Chinese Herb to be Studied for its Potential
to ‘Club’ Alzheimer’s
A plant used widely in China is the focus of a national clinical trial that aims to see if it could help treat Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. The University of North Carolina Hospitals are participating in the national clinical trial on Chinese club moss, which is already being sold in stores with nutritional supplements and is used in China as a treatment for cognitive disorders. The study, sponsored by the National Institute on Aging, is one of a growing number of federally funded research studies focused on natural and alternative therapies…Patients in the trial receive either a placebo or dose of Huperzine A—an alkaloid extracted from the plant—that is larger than what’s currently available in stores. After the placebo-controlled phase, all patients take doses of Huperzine A for eight weeks and have the option to continue taking it if they believe it’s helping. Investigators test patients’ cognitive functions throughout the trial…While some studies involving natural therapies have been unsuccessful, trials that prove certain therapies work have credibility with consumers and doctors.
—Associated Press, Woodland Daily Democrat, 10/21/06

7-Eleven Not Buzzed by Cocaine Energy Drink
No Cocaine shall be sold at 7-Elevens, the convenience-store company is telling franchise owners. The Cocaine in question is actually the name of a high-caffeine drink.
The company acted after getting complaints from parents of teens, who are a big part of the drink’s target audience.
“Our merchandising team believes the product’s name promotes an image which we didn’t want to be associated with,” said Margaret Chabris, a spokeswoman for 7-Eleven.
Some Chicago beverage purveyors say they, too, will not be stocking the drink. Several Chicago bars and clubs contacted this month said they had no plans to stock the drink.
Cocaine comes in red cans, with the logo meant to resemble lines of white powder. The drink, which contains more caffeine than a cup of coffee, is made by Redux Beverages of Las Vegas, which markets it as “the legal alternative.”
This isn’t the first time Cocaine has been yanked. Some stores in the New York area pulled the drink after local politicians complained. The name is part of the company’s plan to stand out in the fast-growing energy drink market.
—Associated Press, Chicago Sun Times, 10/26/06

Patients at Risk of Herb-Drug Interactions
The combination of non-vitamin dietary supplements and prescription medicines is often dangerous, but many patients fail to inform their healthcare provider that they are taking the supplements, according to a study published last month by researchers at the Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center…It found that more than one in five people who take prescription medicines also take non-vitamin dietary supplements, and almost 70 percent of those people do not report the supplements to their doctors…According to the survey, echinacea, ginseng, and ginkgo are among the most commonly used supplements.
Patients with mild but chronic problems like menopausal or gastrointestinal disorders were most likely to use the supplements with prescription medicines. However, the practice was less common among those who are elderly, or who have serious conditions like coronary heart disease.
The combination is dangerous because some supplements can “both nullify and interact with the effects of prescription medicines,” [Robert E.] Graham [Harvard Medical School instructor and one of the authors of the study] said.
Concurrent use of supplements and prescription medicine is particularly dangerous for high-risk patients, such as those with liver or kidney disease, who are less capable of metabolizing non-vitamin dietary supplements. Graham said there needs to be more doctor-patient communication to help prevent potential herb-drug interactions.
—Van Le, TheCrimson.com, 11/1/06

What’s Old is New Again
In the early 1800s, pharmacists took carbonated water and added fruit extracts, herbs and medicinal ingredients for flavor as well as health benefits…Beverage makers are still looking to the same formula…one that gives users something more than just refreshment. More than a dozen drinks promising weight loss, cell damage-reducing antioxidants and natural energy are scheduled to hit shelves in 2007, with many more in the pipeline.
Consumers’ dollars are driving this trend: wellness and functional beverage sales grew from $41 billion in 1999 to $55 billion in 2005, per Beverage Marketing, New York. This number is expected to keep climbing while demand for sugary sodas continues to decline.
—Kenneth Hein, BrandWeek.com, 10/30/06

Are Supplements Doomed?
An exuberant Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) rattled off a to-do list for the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee, including regulating dietary supplements, promoting electric cars and examining drug safety procedures at the Food & Drug Administration. “We’ll kill the closest snake first,” he said when asked about his priorities.
(In another article published the same day)—[Rep. John Dingell (D-MI)] took special aim at the dietary supplement industry. “People are being killed” because of lax oversight, he said.
—Steven Mufson, Washington Post, 11/9/06

Caffeine Laden Energy Drinks get Boost from Teens
More than 500 new energy drinks launched worldwide this year, and coffee fans are probably too old to understand why…Vying for the dollars of teenagers with promises of weight loss, increased endurance and legal highs, the new products join top-sellers Red Bull, Monster and Rockstar to make up a $3.4 billion-a-year industry