Med Clin North Am. 2002 Jan; 86(1): 149-61.

Herbal medicine.

Ernst E, Pittler MH.

Department of Complementary Medicine, School of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom. E.Ernst@exeter.ac.uk

Generalized statements about herbal medicines are nonsensical, and each remedy has to be evaluated on its own merits. Some herbal treatments can be shown to have a favorable risk-benefit profile, but for most herbal medicines the data are insufficient to determine whether they do more good than harm. The research required to fill the gaps in present knowledge should have a high priority.