Prince of Wales launches Duchy herbal medicines
POSTED January 25, 2009 - 13:28 | POSTED BY Jyoti Pal
Last edited by Shikha Patial on January 25, 2009 - 19:23
London, United Kingdom, January 25 Prince Charles invited both admiration and derision when he launched a range of herbal medicine Saturday.
Promoted and sold under ‘Duchy Originals’ brand, these medicines have been made from plant extracts and are said to be effective in curing ailments such as colds, low disposition, fretfulness and dyspepsia.
Andrew Baker, Duchy Originals's chief executive said, "The decision to launch these products reflects the Prince of Wales's passion for integrated healthcare. We hope that the Duchy Herbals range of herbal remedies will encourage more people to adopt this integrated approach to their health."
Duchy Herbals was hitherto well known for giving its profits to charity. However, many eyebrows were raised when the tinctures Detox with artichoke and dandelion extracts and Echina-Relief were launched with a royal price tag of £10 each.
Detox Tincture claims to ‘eliminate toxins and aid digestion’, Echina-Relief is effective in curing ‘common cold and influenza type infections’, whereas the third tincture relieves the symptoms of ‘slightly low mood and mild anxiety.’
Few days back, a group of PhD students had criticized and condemned detox products. They had averred that such products are not at all effective and that they just make people part with their cash. They dismissed these products as worthless. Experts claim that the liver successfully expels toxins, without external help.
Alice Tuff, at the charity Sense About Science said, "It's incredible that the Prince of Wales' company is launching a 'detox' product just days after scientists have exposed such products as making empty and misleading claims."
Michael McIntyre, the herbalist in charge of producing the Duchy Herbals range however contested that each of the tinctures undergoes scrupulous investigation and extensive lab testing. These medicines conform to the highest standards of quality control.
The Prince of Wales got no appreciation from the world's first professor of complementary medicine, Professor Edzard Ernst of Exeter University. The latter said, "Someone who doesn't understand science and medicine like Prince Charles can only damage the respectable side of herbal medicine."
