Page 148 - The Memory Program How to Prevent Memory Loss and Enhance Memory Power

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Many Natural or Alternative Remedies Are Also Medicines

Robert's most striking feature was that he did not consider ginkgo, ginseng, saw palmetto, or
melatonin to be medicines. And because these were natural substances that he obtained in a health
food store, he was willing to spend a fair amount of money on them despite his financial difficulties.

Many people do not count alternative remedies, or substances that occur naturally and are
marketed for their health effects, as medicines. The reality is that many of these products do contain
active ingredients, and the remedies that Robert was taking should be counted as medicines. Don't
forget that many modern medications were first derived from naturally occurring substances, and the
drug companies are always on the lookout for naturally occurring products with active ingredients
that they can test against specific diseases. So don't take alternative medicines lightly; some of them
do have active chemical compounds that have effects on various bodily organs, and some of them
can cause side effects.

Regulating Alternative Medications

Alternative remedies, which are unregulated by any federal agency, have increased in popularity
mainly based on anecdotal reports and beliefs: assume a therapy works unless someone can prove
that it does not work (innocent until proven guilty). This approach is diametrically opposed to the
scientific method underlying pharmaceutical testing and approval (guilty until proven innocent), and
has created a bridge that has proven difficult to cross. Fortunately, the NIH has begun to fund
randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials of these alternative remedies (NIH-
funded studies of ginkgo for memory disorders and St. John's wort for depression are ongoing), to try
to establish how effective they are and what side effects occur. Stay tuned for the results.

Worldwide Regulation of Medications

Prescription medications are regulated strictly by the FDA in the United States, and over-the-
counter medications are regulated to a lesser extent.