Be-Well Information

Some powerful modern medicines resulted from the study of traditional herbal remedies. As a consequence, pharmaceutical companies are now quick to study samples from newly discovered plants. However, just because a supplement is derived from herbs does not mean it is either safe or effective. Clinical studies are revealing some to be both worthless and poisonous.

Don’t simply think as one person that “I take herbs mostly since so many doctors don’t know what they’re doing.” It is true that patients should be informed partners with their health care providers (see Your Own Health Laboratory), but it is not true that every physician is an idiot.

For the most part, herbal supplements are unregulated. Exceptions are mostly cases of proven death causation or massive fraud. The more honest herbal companies include warnings of the form “The statements regarding these products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.”

Keep in mind that the FDA is not backing you when you read any claims for herbal supplements. And know that some of the most outlandish claims are made by people selling “health”. One thing you can do is use internet search engines to find information from folks other than those who are selling.

Many self treatment pills are in the category of “probably can’t hurt, but certainly won’t help.” In other words, quackery.

Now what does that have to do with steroids?

Steroids are named because of stereochemistry, the study of chemical behaviors which depend on the spacial arrangement of atoms in a molecule.

You are probably aware that many professional and Olympic athletes have been found to use steroids to gain unfair advantages. Steroid drugs are synthetic hormones. The FDA and others are trying to tighten regulations on the selling of such drugs. The public and officials seem less concerned when steroids are used for accelerated body building. Nonetheless, serious health problems can result. See Body Building Supplements.

Stedman’s Medical Dictionary tells us that “anabolic steroid is a compound with androgenic properties that increases muscle mass and stimulated protein production; used to treat emaciation; sometimes used by athletes in an effort to increase size, strength, and endurance of muscle.” So you might see ads for anabolics as well as for steroids.

Okay, now back to herbals.

There are, not surprisingly, numerous herbal preparations which can stimulate or imitate hormone production in the body. DHEA is produced by the adrenal glands, and production declines with age. Some of the best known steroid hormones are estrogen, cortisol, progesterone, and testosterone, the latter being the oldest known androgen. Testosterone exists in both genders, and is important for athletic performance as well as for sex characteristics.

Thus, many preparations offered to enhance athletic and/or sexual performance, slow aging, increase energy, et cetera are based on steroids from plants. That means they are not regulated by government agencies. That means you are free to dose yourself far beyond what a physician would dare to prescribe of regulated drugs with similar contents/effects.

That means you can shorten your life, make your testicles (if you have any) shrink up and lose functionality, damage your heart, cause acne, anger, anxiety, aggression, mood swings, fear, nausea, trembling, aching joints, liver damage, cancer, urinary problems, along with building up your muscle bulk and energy. These questionable benefits do not seem to qualify as anti-aging.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a touchy subject for physicians. Does it really help the quality of life? Is it worth increased risks for various kinds of cancer? Your typical seller of herbal supplements probably will neither know nor care. Herbals are not regulated. That probably will change, due to abuse.

For fun, and possible usefulness, let’s take a look at some of the online stores for herbal supplements. Try to decide whether they give the impression of honesty or hype, what is possible or what could only be magical. This author’s opinions can differ from yours, so do similar investigations on your own.

Also keep in mind that preparations for weight loss, herbal or otherwise, usually talk about quick results, but seldom mention whether reduced weight will be stable over the long term. Roller coaster weight management can shorten your life, especially if achieved with risky pills.

So here are just a few examples of web sites with my impression of good or bad. Feel free to disagree. Keep in mind that purity does not equal effectiveness. Some of these sites are “pure s**t.”

[+] www.A1Supplements.com
Herbals, vitamins, minerals, protein powders, etc. Do be cautious on their steroids and other risky products.

[-] absolutelythepurest.com
Slanted to quack products. Read the ingredients and search the web for efficacy.

[-] www.achievenutrition.com
Carries a range of food supplements and magic pills. Choose with caution.

[-] www.affordablesupplements.com
Range of products, many in class of herbals which might not hurt, but whose benefits are not proven.

[-] allmaxnutrition.com
For hard core body builders who like to see muscles barely covered by skin.

[-] www.alohamedicinals.com
Herbals and mushroom cultures. Unsubstantiated claims for benefits, e.g., immunity assistance.

[-] www.bingproducts.com
“Fat/carb blockers”, diet pills with ephedra, etc. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the FDA have issued warnings against the use of ephedra. Blockers either don’t work or are risky, or both. Looks like a site to avoid.

[-] www.BrandNameSupplements.com
Mostly quack products.

[-] www.discountanabolics.com
Hype site, mostly of products to avoid. “Most Legendary Underground Fat Incinerator!” Yee hah!

[-] www.bulknutrition.com
Omega oil, protein powders, herbals. Mess with your Estrogen and Testosterone levels at your own risk. Some preparations would be restricted if not herbals.

This is just 10 of the thousand herbal and nutrition sites on the web. I have marked one [+], and 9 [-], so 90 percent negative. Probably not far from the statistics on a large sample, say 90 percent bad advice from sites offering supplements or plans for sale.

Good advice is readily available for diet, exercise, longevity, nutrition, supplements, and so forth. Most people prefer magic pills to reality. Sort of like politicians.