Paper of the Day - Herbal medicine claims are 'disingenuous'

02 Oct 07

The review looked at 1345 randomised and controlled studies of individualised herbal treatments – where a mixture of herbs is tailored for each patient – and analysed their methodological quality. They found only three clinical trials which were robust enough to be included in the analysis.

Of these three studies, only one showed that individualised herbal treatments were better than placebo. In this study, the Chinese individualised herbal treatment for irritable bowel syndrome was still shown to be inferior to standardised Chinese herbal treatment.

The review authors warned there is “no convincing evidence” supporting the use of individualised herbal medicines – including Chinese or Ayurvedic herbal medicine - in any indication.

Claims from herbalists that an individualised approach is evidence-based are “disingenuous”, they claim, adding there is a high risk of side effects and interactions, not only with prescription drugs but with other herbal treatments.

Postgraduate Medicine 2007; 83; 633-637