Evaluating the Efficacy of Herbs and Supplements

Supplements, herbs, aromatherapy - Americans are estimated to spend $15 billion annually on alternative therapies. But remember, herbal remedies are drugs, and we need to respect their ability to do harm as well as their potential to do good. UCSF’s Dr. Stephen Bent, focuses on the safety and efficacy of herbal remedies and other supplements. Recorded on 10/28/2010. [1/2011] [Show ID: 20218]

Life in Balance: Strategies for Optimal Health from the Science of Integrative Medicine -- Mini Medical School for the Public Presented by UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine

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[ShoTaiHealth]

What type of Vitamin E were they using for studies? Synthetic vitamin E . Of course it causes problems. Very poor reporting on studies. Go to school again for proper nutrition advice.

[michalchik]

The effects of many antioxidants at one time should be investigated, These nutrients are never ingested singly naturally and may very well require each-other to work properly.

[jossfangirl]

When I was pregnant, vitamins were absolutely prescribed. Just because doctors are not now advising them does not mean the science has changed.

[mae]

While blue and pink backgrounds on PowerPoint look pretty they are hard to read with white print. I’d recommend just using a bold black font on a plain white background.

[ecanuck]

Very interesting. I'd be interested to hear the same speaker 10 years on, to see if there are any new substantive results.

[sebastiantellez]

When people were given fiber advice, the fiber came from cereal. It is noted in the results that more people died. But does this include all fiber or just cereal fiber. The Hadza tribe in Tanzania consume 100-150g of fiber a day and have no chronic diseases. Just wanted clarification.

[NajLahsen]

I know this is an old video but yet I am confirming what I've known for many years. I've done my own research, investigation and studies on myself and have discovered I don't feel any different nor there's any differences on my labs when taking multivitamins or any vitamins over the decades. I kicked them to the curb years ago. Waste of time & money (just like any meds). The only thing that I take occasionally based on different needs, are herbs. I feel them working instantly, no side effects, no harm to my body etc. I get ALL of my nutrients and vitamins needed from my healthy plant based diet. I feel so much better than before.

[Nongdamba]

Thank you very much for such good educational vedeo

[tenminutetokyo]

Just eat boatloads of vegetables and stop eating processed food. Read “Lifespan” by David Sinclair. Most sarcopenia is caused by chronic high insulin which is harmful.

[yeseniarobles]

Why is it that the only ones making these studies are people or organizations that have the money to invest in big pharma stocks? 🧐

[svenhuber]

Also the statins although lowering LDL are statistically insignificantly for prevention of CVD. Only for ppl who had a MI or CVD before.

[jossfangirl]

What brand of multivitamins and amounts

[jossfangirl]

Amazingly ! Only 2 studies have been done. And these studies weren’t really conducted

[HHSGrad]

University of South Florida did a study of coconut oil for Alzheimer's. The tiny capsule would have even too small for a tiny mouse. I have no respect for the studies dome by the medical mafia!!! Who pays for study is always the winner.

[bluewaters]

People who really investigate vitamins would never take Centrium or buy most of the products you discussed in this video. It is too bad that you are misinforming medical students who are now just going to perpetuate the lack of nutritional knowledge when dealing with patients. If I listened to my doctor and did not take care to investigate alternatives to pharma drugs I would be on statins, blood pressure meds, and whatever else they prescribe to now help out with side effects...perhaps Paxil to help with how depressed I am now that my health is declining. Instead I listen to my body and eat and take supplements when I feel I need them. Vitamin D3 taken with K2 is something I take everyday . Without it my doctor would have me on thyroid and blood pressure meds...I tested at 6ng ten years ago and declined the drugs. In six months my D levels were corrected and all my metabolic tests were normal.

[MrDestructionFUN]

So it seems vitamins don't work are slightly give a benafit.

[Pudlowski]

This is the reason why 'Medicine' does not progress. I would rather learn why Aunt Mary lived until she was 112 then why 5000 people died early from taking a multi-vitamin. When you look
at the sheer numbers any kind of validity woud surely be lost. Look at any two families - could you possibly cover all the variables involved in lifestyle? I refer you to Living Proof: Vitamin C - Miracle Cure? - 60 Minutes and the follow up by Thomas Levy Talks To Vitamin C Can Cure Coalition Part ... Utube

[curtjames]

Didnt hear in study about exersize, be active, exersize is fountain of youth.

[oliviad]

One critical thing I've observed that is the usual measure of outcomes for drugs, supplements, (or any intervention) for that matter in Western Medicine; and then what the medical establishment and government agencies make their recommendations from; is death. In fact except for the chondroitin and glucosamine study, and the BPH one, most of the focus here were studies using death as the outcome measure to evaluate whether or not something was helpful. Something that is inevitably going to be an outcome for all of us. What about quality of life, however? Far more important to me. There is nothing at all mentioned about that. I worry about Dr. and agencies making sweeping recommendations based on these type of studies. The one study that did deal with what I'd call "quality of life", was the osteoarthritis/knee pain study, where a small positive effect was noted (even using a different substance than what the public is consuming). I don't like to be cynical, rather pragmatic, and while there is a lot of value in these huge placebo, double blind studies touted as the gold standard, I don't think they are the end all-be all. When looking at huge numbers of people, there are also a huge number of confounding factors that are involved, i.e. what else is going on with each individual, other than the fact that they are or are not taking Vit E (or whatever). I'm not sure about the years, but for example, now; in the U.S. medical practice mandates everyone at "risk" for heart disease, which is everyone of a certain age, be prescribed a statin drug. Which, actually increases oxidative stress by damaging the mitochondria. I'm not saying that is the case here, but just an example of who knows what other factors were involved. The numbers still are so low, and still so much not known, that I think it's too soon to say Vit A and E are going to kill people.Who know, maybe they feel better while they are living ( I don't know that either, but it's certainly a question to ask.

He really just glosses over the one knee study that did show some benefit. The other huge issue I see in the U.S. is that clearly all these studies so a big sex difference with outcomes. Yet, recommendations for everyone continue to be made studies that only look at one sex. As he says, the biggest problem I see is the lack of regulation and standardization of supplements so you can't really know what you are getting, and we don't necessarily get what the studies are using. Seems like there would be value in spending time and money doing something about that. But I think we all know why that isn't happening.

[DuyNguyen-lomm]

so you don't need any supplement we can take out vitamin C, D K Omega and all those for pregnant women too. Surely doctor recommendation can't be wrong.