Ökotest top marks for natural medicines

Most tested herbal medicines of the naturopathy cut with Ökotest in effectiveness and compatibility "very well" or "good"

02/05/2011

More and more people rely on natural medicines and find them effective and almost free of side effects. This assessment now confirms a recent analysis of the alternative consumer magazine „Eco test“. A total of 115 remedies for sleep disorders, pain and indigestion were studied. According to the investigator Prof. Manfred Schubert-Zsilavecz, most preparations were effective and well tolerated by humans.

Natural laxatives for digestive problems
A total of 16 natural laxatives tested the magazine, eight of the herbal remedies were awarded the predicate „very well“, two more remedies were added „Well“ rated. Natural laxatives contain, for example, swelling Indian pear seeds. Such remedies have proven to be the most effective in the analyzes according to Ökotest and are therefore considered to be the „Means of choice“. Agents that stimulate the intestinal wall would also have proven effective in studies. Among them are funds containing the ingredients of senna leaves or Cascararinde.

With five remedies the predicate became „satisfying“ granted. Here, critical adjuvants such as paraffins were responsible for a derogatory rating. With „insufficient“ has been „Chol ballets New“ (Dolorgiet). In addition to aloe (too strong intestinal irritant), the agent contained celandine. The herb is said to stimulate the flow of bile and digestion. In the opinion of Ökotester this vegetable substance is not only „superfluous“ but is also suspected of damaging the liver. This fact is also noted in the package leaflet of the named natural medicinal product.

Herbal sleeping aids for sleep disorders
The herbal sleeping pills were rated as good in the majority by Ökotest. These are sleeping medicines containing combinations of valerian, lemon balm, passionflower or hops. A total of 18 preparations were examined, of which half (9) were the grade „very well“ received. A remedy got the grade „Well“. Among the most noteworthy were, for example „Allunapret / Bionorica“, „Valerian Ratiopharm 450 mg“, „Baldriparan / Pfizer / Whitehall-Much“ and „Klosterfrau Nervenruh Valerian Forte 600“. For three sleep medicines, the rating was „satisfying“ forgive. Five sleep aids received the grade „inadequate“. The devaluation occurred because individual remedies had too low a proportion of valerian or contained questionable ingredients such as synthetic food dyes or alcohol.

Natural painkillers in the test
The painkillers were less convincing for the testers of Ökotest. Of the 15 painkillers examined, only two were included „Well“ rated. Well cut loud Ökotest „Doloteffin film-coated tablets / Ardeypharm“ and „Rivoltan Devil's Claw 480 mg film-coated tablets / Krewel Meuselbach“ from. A total of eleven of the remedies contained the phytochemical devil's claw root. Most analgesics analyzed received the grade „satisfying“. One agent still managed the rating „sufficient“. In particular, it was criticized that most of the remedies failed to produce sufficient studies that confirmed pain relief or anti-inflammatory effects. The tester could only convince the product „Phytodolor tincture from Steigerwald“. Here the manufacturer could provide a convincing data situation.

Effective painkiller, yet touch „satisfying“
The combined preparation of ash bark, asparagus bark and leaves as well „Genuine goldenrod herb“ proved to be superior to placebo in studies of treatment of degenerative joint disease and comparable to traditional conventional analgesics. Nevertheless, the agent got only the grade „satisfying“, because the leaflet contained only insufficient information and e.g. did not draw attention to the fact that the drugs should not be taken with stomach or intestinal ulcers. In addition, there was no indication regarding child-taking regulations, even though the product had an alcohol content of 45.6 percent.

In the May issue of Ökotest the results for laxatives, sleeping pills and analgesics are presented. In the June issue, herbal cough medicine, venous medications, St. John's wort preparations and natural remedies for prostate problems are presented. (Sb)

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