To the editor:

In the March 31 paper, Judy Lueders warned people in her column not to be fooled by dietary supplements. While Judy appears to have the best interests of the public at heart, she fails to give them the real truth about the use of dietary supplements.

Herbs have been around for thousands of years. The use of herbs is documented in the Bible. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, didn't write prescriptions for Prozac. He used herbs. Modern pharmaceutical drugs have only been used since the turn of the century.

Many herbs are as effective as pharmaceutical drugs with fewer side effects. A three-year study comparing the herb saw palmetto to finastride (Proscar), a drug used for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia, found saw palmetto to be more effective with fewer side effects.

According to information found on the American Medical Association's Web site, the herb ginkgo biloba can significantly benefit the treatment of dementia and Alzheimer's disease by delaying the progression for as much as six months. There are no known side effects as a result of using this herb.

The majority of medicinal herbs that are commonly used today are safe. Garlic is an herb that is recognized as safe for anyone, including the elderly, pregnant women or children. Chamomile, ginger, echinacea, ginkgo and feverfew are herbs that, according to the AMA, are re safe and have few, if any, side effects. There are, however, some herbs that do require great care and should only be used under the supervision of a trained professional.

Nearly 200,000 people a year die as a result of taking prescribed drugs. Rezulin, a diabetes drug, has killed 28 people, and 43 others have suffered acute liver failure. Yet the drug's manufacturer claims "the benefits outweigh the risks" of this drug.

I feel our local nutrition expert is doing a disservice to her readers by suggesting that we should beware of supplements that have been shown to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, cataracts, diabetes and Alzheimer's.

BECKY FARRIS

Cape Girardeau