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The American Botanical Council’s (ABC) digital
flagship publication HerbalEGram reached a number of important milestones in
2013. In February, ABC introduced one of the most significant redesigns of the
monthly online newsletter since its inception, providing a more streamlined,
user-friendly experience. The publication also celebrated its 10th anniversary
in 2013, marking a decade of keeping members up to date with community and
industry happenings, noteworthy media items, and timely, original news and
feature articles.
HerbalEGram staff and contributors reported on a
number of diverse subject matters in 2013 —
from critiques of medicinal plant-related television documentaries and
journal articles to reviews of botanical research and herbs for specific health
conditions. Included below are the top 10 HerbalEGram stories from the past
year. Of the 54 articles published in 2013, these represent the most popular
stories as determined by number of recorded clicks.
HerbalEGram is a
benefit of ABC membership at all membership levels. The ABC editorial staff
looks forward to providing ABC members with original news and feature articles in
2014 and beyond as part of ABC’s mission to increase the quality and quantity
of responsible, science-based information on the use of herbal medicine. To
submit questions, comments, or other feedback, please contact HerbalEGram
Managing Editor Tyler Smith at tyler@herbalgram.org.
- Will 'Obamacare' Affect
Natural Healthcare in the United States?
By
Lindsay Stafford Mader
Published in the middle of the government shutdown and as national politicians
continued to feud over the Affordable Care Act, this article explored parts of
the law that could affect consumers and practitioners of natural and
integrative medicine. Read more >>
- Treating PCOS Naturally
By
Lindsay Stafford Mader
Because polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) has few effective pharmaceutical
treatments, various herbs — such as chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus) berry — as well as certain foods and
lifestyle changes can help treat the condition's many symptoms. Read more >>
- Dr. Sanjay Gupta's WEED
Documentary: A Critique
By
Lindsay Stafford Mader
HerbalGram’s contributing cannabis
writer presented the merits and shortcomings of the CNN Chief Medical
Correspondent's August 2013 documentary on medicinal cannabis. Read more >>
- Alleged Plagiarism of Banaba Review Article
By
Ash Lindstrom
A professor of pharmacology and toxicology alleged that his 2011 article on
banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa),
originally published in Phytotherapy Research, was plagiarized
and reprinted in another journal. Read more >>
- Food Fraud Database Shows Increase in Reports of Black Pepper and Tea
Adulteration
By
Lindsay Stafford Mader
In January 2013, the US Pharmacopeial Convention added about 800
new entries to its Food Fraud Database, suggesting that the number of
adulteration reports on several botanicals such as saffron remain
steady, while reports on the adulteration of other botanicals are possibly
increasing. Read more >>
- The Safe Grapefruit?
By Tyler Smith
Researchers in Florida developed a hybrid
grapefruit (Citrus x paradisi) that reportedly does not
exhibit the "grapefruit effect," in which a compound in grapefruit
interacts with an enzyme in the human body vital to the breakdown of numerous
pharmaceutical medications. Read more >>
- Doctoral Dissertation
Provides Extensive Review of Skullcap Literature
By Stefan Gafner, PhD
ABC's chief science officer summarized a 257-page
doctoral dissertation on the medicinal herb skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora), which he noted is one of the most
extensive works on this plant published to date. Read more >>
- New Analyses Fuel
Controversy Over "Dendrobium Extract"-Containing Supplements
Experts and officials question the legality, source, and safety of what
some call the new DMAA
By
Tyler Smith
In October 2013, researchers detected a methamphetamine-like compound in a
popular pre-workout supplement that promises "endless energy" and
"unrelenting confidence." Advertised as containing a proprietary stem
extract of the dendrobium orchid (Dendrobium
nobile), the product has attracted the attention of the supplements industry
and regulatory officials and has become the center of the latest
"botanical-based" sports supplement scandal. Read more >>
- ABC Review and Critique of
the Research Article "DNA Barcoding Detects Contamination and Substitution
in North American Products"
By
Stefan Gafner, PhD; Mark Blumenthal; Danica Harbaugh Reynaud, PhD; Steven
Foster; Natascha Techen, PhD
A team of botanical identification, natural product, and other experts
critiqued an article published in the open-access journal BMC
Medicine that found a high percentage of adulterated herbal products.
This critique lists 10 problems, errors, and areas of confusion in the DNA
paper, as noted in a November 5, 2013 press release from ABC. Read more >>
- Experts Question Relevance of Ginkgo
Toxicity Report
By Tyler Smith
Nonprofit and industry organizations questioned the relevance of a March 2013
National Toxicity Program report that found cancer in animals that were
force-fed high doses of an atypical ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) extract for two years. Read more >>
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