06.01.07
Ginseng and ginkgo biloba fans may be relieved to learn that these two popular herbal supplements don’t seem to alter how most prescription and over-the-counter drugs are absorbed or metabolized in the body, unlike other herbs such as St. John’s Wort. The effects of prescription and over-the-counter drugs depends on the properties of the drug, how much drug enters the body, and on how long the drug stays in the body. The latter two properties are called drug “pharmacokinetics.”
“St. John’s Wort,” Dr. Gregory A. Reed told Reuters Health, “is an example of an herbal supplement that dramatically alters the pharmacokinetics of many drugs.”
This doesn’t seem to be the case for ginseng and ginkgo biloba, according to Reed’s study of 72 healthy adults. “We do not know if ginseng or ginkgo supplements at recommended doses can alter the effects of specific drugs in a patient, but we have shown that these herbal supplements do not alter how patients metabolize and clear drugs,” Reed said.
—Megan Rauscher, www.reuters.com, 5/1/07
“St. John’s Wort,” Dr. Gregory A. Reed told Reuters Health, “is an example of an herbal supplement that dramatically alters the pharmacokinetics of many drugs.”
This doesn’t seem to be the case for ginseng and ginkgo biloba, according to Reed’s study of 72 healthy adults. “We do not know if ginseng or ginkgo supplements at recommended doses can alter the effects of specific drugs in a patient, but we have shown that these herbal supplements do not alter how patients metabolize and clear drugs,” Reed said.
—Megan Rauscher, www.reuters.com, 5/1/07