Monday, January 11, 1999
Sick of Medicine
Many students, tired of commercial and prescription drugs,
are discovering the natural benefits of herbal remedies like
ginseng and echinacea
By Mary Vuong
Daily Bruin Contributor
Constant sneezing, coughing and runny noses – these can be a
student’s worst nightmare when they occur during extremely
stressful times.
Just ask Tony Chung, a third-year business economics
student.
"The flu started on the Saturday right before finals week. It
was really hard to study because every part of my body felt awful,
and I just wanted to sleep," he said.
To combat the flu, Chung loaded up on orange juice, chicken soup
and a whole bunch of herbs.
"Unlike regular medicine, which sometimes makes me drowsy and
unable to study, the herbs I take don’t have any side effects,"
Chung said.
Amidst cold and flu season, millions of Americans, like Chung,
are beginning to supplement their usual prescription and
over-the-counter drugs with medicinal herbs that claim to remedy
various ailments.
Rather than taking Sudafed or Robitussin for a stuffy nose or
hacking cough, many people are running to their local pharmacy,
grocery store or even surfing the Internet, in search of herbal
therapies that will fight against these common illnesses.
Over the past several years, herbs have experienced a strong
growth in their role in U.S. healthcare. More and more people are
beginning to use all-natural drugs to prevent and/or cure
sickness.
Nearly 15 million Americans take herbs along with their
prescription medication, according to the Journal of the American
Medical Association.
One commonly used product is echinacea, a purple cornflower that
stimulates the immune system to fight against minor colds and flus.
Its cleansing properties may also aid in the healing process for
infected wounds and swellings.
Also common is St. John’s wort, taken as a mood enhancer.
According to a study in the Archives of General Psychiatry, it
seems to produce fewer side effects than other antidepressant
drugs.
Other popular herbs include Kava kava, considered a mild
sedative, and Ginkgo biloba, believed to improve mental
alertness.
Manohar Sukumar, a second-year undeclared student, is thinking
about taking Ginkgo biloba in order to improve his memory.
"I’m hoping it will improve my capacity for learning," he
said.
According to Dina Brown, a licensed acupuncturist at the Golden
Cabinet Herbal Pharmacy in Los Angeles, people come in for a
variety of natural cures for problems such as aging, arthritis,
sinuses, skin problems and chronic pain.
"Using natural products is a way of teaching the body to heal
itself," Brown said.
Several factors contribute to the newfound popularity of herbal
healing, the most significant of which may be the complications and
endless paperwork involved in securing care from HMOs.
Other reasons may simply be that people are tired of getting
sick and then taking the conventional drugs to feel better. Rather
than get sick from losing essential minerals in the body, why not
supplement herbs for what has been lost beforehand?
Bryan Green, a second-year philosophy student and track team
member, takes his all-natural vitamins to prevent possible
sickness.
"When I’m running, I’ll lose a lot of water and minerals. These
pills prevent that," he said.
A number of herbs have been gaining popularity for their power
in preventing illnesses, or at least reducing their severity.
Herbal supplements such as Goldenseal claim to work as
antiseptics and cleanse the body’s system to prevent ill health.
Taking garlic cloves may lower cholesterol levels and possibly
reduce the risk of heart disease.
The roots of ginseng plants are trusted as an energy booster,
helping to overcome stress and fatigue. They may also help regulate
blood sugar levels and normalize blood pressure. For some people,
ginseng is a cure-all.
"I take ginseng for energy and to feel better," said Viet Pham,
a second-year biology student.
Occasionally students do not know why or what kind of herbs they
are taking, only that their parents gave it to them.
"It may only be psychological, but because my parents know
what’s best for me, I just take it," Pham added.
Julie Hsing, a second-year astrophysics student, has watched her
parents soak ginger roots, along with other herbs, in vodka for at
least a year before drinking the concoction.
"They drink it during the winter, and it’s supposed to keep you
healthy," she said.
Herbal remedies, commonly found throughout Asia and Europe, have
been practiced for thousands of years. Americans are just now
finding their way back to these practices after tiring of
traditional medicines. Yet due to the immense cost and time
required to research and establish the validity of these products,
they are currently unregulated by the government.
Unlike synthetic drugs and packaged foods that must meet strict
standards set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, these goods
are often plagued with problems regarding the purity of their
ingredients or the lack of criteria for the preparation
process.
"There’s not a lot of research on herbs yet, so I always discuss
the limitations of the alternative medicine market, like how
there’s no standardized dosage. You don’t know what you’re really
getting. It may or may not be safe," warned Sheri Albert, a
certified dietician at the Student Health and Wellness Center.
Many people take comfort that an herb is a "natural" substance,
something they consider safe. Some users do not realize that herbs
also contain chemicals which can be potentially dangerous, just
like synthetic drugs.
"Right now, students seem to be using St. John’s wort and
echinacea, which don’t appear to be harmful, but I would never
recommend an herbal treatment over medical advice. They should let
their physician know what they’re taking," Albert added.
Yet despite the doubt and uncertainty surrounding herbal
products, those people who do take them believe that the benefits
do outweigh the potential risks.
"Whether it’s psychological or not, I don’t know. But when I
take regular medicine, it seems to take a couple of days for me to
get better. With herbs, I can feel their effect almost
immediately," Chung said.
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