Doctors Oz and Roizen Recommend 4 Herbs

In a recent newspaper article*, Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Michael Roizen (Chief Medicial Officer of the Cleveland Clinic) recommend the use of 4 herbs as scientifically validated. They cite an article on the Cleveland Clinic Wellness website's Supplement Review which reports that the following popular herbs "are generally safe and have some scientific backing as effective remedies":

• Turmeric (Curcumin) for easing inflammation of ulcerative colitis in conjunction with standard medications
• Aloe vera cream "may work better than some prescription preparations" for healing mild skin burns
• Saw palmetto "for benign prostatic hyperplasia" (enlarged prostate gland in men); this herb seems to block the hormones responsible
• Garlic has moderate but good results in helping "control blood pressure and cholesterol, and slow down hardening of the arteries"

* Read more: http://www.windsorstar.com/health/supplements+worth+taking/7372531/story.html#ixzz29TnVX0Tg

Cleveland Clinic makes untrue statement regarding natural vs synthetic vitamins

On August 17, 2006 I submitted this request to the Cleveland Clinic for a correction to its web site, specifically regarding their claim that "There is no difference between natural vitamins and synthetic vitamins". My reference relates to a known difference between natural and synthetic vitamin E (to date, no correction has been made): On your web page (http://www.clevelandclinic.org/health/health-info/docs/0900/0955.asp?index=5429 regarding Diet, Exercise, Stress, and the Immune System) you make a false statement that "There is no difference between natural vitamins and synthetic vitamins." On the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements website (http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamine.asp) they clearly state that "The synthetic form is only half as active as the natural form [4]. [4} U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 2004. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 16-1. Nutrient Data Laboratory Home Page, http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp Please correct this error.