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MB (Marybeth) Mitcham, director of Mason’s online Master of Public Health program and assistant professor in the Department of Global and Community Health, authored two chapters in the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ recently released Health Professional’s Guide to Dietary Supplements. The reference guide is designed to help medical practitioners understand the potential interactions, contraindications, and side effects of different dietary supplements so that they can provide their patients with evidence-based information and avoid unnecessary harm.
“There are many people who think that if something is natural, it is safe, and that is not necessarily the case. Many Americans take dietary supplements, and, although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversees sales of supplements, it does not test those supplements or require packaging to include information such as potential dangers or possible allergen risk,” said Mitcham. “As a result, many Americans take supplements to be healthy, but the supplements that they take may or may not be helpful—some could potentially negatively interact with other medications or promote side effects that are unwanted.”
Mitcham’s chapters, entitled “Hawthorn” and “Horehound,” outline the uses of both common plants, hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) and horehound (Marrubium vulgare), as supplements by themselves or in conjunction with others. Mitcham provides an overview of each plant, recommended dose amounts, dangers from excessive intake, sources, and uses in health promotion and disease prevention.
“When we consider plants as part of public health’s goals of preventing disease and promoting health, I think of the value of plants in preventing disease through the many benefits reaped from a plant-rich diet, and promoting health through the possible use of plants not only as food but as through traditional and cultural uses,” Mitcham said.
Mitcham is an expert on plant-rich diets and health, food security, and traditional plant-based medicine. She holds certification in medicinal plants and was excited to contribute her knowledge to the guide.
“The additional studies and work that were part of my certification not only offered a unique perspective of applied public health but have also been personal as well as professional. The unique combination of education through my degrees and certifications along with my practical application of this knowledge for my own use, made contributing to this guide something about which I am especially excited,” said Mitcham.