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During the initial outbreak, scientists traced the kidney problems to aristolochic acid (AA), which belongs to a group of plants known as birthwort or Dutchman’s pipe. The agent is used for weight loss and to treat asthma and arthritis. But since the epidemic, herbs with aristolochic acid have been banned for medicinal uses in many countries, including the U.S. Researchers at King’s College London, however, now report in the Annals of Internal Medicine that millions of people are still being exposed, especially in Asia.

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i believe we, if not me, need your honest-to-goodness and objective opinion on herbal medicines, lorenz.  consider the fact too that big pharmaceuticals also hire good scientists.  and they can manipulate world opinion...

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After reviewing 42 case studies and one trial related to caring for the disease, Lord and his colleagues came up with guidelines to help doctors to recognize cases of AAN, as well as treat the disease’s symptoms. They concluded that aristolochic acid could be linked to a variety of kidney diseases and urothelial cancer. More research, however, is needed to improve understanding of the risks of aristolochic acid.  They write:

    We see an urgent need for research addressing many key areas, including determining the true worldwide extent of exposure; defining genetic variants that might confer increased sensitivity or resistance to the nephrotoxic effects of AA; testing the accuracy and utility of diagnostic criteria and optimum screening strategies, including the use of noninvasive biomarkers; and developing therapeutic agents that can reverse or delay progression of the disease.

    An international herbal reference center equipped to assess the composition and risks of products available to consumers would provide substantial public health benefit.

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Lord urges everyone using herbal medicine to be cautious. Active agents in familiar treatments can change over time, or new information on the risks and benefits of specific ingredients may also become available. Checking the ingredients is an important and often overlooked step. “Generally, a lot of people don’t ask. There are a lot of ingredients in [the remedies] that can change over time because they are complex. You need to check each time. It never hurts to check.” And, when in doubt, ask a physician about whether an herbal remedy is safe to take.

http://healthland.time.com/2013/03/20/herbal-medicines-pose-health-risk-to-millions-in-asia/#ixzz2OCm9NZTd

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