Читать книгу Orthomolecular Medicine for Everyone - Abram Hoffer M.D. Ph.D. - Страница 44

The 2003 Report of the AAPCC Toxic Exposures Surveillance System indicates a total of thirteen deaths attributed to herbal preparations. Three of these are from ephedra, two from yohimbe, and two from ma-huang. I (A.W. S.) have worked extensively in the alternative health field for over thirty years, and I know of virtually no one who has taken ephedra, yohimbe, or ma-huang, and certainly not in the deliberately abusive high quantities that it takes to kill someone. Nevertheless, accepting all seven deaths attributed to these products, we still find that there were thirty times as many deaths from aspirin and acetaminophen. Only three deaths are attributable to other “single ingredient botanicals” and, oddly enough, their identity remains unnamed in the report.

Millions of people take herbal remedies and have done so for generations. Indigenous and Westernized peoples alike have found them to be safe and effective, and the AAPCC report confirms this.¹⁸ There were no deaths at all from “cultural medicines,” including Ayurvedic, Asian, or, in fact, from all others. Additionally, we find no deaths reported from use of the following herbs: blue cohosh, Ginkgo biloba, Echinacea, ginseng, kava kava, St. John’s wort, and valerian. Furthermore, there were no deaths from phytoestrogens, glandulars, blue-green algae, or homeopathic remedies.

“After nearly twenty years using only conventional medicine, I have an additional ten years experience working with high dose vitamins. I can assure you that not only have they been very safe, but vitamins are also very helpful in my work with all kinds of very ill patients.” —KARIN MUNSTERHJELM-AHUMADA, M.D.