Concerns over safety, side effects, and potential drug/herb interactions make it important for athletes to understand potential risks.

Herbs can act as drugs—and like drugs, they also pose potential side effects or interactions with foods, other herbs, or medications. Many herbalists contend that it is the mixture of phytochemicals, known and unknown, in whole herbs that is responsible for their functions, and that using extracts of only one or more of those chemicals from the herb is not likely to be as effective as using the whole herb.

Arnica: is known as mountain tobacco, leopard’s bane, and wolf's bane. It is typically marketed in a gel form and claims are made that it stimulates the immune system and has an anti-inflammatory effect especially for bruises, sprains, and general aches. Although Arnica in small amounts as a flavoring ingredient has been generally recognized as safe, larger amounts of this herb are not considered safe for oral use because Arnica can cause severe and sometime fatal poisoning. The few published research studies available do not support any benefits of Arnica compared to placebo.

Astragalus: is known as huang chi, huang qi, or milk vetch. It is claimed to stimulate components of the immune system. The one small study available was flawed. This report adds little or nothing to scientific knowledge about astragalus and athletic performance.

Cayenne: is a widely consumed spice known as capsicum, red pepper, hot pepper, African chiles, and paprika. It is used orally to stimulate digestion, to treat diarrhea, cramps, and toothaches, and as a gargle for laryngitis and for muscle pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and muscle spasms. Athletes may be most interested in cayenne's potential for relieving muscle pain but available research does not support this claim. When taken orally, cayenne can cause many gastrointestinal side effects, including abdominal discomfort and nausea.

Cordyceps: is a Chinese mushroom and is also known as caterpillar fungus, dong chong xai cao, semitake, and hsia ts'ao tung ch'ung. It is used for fatigue, respiratory disorders, sexual dysfunction, enhancing the immune system, and improving athletic performance. However, available research shows no benefit for the athlete.

Valerian: is used orally as a sedative-hypnotic for insomnia, sleep disorders, and anxiety, for mood disorders such as depression and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), to lessen menstrual cramps, and to aid muscle and joint pain. Research does not support the athlete's interest in the purported ability to reduce the time to sleep onset and improved sleep quality.

Most herbs are marketed to athletes with little or no solid data to back up claims for improved performance, increased muscle mass, or enhanced energy on the field.

Two good examples would be yohimbe and puncture vine, also known as Tribulus terrestris - lots of claims and hype being made with no good data to back them up.

This time of the year is a great opportunity to help a friend or loved one onto the path of health and wellness. It is also a time for us to personally make a new commitment to health for ourselves. For these reasons, we are making a special holiday offer on our books and programs.

Here's the way it works: Place your order on Dr. Vartabedian's www.Nutripoints.com website and enter the special code in the coupon below in the "Comments" section when ordering or mention the code when calling. We will then deduct the appropriate discount before you are charged. You can receive a 10-25% discount depending on the size of your order!

Please take advantage of this special offer for yourself or someone you care about and give a gift that can change their life for the better and have lasting benefits for a lifetime. Remember: "If your lifestyle does not control your body, your body will control your lifestyle--the choice is YOURS!"