Monday, July 31, 2006

Safety warning given for popular herb

LONDON (Reuters) - Black cohosh, a herb popular for relieving hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause, may be linked with liver damage and products containing it will in future carry a warning, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said on Tuesday.

The drug regulator said a review of all available data had concluded that liver injury resulting from black cohosh was rare but could be serious.

"In the light of this advice, the MHRA is working with the herbal sector to ensure that labels of black cohosh products carry updated safety warnings," Professor Kent Wood, the agency's chief executive, said in a statement.

Source: - Scotsman

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Juice 'can slow prostate cancer'

Drinking a daily eight ounce glass of pomegranate juice can significantly slow the progress of prostate cancer, a study suggests.

Researchers say the effect may be so large that it may help older men outlive the disease.

Pomegranates contain a cocktail of chemicals which minimise cell damage, and potentially kill off cancer cells.

The study, by the University of California in Los Angeles, appears in the journal Clinical Cancer Research.

Source: BBC News

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Agency doubts fish oil benefits

Insufficient evidence exists to warrant giving children a daily dose of fish oil to help improve school results, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has said.

Research by Teesside University for the FSA concluded there were "too many inconsistencies" in recent studies.

Some tests to measure how fish oil improves learning skills among children have produced encouraging results.

The agency is to leave its dietary advice unchanged, but wants more long-term research into the issue.

Doctors warning of Chinese herbal therapies

Original Photo by Mo Riza
Despite the rising use of herbal medicines, doctors are warning of the dangers of using unregulated herbal therapies.

Source: Scotsman 21.7.06 http://news.scotsman.com

Alternative Malaria Remedy

A warning to holidaymakers about taking homeopathic alternative to conventional malarial treatments after several travellers have contracted the potentially fatal disease.

source:Independent