Ginseng Shows Its Worth But Also Hides Some Danger

April 07, 1986|By G. Timothy Johnson, M.D.

Dear Readers: The February, 1986, issue of the Tufts Diet and Nutrition Letter evaluates ginseng, an herb widely promoted for its supposed medicinal and aphrodisiac benefits by many health food stores.

``Like garlic, another medicinal herb of long-standing tradition,`` the Tufts Letter states, ``ginseng does contain certain compounds with

physiological activity . . . and laboratory studies with animals suggest that the ginseng may have some druglike effects.

``But before you start practicing folk medicine at home, you should know that there have been no well controlled studies involving people. In addition, according to Barro Tyler, Ph.D., dean of Purdue University School of Pharmacy and Pharmacal Sciences, problems have been reported in ginseng users, especially in people who have taken large amounts for long periods. Older women, for example, have suffered sore breasts and vaginal bleeding. Nervousness, insomnia and blood pressure changes have also been noted.

``Thus, although small amounts are probably harmless, ginseng should not be consumed in large doses on a regular basis.``

Dear Dr. Johnson: Can arthroscopic knee surgery--surgery through a tube

--be used to repair ligament damage, or is it only suitable for cartilage damage?

First, it is important to understand that the structure of the knee joint involves bones from the upper and lower leg being held together by ligaments and separated internally by cartilages. Essentially, there are two types of ligaments--those on the sides of the knee joint and two inside the knee joint (the cruciate ligaments), all of which help hold the joint together.

The ligaments on the sides of the knee cannot be repaired through an arthroscope. They must still be repaired through an incision into the knee. The cruciate ligaments are being increasingly repaired through the

arthroscope, but this surgery is still regarded as experimental. And whether or not it is done through an incision or through the arthroscope, ligament surgery means a longer period of recuperation than does cartilage removal.

In short, arthroscopic surgery is still used in the knee primarily for the repair of cartilage--most typically the removal of torn cartilage. Other kinds of knee surgery can indeed be done through the arthroscope, including the removal of bone chips and the scraping away of damaged cartilage from the kneecap.

Sixteen million Americans have gallbladder disease. Dr. Johnson`s booklet on this ailment explains causes and treatment in common-sense terms. For a copy, send $2.25 to ``Gallbladder,`` Box 4406, Orlando, Fla. 32802-4406. Make checks payable to Newspaperbooks.