Document text
Healthy Aging By Sharon Johnson Expert tips available on herbal remedies Herbal remedies abound. They are alphabetized on the shelves of grocery stores and included in fruit drinks that promise to "enlighten your senses" or "stimulate your memory." According to a recent article in the New York Times, Dannon is working on a super yogurt full of nutritional supplements that will "enhance your immune system." Coca-Cola and Procter and Gamble have formed a partnership to produce a product called Elations, "youth in a bottle." My son is drawn to Snapple's Fire, which contains ginkgo biloba, ginseng and guarana. My age peers favor St. John's Wort or Kava. I search out the Echinacea whenever I feel a cold coming on, but overall, I have been skeptical about nutritional supplements and herbal products. I grew up with the saying, "Anything that seems too good to be true usually is." All that started to change when I met George Constantine. Dr. Constantine is a retired professor of pharmacy with decades of experience in pharmacy instruction. There are very few real experts on herbal remedies. He is definitely one. George Constantine does not live in the Rogue Valley, but he loves to visit here and is planning to do so at the end of June. I attended his Corvallis seminar on herbs and herbal remedies a few months ago and have been thinking about the information he provided ever since. I invited him to do a series of workshops regionally, and he agreed. He is coming here to talk to people who share his interest in herbal products and want to purchase them. He is coming to advise people who want to be certain the nutritional supplements they buy and use are safe, effective - and fairly priced. Dr. Constantine recently published a book with a common-sense title, "Tyler's Tips: The Shoppers' Guide for Herbal Remedies." (The Tyler reference involves Dr. Varro Tyler, a professor emeritus at Purdue University, and an internationally regarded herbal expert.) "Tyler's Tips" is a practical reference on nutritional supplements and herbal remedies written in an easily understandable pocket-guide format. Armed with information from my Constantine seminar and a quick read of his book, I now know my usually reliable Echinacea is one of the 40 herbal remedies that have gone through rigorous clinical trials. It is said to "support and promote natural resistance to infections" and can even be used topically. I also know what I had suspected - there are no standards for Echinacea production or sale and there are at least 40 different branded products. I am now a more informed consumer when it comes to Echinacea purchase. I better understand exactly what should be contained in a quality product and how much I should expect to pay for it. It almost makes me look forward to the next time I feel a cold coming on. The Herbal Remedies workshops are set for 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, June 19, at the Oregon State University/Jackson County, Extension Auditorium, 569 Hanley Road; and from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, June 21, at OSU/Josephine County, 215 Ringuette, Grants Pass. Call 776-7371 or 476-6613 to pre-register. There is a $15 cost. Pre-registration is required. Sharon Johnson is an assistant professor in family and community development at OSU Extension and a member of the Senior Advisory Council. Reach her at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.