Product specific evidence: aka NOT ALL GENERIC MEDICINES ARE THE SAME
Product Specific Evidence means that means that the exact herbal product is the one used in the clinical trial.
At NatRx we aim to offer as many products as possible that have a high level of evidence to show that they work.
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I consider this level of evidence to be the Gold Standard for Natural Medicines.
Pharmaceutical medicines are made in the laboratory - so it is relatively easy to make an identical product to the original, hence the push for using the cheaper generic pharmacuetical. NOT SO WITH HERBAL MEDICINE!
When it comes to herbs, it's like saying that all grape products are the same. But we all know there is a big difference between sultanas, vinegars and wines.
I am very concerned when I look at the analysis of different herbal products available in Australia. The labels all say they are selling the same thing, but there are huge variations in the amounts of chemicals - some will do you good, some harm and some interact with other medicines. Even more worrying is when these differences can also change with every batch of the product.
So the only way to be sure you are getting a natural medicine that will work is to take those that are a standardised consistent product with evidence that it is effective. This means that the exact herbal product is the one used in the clinical trial. This is your Gold Standard for Natural Medicines.
This is one of many reasons why the NatRx shop is a constant "watch this space" www.natrx.com.au . The independent reviews of the products ensures that you know what you are getting.
Yeah its amazing to realise some of these facts about natural medicines. I really had no idea until recently that these products can vary so dramatically.
I often read that this or that natural medicine is clinically proven - but this doesn't necessarily mean that the exact ingredients in that particular product are the ones that were tested... mmmm.
Does this means that there is room for the active ingredients in a product to vary in quality and therefore efficacy?
Can you elaborate a bit more on:
"there are huge variations in the amounts of chemicals - some will do you good, some harm and some interact with other medicines. Even more worrying is when these differences also change with every batch of the product.."
By chemicals do you mean herbal extracts?
In a herbal extract there are hundreds of different chemical compounds- enzymes, vitamins, minerals and other unique chemicals specific to that herb.
For example, the St John's Wort herb has over 9 different chemical compounds and each one will affect the functioning of different cells in the human body. The amounts of these vary depending upon the herbal extract.
The most common active chemicals found in St John's Wort herb are: Hypericum, Pseudohypericum, Rutoside, Hyperoside, Isoquercitrin, Quercitrin, Quercetin, Biapigenin, Hyperforin.
Hypericum is the chemical that most people focus on because it binds to brain cells which in turn increases the amount of the happy neurotransmitters serotonin and nor-adrenaline (also called nor-epinephrine). But pseudohypericum is also important for increasing the amounts of these neurotransmitters. The balance between these two chemical compounds will also affect the overall antidepressant and anti-anxiety actions of St John's Wort.
Hyperforin is another important chemical in St John's Wort. Hyperforin stimulates liver cells. This speeds up a liver detoxification pathway (P450) which is clears many drugs out of the body. The oral contraceptive pill is removed by the liver using this detox pathway and hyperforin will stop it from working. Not a good look if you don't want to fall pregnant. Remotiv by Flordis is the only St John's Wort extract available in Australia that has virtually zero hyperforin.
The amounts of the different chemical compounds in a herbal product are affected by a large number of variables. The genetic stock of the herb, cultivation, harvesting, drying, processing, extraction methods and other manufacturing methods and storage will all affect the final end product. Unless every step along the way is standardised, then each batch will be different. The effects on the body may also be different between brands and batches.
Studies conducted by the University of Sydney have demonstrated significant variability of the 9 chemical compounds found in St John's Wort in many leading Australian brands. This means you may not get the affect you were expecting.
As you can see from the above discussion, choosing which herb is the best to take is very complicated. The easiest way to ensure you are getting high quality products with results you can rely upon is to make the most of shops like NatRx. They do the hard work for you by independently reviewing products to find those that are highly standardised with no batch to batch variability and product specific evidence.
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