Comments on: Do Commonly Used Botanical Therapies Really Work for Hot Flashes?

By: Candice Hughes

Candice Hughes — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:06:28 +0000

So many times I see studies mentioned with just the highlights of the results. What they don’t tell you is what formulation of the product was used, what dosage was taken, and what the women did (or did not) have in common. Women with undiagnosed low thyroid will probably have different results than women with healthy thyroids. Diet also has an impact, as does what you weigh, or if you exercise. If these and many other factors are not taken into account, I don’t see how the study can be very meaningful.

By: Wendy

Wendy — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:07:22 +0000

I agree completely with you! You don’t need a study to make a decision on whether to take a botanical supplement. Try it and see for yourself it if works. There are enough women, including myself, who have found relief with these herbs.

By: Unrepentant

Unrepentant — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 23:33:02 +0000

That is HIGHLY LIKELY that a drug company paid for the study. Sorry!

By: Unrepentant

Unrepentant — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 23:32:08 +0000

I take a formulation that contains those herbs. I started skeptically, but the stuff does work for relieving my night sweats. It is quite possible that herbs being so gentle only work for mild cases. Who knows? I don’t trust studies, because I doubt it that any herb company has money to pay for the study. If a drug company paid for it, which is highly unlikely, then the study should be thrown in the garbage.

Herbs are cheap enough for us to run our OWN control studies. There is no harm in trying to see if it works for us or not. Who needs a pompous study?

By: Wendy

Wendy — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:09:34 +0000

Sheila – According to the report I read, the study was conducted by the Univ. of Illinois, Chicago(UIC)/NIH Botanical Center. The center is supported by a grant from the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, the NIH National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, UIC and the UIC College of Pharmacy. Additional support for the clinical trial came from the Naturex, Inc. of Hackensack, NJ and Pharmavite LLC of Mission Hills. The co-authors of both studies mentioned come from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and UIC.

By: Sheila Sullivan

Sheila Sullivan — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 10:15:08 +0000

I would be very interested in who funded this study. I just finished reading a book entitled Mad in America. Though on a completely different subject, the author talks about how the clinical trails are manipulated by the drug companies. In cases where natural alternatives are concerned, remember Wyeth lost 2.2 billion dollars and 67% of their business on their HRT products premarin and prempro when the women’s initiative study came out in 2002. These companies are in business for profit not for the best interest of woman. They will do whatever they can to bring negative press to any and all alternatives because they will affect their bottom line.