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| Lamina Saver: The scoop on this supplement Part 2 Posted: 11 Feb 2010 01:59 PM PST  About the manufacturer The manufacturer of LS, Figuerola Labs, was founded in 1992 by a husband/wife team. The company is featured in a Holistic Horse article. It's a little alarming to read the biographical info of the Veterinary Science Division President (the wife). She carries the title Dr., but neither the article or web site say what doctoral degree is held. In fact no professional credentials are given except to say she has been a fashion model and jewelry designer. Are you scared yet? I am. A Chinese herb Lamina Saver (LS) doesn't reveal its ingredients but lists a goofily-named proprietary substance Restaurex -- sounds like a cleaning agent for food service. Anyway, according to those involved in testing LS, the main ingredient is Jiaogulan. Jiaogulan (a Chinese herb) can be purchased for $13/lb from health food stores, while LS costs $100/lb. Maybe LS offers a more complex or potent formulation -- but they ain't tellin.' What does Jiaogulan do? Jiaogulan, or Gynostemma pentaphyllum, is a Chinese herb that has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and other beneficial properties. It is thought to help release nitric oxide which enhances circulation, relaxing the blood vessels to facilitate blood flow. Some researchers feel that circulation in the laminitic foot is compromised, so in theory Jiaogulan could help. From the databases I have access to and the sources consulted, there are no published, controlled studies of Jiaogulan use in horses. Dr. Eleanor Kellon and Horse Journal A veterinarian in PA, Dr. Eleanor Kellon (see bio), has done some field/case studies on Jiaogulan -- no control group, all volunteer subjects. Such studies can be tough to interpret, and the results (to me) are not that compelling without a control group for comparison. Kellon, who specializes in natural remedies, is fairly reserved in her recommendation for Jiaogulan. She promotes Jiaogulan as one part of a comprehensive care plan for laminitis, and she advises clients to use care in determining the proper dosage. What seems odd to me is that she is on the editorial board of The Horse Journal, where both LS and Jiagulan have been touted repeatedly as treatment for laminitis. Here are some quotes from reports in Horse Journal about LS: "LaminaSaver lives up to its claims." "We've never seen anything like it for treating chronic laminitis." "We had incredible results with LaminaSaver." —Horse Journal, June 2002— Those quotes are pretty much a ringing endorsement, aren't they? I wonder that Kellon didn't exercise some editorial control over these articles. And did Horse Journal investigate the credentials of the manufacturer, Figuerola Labs? That would seem to be part of due diligence. Horseadvice.com/Dr. Robert Oglesby commentary Not everyone in the veterinary world agrees with Horse Journal's methods for reviewing products. In the veterinarian-moderated HorseAdvice.com forum, both Jiaogulan and Lamina Saver were discussed in two separate threads. In a thread on Jiaogulan, Robert N. Oglesby DVM was skeptical of the herb, and he advised readers to be cautious about the medical reporting in the Horse Journal. He writes, "The lack of careful control and double blinding makes the reporting subjective." In a thread on Lamina Saver he referred to Horse Journal's study of the product as "sloppy medical reporting." New Bolton commentary In Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog article on new drugs for laminitis, Jurga reported on research looking at Viagra as a laminitis treatment. Dr. Dean Richardson at New Bolton was interviewed about the research, and his response was unenthusiastic. He spoke out against indiscriminately trying out substances on horses when little is known about how they work in the body. Jiaogulan was mentioned briefly in this context (in the comments). It's not sounding too good, is it? There is more on this subject than I expected. Stay tuned for Part 3...  |
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