Going to a herbalist 'not recommended'
Publication Date:05/10/2007
There are about 1,000 registered herbalists practising in the UK, and people in Europe spend more than £2.5 billion on herbal remedies each year. But traditional herbalism, which uses a combination of herbs tailored to the patient, is not supported by any scientific evidence, researchers say.
What do we know already?
Herbal medicine has been used for hundreds of years, and in countries without modern healthcare up to 80 percent of people rely on herbal treatments. Some herbal remedies have become part of mainstream medicine. For example, willow bark extracts were used to treat pain before the active ingredient, aspirin, was identified.
There's also some research to show that certain herbal remedies can help particular conditions. For example, St. John's wort helps some people with mild or moderate depression, and saw palmetto can reduce the symptoms of an enlarged prostate.
However, traditional herbalism takes a different approach. Instead of recommending a particular herb as the standard treatment for a particular complaint, it stresses the importance of a consultation with a herbalist. The herbalist recommends a combination of herbs based on what he or she thinks the individual patient needs. So different patients with the same complaint could get different herbal prescriptions. This is sometimes described as individualised herbal medicine, and includes European herbalism, Chinese herbal medicine and ayurvedic medicine from India.
The problem with taking a combination of herbs is that it increases the chance of side effects, either from the herbs themselves, or from clashes with other medicines. Researchers have now looked at all the studies they could find on individualised herbal medicine, to see whether it works and is safe.
What does the new study say?
The most striking thing about the research is how few studies have looked at individualised herbal medicine. Even by looking at large numbers of trials, contacting experts and talking to professional organisations representing herbalists, the researchers only tracked down three good-quality studies. And without good-quality studies, it's impossible to say whether any medical treatment works or not. This is just as true for herbal remedies as it is for drugs. Without research, it's also impossible to say whether a treatment is safe. This particularly worried the researchers, as the risks from individualised herbal medicine are increased by giving several herbs at once.
Tell me more about the study's findings
The researchers found three studies, looking at individualised herbal treatments for arthritis of the knee, for irritable bowel syndrome and to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy.
Herbalism didn't help people with arthritis, or people being treated with chemotherapy. There seemed to be some benefit for irritable bowel syndrome, but, even then, individualised herbalism wasn't as good as taking a standardised herbal extract.
Where does the study come from?
The study was done by three doctors based at the Peninsula Medical School, which was established as a partnership between the Universities of Plymouth and Exeter. It appeared in the Postgraduate Medical Journal, which is published by the British Medical Association.
What does this mean for me?
This study only looked at individualised herbal medicine, where you take several herbs based on the recommendations of a herbalist. The authors of the new study say that there's no evidence to recommend individualised herbal medicine for any medical condition.
Some individual herbs, such as St. John's wort, have been tested and found likely to help in particular conditions. Extracts are usually sold in pharmacies and health food shops. Your doctor or pharmacist should be able to give you advice on the risks and benefits of these treatments and whether they are likely to react with other medicines. For example, you shouldn't take St. John's wort if you're taking the contraceptive pill, migraine drugs called triptans, or certain treatments for high cholesterol.
There are many other over-the-counter herbal remedies, which are usually sold as dietary supplements in health food shops and pharmacies. The researchers didn't look at these in detail, but said that there's no evidence to show whether or not most of them work.
What should I do now?
If you're thinking of taking herbal remedies or supplements, it's always a good idea to check with a doctor or pharmacist. They'll be able to give you advice, and make sure you're not missing out on more effective treatments.
It's also important to remember that herbal remedies and supplements aren't regulated and checked in the same way as drugs. It can be difficult to know the quality, or even the exact ingredients, of what you're taking.
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