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Hi'iaka's Healing Herb Garden : Column Index : 2006 : February
Coming Soon...
The Truth About Herbs: Who Gets It Right?
Dr. Dennis McKenna spoke about herbs and the media the evening of January 12 at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort. Co-sponsored by the Kohala Center, this year's talk centered on the media's treatment of herbal and alternative medicines and carried the same title as this month's column. As a Senior Lecturer and Research Associate at the Center for Spirituality and Healing at the University of Minnesota, Dr. McKenna conducts research and teaches courses in ethnopharmacology and botanical medicines. He is also knowledgeable about the "spin" that the media often gives to their reporting about herbs and other natural remedies. And he definitely has his opinions about the press reports that are "sometimes facilitative, but more often than not, distort the facts."
"The media does not handle herbs and other natural therapies well," said Dr. McKenna. One of the purposes of this talk was to teach participants how to distinguish between political or corporate agenda-driven campaigns and reporting that is factual and reflects quality research.
Dr. McKenna discussed nine major issues relating to this large topic:
1. Public ignorance
Members of the public don't know about herbs because they are not "scientifically sophisticated." We tend to believe what we hear and read in the news, and if we see a report that says, for example, kava kava (`awa) causes liver damage, we tend to believe it without going to the extra effort of searching out the source of the news report. (By the way, there is no conclusive scientific proof that kava has any adverse effect on the liver. Even so, inaccurate, sensationalized press reports destroyed the kava industry in Hawai`i.)
2. Qualifications of reporters
Most journalists are not scientifically or medically savvy. Granted, medical and scientific issues are complex, but Dr. McKenna believes that many news accounts do not look deeper into the subject. Instead, they look for the most sensational aspect of a study, such as "St. John's wort is ineffective against severe depression," without mentioning that the study they're reporting on was paid for by Pfizer, the drug company that manufactures Zoloft, a frequently prescribed anti-depressant. This study's findings also concluded that Zoloft is just as ineffective. But the impression that lingers after reading a news article like this is that St. John's wort is no good. On the contrary, it has been known for many years that this herb is effective for only mild to moderate depression.
3. Bias
Not only does bias exist on the media's part, it also exists in the public's mind. Many people have an opinion before they read a story and have the attitude that "my mind is made up-don't confuse me with facts." The medical profession also has its bias and often views alternative therapies as "hippy medicine." It would take a very big story to get many of these biased opinions turned around.
4. Accuracy
The facts are not always truly presented. Dr. McKenna places direct blame on the media for smearing kava and for not correcting the misinformation it caused.
5. Completeness
It's difficult for a mainstream news article or TV feature to include all of the scientific data that's available, and it's attractive for them to report on the bad news, the superficial conclusions, and the aspects of scientific studies that they believe the public most wants to hear. Good news is not news, but an exaggerated statement such as "kava causes liver damage," whether it has been proven or not, sells papers, magazines and TV advertising.
6. "Spin"
Defined as distortion or exaggeration, "spin" is the deliberate attempt to slant a story to serve some agenda (like making money for the news medium that's reporting it). It happens all the time, in all areas of the news. I often wonder why the weather reporters in Hawai`i often don't seem to get it right and think that partly it has to do with the tourist industry: tourists are happy only when the sun is shining. So the media "spins" the topic to please the people who are supporting the local economy.
7. Medical prejudice
Doctors and other medical professionals are deeply entrenched in pharmaceutical products and believe these are the only effective cures for diseases. I've heard that doctors are often influenced by sales representatives of the drug companies, who often "wine and dine" them.
8. Unfounded claims
The media is not the only source of misinformation: manufacturers of herbal supplements sometimes make unfounded health claims about their products. So whom should we believe? That's a tough question.
9. Unreliable sources
Even scientific journals like The Journal of the American Medical Association can be unreliable sources of information and often contain "sloppy science," according to Dr. McKenna. Of course, many other sources exist that distort the truth: promotional literature written by manufacturers, popular health magazines, and especially the Internet ("a vast dung heap of information") cause many people's opinions to be inaccurately formed. More reliable information can be found in the publications of non-profit organizations, technical books, FDA reports, and trade organization reports. The American Botanical Council (www.herbalgram.org) is the most authoritative and complete source of information, and they continue to work diligently to spread the truth and to educate the public.
The "take-home" lessons of this talk were for all of us to learn more critical thinking. If we question the news and seek authoritative support for their stories, we will get closer to the truth. We should be asking questions like these:
* Is the news source qualified to be reporting on this subject?
* Is the story accurate and complete?
And if we develop the following skills, perhaps we will emerge with some truth:
* Develop "radar" for "spin" and look to see what the bias might be.
* Checking sources is important.
* Don't believe everything you read or see, especially on the Internet.
* Question even the medical journals.
In closing, Dr. McKenna answered the question "what does the future hold?" by saying that it's important for us to become involved in correcting some of this misinformation by writing to our legislators, so that perhaps they won't just "do what the lobbyists tell them to do."
The Truth About Herbs: Who Gets It Right?
Dr. Dennis McKenna spoke about herbs and the media the evening of January 12 at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort. Co-sponsored by the Kohala Center, this year's talk centered on the media's treatment of herbal and alternative medicines and carried the same title as this month's column. As a Senior Lecturer and Research Associate at the Center for Spirituality and Healing at the University of Minnesota, Dr. McKenna conducts research and teaches courses in ethnopharmacology and botanical medicines. He is also knowledgeable about the "spin" that the media often gives to their reporting about herbs and other natural remedies. And he definitely has his opinions about the press reports that are "sometimes facilitative, but more often than not, distort the facts."
"The media does not handle herbs and other natural therapies well," said Dr. McKenna. One of the purposes of this talk was to teach participants how to distinguish between political or corporate agenda-driven campaigns and reporting that is factual and reflects quality research.
Dr. McKenna discussed nine major issues relating to this large topic:
1. Public ignorance
Members of the public don't know about herbs because they are not "scientifically sophisticated." We tend to believe what we hear and read in the news, and if we see a report that says, for example, kava kava (`awa) causes liver damage, we tend to believe it without going to the extra effort of searching out the source of the news report. (By the way, there is no conclusive scientific proof that kava has any adverse effect on the liver. Even so, inaccurate, sensationalized press reports destroyed the kava industry in Hawai`i.)
2. Qualifications of reporters
Most journalists are not scientifically or medically savvy. Granted, medical and scientific issues are complex, but Dr. McKenna believes that many news accounts do not look deeper into the subject. Instead, they look for the most sensational aspect of a study, such as "St. John's wort is ineffective against severe depression," without mentioning that the study they're reporting on was paid for by Pfizer, the drug company that manufactures Zoloft, a frequently prescribed anti-depressant. This study's findings also concluded that Zoloft is just as ineffective. But the impression that lingers after reading a news article like this is that St. John's wort is no good. On the contrary, it has been known for many years that this herb is effective for only mild to moderate depression.
3. Bias
Not only does bias exist on the media's part, it also exists in the public's mind. Many people have an opinion before they read a story and have the attitude that "my mind is made up-don't confuse me with facts." The medical profession also has its bias and often views alternative therapies as "hippy medicine." It would take a very big story to get many of these biased opinions turned around.
4. Accuracy
The facts are not always truly presented. Dr. McKenna places direct blame on the media for smearing kava and for not correcting the misinformation it caused.
5. Completeness
It's difficult for a mainstream news article or TV feature to include all of the scientific data that's available, and it's attractive for them to report on the bad news, the superficial conclusions, and the aspects of scientific studies that they believe the public most wants to hear. Good news is not news, but an exaggerated statement such as "kava causes liver damage," whether it has been proven or not, sells papers, magazines and TV advertising.
6. "Spin"
Defined as distortion or exaggeration, "spin" is the deliberate attempt to slant a story to serve some agenda (like making money for the news medium that's reporting it). It happens all the time, in all areas of the news. I often wonder why the weather reporters in Hawai`i often don't seem to get it right and think that partly it has to do with the tourist industry: tourists are happy only when the sun is shining. So the media "spins" the topic to please the people who are supporting the local economy.
7. Medical prejudice
Doctors and other medical professionals are deeply entrenched in pharmaceutical products and believe these are the only effective cures for diseases. I've heard that doctors are often influenced by sales representatives of the drug companies, who often "wine and dine" them.
8. Unfounded claims
The media is not the only source of misinformation: manufacturers of herbal supplements sometimes make unfounded health claims about their products. So whom should we believe? That's a tough question.
9. Unreliable sources
Even scientific journals like The Journal of the American Medical Association can be unreliable sources of information and often contain "sloppy science," according to Dr. McKenna. Of course, many other sources exist that distort the truth: promotional literature written by manufacturers, popular health magazines, and especially the Internet ("a vast dung heap of information") cause many people's opinions to be inaccurately formed. More reliable information can be found in the publications of non-profit organizations, technical books, FDA reports, and trade organization reports. The American Botanical Council (www.herbalgram.org) is the most authoritative and complete source of information, and they continue to work diligently to spread the truth and to educate the public.
The "take-home" lessons of this talk were for all of us to learn more critical thinking. If we question the news and seek authoritative support for their stories, we will get closer to the truth. We should be asking questions like these:
* Is the news source qualified to be reporting on this subject?
* Is the story accurate and complete?
And if we develop the following skills, perhaps we will emerge with some truth:
* Develop "radar" for "spin" and look to see what the bias might be.
* Checking sources is important.
* Don't believe everything you read or see, especially on the Internet.
* Question even the medical journals.
In closing, Dr. McKenna answered the question "what does the future hold?" by saying that it's important for us to become involved in correcting some of this misinformation by writing to our legislators, so that perhaps they won't just "do what the lobbyists tell them to do."
