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Featured Alternative Articles Issues 27-30 |
 Amazonian
Medicinals |
Guggul |
| Herb-Drug
Interactions: Part 1 |
Herb-Drug
Interactions: Part 2 |
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This issue is free in PDF Amazonian Medicinals for Gastrointestinal Health Mark J.S. Miller, PhD |
| Mark J.S. Miller, PhD, is the Co-Chair of the Research Council of the American Nutraceutical Association. Currently, Dr. Miller is Professor of Cardiovascular Sciences & Pediatrics at Albany Medical College. He is also President of Rainforest Phytoceuticals, LLC a nutraceutical company specializing in South American medicinal plants. Dr. Miller has held several positions in academic institutions as well as the pharmaceutical industry and is internationally recognized for his contributions to pharmacology and experimental therapeutics. His recent interests have been in elucidating the mechanisms of action of medicinal plants, focusing on the Amazon. |
| Nutrition and gastrointestinal health are major issues
associated with the morbidity of HIV infection and AIDS. While protease
inhibitors have helped bring cachexia, wasting and diarrhea under better
control, opportunities for improvement still exist. Amazonian medicinal
plants may offer many individuals a complementary approach to gastrointestinal
health. The medicinal plants of choice are Cat’s claw (Uña de gato)
and Sangre de grado which have remarkable protective and healing actions,
but for quite different reasons. Cat’s claw prevents the activation of
genes associated with a dysregulated immune system and inflammation. Of
particular note is its ability to inhibit tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF)
formation. Cat’s claw is also cytoprotective to numerous toxic agents (free
radicals, oxidants, toxins). Sangre de grado is an inhibitor of epithelial
secretion and diarrhea. The mechanism is under debate but the most compelling
evidence is for suppression of neurally-mediated diarrheal mechanisms.
Sangre de grado has been shown to rapidly heal gastric ulcers and intestinal
injury and is used ethnomedically for severe gastrointestinal complications.
Reasonable clinical evidence for efficacy is available for both Amazonian
medicinal plants and they should be considered as promising complementary
approaches to a perplexing and persistent problem.
This article was published in May 2001. |
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This issue is free in PDF Potential Herb-Drug Interactions for HIV-positive Patients Sharon Herr, RD |
| Sharon Herr, RD, lives in Nassau, New York and is a member of the American Dietetic Association. She belongs to several Dietetic Practice Groups and as the public relations co-chair for the Hudson Valley Dietetic Association, she recently designed its new Web site. Sharon is dedicated to increasing public and professional awareness of herb-drug interactions and has recently published a book entitled the Herb-Drug Interaction Handbook. The Web site offers information on her book along with free online monthly book updates. |
| Editor's Note: Part I discussed trends in medicine, safety
issues of herb use, St. John's Wort interactions and cytochrome P-450 interactions,
along with the gastrointestinal effects of HIV disease. Excerpted from
the author's book Herb- Drug Interactions, possible effects are listed
alphabetically for easy reader access. Find comprehensive information on
a number of herbs in previous issues of the HIV ReSource Review.
This article was published in March 2001. |
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This issue is free in PDF Potential Herb-Drug Interactions for HIV-positive Patients |
| Sharon Herr, RD, lives in Nassau, New York and is a member of the American Dietetic Association. She belongs to several Dietetic Practice Groups and as the public relations co-chair for the Hudson Valley Dietetic Association, she recently designed its new Web site. Sharon is dedicated to increasing public and professional awareness of herb-drug interactions and has recently published a book entitled the Herb-Drug Interaction Handbook. The Web site offers information on her book along with free online monthly book updates. |
| Perhaps more than any other patient population, people
who test positive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) use complementary
therapies along with or instead of conventional treatments. In the early
years, many people in this group tried herbs as a last resort because no
effective medications were available to treat their infection. Today, many
HIV-positive people use herbs and other complementary treatments either
in place of prescription drugs or to try and lessen the effects of prescribed
medications. Increased use of prescription medications and dietary supplements
has increased the risk of herb-drug interactions. Decreased immune function,
multiple drug regimes and achlorhydria further increase risks for HIV/AIDS
patients who use herbs. Herbs commonly used by HIV/AIDS patients interact
with drugs, including St. John’s Wort, which can induce cytochrome P450
enzymes and reduce bioavailability of the drugs. More research is needed
of herb-drug interactions to increase safety for those who choose to use
dietary supplements along with conventional drugs.
Editors Note: This article was published in January 2001. The two-part article provides comprehensive information on herb- drug interactions. Since much of this information is taken from the author's Herb Drug Interaction Handbook, readers will find that reference numbers are not listed in this text in consecutive order. All references listed at the article's end are accurate and contain the information cited within the article. |
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This issue is free in PDF The Promise Of Guggul |
| Sharon Ann Meyer, AA, AS, DTR, Certified HIV Counselor is the President of HIV ReSources, Inc. She is Editor-In-Chief of the HIV ReSource Review, co-author of HIV Medications Food Interactions (And So Much More), and Nutrition Editor for NUMEDX journals. |
| Many HIV-positive people on combination therapies are
turning to dietary measures and supplements to help them control medication
side effects. Learning about complementary treatments can help potential
product users decide if certain products may be worthwhile. Interest in
guggul as a treatment for high cholesterol and high triglycerides has been
increasing since the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).
Use of the botanical product is most prominent in HIV-positive people who
have high cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
This research article explores the information available on guggul to help readers learn more about the popular supplement. It was published in November 2000. |
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The HIV ReSource Review (issues 1-30) and HIV
Nutrition Update (issues 30-54) are peer-reviewed publications designed
for nutrition professionals and others interested in nutrition and HIV/AIDS.
First published on July 1, 1996, the newsletters still provide important, time-saving, HIV-related nutrition information. Feature articles are the result of original research, scientific literature searches, and searches on the World Wide Web. Article information is supplemented by reviewing conference proceedings and expert recommendations. |
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| Nancy Spaulding Albright, RD, LD, CNSD |
| Wendy Wittenbrook, MA, RD, LD |
| Donna Tinnerello, MS, RD, CDN
Web Site Affiliation(s)
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| In Spirit- Chester Myers, PhD |
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| Kevin Kelly, RD, LD
Web Site Affiliation(s)
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| Jason Stevenson, BS, Medical Researcher |
| Denise Li, BS |
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| Sharon
Ann Meyer, AA, AS, DTR, Certified HIV Counselor About
Sharon
Web Site Affiliation(s)
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Any use of the information presented here is done strictly at your own risk. No responsibility is implied or intended on the part of HIV ReSources Inc, the editor, or the publisher. Information on this site should not be thought of as an endorsement of any kind. |
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