The Cadre

By LISA HOGAN

Herbal remedies and dietary supplements are becoming the new trend in health care, replacing or sup- plementing everything from food to prescription medicine. There are a wide variety of these remedies for whatever ails you, whether you are suffering from mild fatigue, stress, or low concentration levels.

Lisa Gallant is a pharmacist at Zellers pharmacy in Charlottetown.

“Some of the oldest poisins are herbs, [so] you have to be careful. They are not food and have to be re- spected.” Gallant believes that many herbs are basically drugs, and says that some are similar to prescription medicines, but that they are simply a milder form.

One example of an herb that works much like a prescription drug is the popular St. John’s Wort, used for mild d ion, fatigue, nervous tension insomnia. This herb has often been compared to antidepres- sant drugs, particularly the class known as SSRI’s (Selective Serot- onin Reuptake Inhibitors), which in- clude fluoxetine hydrochloride, bet- ter known as Prozac. Gallant says that sibeepreapuan Gattany G3 work

its Srna taneeecion, but warns that anyone suffering from severe depres- sion should not rely on an herbal rem-

A more enthusiastic view on natural remedies comes from man who are involved with natural oe cinclibimeadt f a natural foods

ofa and health centre on PEI sees herbs more as food than as drugs, although she does believe that you can get too much of a good thing. “I don’t be- lieve that herbs are dangerous, as

Some herbs in particular that have been found to be useful include Ginko Biloba and Ginseng.

9 March 1999

A new trend in health care

Sharon Horne, owner of Sharon’s Health Food Store in Bloomfield, says that Ginko Biloba is an antioxidant. “It improves blood circulation and can increase concen- tration. Ginseng is more for energy, especially Korean ginseng, and Si. berian ginseng is great for stress.”

Besides herbs used for depres- sion, stress, energy, and mental clar- ity, certain ones can also be used for aiding the immune system. Gallant says that the herb Echinacea can be helpful in this regard.

“Echinacea is not a miracle cure, but studies do suggest that it can help to cut colds a couple of days short,” she says. Gallant continued that Echinacea should only be taken for short periods of time, as it has been shown to actually lessen im- mune function if taken on a continual basis.

For Relief of:

Although herbal medicines can be useful for a variety of things, individuals should make sure that the reason for any health lem is not due to poor diet a lack of necessary nutrients before taking them.

Horne maintains that the em- phasis should be on food and the vitamins and minerals it contains rather than on herbs. “Herbs can be useful, but | would look more to natural remedies such as vitamin E.”

Horne believes that the nec- essary B vitamins and the emulsi- fier lecithin can work better than St. John’s Wort for depression. For fa- ti she recommends kelp, a type of seaweed that contains many nec- essary vitamins and minerals includ- ing iron, from which a deficiency in can result in fatigue.

Health Mini-Supplement

Horne believes that it is “very important” to take a basic multi sup- plement every day that consists of es- sential vitamins and minerals, espe- cially vitamin C and the minerals. “We do not get enough nutrients

anymore from food so it is im- portant to supplement our diet. It’s good to use a without arsenic and other preservatives used to in- crease the shelf life.”

if want to boost your en- ergy level, concentration and immune functioning, or relieve mild sion or stress, herbs can be very help- ful. However, be aware of what you are taking, and learn how it works, how it should be taken, what any pos- sible side effects are, and any precau- tions that should be taken. Simply because herbal remedies are natural does not mean that they should be taken carelessly.