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Natural Health Products (natural + health_products)
Selected AbstractsPromoting research guidelines for natural health products (NHPs) in oncologyFOCUS ON ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES AN EVIDENCE-BASED APPROACH, Issue 2007SM Sagar [source] Patient decision aid regarding natural health products for menopausal symptoms: a randomised controlled trialFOCUS ON ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES AN EVIDENCE-BASED APPROACH, Issue 2006S Dodin [source] Community pharmacists' identification of natural health product/drug interactions in older personsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACY PRACTICE, Issue 4 2003Ruby E. Grymonpre professor ABSTRACT Objective To document the prevalence and significance of potential natural health products (NHPs)/prescribed drug interactions in a sample of older adults; to determine whether community pharmacists detected these drug interactions; and to characterise users and non-users of NHPs. Setting The project involved 15 community pharmacists providing pharmaceutical care to 213 non-institutionalised older adults. Method The study was a subanalysis of a prospective, non-randomised, before-and-after trial of the provision of pharmaceutical care. Pharmacists documented each time medication-specific information or advice was provided to subjects. The numbers and types of NHPs that clients reported taking and the number of potentially significant NHP/prescribed drug interactions were determined. Whether pharmacists identified such drug interactions and made the necessary interventions were also documented. Results Forty-two NHPs were reported 96 times by 49 (23%) clients, most commonly glucosamine (n = 10), garlic (n = 10), prune juice (n = 9), and Ginkgo biloba (n = 6). There was a total of 446 possible NHP/prescribed drug combinations in the 49 clients, of which 53 (12%) were considered to be of potential clinical significance. Of these 53 combinations, three pharmacists identified four (8%) potential interactions in three different patients. Although gender, mean age and number of reported medical conditions did not differ between users and non-users of NHPs, users reported taking fewer prescribed drugs compared with non-users (5.0 ± 3.2 vs 6.0 ± 2.9, respectively, P = 0.043) and more non-prescribed drugs (4.2 ± 2.5 vs 2.1 ± 2.0, respectively, P < 0.0001). Conclusion The reported prevalence of NHP and the potential for NHP/prescribed drug interactions in our sample of older adults were high. Pharmacists providing pharmaceutical care did not commonly identify potentially significant NHP/prescribed drug interactions. [source] CASE REPORT: Efficacy of Hoodia for weight loss: is there evidence to support the efficacy claims?JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 5 2010A. M. Whelan PharmD Summary Increasing rates of adult obesity and its negative health consequences are likely to become an increasing burden to the Canadian health care system. Consumers are looking for treatment options and often try the natural health products that are heavily promoted as safe, fast and effective. In this case report, MH, a 57-year-old overweight female wanted advice regarding whether she should use the natural product Hoodia to help her attain her weight loss goals. A literature search was conducted using Medline, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database and IPA from inception to March 2009. The internet, files of the authors and bibliographies of articles were searched for additional references. No published, peer-reviewed randomized controlled trials examining efficacy of Hoodia were found. Unpublished data from two small trials reported promising results with no adverse events. However, this leaves many unanswered questions regarding the use of Hoodia for weight loss such as the appropriate dose and duration, short and long term safety and use in patients with concomitant diseases. Literature suggests that some commercial products may not actually contain Hoodia at all. Additionally, Hoodia is not yet listed in the Canadian Licensed Natural Health Products Database meaning products sold in Canada may not meet Canadian regulatory standards. Upon discussing this information, MH decided not to use Hoodia, and other evidence-based recommendations were discussed. [source] Effect of High Pressure Pasteurization on Bacterial Load and Bioactivity of Echinacea PurpureaJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 7 2010Xiu-Min Chen Abstract:, High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) technology was applied to organic Echinacea purpurea (E. purpurea) roots and flowers to determine the feasibility of using this technology for cold herb pasteurization, to produce microbiologically safe and shelf-stable products for the natural health products (NHPs) industry. HHP significantly (P < 0.01) reduced microbial contamination in both roots and flowers without affecting the phytochemical retention of chicoric and chlorogenic acids, and total alkamide contents. The antioxidant activity of E. purpurea methanol-derived extracts, evaluated in both chemical (2,2,-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) [ABTS] and oxygen radical absorption capacity [ORAC] assay) and in cell culture models (RAW264, 7 macrophage, H2O2 -induced intracellular oxidation, and lipopolysaccharide [LPS]-induced nitric oxide production), was not adversely affected by the application of HHP at both 2 and 5 min at 600 mPa. Furthermore, HHP did not affect the capacity of E. purpurea extracts to suppress nitric oxide production in LPS-activated macrophage cells. Therefore, our results show that HHP is an effective pasteurization process treatment to reduce microbial-contamination load while not adversely altering chemical and bioactive function of active constituents present in organic E. purpurea. Practical Application:, Our study reports for the first time, the effectiveness of using high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) technology pressure to pasteurize E. purpurea root and flower, and the comparative retention of bioactive phytochemicals. Therefore, this technique can be used in food and natural health product industries to produce high-quality, microbiologically safe, and shelf-stable products. [source] Garlic natural health products exhibit variable constituent levels and antimicrobial activity against Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalisPHYTOTHERAPY RESEARCH, Issue 4 2005Patrick S. Ruddock Abstract The composition of 19 garlic natural health products (NHPs) and fresh garlic extracts were determined, as was their antibacterial activity. The 19 NHPs and 5 fresh garlic extract standards were analysed for their principal active constituents. They were also extracted for 5, 10 or 15 min in water to fresh garlic equivalents of 200 mg/mL. The extract's minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBCs) against three indicator microorganisms (Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis) were determined by the broth microdilution method. While 47% of the aqueous garlic NHP extracts exhibited activity against N. gonorrhoeae, only 16% of the aqueous extracts inhibited S. aureus or E. faecalis at all three timepoints. Generally, products with high antimicrobial activity contained higher levels of garlic constituents with comparable activity to fresh garlic extracts, while products with marginal antibacterial activity often contained lower concentrations of constituents than their product labels indicated. Different extraction times affected antibacterial activity only against N. gonorrhoeae and tended to be correlated with levels of allicin. Thus, many extracts showed discrepancies in both composition, allicin:alliin ratio and antimicrobial activity, raising concerns as to standards of preparation and quality control for these products. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Policy Development for Novel Foods: Issues and Challenges for Functional FoodCANADIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 4 2002Michele Veeman Challenges in policy development for novel foods arise from information asymmetry associated with these credence goods. Policy development reflects pressures by firms and investors to apply health claims in marketing functional food, nutraceuticals and natural health products, which are growing market segments, relative to mature food markets. However, the wordings on health claims are often misinterpreted by consumers. Despite tendencies for some convergence in approaches to health claim policies, policy differs internationally. Related issues considered include factors influencing consumer preferences for these products and uncertainties in the markets for them. [source] Rhodiola rosea: A Versatile AdaptogenCOMPREHENSIVE REVIEWS IN FOOD SCIENCE AND FOOD SAFETY, Issue 3 2005Farhath Khanum ABSTRACT Rhodiola rosea (rose root) belonging to the family Crassulaceae is a popular medicinal plant in Russia, Scandinavia, and many other countries. Extracts of the roots of this plant have been found to favorably affect a number of physiological functions including neurotransmitter levels, central nervous system activity, and cardiovascular function. It is being used to stimulate the nervous system, decrease depression, enhance work performance, eliminate fatigue, and prevent high-altitude sickness. Most of these effects have been ascribed to constituents such as salidroside (rhodioloside), rosavins, and p-tyrosol. It has also been found to be a strong antioxidant and anticarcinogen due to the presence of several phenolic compounds. Adaptogens are plant extracts that allow an organism to counteract adverse physical, chemical, and biological stressors by generating nonspecific resistance. Adaptogens are known to increase the availability of energy during the day, reduce stressed feelings, increase endurance, and increase mental alertness. This multipurpose medicinal plant (R. rosea), with adaptogenic properties that increase the body's nonspecific resistance and normalize functions, has been traditionally grown and used in Russia and Mongolia. Due to increasing consumer demands toward natural health products and the growing interests in the secondary metabolites of plants and their application in biotechnology and therapy, much focus has been put on the rose root and its medical properties. The rose root imparts normalizing influences on adverse physical, chemical, and biological disturbances but is otherwise innocuous. In India, the plant has been growing wild in the high altitudes of the Himalayas. The Defence Research and Development Organization in India has taken on the responsibilities of its conservation, as well as the development of multiple management practices and the development of health foods, supplements, and nutraceuticals in India. [source] | ||||||||||