GREG GRIESENAUER
What Am I Taking Again?
Bach "Rescue Remedy"
I Paid How Much For This?
$10.99 for 10ml
What Makes it Work?
That flower stuff
Where Do I Get The Hook Up?
GNC
What Am I Taking Again?
St. John's Wort
I Paid How Much For This?
$7.99 for 300mg
What Makes It Work?
Hypercin
Where Do I Get The Hook Up?
GNC
What Am I Taking Again?
What Am I Taking Again?
kava kava
I Paid How Much For This?
$9.16 for 250mg
What Makes It Work?
Kavalactone
Where Do I Get The Hook Up?
www.vitaminshoppe.com (not available locally)
SAY WHAT?
Gettin' crazy on herbs (Supplements, that is)
by Malinda Osborne
Of all the universal desires out there, few are stronger than the urge to alter one's consciousness. Travel to any country and you are sure to find some locally-derived substance that whacks you out of your gourd. Inspired by this worldwide showing of hedonism, I decided to push past our trite alcohol and caffeine, not go so far as to fail a drug test, but try something new. The answer: herbal supplements. Former hippies love this stuff and we know they have a history with mind-altering substances. My mission was clear: I was going to trip on herbs.
In an attempt to make sure I wouldn't cause irreparable harm to my body during this admittedly half-baked endeavor, I spoke with Dr.Farhang R.Khosh, a naturopathic doctor and founder of Natural Medical Care in Lawrence. His office eschews typical pharmaceutical finds in favor of botanical medicine and homeopathic remedies.
He said besides familiarizing yourself with the substance's intended effect and possible
side effects, the most important thing to look for when taking herbs is the main ingredient and how many milligrams are in each dosage. He said herbs are usually most effective when you take the least amount recommended on the bottle.
"Obviously herbs are not as potent as prescriptive medicines. Homeopathic medicines are sold as an extreme dilution of the original herb, "Khosh said."While it's very possible, it's also are you can overdose on homeopathy, except I don't know why you would try to take more than the directions indicate."
First up was Bach "Rescue Remedy," a stress-relief serum that would work as a relaxant without hangover or embarrassing stories the day after. The product's Web site, www.bachcentre.com, says it is "beneficial for when you find yourself in traumatic situations, such as stress, emergencies, after getting bad news, before an exam or job interview and all other kind of situations
Whatever.
I took eight liquid drops under my tongue, double the recommended dosage, and was still acutely aware of impending responsibilities. I tried the serum on four separate occasions in a similar fashion and still — nothing. It turned out to be nothing more than a floral-flavored cocktail.
where we suddenly lose balance mentally." It was interesting to note, however, that 27 percent of the remedy is brandy.
I then opted for a more well-known herb, St. John's wort. The flower is touted as a natural remedy for mild depression, anxiety and sleep disorders. No one understands exactly how it works or even if it does work, although studies have suggested the active ingredient, hypercin, works like conventional antidepressants that involve inhibition of serotonin and dopamine reuptake.The bottle said to take one to three capsules a day. I took six daily for a week. Khosh said it takes fourteen days to see maximum results.I disagree
After a few days I noticed that I was drinking and eating slightly less, which are favorite pastimes when I'm not feeling so hot. On day five, the wort really started to kick in when I was driving down Massachusetts Street. Suddenly I felt euphoric and found myself giggling for no reason. Everything seemed a lot clearer too, and I started listening intently to the song playing in my car. It was like a very brief mushroom trip, except without being able to feel colors. After that I would continue to have positive mood bursts, unfortunately not as intense, until I had to stop on the seventh day to make way for the other drugs.
Ah, sweet kava kava. I was the most excited about this because of the purported effects it has, which include mildly talkative and euphoric behavior, a sense of calm and well-being and relaxed muscles. It has long been used as a part of religious and everyday life In Polynesia and there is much evidence to support its effectiveness.
However, it has been linked to liver damage with excessive use over time. The recommended daily intake is no more than 250 mg. I opted to take 10 capsules, 750 mg, in the first sitting.
After fifteen minutes I started to feel more relaxed. Incidentally, I did this while watching the KU vs. Missouri game. When I would normally be pounding a) my sixth beer or b) my fists on the couch when Moody missed the free throws, instead, I was sitting there, kind of feeling a little numb. Then for a while I felt deliriously content before I became really tired. I found similar results when I tried it for a second time. Unfortunately, Khosh said if you were to take kava kava regularly, you'd have to abstain from alcohol so as to keep the liver intact. I guess you can't have it both ways.
While I wouldn't recommend dismantling the beer pong table or putting the water bong away for good, also didn't discount herbal supplements just yet.
02. 02.2006 JANILIAN < 09