ephedrine,
morphine, peppermint, quinine and senna
Herbal vs Conventional
Whole plant= mixture of chemicals
Non-standard prep
Many non-proven efficacy
Common herbal remedies:
Aloe- aloe vera leaf, cream/lotion used for burns, skin damage and anti-
inflammatory. Topical considered safe
Black cohosh- anti-rheumatic and sedative. Shows efficacy in menopausal
symptoms. Side effects= GI disturbances and contra= hepatotoxicity and
oestrogen sensitive tumours
Echinacea- treatment/prevention of upper respiratory tract infections. Efficacy
shows some improvement but no data on dosage. Side effects= mild GI
Evening primrose- asthma, eczema and rheumatoid pain. Side effects= mild GI
and contra= epilepsy
Garlic- antihypertensive, lowers cholesterol, coughs/colds and antithrombotic.
Caution of antiplatelet
Ginkgo- dementia, vertigo and tinnitus. Contra- drug interactions, avoid
pregnancy and breast feeding and not for self treatment (haemorrhaging)
Ginseng- insomnia and aphrodisiac. Contra- care in diabetes and cardiovascular
disease and not in pregnancy or breast feeding
Saw palmetto- cystitis. Side effect= GI and contra- not self treatment,
interactions with hormone treatments and not in pregnancy or breast feeding
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller alexd1. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $3.91. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.