Herbal Supplements: Safety and Research Support

Thursday, 27 July 2017: 3:30 PM

Rosanne H. Pruitt, PhD
Ashley Lemanski
Adam Carroll
School of Nursing, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA

Purpose: Herb usage is extensive worldwide, however consumers are often not aware of whether or not the herb has undergone research evaluation to determine if it actually works as advertised. Jordan, Cunningham, and Marles (2010) state that the general public often views herbs as a safer alternative to pharmaceutically manufactured drugs because herbal ingredients are naturally occurring in the environment. Garner (2013) found herbal use as high as 30% among minorities, however usage is frequently not shared with healthcare providers. Nurses and other health care professionals typically receive very little formal education about herbs.

Many herbs can be traced to ancient times however some interact with prescription medication enhancing or inhibiting action which may be unintended and harmful. Current research findings demonstrate that costly supplements may be no better than a placebo (McRorie & Chey, 2016) or outcomes may be worse for intervention groups (Beck, Dent & Baldwin, 2016). The purpose of this project is to fill a gap and provide evidence to inform practice by evaluating the quality of the research supporting commonly used herbs and translate the information into an easily accessible format for health care providers.

Methods: This project is the culmination of a two-year study evaluating commonly used herbs to determine the quality of the research support. The research support for 55 commonly used herbs and essential oils were reviewed with over 150 research studies, many of which were meta-analyses. Quality of evidence was determined based on clinical trials and/or meta-analysis with a rating of 1, if the research was limited to survey or correlational data or inconsistent results, a rating of 2. A rating of 3 was utilized when research was very limited often consisting of animal studies. For example, the research supporting the use of gamma linolenic acid for use with rheumatoid arthritis is robust rating 1, but less conclusive in the treatment of type 2 diabetes rating 2. Any side effects or precautions are also addressed.

Results: To increase knowledge of commonly used herbs, we have developed a chart to be used by nurses and other health care providers that summarizes the data in a handy format which will be available to attendees. A component of this project was a pilot to determine the utility of the information for provider use and a reflection from the patient as to the helpfulness of the discussing addressing vitamin and herb usage. The chart was also reviewed by health care providers for utility and revised as recommended.

Conclusion: Our goal was to fill a knowledge gap and provide evidence to inform practice by evaluating the quality of the research supporting commonly used herbs and translate the information into an easily accessible format for nurses and health care providers. Our focus is implications for adults age 18-65 with the precaution of working with a health care provider related to surgery, pregnancy or any acute or chronic health condition. Usage recommendations are consistent with health authorities as well as specialty organizations focused on specific populations or health conditions. A robust presentation will help attendees identify which herbs will improve common health symptoms.