{"id":1862,"date":"2015-12-16T15:08:00","date_gmt":"2015-12-16T20:08:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.willclower.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/if-youre-lucky-complementary-med-supplements-give-you-really-expensive-pee-study.html"},"modified":"2016-09-18T15:57:39","modified_gmt":"2016-09-18T19:57:39","slug":"if-youre-lucky-complementary-med-supplements-give-you-really-expensive-pee-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mymedwellness.com\/blog\/?p=1862","title":{"rendered":"If you’re lucky, complementary med supplements give you really expensive pee (STUDY)"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>We want to live healthy lives, and be our best every day. But it isn’t always easy when we’re bombarded by ALL CAPS claims of revolutionary results (!), super solutions (!), and unbelievable outcomes (!). <\/span>

<\/span>Follow @willclower<\/a><\/p>\n

In addition to the ads, there’s the fact that we just have a billion kinds of solutions on the table at any one time.  #confusing<\/span><\/div>\n
To make your life at least a wee bit less complicated, at least we can rule this one out. <\/span>This article<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/u> in the <\/span>Journal of Human Hypertension<\/span><\/i> reviewed 23 published papers and 88 scientific abstracts between 2010 and 2014. They were looking for those studies which used Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for the treatment of heart disease and high blood pressure.<\/span><\/div>\n
The question they were looking for? Do any\/some\/all of these solutions work? <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/a>You may not recognize the acronym CAM, but you definitely know the supplements that people take, which fall into this category: St. Johns Wort, fish oil, multivitamins, Ginko, Garlic, CoQ10, etc.  (full table is below).<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
What did this “study of studies” find? You have to read this: <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

There are certain CAM products like garlic, CoQ10, fish oil and multivitamins, which may not be very effective in lowering the BP, serum cholesterol or not preventing CVD and HF, but they are safe and can be taken together with conventional medicines, although the evidence for benefit is neither strong nor consistent (ref<\/span><\/a>). However, there are others such as ginseng, St John\u2019s wort, Ginkgo biloba, hawthorn, saw palmetto, dansen and licorice that can cause serious adverse effects through drug interactions or by themselves.<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In other words, this exhaustive scientific review concludes that the “solutions” are either ineffective<\/span><\/u> or harmful<\/span><\/u>. <\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
This means that the best case scenario is that your pill does no harm and you simple excrete it out. In other words, if you’re lucky, all you’ll get is really expensive pee. <\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/div>\n
For ourselves and our families, we do need to choose from among the myriad choices and voices clamoring for our attention. However, we also have to be careful about non-solutions that may actually do more harm than good. Moreover, I’m not sure exactly what people get out of their <\/span>commitment<\/span> to really expensive pee, but I am sure that it’s not exactly what they were looking for. <\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
FROM:<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
“The clinical significance and costs of herbs and food supplements used by complementary and alternative medicine for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and hypertension”<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
~S G Chrysant<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Table 1. Herbs and food supplements used for the treatment of CVD and HTN<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n
Herb\/FS<\/span><\/i><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Indication<\/span><\/i><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Effect<\/span><\/i><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Drug interaction<\/span><\/i><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Side effect<\/span><\/i><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Ginseng<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
CVD, HTN<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Equivocal<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Antidiabetic, digoxin, warfarin<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Hypogly, Dig, tox thrombosis<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
St John\u2019s wort<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Depression, DM<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Poss. effective<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Drugs affecting CYP3A4<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Bleeding<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Mother wort<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Sedative, tachycardia<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Poss. effective<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Drugs affecting CYP3A4<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Bleeding<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Ginkgo<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Demen., CVD, HTN<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Equivocal<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Drugs affecting CYP3A4<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Bleeding<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Garlic<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Cholest. HTN, CVD<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Poss. effective<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Anticoagulants<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Bleeding<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Hawthorn<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
CVD, HF, HTN<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Poss. effective<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Glycosides<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Dig. toxicity<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Saw palmetto<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
BPH,<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Poss. effective<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Warfarin<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Bleeding<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Danshen<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
CAD, HTN<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Poss. effective<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Warfarin<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Bleeding<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Licorice<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Peptic ulcer\/<\/span>Chinese<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Poss. effectve<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Spironolactone<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
HTN, hypokal<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Food sweetener<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
No longer used<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Cardiac arrhythmias<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
CoQ10<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Cholest. HTN, CVD<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Poss. effective<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
NA<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
NA<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Vitamin E<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Cholest. CVD<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Poss. effective<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
NA<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
NA<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Vitamin C<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
HTN<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Poss. effective<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
NA<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
NA<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Vitamin B<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
CVD, HF<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Poss. effective<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
NA<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
NA<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Fish oil<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
CVD, HTN<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Poss. effective<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
NA<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
NA<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
l<\/span>-Arginine,<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
l<\/span>-Creatinine,<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
Taurine<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
CVD, HF<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
Poss. effective<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
NA<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n
\n
NA<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
 Abbreviations:<\/span><\/b> BPH, benign prostatic hypertrophy; CAD, coronary artery disease; CVD, cardiovascular disease; cholest., cholesterol; demen, dementia; HF, heart failure; HTN, hypertension; poss., possibly; hypokal, hypokalemia; NA, not applicant.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

For more information: Click here to visit Will Clower’s website. <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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