Natural Standard Blog

Natural Standard Answers Questions About Relaxation Drinks

WBZ Boston News consulted Dr. Catherine Ulbricht, co-founder of Natural Standard and Senior Attending Pharmacist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston to learn about relaxation drinks. These new drinks often contain herbal extracts or natural hormones and are formulated to help reduce stress and anxiety and improve sleep.

While the safety and effectiveness of these products have not been rigorously tested, some of their ingredients, such as melatonin, have been shown to offer benefits in human studies.

The drinks have been gaining popularity. The number of companies that make relaxation drinks has grown from two to 50 in the last few years. 

However, Dr. Ulbricht cautions that these products may not be safe for everyone. "If you have a predisposition to liver disease and are on medications that might affect the liver, then kava, which is also in some of these drinks, might not be the best for you,” Dr. Ulbricht told WBZ Boston News. The drinks are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

To schedule an expert interview or book signing with Dr. Ulbricht, please e-mail mediainquiry@naturalstandard.com.

For more information melatonin, GABA, 5-HTP and other ingredients in relaxation drinks, please visit Natural Standard's Foods, Herbs & Supplements database.

Natural Standard Stevia Review Published

An evidence-based systematic review of stevia by the Natural Standard Research Collaboration is featured in the latest issue of Cardiovascular & Hematological Agents in Medicinal Chemistry.

The stevia plant is native to Brazil and Paraguay. For more than 20 years, stevia extracts have been sold as commercialized sweeteners in Japan and Brazil.

The review provides systematic analyses of scientific literature, expert opinion, folkloric precedent, history, pharmacology, kinetics/dynamics, interactions, adverse effects, toxicology and dosing information.

Aside from having no calories, stevia may also offer some health benefits. Stevioside, a natural plant glycoside in stevia, has been demonstrated to lower blood pressure in humans when taken for one to two years, although data from shorter studies (one to three months) did not support these findings.

The plant has also been widely used to treat diabetes in South America. In studies, healthy human volunteers showed decreases in blood sugar levels after taking stevia, but it remains unclear if similar effects would occur in patients with diabetes.

Reported side effects of stevia include muscle pain, muscle weakness, dizziness, nausea and abdominal fullness. These effects generally resolve after the first week of treatment. Higher doses of stevia may affect kidney activity.

For more information about stevia please visit Natural Standard's Foods, Herbs & Supplements database.

Peppers for Weight Loss

A compound in peppers called dihydrocapsiate (DCT) may help promote weight loss, researchers reported at the annual Experimental Biology Meeting in Anaheim, Calif. DCT is structurally similar to capsaicin, another constituent found in hot peppers.

Fifty-one obese adults were enrolled in the study. All participants followed a liquid meal-replacement diet that included just 800 calories daily. They were randomly assigned to take a DCT capsule (either three or nine milligrams) or a placebo daily for four weeks. Many participants reported difficulty following the low-calorie diet, and only 33 completed the study.

At the beginning and end of the trial period, the researchers measured the metabolic rate and energy expenditure (or heat production) of the participants after they each ate a 400-calorie liquid test meal. People who took nine milligrams of DCT experienced significant increases in energy expenditure and burned more fat than the control group.

Although these early results are promising, additional research is needed to determine the safety and effectiveness of DCT.

Peppers in general have traditionally been used for various medical conditions. For instance, the German Commission E has approved cayenne as a topical ointment for the relief of painful muscle spasms. Research also suggests that cayenne may help treat lower back pain, post-operative pain and post-operative nausea.

For more information about peppers, please visit Natural Standard's Foods, Herbs & Supplements database.

Behavioral Therapy May Improve IBS

Some patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) may experience fast-acting symptom relief from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), with benefits lasting several weeks, researchers report in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

IBS is considered a functional bowel disorder because the gastrointestinal tract is healthy but does not function normally. Lower abdominal pain and bloating associated with constipation and/or diarrhea are the most frequent symptoms. It is unclear what causes IBS, although it has been suggested that diet, neurotransmitter imbalances and/or infections may play a role.

Earlier research suggests that CBT may help alleviate IBS symptoms. During CBT, patients evaluate the relationship between their thoughts and symptoms and learn different strategies to help cope with their conditions.

The recent study included 71 adults (aged 17-70) with moderate-to-severe IBS. They were randomly assigned to 10 weekly sessions of CBT or four sessions spread out over 10 weeks. Each session lasted one hour. A third group received no treatment and served as the control.

About 30 percent of people in the CBT groups were considered "rapid responders" because they reported "adequate relief" of pain and bowel symptoms and a decrease in total IBS severity scores after four weeks of therapy. The number of rapid responders was comparable in both CBT groups.

The researchers found that 95.2 percent of the rapid responders continued to experience beneficial effects for three months after therapy was complete. Even though their symptoms were more severe at the start of the study, rapid responders had much milder symptoms compared to non-rapid responders after 12 weeks.

However, additional research with a larger sample is needed before conclusions can be reached.

Nutritional and lifestyle choices may also help prevent or relieve symptoms of IBS. For instance, eating a diet low in alcohol, caffeine, dairy products, refined sugars and fatty foods may reduce symptoms. Also, some food allergies may aggravate IBS or trigger episodes. Some common food triggers include dairy products, corn, peanuts, citrus, soy, eggs, fish, rye, barley, tomatoes and wheat products (including gluten). Eating sufficient amounts of fiber may alleviate constipation, improve diarrhea and prevent muscle spasms. Soluble and insoluble fiber can be found in foods such as whole-grain cereals and breads, fruits, vegetables and legumes.

Regular exercise (especially abdominal muscle exercises) and brisk walking are recommended according to the age and physical condition of the individual. Regular exercise may help reduce stress and decrease constipation.

For more information about integrative therapies for IBS, please visit Natural Standard's Comparative Effectiveness database.

Fish Oil May Not Benefit Brain

Fish oil supplementation may not improve cognitive function in older adults, researchers report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Fatty acids, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are important for the growth and functional development of the brain in infants. Earlier evidence has suggested that fish oil, which contains DHA and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), may be beneficial for cognitive decline in older adults.

For fish oil supplements, dosing should be based on the amount of EPA and DHA in a product, not on the total amount of fish oil. Supplements vary in the amounts and ratios of EPA and DHA. Five grams of fish oil contains about 170-560 milligrams of EPA and 72-310 milligrams of DHA.

The recent study included 867 adults in their 70s who did not have dementia or any other cognitive disorders. They were randomly assigned to take 200 milligrams of EPA plus 300 milligrams of DHA or an olive oil placebo daily for two years. Eight-six percent (748) of the participants completed the trial.

At the beginning and end of the trial, the researchers administered various tests to measure the participants' mental function. After two years of supplementation, the researchers found that cognitive function remained unchanged in both groups. The percentage of people who died or dropped out was also similar between the groups.

Although no benefit was reported in this study, fish oil has been shown to have various other health benefits. For instance, fish oil is commonly taken to help prevent heart disease, and supplementation has been shown to help lower triglyceride levels and blood pressure, reduce mortality rates and abnormal heart rhythms, and prevent strokes and atherosclerosis. However, high doses may have harmful effects, such as an increased risk of bleeding.

For more information about fish oil please visit Natural Standard's Foods, Herbs & Supplements database.

Webinar Forum: Weight Loss Hypnosis

Natural Standard is offering a series of upcoming complimentary webinars on integrative medicine. Natural Standard offers these impartial webinars as an informational public service. All webinars are recorded and archived at www.naturalstandard.com/webinars.

This month, Steve G. Jones, MEd, board certified clinical hypnotherapist, explains how hypnotherapy can be an effective component of a weight-loss program and how to set up a personal hypnotherapy regimen. In addition to serving as the president of the American Alliance of Hypnotists and board member of the Los Angeles chapter of the American Lung Association, Jones is also the author of 22 books on hypnotherapy and the director of the Steve G. Jones School of Hypnotherapy.

To listen to the webinar, please click here. Complimentary access to the webinar is available May1-31, 2010.