Sponsors and Participants Build Momentum for HerbDay
June 3-5: Medicines from the Earth Herb Symposium. Black Mountain, NC. Annual symposium on herbal medicine at Blue Ridge Assembly near Asheville, NC. Join David Winston and many other excellent speakers, including ABC Founder and Executive Director Mark Blumenthal and ABC Board of Trustee member James Duke, PhD. Phone: 800-252-0688. Web site: http://www.botanicalmedicine.org/.
This installment of HerbalEGram has several stories regarding federal regulations (US FWS Clarifies CITES Rules for Importing/Exporting Hoodia, Supplement Regulation by the Numbers: FDA and FTC Testify to Congress on Enforcement Activity) as well as standard news from the herbal community including a few new databases and tools to help consumers and producers alike (Distribution Maps for Echinacea Species, NAPRALERT Herbal Database Available on Internet, North American Institute of Medical Herbalism Offers Onsite and Distance Education Courses). You can also find more articles in the latest issue of HerbalGram. Thank you for helping to make these publications possible through your continued support of ABC.
Sincerely,
The Staff of the American Botanical Council
HerbalGram #70 shipped on April 26, 2006. Feature articles are as follows:
Ginseng Ruling: How It Will Affect the Wild Ginseng Industry
Additional articles from this issue are available at http://www.herbalgram.org/herbalgram/.
Risky Remedies – The National Post
Consumers' assumptions about herb safety has led to a rise in the prevalence of herb drug interactions not before seen.
Blackwell, Tom. Risky Remedies: Natural Health Products Cause of Concern. The National Post. March 20, 2006.
Nurse is Convert to Natural Health Products – The National Post
Nurse explains how regulation of herbs makes her a confident consumer.
Blackwell, Tom. Nurse is Convert to Natural Health Products. The National Post. March 20, 2006.
Powerful but legal, hallucinogenic under scrutiny – USA Today
Several call for more research while others look to ban little-known hallucinogenic leaf.
Dorell, Oren. Powerful but legal, hallucinogenic under scrutiny. USA Today. April 3, 2006.
Herbals Effective for Low-Back Pain in the Short Term, Studies Find – Health Behavior News Service
Researchers study the efficacy of devil’s claw, white willow bark, and cayenne plasters on short-term low back pain.
Stevens, Lise Millay. Herbals Effective for Low-Back Pain in the Short Term, Studies Find.Health Behavior News Service. April 18, 2006.
People on the Move: Tai Sophia’s Mills Wins Literary Award – The Baltimore Sun
Tai Sohia’s director wins the James A Duke Botanical Literature Award.
Tai Sophia’s Mills Wins Literary Award. The Baltimore Sun. April 19, 2006.
Herbal Remedies Gaining Popularity in Health Care – The Torrington Telegram
More consumers turning to massage and alternative medicine to relieve stress and other ailments.
Abbott, Jerry. Herbal Remedies Gaining Popularity in Health Care.The Torrington Telegram. Accessed April 20, 2006.
Herbal Remedy Questions? Reliable Advice Now Online – ABC News
Consumer Reports has released a database that contains information on 13,600 natural products with an emphasis on effectiveness and safety.
Parashar, Amita. Herbal Remedy Questions? Reliable Advice Now Online. ABC News. April 26, 2006.
New DNA ‘fingerprinting’ technique separates hemp from marijuana – The Hemp Report
University of Minnesota researchers have found DNA markers that separate hemp from marijuana.
New DNA ‘fingerprinting’ technique separates hemp from marijuana. The Hemp Report. March 22, 2006.
Hemp Acres More Than Double – Farm Business Communications
Increasing acceptance of hemp has lead to large increase in acreage dedicated to growing the stigmatized crop.
Baltessen, Bonnie. Hemp Acres More Than Double. Farm Business Communications. April 21, 2006.
The Saw Palmetto Controversy – The Star Online
ABC Founder and Director Mark Blumenthal provides information about saw palmetto with regard to the results a new clinical trial that suggests that the herb is no better than a placebo. The article also includes brief summaries of stinging nettle, Pygeum africanum, pumpkin seed, and tomato extract and their effectiveness on benign prostatic hyperplasia.
The Saw Palmetto Controversy. The Star Online. April 23, 2006.
‘Introductory’ Fort Lewis class plants seeds of consciousness – The Durango Herald
Students at Fort Lewis College learn to use and identify plants in their area through their “Ethnobotany of the Southwest” class.
Munro, Thomas. ‘Introductory’ Fort Lewis class plants seeds of consciousness. The Durango Herald. April 23, 2006.
U.K. Herbals: Current and Future Legal Status – Natural Products Insider
The Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive has been implemented by the U.K. and the E.U. to help regulate the herbal products. New and old products must be registered and given marketing authorization by the end of the transitional period in 2011.
Last, Martin. U.K. Herbals: Current and Future Legal Status. Natural Products Insider. April 3, 2006.
The following are just a few of the upcoming events that you will find listed on ABC’s Event Calendar.
May 18: Herbs for Chronic Back and Neck Pain. Washington, NJ.
May 24: Natural Health Products in Clinical Practice.Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
June 5-8: 48th Annual Meeting of the Society for Economic Botany. Chiang Mai, Thailand.
June 10–16: Food As Medicine. The Tremont Plaza Hotel, Baltimore, MD.
June 11-15, 2007: Symposium on New Floricultural Crops. Funchal, Madeira Island (Portugal).
The current HerbClip bin was released on 4/27/06. Two samples have been made available online to all members:
Ginkgo Extract Does Not Interact with Flurbiprofen or Induce CPY2C9 Enzyme
Trial Examines St. John's Wort for Depression and Dysthymia
The HerbClip Educational Mailing Service is published twice monthly and provides hardcopies of reviews/summaries along with the original articles (in most cases). This unique educational benefit is available at the Sponsor Member level. For more information, please contact Aileen Truax at the Development Department or by phone at 512-926-4900.
Analysis of Black Cohosh Products Reveals Adulteration with Cheaper Chinese Actaea
Supreme Court Ruling Protects Religious Group’s Access to Ayahuasca
Global Horticulture Initiative to Improve Health and Economies of Developing Countries
Distribution Maps for Echinacea Species
Journal of Nutrition Publishes Special Supplement on Garlic Research
NAPRALERT Herbal Database Available on Internet
North American Institute of Medical Herbalism Offers Onsite and Distance Education Courses
FDA Issues Release Denying Medicinal Value of Smoked Marijuana
Supplement Regulation by the Numbers: FDA and FTC Testify to Congress on Enforcement Activity
Correction Released by FWS Regarding 5-Year Review of California and Nevada Species