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| HerbMed® HELP |
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FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
HerbMed® Features
HerbMed® Categories and Subcategories
HerbMed Disclaimer
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Frequently Asked Questions |
| If your question is not answered below, or if you would like to suggest additional features or information, send an email to the Information Desk: |
Q: How can I cite HerbMed® in a publication?
A: See our separate information sheet on Intellectual Property and Citation Information
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Q: Are the research resources quality evaluated?
A: No, they are categorized. To quality evaluate research information by performing
a systematic review or meta-analysis requires a lot of time and resources and is quickly
outdated by new information. HerbMed® uses categories of evidence and information,
so that users can choose the most relevant and useful for their particular needs, and so
that the database will be as comprehensive and current as possible.
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Q: Is the evidence from human clinical trials more
reliable than data from case studies or traditional usage?
A: Users may select the level of evidence with which they feel comfortable, or
which answers their needs. Thus, physicians or pharmacists may only want to select
information from human clinical trials; researchers may be interested in viewing
observational or folk data to gain insights for further research; consumers may need the
full range of information to judge how best to supplement their basic diet.
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Q: How is the information selected for the HerbMed®
entries.
A: The information for each herb record is as impartial and comprehensive as possible. Some selection is necessary where there is a very large amount of available information. This judgment is made by the researcher compiling the resource on the basis of relevance and completeness.
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HerbMed® Features
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Each herb is identified and listed by scientific name (also known as the Latin binomial) and common name and can be searched by either listing. Family information is compiled from GRIN & USDA taxonomic information, and alternate family names are given where applicable. Herb records can be selected from the alphabetized lists or the full list of herbs can be browsed. Just click on Herb List. |
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Information on individual herbs is sorted into six categories and up to 5 subcategories. Each subcategory of information may be viewed separately, or the herb record may be viewed in full. |
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The resource is content rich and the herb records are
accessed directly from the home page. Few graphics are used
out of respect for your time.
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HerbMed allows for simple searches by own choice keywords, such as disease
category. Advanced searches are available only for the
licensed version
of the database.
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Information on individual herbs is hyperlinked directly to the scientific literature primarily using PubMed, the freely available interface for MEDLINE, and to other research resources available through the World Wide Web or through a licensing agreement with the Alternative Medicine Foundation:
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Dynamic links (hyperlinks to sources of information that are continually updated) are provided to create automatic updating of information. |
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The History of Record - provides the name of the original researcher and date of compilation of the material, and name and date when the record is updated. |
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HerbMed® Categories and Subcategories |
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Evidence for Efficacy -
human data includes reports of controlled clinical trials, observational and case
study reports, and empirical knowledge from long standing folk or traditional use.
Clinical Trials - evaluation
of the safety and effectiveness of herbal formulations through monitoring
their effects on large groups of people.
Observational Studies/Case Reports - observations generated from health
practitioners, toxicological reports concerning the efficacy and toxicology of
herbal formulations, or research reports from experiments done with small,
non-controlled groups.
Traditional & Folk Use - use of medicinal plants based on specific
historical and cultural practices, including organized systems of medicine
such as Traditional Chinese Medicine practice (TCM).
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| 2. |
Safety Data -
links to published information on
contraindications, toxic and adverse effects, and drug interactions. Where
available, a safety classification from the American Herbal Products Association
is given.
Adverse Effects & Toxicity - reports of toxic
reactions to the use of medicinal plants, as well as data from animal toxicity
studies.
Interactions - information on harmful interactions between two or
more medicinal plants, or between prescribed/OTC drugs and medicinal plants.
Contraindications - any indication that some particular line of
treatment with medicinal plants is harmful.
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| 3. |
Evidence for Activity -
Pre-clinical studies, where a medicinal plant is first tested on animals or
other non-human testing systems. Information from such studies is used to
support further clinical investigation of medicinal plant use
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Animal Studies - Pre-clinical studies where a medicinal plant is first tested on animals
Pharmacodynamics - what the plant and its compounds do to the body
(included will be animal studies that are not specifically a response to
toxicological events). Pharmacodynamics tells us which medicinal plant
compounds are responsible for the plants' biochemical and physiological effects
and the mechanisms for their actions on the body, including the correlation of
action and effect of the medicinal plant compound with its chemical structure.
Pharmacokinetics (ADME) - what the body does to the medicinal
plant and its compounds. This involves the action of medicinal plant compounds
in the body over a period of time, including the processes of absorption,
distribution, localization in tissue, biotransformation and excretion of those
compounds.
Analytical Chemistry - chemical techniques that provide quantitative and
qualitative identification of medicinal plant compounds.
Genetics - the study of the patterns of inheritance in plants,
particularly focused on the production of the medicinal compounds, as well
as the study of the effect of medicinal plant use on the genetic causes of
disease.
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| 4. |
Formulas/Blends -
these may be novel
commercial mixtures or blends from traditional or folk systems where the multiple
components are reputed to have a synergistic effect.
Contemporary Formulas - recent medicinal plant formulations, including patents, that do not originate from traditional systems.
Folk Blends - specific medicinal plant formulas used in a traditional systems of medicine such as Ayurvedic or Traditional Chinese Medicine.
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| 5. |
Other Information - miscellaneous categories.
Pictures & Distribution Maps - collection of publicly available image resources.
Cultivation, Conservation & Ecology - the current conservation status,
cultivation practices and information on the native ecology of medicinal
plants normally found in the wild.
Related Links - key web links are provided.
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| 6. |
Dynamic Updates
15 search strategies used to compile each herb record are provided, primarily to PubMed, to enable continual updates to the latest published research on each herb.
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HerbMed Disclaimer
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The information materials in HerbMed® are provided
for educational and research purposes only. They should not be used for diagnosing or
treating a health problem or disease. The Alternative Medicine Foundation, Inc. does not
give medical advice or endorse any products, practitioners, or research findings
mentioned.
Page updated: December 15, 2005
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