Sven Hosford talks with Dr. Dan Wagner, PharmD., MBA, owner of NutriFarmacy.com about the new report from the National Institute of Health on the Five Most Searched for Herbs for 2012. They discuss the five chosen by the public, then then the five that Dr. Dan thinks are the most important ones we SHOULD know about. He concludes with an explanation of the role of herbs in the overall picture of how the nutrition and supplement choices we make play a role in our overall health. The Media Release that started this conversation: https://nccam.nih.gov/health/providers/digest/topsupplements-science?nav=cd

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THE FIVE MAIN HERBS THAT DESERVE RESEARCH AND REVIEW
By Dr. Dan Wagner
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Recently, there was an article published by the National Institutes of Health stating the 5 most searched herbs (on their database) that reportedly have little or no research efficacy. The 5 were: evening primrose oil, fenugreek, aloe vera, St. John’s wort and echinacea. I have worked in the rainforests of Belize and Guatemala collecting plant and herbal samples to send to the NIH in hopes of finding ones with anti-cancer activity.
Here would be my list of 5 herbs that best deserve more promotion of use and review simply because they have been shown to be efficacious.

Curcumin (turmeric)
What if you were told that a common spice can give you the gift of longevity and health? How about an extract of a familiar spice that can prevent heart disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, depression, joint pain and more? In fact, there is voluminous scientific research that warrants placing curcumin at the pinnacle off healing herbs.
Botanically known as Curcuma longa, the turmeric rhizome is a member of the antioxidant-rich ginger family. Curcumin is an important ingredient in both Ayurvedic medicine tradition and a vital part of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum)
Milk thistle has been used as a liver remedy for at least 2,000 years, and even today it is the world’s premier herbal extract for any ailment associated with liver function or dysfunction. Research shows that compounds from the seeds help protect against damage from alcohol and hepatitis and can even regenerate liver cells that have been damaged.
Even if you don’t have liver damage or disease, milk thistle helps improve liver function by removing toxins and heavy metals from your body.

Ginkgo Biloba (Fam. Ginkgoaceae)
Ginkgo is the oldest living species of tree on earth, dating back some 225 million years. The medicinal use of ginkgo leaf was first mentioned in Chinese medicine in the Ming dynasty in 1436. Ginkgo biloba extract has been approved in Europe for the treatment of cerebral insufficiency (memory loss that occurs with conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, vascular or multi-infarct dementia), tinnitus (ringing of the ears), vertigo, and intermittent claudication (poor circulation of the lower legs), sexual dysfunction (secondary to SSRI use), and acute altitude sickness.

Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens)
Saw palmetto is undoubtedly the most ‘researched’ herb in the world. Its effectiveness in treating benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH) is legendary, and millions of men have experienced a decreased urinary frequency and stronger flow when supplementing with it.
It works because it contains a compound that inhibits the action of the enzyme (testostosterone-5-alpha-reductase) that turns testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (the more dangerous form).

Astragalus (Astragalus membranoceus)
The root of the astragalus has long been a mainstay of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Its ability to boost the immune system (especially of chemotherapy patients), improve circulation, fight off bacteria, viruses and inflammation, and protect the liver, is well known. Recently, a leading group of Candidan herbalists chose astragalus as the world’s #1 herb. Clinical data has shown astragalus to be an immunostimulant, an adaptogenic, a cardiotonic, diuretic, hypotensive and an antioxidant. It is truly the ‘panacea’ of the herbal kingdom.