Herbs and Supplements

"Herbs and supplements are beneficial with proper use"

Written by Barbara Blake, Mountain Maturity
April 2007

(Dr. Eric Lewis was interviewed for this article on alternative medicine use in the older adult population.)

Have you stocked up recently on your garlic and bilberry extract?  How about devil’s claw and yucca?  And don’t forget the echinacea, flaxseed oil and wild yam roots.

They may not be household words in your home, but many adults are using such herbs and supplements for heart ailments, blood pressure, arthritis, plaque buildup, joint pain, high cholesterol and menopause, and as preventive tools for eyesight, brain function and heart health.

Natural remedies and preventive supplements are growing in popularity among all age groups, including older adults, who are increasingly seeking alternatives to prescription and over-the-counter medications to cope with the natural changes that come with aging.

“I use Echinacea regularly to boost my immune system, and ginkgo biloba on a daily basis,” said Jan Verhaeghe, a midwife with New Dawn Midwifery in Asheville.  “And flaxseed oil—that’s for a lot of things, like skin, hair, eyes, just general health and heart benefits.”

But Verhaeghe, along with naturopathic physicians, herbalists and other proponents of natural remedies, stresses that no one should run straight to the healthfood store to buy herbs and supplements before first consulting with their regular health care provider.  And proper nutrition, exercise and a healthy lifestyle should be in place before consumers go looking for supplements as a quick fix.

“I’ve been interested in the natural lifestyle for about 30 years, but nutrition and exercise are the biggies, the foundation of any healthy lifestyle,” Verhaeghe said.  “Before you do anything, you have to discuss it with your care provider, because it has to be tailored to the individual.”

Dr. Eric Lewis, a naturopathic physician who, with his wife, Kristina, operates Lewis Family Natural Health in the Reynolds community, said that while natural remedies offer many benefits, they can also be dangerous if used incorrectly.

“If a person is taking an herb or supplement or even a vitamin, they should be telling that to their medical doctor,” Lewis said.  “It’s very important to make sure that there are no interactions between any medicines a person is taking and any herbs that could react to that.  And if they’re taking a prescription medicine, they need to inform whomever is suggesting an herbal or natural remedy, and that person needs to be an expert in understanding herb-drug interactions, because they can be significant.”

For example, there are myriad advertisements for ginkgo biloba targeting older adults who worry about memory loss and mental clarity.  But if someone is taking a medicine to thin the blood, “they would not want to take ginkgo,” Lewis said.  “For someone to make a blanket statement that herbs are safe and don’t interact with drugs, that would be inaccurate.”

Most mainstream physicians agree with naturopathic professionals that there are a number of natural supplements that can be beneficial if used correctly and under a physician’s supervision.  The Food and Drug Administration recommends that all adults take a daily multi-vitamin.  Supplements such as glucosamine, devil’s claw and yucca can help with inflammation, which plays a role in almost every degenerative disease.  Cherry extract can aid in combating gout.  Herbs like bilberry and lutein are used for enhancing eyesight.  Garlic can help keep high cholesterol and plaque buildup at bay.  And essential fatty acids like fish oils and flaxseed oils are good for the brain, joints and skin.

But supplements other than multi-vitamins should be taken after, not before, a healthy lifestyle is in place.

“Too often, people think they can pop a pill and get better,” said Lauren Ravenhill, an assistant manager at the French Broad Food Co-op on Biltmore Avenue in Asheville and a longtime natural health proponent.  “And while supplements can be very helpful, it’s really important to start first with your lifestyle.”

For example, six to eight glasses of water a day is a fundamental of good health.  “Not caffeine and not sode,” Ravenhill said.  Organic fruit juices and green teas are helpful, as well as cutting out processed and while flour, using whole brown rice instead of white rice, and walking as much as possible.  And having five servings of vegetables each day can work wonders, she said.

At MemoryCare, the medical practice on the campus of Givens Estates that targets families affected by Alzheimer’s and other memory disorders, the physicians are not opposed to the use of supplements, but urge extreme caution with their use and prefer a healthy lifestyle instead.

“Where I work, I think we all agree that the best approach to healthy aging is a diet rich in fresh fruit, vegetables and omega-3 fatty acids, and exercise, exercise, exercise,” said MemoryCare founder and director Dr. Margaret Noel.  “Chocolate and red wine have their health benefits as well,” she said with a smile.

Her colleague, Dr. Thomas S. Kaluzynski, said her adheres to the beliefs of Drs. John Rowe and Robert Kahn, authors of the book, “Successful Aging.”

“The three key features that predict strong mental function in old age are regular physical activity, a strong social support system and belief in one’s ability to handle what life has to offer,” Kaluzynski said.

Lewis, a graduate of the four-year Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Ariz., said the first line of defense in health aging is adhering to the general principles of exercise, being physically and mentally active every day, and embracing a diet rich in antioxidants such as berries and dark green, leafy vegetables.

For consumers who choose to explore supplements, it is critical that they know the credentials of those who advise them.  The supplement industry is “very large and very lucrative,” Lewis said, but it is not regulated by the FDA, and there is ample room for misguidance.

“My wife and I are in practice together, and we’re shocked by the number of people who will come in with a grocery bag full of supplements that they’ll dump on the treatment table, and we’ll say, you’re getting too much of this and too little of that…it’s just amazing how much people spend on supplements, and they may not be getting at all what they need.”

Lewis said he believes there is a place for different types of health care professionals and all can play a role in helping patients find optimal health.

“A lot of our patients are seeing a primary care physician or a specialist, and we all have a little piece of the pie,” he said.  “It’s best for the patient when we all work together.  Everybody has something they’re great at, and if we all look to what’s best for the patient and we all work together, we can help people get healthy and stay healthy.”