Pharmacist | Nutritionist | FxMed | Public Health | Speaker | Consultant | Educator/Adjunct Faculty
I woke up feisty this morning so this might ruffle some feathers 😉 Very often I hear "there's not sufficient research to validate the use of herbs in managing medical conditions" That's not quite true 🤔 The reality is that the research is a reflection of the values of the culture and the medical community... 💸 And in the US we don't fund a lot of human trials on herbals and nutraceuticals unless they're patented formulas. The funding instead goes to large pharmaceutical trials and surgical interventions. 👉🏽 But in places like Eastern and South Asia, the Middle East (MENA), and certain parts of Europe and South America I've found there's TONS of research... likely because of the rich tradition of herbal medicine preserved withing the cultures. Case in point - a 2016 review from a Persian University citing 38 trials on herbal interventions for IBS 🌿 There's a lot to consider still - effective dose, formulations, safety, interactions, and contamination to name a few factors - but I'd like to at least start to open up our research sources globally. ✨️ What do you think? Bahrami HR, Hamedi S, Salari R, Noras M. Herbal Medicines for the Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review. Electron Physician. 2016;8(8):2719-2725. Published 2016 Aug 25. doi:10.19082/2719 Article 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ekRB3YN3
I hear this often as well. I use evidence all the time to validate my treatment recommendations. Many times, that comes from scientific literature. Other times, that evidence comes from centuries of (successful) traditional use,n=1 that I experience with patients, or from the experience of myself or my colleagues. As you stated so well, we can't pigeonhole evidence as not evidence just because it isn't in an American medical journal.
M. Susan H.
2w
Lara! Powerful POV! IBS is complex! After 24 years, of working with IBS-C, IBS-D, IBS-mixed, I've found that foods, herbs, lifestyle, sleep, cortisol levels, are all important, but monitoring water intake is key! Sipping, not gulping, small amounts with food, and nourishing soups are key. My protocol works 95%, if the clients works!
Bill White
2w
I find a let of recommendations for a herb for a certain medical condition, but how do you go about finding a reliable source for recipes and dosage?
Even better- allow the general public access to view research at a reasonable cost, and not just a tiny sampling. As a person who formerly had access to all research articles through my university, it's been a bummer to graduate and feel how limited my search results are in regards to valid, quality, varied articles. I'm trying to stay relevant and informed. Research should be collaborative, not segregated.
Thank you for this! Real world evidence across countries should be considered in health care💚🙏💚
'Tell people a lie often enough and they will believe it to be the truth.' When people are constantly told there is no evidence for complementary therapies, including herbs and homeopathy, they assume it is true. Thank you for this lovely table.
Love your take on this! The funny thing I find in western medicine we try to bottle the active ingredient and look for the cure. What if we understood that nutrients work in synergy with each other and advocate more for wholesome and varied diet for chronic health conditions.
1. Of course, it's Persian University! :) 2. We're often guided by what the media considers sound research, but it's important to remember that many trials have already been conducted in other countries and published in their journals AND RCT is not the only standard in nutrition and lifestyle medicine research folks. This is a very valuable post!
Botanicals are my first line agents in the treatment of many conditions and my patients appreciate my sharing global medical research findings and applying such findings in their care. Thank you for your time in sharing this post!
Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach | Expert in Systemic Inflammation & Holistic Healing
2wYour statement, “The reality is that the research is a reflection of the values of the culture and the medical community...” is spot on. I am a bit of a nerd and love reading and studying the research. I try not to let it bog me down though. It becomes a version of white-coat syndrome. It’s okay to know that something works even if Western medicine hasn't figured it out yet. The funding and interest will probably never match the requirements.