Do Chinese herbs really work?
Herbal medicine is becoming increasingly popular in the United States. Oft-cited reasons for using traditional herbal remedies include the ineffectiveness of the current medical treatment on individual health concerns, the high cost of health care and prescription drugs, and the side effects of prescription drugs. Backing the public demand, in 1998, the US congress approved the creation of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) to explore the value of herbal medicines. In contrast to the enthusiasm of the general public, the medical community is often more skeptical towards herbal medication. Ironically, while clinical studies demonstrating the efficacy of a given herbal formula or individual herb often meet doubts from the medical community on their real benefits, any report on potential side effects of herbal remedies are taken for granted and easily accepted. To the surprise of many, natural molecules comprise a major part of our current drugs. Anothe
