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Herbal remedies gain acceptance and bloom again in Oxford The old college recipe for brownies has little bearing on the scientific research into the power of flowers. Its baked-in herbal goodness is too often considered the flag-ship for an industry marred by snake oil salesmen and hard-living adolescents. The times are changing, and Oxford appears to be at the front of the curve. The study of natural resources, of roots and stems and flowers, for the purpose of discovering and developing medicines drives Ole Miss's National Center for the Study of Natural Products as well as a grassroots herbal movement in Oxford. Phytomedicine, as academicians know it, has found its home beside the Grove in a majestic $28 million gift from the federal government. The coordinator of the phytomedicine project, Ed Croom, works toward legitimizing an industry decided be a nation addicted to the quick fix, to conventional, though synthetically produced, medicines. He laments his subject's position in society. "Many of the best herbal remedies are gentle remedies," he explains. "The most popular herbs, unfortunately, are ones with the most dramatic effect, Thus, they are the highest risk herbs." His position isn't enviable, either. Croom is part of the United States Pharmacopoeia, a 100-member body which establishes the standards for over-the-counter and prescription medications. He also serves on the USP sub-committee appointed to research the feasibility of establishing government standards used as dietary supplements. Herbal remedies have been widely used by cultures, both primitive and advanced, for thousands of years, but due to their exploitation by unscrupulous marketers and the advent of post-war pharmaceutical advances, they've fallen out of favor and use with the American public. Over the last twenty years, though, herbs have crept back into wider use in North America. Today, they stand at a precarious crossroads: herbal remedies grow in popularity, grossing $1.5 billion dollars in Nort h America last year, yet they remain without industry standards. "Most people no longer grow herbs or prepare the herbs themselves," explained Croom. "They must have faith that what they are buying from various companies is what it's supposed to be." To this end, Gail Doorenbos, owner of La Boheme, a salon and herb shop on South Lamar, keeps watch over Oxford's herbal intake. Doorenbos has studied herbal remedies and the companies who provide them for over eight years. She spearheads the recent growth in popularity of herbal extracts in Oxford and provides the community with a trustworthy source of products. |
"People make the rounds of pharmaceuticals," Doorenbos explained, "and when they come to an herb like echinacea, conditions like kidney infections just go away. Because they're organic, herbs tend to have a nice synergistic effect. You're not overriding your immune system, you're assisting it in doing what its supposed to do on its own." Doorenbos, naturally, is a confident cheerleader for her products. She touts the effects of such organic remedies as ST. John's Wort (it's a pretty little yellow flower and a marvelous anti-depressant.") and ginger as though they were her own children. "Ginger is great for stopping nausea and vertigo without causing any side effects," she said, "A number of my customers prefer it on long car trips because Dramamine knocks you out." Doorenbos is not alone in her praise of plants. Local counselor Susannah Ferris has been taking a number of herbs for just over nine months and is impressed by the results. "I've noticed a definite improvement in my overall feeling. It has helped in my coping with stress, with my energy level and with my clarity of thought, even in retrieving things from memory." Ferris said the staples of her herbal inventory are thee mainstays of the industry. That is, cayenne (taken in capsule form for energy), ginseng, (also for energy), ginkgo biloba ( for memory) and clarity of thought) and echinacea and golden seal (for fortification of the immune system). Gary Gathright, a local appliance repairman, has been studying herbs for five years and now prepares his own herbal mixtures as needed. "I'll prepare a formula for whatever comes up," he said. "Burns, colds, headaches, stomach problems-I've never been let down by them. There are a lot of fads and hocus pocus out there, but the stuff works." Doorenbos particularly notes the effects of the Feverfew plant. Doctors dating back to ancient Greece have used it as a diuretic and as a treatment for rheumatism, but recent scientific research shows it achieves outstanding results for migraine headache sufferers. "It is very effective for over 75% of users," she said. "I haven't met anybody who hasn't seen remarkable improvement. You cannot overdose on it, and you see results without having to take pain pills." Herbal treatments, however have recently come under attac k. One particular herb, Ma Huang, is billed as a natural form of speed. Also known as ephedrine, it has been linked to the deaths of several over-indulgent users, thus causing panic among the less knowledgeable. The May 6 edition of Newsweek warned readers about the new "herbal hype," a wave of savvy marketing to coax a wary market into purchasing herbal products. These companies' claim of sharp weight loss, energy boosts and natural highs smack of snake oil-style fraud. Further, as both Doorenbos and Croom pointed out, there are dangers in an unregulated market for which faith and independent research are the only defenses. "In the case of ma huang, I simply don't carry it," said Doorenbos. "It's been used for thousands of years as a decongestant, but people can abuse just about anything. Unfortunately, it's really memorable when somebody does something stupid."
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| **Article by Andrew Burns contributing editor for Oxford Town 1997 | ||
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2000 Gail Doorenbos. All rights reserved. |
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