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50 Comments
- honus, on 11/27/2007, -0/+15Bad news:
Evidence based research on the benefits of these supplements is scarce and dubious at best. St John's Wort has been demonstrated to have no benefit compared to placebo, which is what you're getting with herbal supplementation. Studies regarding the truth in packaging on herbals frequently demonstrate that the quantity listed on the box is not accurate. In a few cases, companies sell ginko biloba supplements without any actual ginko in them, despite listing it per milligram on the box.
Bash the FDA all you want for its sometimes hyper-restrictive policies about medicine in the United States, but at least they do force manufacturers to live up to their labels. You know what you're paying for, not so with herbals.
That said, feel free to use them, they tend not to be harmful. Don't be surprised if you get sick, and additionally if you don't get sick don't be surprised if the same effect could've been achieved with a 5 cent sugar pill. - rlvis, on 11/27/2007, -0/+10A week or two in Hawaii does wonders for dry chapped lips and skin.
- jquipp, on 11/27/2007, -1/+10I can tell you from living in the north, a spot of whisky once in a while helps too!
- allaboutdatiki, on 11/27/2007, -0/+9Ditto on the tea with honey. I'm big on Echinacea, lots of oranges, hot & sour soup, and anything that spicy enough to make my eyes water and my nose run.
- statik99, on 11/03/2009, -1/+7I'll have to try some of these. My personal favorite, maybe Kevin will agree since he's a tea drinker, Earl Grey tea with a spot of honey. Clears up a scratchy/soar throat and brings my voice back. Works everytime!
- breadfred, on 11/27/2007, -1/+7You forgot the whiskey
- Phocion55, on 11/27/2007, -0/+5Tea with honey, lemon, and Maker's Mark whiskey does the trick.
- xMedic, on 11/27/2007, -0/+5Mmmm.. garlic...
- chalkboy, on 11/27/2007, -0/+5Don't worry about it Global Warming will take care of all these cold weather problems. Just suffer through it for a year or two and you will not have to worry about it again
- MassMopar, on 11/27/2007, -0/+5I drink 2 glasses of OJ a day and it cures just about everything. And to chalkboy, you say that like it's a bad thing!
- KeepSwinging, on 11/27/2007, -1/+5To whisky, the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems
- imakecomments, on 11/27/2007, -0/+4Check out the studies on ehinacea. It doesn't do a damn thing, yet everyone swears by it.
I eat donuts as a remedy when I feel sick, and I get better just as quickly as my echinacea-vitamin-c-swilling cohorts. - knobtwiddler, on 11/27/2007, -0/+4what about cigarettes?
- rmxz, on 11/27/2007, -0/+4One more remedy to Cold Weather -- global warming.
- Yage2006, on 11/27/2007, -0/+3@dcrooks
"If the FDA wasn't owned by the food and drug companies it would not be sooo bad! They believe the only to cure an illness is with a drug which is pure and simple BS..."
Fine if you do not want to believe the FDA but you dont have to look far to find studies done in other countries and other research organizations.
Unless you buy into the big pharma conspiracy and think all organizations that do research around the entire planet are one single evil entity. In which case carry on taking that useless crap
and maybe nature will tale care of you and remove you from the gene pool cause your liver or other vital organs was damaged by mega dosing on herbs. - inactive, on 11/27/2007, -0/+3Or jagermeister :)
- MattB123, on 11/27/2007, -1/+4I don't need to.
- knobtwiddler, on 11/27/2007, -0/+3global warming FTW!
- Yage2006, on 11/28/2007, -0/+3Ok so because of the bad doings of a few companys that means the FDA is curropt and herbal crap is good for you ? This would also mean all research done in other countries and organizations is also void ?
This means that because of a few instances we are never to believe what the FDA says ?
Your system of logic fascinates me PLZ tell me more.
- MattB123, on 11/27/2007, -0/+2Just get the GF in on the garlic and she won't notice yours.
- billizm, on 11/27/2007, -0/+2Based on the title alone, it sounds like the article is about remedies to stop the weather from being cold.
- obxjdt, on 11/28/2007, -0/+2Drink heavily! The alcohol will sterilize your blood, killing any unwanted bugs...... :-}
- honus, on 11/27/2007, -0/+220 hot wings. Capsacin is your friend.
- Wenz, on 11/27/2007, -2/+4Apple Cider Vinegar....gargle with it at the onset of a sore throat or cold, a few times a day for a couple days. Works for me every time.
- MattB123, on 11/27/2007, -0/+2I just wear a warm hat, down jacket and warm gloves. I bicycle commute year 'round in a place where -20 F can seem warm (compared to the -30's. I have to walk then because the bike doesn't work right).
- MattB123, on 11/27/2007, -1/+3Done for a handful a very specific viruses, but you will still be just as susceptible to everything else.
I'm very pro flu shots, but they don't help at all against most things like colds. - Wenz, on 11/27/2007, -1/+3While there have been some controversy over a few of the items listed on this page, not ALL of them are *****. Geez.
- Yage2006, on 11/28/2007, -0/+2Ya and they got bustedt doing it too so the system works doesn't it .
- GeneralKickass, on 11/27/2007, -0/+2Uhh...blankets?
- TheEvermind, on 11/27/2007, -0/+2Ok then point out one that is not BS ?
And by contraversy you mean dont work ?
Cause its like saying there is a contraversy of weather 3+3 = 6 - obxjdt, on 11/28/2007, -0/+2stole my thunder...
- knobtwiddler, on 11/28/2007, -0/+2why doesnt it work right? bearing and chain grease too thick?
- Amadeus2490, on 11/28/2007, -0/+2Believe it or not, since i've balanced my body's pH level and made sure my blood oxygen-levels are high enough I haven't had a single sore throat or runny nose in about 5 and a half years. Natural stuff works if you make sure to avoid the fads.
- zantos420, on 11/28/2007, -0/+2umm it says in the article, and i quote, "Don't chew and the garlic won't stay on your breath." i'm sure your problem finding a girlfriend isn't your breath
- MattB123, on 11/28/2007, -0/+2Bearings. The bottom bracket starts making this godawful metal on metal screeching noise at about -30 or so.
- obxjdt, on 11/30/2007, -0/+2you should relax, have a drink or two, then re-read my comment....
- knobtwiddler, on 11/27/2007, -1/+2"buy into the big pharma conspiracy" lol... WHICH ONE!!?!??!?!
how about this one:
"Thousands of hemophiliacs filed a class-action lawsuit Monday against Bayer Corp. and several other companies, claiming they knowingly sold blood contaminated with HIV and hepatitis C. "
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/06/03/health/m ...
oh and guess what. they did it with FULL KNOWLEDGE of the FDA. yes, the same FDA that approved aspartame and the chlorocarbon sucralose with 2% highly toxic impurities. i could go on all day. - Corrosionx, on 11/27/2007, -1/+2To decongest the worst cold
Lentil soup - 1 medium yellow onion, a can of lentils, 2 cups of water, salt and pepper to taste. More pepper = more decongesting - Antha, on 11/27/2007, -1/+2Bring on the hot toddys! Then wrap yourself up in a blanket with a heating pad, and sweat it out.
Echinacea is also a staple in our home during the winter. - knobtwiddler, on 11/27/2007, -1/+2i know a guy who had swollen knees and was sick for a year after taking a flu shot. not only that, they contain mercury, and the effectiveness is questionable since its made from last year's flu and it mutates every year.
- Yage2006, on 11/27/2007, -1/+2Oh i just realized the poster name is kevinrose :)
I'm sure the real kevin rose though would do a bit more research before posting something that could be dangerous to peoples health.
/Sarcasm - Yage2006, on 11/27/2007, -3/+4Wow such *****.
Echinacea has been proved to be completely worthless and even harmfull look it up.
Same goes for St. John's wort which is not good for anything and can even be dangerous the doses from one pill to another can very as much as 20x.
The site is totally credulous and sells herbal crap all the remedies are BS.
/Buried
And to the poster of this do you ever research any of the crap you post ? Or do you just always believe what these bs sites that sell ***** tell you .
Its that or your a F)#$%ING spammer and should be banned from digg for spamming this *****! - Yage2006, on 11/27/2007, -1/+2To add and show you how easy just the first hit on google of the first bs remedy to catch my eye
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2005/07/27/echinace ...
Don't believe anything there told when you trying to be sold something. - dcrooks, on 11/27/2007, -3/+4If the FDA wasn't owned by the food and drug companies it would not be sooo bad! They believe the only to cure an illness is with a drug which is pure and simple BS...
- ElJif, on 11/27/2007, -1/+2Aside from being anti-cancer garlic is also anti-friend and anti-girlfriend. I guess that last one comes in handy some times.
- poopz, on 11/27/2007, -1/+2..why don't you drive?
- fasyndrome, on 11/28/2007, -1/+1i really hope you're kidding about the fantastic power of alcohol to kill bugs in your blood
- fasyndrome, on 11/28/2007, -1/+1Quack!
unfortunately these herbal "remedies" are complete and utter *****. GOOD scientific studies show that most of the remedies Andrew Weil suggests in this article are just as good as placebo.
Garlic: anti-cancer? uhm...
Echinacea: immune-enhancer (what?) you can not boost your immune system. your immune system will react to any foreign bodies in your system, but there is no way you can boost your immune system.
St. John's Wart: antidepressant? GOOD scientific studies show that it works as good as placebo. I've seen studies that claim it's slightly better than placebo, but those studies usually use SJW diluted in alcohol.
Eucalyptus: Decongestant? I can see that... but antibacterial? Sounds fishy. Especially when he claims it's the aromatic oils that kill the bacteria. And what bacteria for that matter?
Astragalus: see echinacea
Ok, so what? You're probably saying herbal remedies are harmless. If people find them useful there's no harm done, right? Well on one hand, you're right. On the other hand, you shouldn't be using herbals to treat diseases, and I feel Dr. Weil needs to put a better warning than
"To be prudent, people with diseases like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus should avoid long-term use of any of the immune-enhancing botanicals. But it is perfectly fine for them to take echinacea or astragalus short-term (up to 10 days or so) to treat colds and other minor infections."
instead, if you have a disease you should be going to a medical professional and stop wasting your money on quack remedies. I have a remedy: whenever you feel a runny nose or a sore throat, eat a spoonful of honey. Every day until your cold goes away. It'll taste better than herbs, and if you REALLY BELIEVE in it, you'll feel your cold start to disappear in a week. But remember, you've got to BELIEVE. - knobtwiddler, on 11/27/2007, -3/+2see my post below about bayer pharm and factor 8.
also aspartame and splenda, bacteriaphage spray, rBGH, etc etc... the fda is criminal. they offer little protection and DO engage in deception and collusion with big pharma and agribusiness.
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