Health Alert 302
"Thanks Dr. Sears, but my doctor doesn’t agree with you. When I asked him about the supplements you recommended, he said," Well… we just don’t have any idea if they really do anything… ‘.”
This got me thinking (once I got over my initial urge to refute this statement). How can most doctors continue to remain so blind to such a large body of evidence?
Today, I hope to dispense of this ill-informed opinion to even your doctor’s satisfaction so we can get on with the important business of improving your health. Then I’ll share some insights from my experience on a great herb you can use as a tonic to strengthen your internal organs.
An analysis published last month in the peer-reviewed journal Alternative Therapies found over fifteen hundred studies on the top ten herbal supplements alone from the most popular online medical search engine, Pub Med.(1)
The internet, magazines, and the many nutrition and alternative journals are full of the latest reports and trials. The overwhelming majority of these studies find many supplements to be both safe and effective. The truth is that when taken together, this mountain of evidence proves that both nutrient and herbal supplements can work in general. The job of your doctor should be to help you sort out which ones work and which would be helpful to you in a particular circumstance.
Yet, another study shows a different reality. When health care professionals took an exam to test their basic knowledge of herbal supplements, the average score was a disappointing 50%.(2) Not much higher than the average non-health professional and, my guess, lower than most of you reading this letter.
With so much research available, why aren’t doctors getting it? Simply put, it’s the source of their information. I’ve been inside that machine, too.
Imagine hundreds of doctors gathering at a five-star hotel. After a warm reception, they sit down to a prime rib dinner. The champagne flows. Later, they listen to a lecture from high-paid doctor/researcher/marketers on the "latest breakthroughs" from a particular drug maker. They’ve now completed their "continuing medical education" requirement.
Here is one of my favorite herbal tonics and how I use it:
Guggul: This reliable ancient Indian herb comes from the resin of the guggul tree with the scientific name Commiphora mukul. Ayurvedic healers have used it for thousands of years as a heart-strengthening tonic. Now, at least 10 recent studies show guggul to improve various aspects of cardiovascular health.
This herb lowers the inflammation of the "bad" cholesterol associated with arterial plaques. It reduces elevated blood sugar and the vascular irritant C-reactive protein. It can aid the heart’s pumping action by opening the coronary arteries to nourish the heart muscle. Guggul can also slow a rapid heart rate and strengthen a failing heart. It can lower high blood pressure, too.
I look for guggul extract standardized to 6% guggulsterones and recommended a dose of 300 – 400 mg two to three times a day for a cycle of about 6 weeks then recheck those parameters of heart health mentioned above.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
(1) Hall M. Niaman N. Quantification of the scientific research in the United States about popular herbal remedies referenced on pubmed. Alternative Therapies. May/June 2005. Vol. 11, No.3, pp. 34-37.
(2) Kemper LJ, Amata-Kynvi A, Dvorkin L, et al. Herbs and other dietary supplements: healthcare professionals’ knowledge, attitude and practices. Altern Ther Health Med. 2003; 9:42-49.