Shark cartilage critique.

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs
Subject: Re: help with tendonitis
From: Liz Jones <lizjones+.pitt.edu>
Date: 20 Sep 1995 15:30:01 GMT

Shark cartilage is a scam. Main effect of its use is to kill lots and lots of sharks. I realize they may not be the most sympathetic characers, but... some of the sharks used for cartilage are now endangered (sorry I can't remember the source, or I'd give you the specific reference).

I've had tendonitis off and on for some time. Motrin didn't seem to cut it for me either, and I heard conflicting reports as to whether or not cortisone injections were effective (worked for my dad, didn't work for 2 co-workers). And anyhow, I was too squeamish to get an injection in my wrist, even though it hurt bad. What I have done, with good effect, is to avoid putting sudden, heavy pressure of any kind on my wrist (I was amazed how many doors I opened with it -- that little jolt of pain was quite a surprise). I do continue to use it, but now I slowly and carefully place my hand on the door and increase pressure to push the door open. This seemed to relieve the pain and also strengthen my wrist. Took several months to take effect, though, and cortisone shots might work for you if you're in a lot of pain and want it better NOW. I don't know of any herbs that benefit tendonitis-- perhaps someone else might.

From: poppy.someherb.com

liz, i concur with the idea of shark cartilage being hyped to put sharks out of business. it's true sharks can be dangerous, but they are a necessary predator and without them our seas and oceans are going to become even MORE dangerous.

mebbe a bunch of us, who post here in the herbal newsgroup, can band together and get our beloved congressppl to put a moratorium on shark persecution and execution.

From: p_iannone.pop.com (Paul Iannone)

: Shark Cartilage
: (snipped) Technologies
: They claim to have the "best" product...

BOYCOTT SHARK CARTILAGE!

There are other sources of these chemicals that do NOT involve the slaughter of entire ecosystems in Southeast Asia, by poor fishermen who a looking to make a buck.

From: p_iannone.pop.com (Paul Iannone)

: Another option is Northern Sea's shark cartilage. Northern Sea's uses the spiny dogfish shark which is plentiful in the Canadian Pacific Northwest. These fish are killed by commercial fishermen for their meat. Northern Sea's then purchases the shark skulls, etc from the fishermen.

No predators are 'plentiful' for long. Harvesting commercial quantities of predators is NOT good resource management in any ecosystem (unless the predators were imported originally, or aspects of the ecosystem have been destroyed such that the predators are overacting on the host species).

(A pity that gelatine isn't as sexy as sharks are. Different animal, same raw material - same effect. -Henriette)