Americans consume more than $4 billion worth of St. John?s wort, echinacea, Ginkgo biloba and other herbal products each year in hopes of improving their health, memory and even their sex lives. But are these products effective, or even safe?
The 6th Oxford International Conference on the Science of Botanicals next week brings together nearly 150 scientists, regulatory officials and industry representatives from around the world to discuss the latest studies on the safety and quality of botanical dietary supplements.
Hosted by the National Center for Natural Products Research, a unit of the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, in conjunction with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and groups in China and India, the annual gathering is recognized as one of the nation?s most important scientific forums on the herbal products industry.
To learn more about the conference, or the work being done around the globe to ensure the safety and quality of botanical dietary supplements, click this link to our Multimedia News Release: http://www.olemiss.edu/news2/botanicals/index.html
The MNR provides a slide show of medicinal plants, print stories, video packages, photographs of key researchers and links to their biographical sketches, as well as links to the FDA, National Institutes of Health and other groups.
You can help spread the word about this conference and the research being conducted at NCNPR by featuring it in your publications or broadcasts, using the materials on your Web site or by covering the conference. If you know a reporter or editor with an interest in dietary supplements or herbal remedies, please forward this information to them.