I'm Joe Graydon.

And I'm Terry Graydon.

Welcome to this podcast of the People's Pharmacy.

You can find previous podcasts and more information on a range of health topics at

People's Pharmacy.com.

Herbal medicine has been practiced for thousands of years.

Before drugstores, there were herb gardens with roots and remedies.

This is the People's Pharmacy with Terry and Joe Graydon.

You might be surprised to learn that animals use medicinal plants from their environment.

How do they pass their healing knowledge along without language?

Have you ever wondered about creating an herb garden at home?

All you need is a window box or a planter and a bit of sun and soil.

Both thyme and mint are easy to grow and have wonderful medicinal properties.

Coming up on the people's pharmacy, the Food and Drug Administration has announced that a common ingredient found in many over-the-counter cold medicines is on the way out.

The FDA has finally determined that phenylephrin

is not effective as an oral decongestant. This decision comes after decades of evidence that this

medication is not well absorbed from the digestive tract. That's because it's metabolized in the

gut and in the liver. Not enough gets into the bloodstream to produce

a decongestant effect. Hundreds of products will have to be removed or reformulated if the FDA

actually carries through on its findings. In the meantime, though, companies can continue to sell cough, cold,

and allergy remedies with phenylaphrin.

Ever since the beginning of the 21st century, Americans have had to rely on drugs made abroad.

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