Influencers have been enthusiastically claiming its success in helping them lose weight, with their posts viewed by millions. You might be surprised what the evidence shows.
Natural supplements may be popular, but they can have dangerous side effects when they include prescription drugs.
Oleksandr Zamuruiev/Shutterstock.com
Men who can’t take drugs for erectile dysfunction and overweight people who can’t lose weight sometimes turn to natural supplements, thinking they are safe. Many times, they are not.
Ginseng, the root of the plant Panax ginseng, is one of the most commonly used herbal medicines and is often sold as an over-the-counter remedy for fatigue. Although it has been used by humans for thousands…
Many herbal medicines sold in Australia are not registered for sale or their contents differ to the legally registered items…
In their “natural” form herbal medicines are so variable from batch to batch and across brands that gathering reliable evidence of effectiveness is unlikely ever to be possible.
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TESTING ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES - La Trobe University’s decision to accept funding from Swisse for a new centre to research alternative medicines has sparked controversy. This series looks at how the evidence…
Calendula (marigold), lavendar and rosemary are used by practitioners of Western herbal medicine.
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PANACEA OR PLACEBO – A weekly series assessing the evidence behind complementary and alternative medicines. Herbs have been used for therapeutic purposes in most cultures for hundreds and even thousands…
Despite recent attempts to retain traditional healing practices in China, modern medicine is supplanting traditional medicine there.
Jean-François Chénier
Most of traditional healing practices are based on intuitive principles of diseases involving the imbalance of elemental qualities. For the ancient Greeks and Romans, whose systems of traditional healing…