Health stores reject herbal medicines claim

I WRITE as chairperson of the Irish Association of Health Stores to set the record straight regarding an article in the Irish Examiner of January 21 headed “Doctor warns of herbal medicines ‘stronger than poitín’”.

This article airs views expressed by Dr Bridget O’Brien of Tralee which are, frankly, without scientific foundation and did absolutely nothing to reassure the thousands of people who regularly and safely use herbal tinctures.

Dr O’Brien has tried to equate the amount of alcohol in a dose of a herbal tincture with the amount in a dose of poitín. The joys of a glass of poitín carry certain problems, but a dose of a herbal tincture contains as much alcohol as a ripe banana.

The moral is clear: keep away from poitín but carry on with the health-giving tinctures. Or perhaps bananas should be banned?

Jill Bell

‘Well and Good’

Midleton

Co Cork