Another example is St. John's wort and a synthetic MAO inhibitor for alleviating depression, leading to serotonin syndrome. Certain foods, such as wine or cheese, must be avoided while taking St. John's wort. Pharmacists also need to be informed of what patients are taking, so they can help monitor possible interactions as well, such as ginseng decreasing the efficacy of antihypertensives. When used with caution, many herbs are safe to use as medicines. Feverfew, garlic, gingko, Asian ginseng, saw palmetto, St. John's wort, and valerian are safe in many instances.
Claims often exaggerate the therapeutic powers of herbs.
Previously limited research into the effectiveness of herbal therapies is expanding. Some studies of common herbal remedies indicate perhaps some symptomatic relief of some problems but no reversal of certain conditions. Lack of high therapeutic potency makes many herbs more useful for long-term treatment of mild or chronic complaints than for rapid healing of acute illnesses. The most authoritative answers come from the German Commission E, a regulatory body that has regularly evaluated safety and efficacy on the basis of scientific literature for more than 20 years. Their publication, The Complete German Commission E Monographs , translated by The American Botanical Council, has established indications and dosage recommendations for over 300 herbal products.