HerbalEGram: Volume 7, Number 7, July 2010Herbal Television TrendThere is a trend in television series lately that focuses on
herbs and alternative medicine.
For example, the American Botanical Council (ABC)
co-produces 2-mintue “Herbal
Insights” segments within the public television Healing Quest series co-hosted by Olivia Newton-John. So far “Herbal
Insights” has briefly profiled chamomile (Matricaria recutita), ginger (Zingiber officinale), licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra), marshmallow (Althaea officinalis), peppermint (Mentha x piperita), senna (Senna alexandrina),
and slippery elm (Ulmus rubra)
bark. The show airs on over 140 PBS television stations.
“Adding Mark to the show last season was a good step for us
regarding herbs,” said Roy Walkenhorst, CEO of Lightbridge Media and
co-producer of Healing Quest (oral
communication, June 22, 2010). “He’s the ultimate authority on all things
herbal.”
Healing Quest has
other show segments involving herbal topics. “The Future of Natural Medicine”
segment recently examined breakthroughs in phytomedicines, and the “Natural
Medicine Update” segment recently called attention to a cocoa-derived extract that
could possibly improve brain performance.1 There was also a recent
segment featuring Gaia Herbs’ receiving funding from the National Center for
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) to fund its echinacea (Echinacea
purpurea) research. Another segment on
natural remedies for male sexual enhancement featured a product called 112
DegreesTM, a proprietary herbal formula containing the Thai and
Chinese herbs produced by Life Span Labs.
There is even an entire network devoted to natural wellness.
Veria HD, launched in
2007, has many shows devoted to different aspects of herbal and alternative
medicine including aromatherapy and integrative medicine for people and
animals.1 For instance, Everybody Nose is a series about aromatherapy and essential oils
hosted by aromatherapist Noelle Katai. Recent installments include instructions
on how to make a spa-bath and aromatherapy for pets. Another show, Natural Companions, explores holistic medicine exclusively for pets,
including vitamins, massage, and treatments for pet obesity. What’s the Alternative? is a program that explores all types of alternative
medicine, such as Qigong, a dance-like meditative form of exercise, pediatric
chiropractic adjustments, and holistic veterinary care.
“There are networks that position themselves in the ‘green’
or ‘health’ arenas, but to my knowledge there is no network like Veria, where
wellness and a change of life is the key to the many paths people find to
optimal health,” said Amanda McQuade Crawford, host of
What a Relief! on the Veria network (e-mail June 16, 2010). On this
program Crawford demonstrates how to grow, harvest,
and safely apply herbal remedies at home. Recent topics include teas for easing
the symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI), valerian (Valeriana officinalis)
tinctures for insomnia, and essential oils for headaches.
Crawford is also a member of ABC’s
Advisory Board and an herbal expert with a degree in phytotherapy from Britain's
College of Phytotherapy.
“I am grateful to have both the opportunity and the ability
to answer people’s questions on the safe use of herbs,” said Crawford “There is
a growing need for reliable facts on integrating herbal medicine and healthy
lifestyle choices with the best of conventional healthcare. Healing
emerges out of our daily habits, including physical activity,
fulfilling work, delicious food that nourishes rather than robs us of vitality,
and connection to what matters to us philosophically or spiritually. It may
take more effort to take herbal medicine than popping a pill but the reward may
be more authentic, lasting wellness.”
On Bedside
Manor, hosted by Steven Rosenblatt, MD, viewers sometimes have their
medical questions answered by 2 doctors—one conventional and one
integrative—who often have opposing views. This leads to good-natured and
sometimes humorous debates, and also rare moments when the doctors agree. In
one episode clip, the conventional Howard Goldberg, MD, suggested using a
cranberry extract for a UTI. When the holistic Keith DeOrio, MD, DHOM,
suggested that he sounded more like a holistic doctor every day, Dr. Goldberg
defended his statement with “If it works, I use it.”
When it comes to more mainstream television, Chris Kilham,
known in some circles as the Medicine Hunter, has a daily spot on Fox News
called Nature’s Medicine Cabinet, in
which he shares herbal and natural remedy information with a more mainstream
audience.2 Kilham has been on projects to
obtain commercial courses of medicinal plants throughout the world, authored 14
books, and teaches a course in ethnobotany at the University of Massachusetts
Amherst.
 “The media rules public perception, sometimes in unfriendly
ways, but now the atmosphere is different,” said Kilham (oral communication,
June 16, 2010). “This is an amazing time especially considering where we came
from. We used to be trashed by the media and now we’re given a chance to serve
the interest of the public. To me, it’s like Christmas morning.”
Chris Kilham is also in the process of finding a permanent
home for his new show Medicine Trail, which documents his search for remedies in places
such as the Amazon rainforest, the Siberian Altay, the Peruvian highlands, and
the South Pacific.3 With 2 episodes already filmed, Kilham is
currently in negotiations with a TV and film group in Hollywood about launching
the show. Medicine Trail is a
co-production of Medicine Hunter and HQ Productions (an Emmy award-winning
production house) in New York.
More information about the Medicine Hunter is available on
his weekly blog
for Fox News.
The popular health show hosted by
Mehmet Oz, MD (The Dr. Oz Show) also sometimes delves into herbal remedies. This past
March, Kilham was a guest for a segment called “Cures from Around the World,”
which discussed plants such as cat’s claw (Uncaria tomentosa), bitter melon (Momordica charantia), tamanu oil (Calophyllum inophyllum), and tongkat ali (Eurycoma longifolia).
Dr. Oz is vice-chair and professor
of surgery at Columbia University and director of the Cardiovascular Institute
and Complementary Medicine Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital.4
He has written 5 New York Times
bestsellers and was named one of Time
magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2008. The Dr. Oz Show is the second
most-watched TV talk show in the United States.
—Kelly E. Lindner
Photo captions in order of appearance: 1) Amanda McQuade Crawford demonstrating how to prepare herbal remedies on her television show, What a Relief!, which airs on the Veria network. ©2010 David King
2) Chris Kilham on location in Peru, shooting a segment on maca (Lepidium meyenii) for his daily herbal TV spot for Fox News, Nature's Medicine Cabinet. ©2010 Sergio Cam
References
1. Healing Quest website. Available
at http://www.healingquest.tv/index_12-31-2009.html.
Accessed June 18, 2010.
2. Veria HD website. Available at www.verdia.com. Accessed June 11, 2010.
3. Health, Alternative Medicine
Page. Fox News website. Available at http://www.foxnews.com/health/alternative/index.html.
Accessed June 16, 2010.
4. The Medicine Trail Page.
Medicine Hunter website. Available at http://www.medicinehunter.com/medicine_hunter_tv.htm.
Accessed June 11, 2010.
5. The Dr. Oz Show website. Available at http://www.doctoroz.com/. Accessed June 11,
2010.
|
|