Aristolochia clematitisgrowing in a wheatfield
Julia Mead, The Scientist, Volume 21, Issue 11, Page 44 (November 2007)
This is an interesting article about the search for the cause of two health problems with a single cause. One is an endemic condition in Croatia and the other is a rare condition resulting from use of a herbal supplement or medication. Both, it turns out stem from a highly toxic substance found in differing amounts in a genus of plants: Aristolochia, commonly called birthwort. The plant is described as having been used in traditional health practice in many cultures for a very long time. Unfortunately, it can cause acute kidney disease or cancer when consumed for a long time. It has been implicated as a cause of disease in animals that eat it mixed in their feed, and in humans who also find it mixed in their grain harvests as well as those who consume it as a remedy.
Comment: This is an example of the value of modern health science over traditional health practice which has weak theoretical bases, lacks case-control studies, and lacks means to track adverse reactions to herbal products and summarize them over large populations. JAD
No comments:
Post a Comment