1999 Volunteer Leadership Training Guide
Herbal Remedies: Helpful, Harmful or Hype?
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Introduction
• Objectives
• Major Teaching Points
• Suggested
Activities to Reinforce Learning
• Handouts
Introduction
America's interest in herbal remedies is skyrocketing. Herbs or herbal
remedies are available almost anywhere. You can buy them from grocery stores,
department stores, health food stores, pharmacies, magazines, newspapers and
television. Almost daily it seems there is a new herbal supplement that will
melt away fat, boost energy, sharpen memory, cleanse and purify the body,
enhance your sex life and cure or prevent cancer and other diseases. The list
goes on and on. Projections for 1999 sales of herb products and related books
exceed $5 billion.
Herbal remedies come in many forms from the original plant material to pills,
powders, extracts and teas. Herbs have been used for medicinal purposes for
thousands of years, yet we don't have a lot of scientific evidence about their
safety and effectiveness. In the United States, there is little regulation of
the dietary/herbal supplement industry. While some herbal supplements may be
helpful, some are harmful, and many are just plain hype.
It is up to you to learn as much as you can about herbal remedies before
deciding whether to use them.
Objectives
- To provide participants with information about herbal products and their
marketed use.
- To help participants understand how herbal products are regulated for
safety and effectiveness.
- To provide participants with information to make informed decisions
about using herbal products.
Major Teaching Points
- What herbal remedies are and their uses.
- How herbal remedies are regulated for safety and effectiveness.
- Guidelines for safe use of herbal remedies.
Suggested Activities
to Reinforce Learning
Handouts
- Herbal Remedies Know-How quiz.
- Herbal Remedies: Helpful, Harmful or Just Plain Hype? handout.
Christine Stachowiak, Family Nutrition Education Program
Coordinator
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