ETSU's future pharmacists offer analyses on herbal elixirs
While patrons of the Mall at Johnson City may have been hoping to find time to shop, a group of East Tennessee State University students were on hand to talk shop about the pros and cons of natural medicines.
On Monday afternoon in the malls lower level, groups of students from ETSUs Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy provided passersby with information, research and conclusions on the effectiveness of a variety of herbal medicines and home remedies.
For the past seven years, the college has facilitated the presentation to educate the public on the health benefits, if any, of popular herbs and natural supplements. Associate professor Dr. Brian Odle said the exposition had historically been well-received by the public, in part because of the regions cultural inclination toward home remedies.
Were in Appalachia, and there are a lot of home remedies, Odle said. (Students) investigate them to see if theres anything to them and it they really work. They do the research, run references and say OK, is it just grandmas old home remedy, or is there something to this?
Along with researching and running references, Odle said some students went as far as to test the effects of those remedies on themselves.
Some of them were talking about (using) kava for the treatment of reducing anxiety, Odle said. The students tried that themselves and gave testimony that, before they took an exam, they were as calm as could be.
Even if they werent testing supplements on themselves, students also tested the effectiveness of natural by-products that have been embraced by the scientific and retail communities. Student Matt Holland said he and his project partners Nicole Hawks and Jessica Robinson discovered tea tree oil was most effective in the treatment of one particular malady, though it can be used to treat several.
Theres been a lot of dermatological uses for it: warts, acne, dandruff, anti-fungal (and) antiseptic actions, Holland said. Theres a lot of evidence out there, but the best evidence to support its use is acne treatment. Theres a chemical in it that has shown to be pretty good at working like that and, hopefully, theyll study it some more and find out some other great uses for it.
While certain treatments for particular items were found to be beneficial and effective, students discovered that others, like bitter orange which is marketed as a weight-loss supplement may prove harmful to consumers.
It has similar compounds to other weight loss products that have actually been banned (such as ephedra), said student Bea Turner, who studied bitter oranges effects with Stephanie Rednour and Caitlin Waldroup. This has been used as a substitute for products that cant be found anymore.
Though some studies yielded positive or negative results, others remained inconclusive. Pharmacy students Danijela Stefanovi? and Wade Tugman said they hoped to gain insight into the purported curative powers of oregano oil specifically its effectiveness in treating urinary tract infections but that no conclusive evidence presented itself.
It has some antibacterial properties, some anti-parasitic and some anti-inflammatories, Stefanovi? said. I actually brought this oil over from Bosnia. We found a lot of Bosnian articles that supported more of the use of it for urinary tract infections. But theres nothing here that says its 100 percent effective.
Oregano oil is one of those herbs that the jury is still out on, Tugman said. Theres been historical and theoretical evidence saying it would work. But overall, there are no studies that provide evidence to say it does.
In addition to providing a variety of results, Odle said students were also greeted by a variety of engaged community members, as well, each of whom had their own set of questions regarding their own circumstances.
This year, unlike other years, rather than just walking through, theyve been selectively walking through looking for their disease, herb or remedy, then asking questions, Odle said. We actually had people waiting here for us to get set up. This year has been one of the best turnouts weve ever had.
Story republished from Johnson City Press Website: http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/article/122490/etsus-future-pharmacists-offer-analyses-on-herbal-elixirs