Welcome!
For over 25 years, the Herb Research Foundation has been helping to educate the world about herbs. In celebration of our 25th birthday, we are launching Herb News, the first of its kind blog for everyone interested in herbs and other substances used in natural healthcare. Here you will find the latest information on the science, the regulation, the industry and products that people all over the world are using to preserve, maintain and build their health. Self-care is the key to better health, and the first step in self-care is self-education.
We are dedicated to the safe, effective use of herbs and other natural products for health promotion and natural healing.Rob McCaleb, HRF President
Science
Vitamin B6 deficiency and anemia in pregnancy.
The following review article shows the importance of B6 levels and the role that this vitamin plays in anemia during pregnancy.
Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anemia in pregnancy. Pregnant women with anemia are, in general, exclusively treated with iron supplementation. We observed that several pregnant women with anemia who were nonresponsive to [...]
Cranberries for preventing urinary tract infections.
The following review article supports the usefulness of cranberries in the prevention of urinary tract infections.
BACKGROUND: Cranberries (particularly in the form of cranberry juice) have been used widely for several decades for the prevention and treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs). The aim of this review is to assess the effectiveness of cranberries in preventing [...]
Crataegus tanacetifolia leaf extract prevents L-NAME-induced hypertension in rats: a morphological study.
Hawthorn or Crataegus has a long history of use for heart conditions. After reviewing many studies the consistent conclusion was Hathorn has benefits when treating a variety of conditions of the heart.
Crataegus (hawthorn) has long been used as a folk medicine all around the world. Most of the studies with Crataegus species focus on effects on [...]
Natural products and anti-inflammatory activity.
This review article gives information on natural products and their anti-inflammatory activity due to the herbs that the products contain. These anti-inflammatory herbs need to be considered for many applicatioins in overall health as well as their roll in prevention of conditions.
The aim of this review paper was to summarise some commonly available natural products [...]
Omega-3 fatty acids: their beneficial role in cardiovascular health.
Omega-3 fatty acids are proving to be beneficial in many areas of overall health. The article below gives positive information on the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.
OBJECTIVE: To examine evidence for the role of omega-3 fatty acids in cardiovascular disease. QUALITY OF EVIDENCE: PubMed was searched for articles on the role of omega-3 [...]
Tea
Tiger Woods and Theanine to the Next level
Tiger Woods says his experience with the “calming” alkaloid l-theanine in the form of Gatorade Tiger Focus, “is taking me someplace I never imagined.” An article in The Gazette, May 24, 2009 details some of the research on theanine and the “tea paradox” of how a caffeinated beverage can be described as “calming.”
A relaxed, awake [...]
Green Tea Research
Green tea polyphenols have potent anti-inflammatory properties. “Given the long safety record of tea consumption, the use of EGCG and related compounds may represent a novel pharmacological strategy for the modulation of inflammation.”
Green Tea And Thermogenesis
The thermogenic effect of tea is generally attributed to its caffeine content. An article in Alternative Medicine Review reports that green tea extract stimulates brown adipose tissue thermogenesis to an extent which is much greater than can be attributed to its caffeine content alone.
Read More Posts From This CategoryOpinion & Commentary
Adverse Event Reporting
Industry experts are proclaiming victory in getting a law passed that requires dietary supplement (and OTC drug) manufacturers to report all serious “adverse events” to their products to the FDA. With the obvious bias in the media against supplements, each reported (but not proven) “reaction” will likely be used to hammer dietary supplements.
Who Are These Guys?
The “Organic Consumer’s Association” comes on like a champion of ethics in organics, but really, aren’t these pretty extreme positions? OCA has joined the shrill, pharma-sponsored attacks on dietary supplements.
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