On to the question and answer: I may have an answer to your question (about an herbal "cure" for lupus): I checked out this question (hell, I did not even know exactly what lupus was) and found in my textbooks that burdock has been used for centuries to treat lupus.

In another book I found that lupus (discoid lupus erythematosus), an autoimmune disease of the skin, could be healed by (or at least benefited from) consuming large amounts of vitamin E. Lupus erythematosus has also been shown in people with high blood levels of copper, although it is not known whether the body is attempting to correct the situation by supplying higher levels of copper to the bloodstream to combat the disease or if it is a direct cause of it (more on this coming).

There is also some evidence that the stomach acidity is low in people suffering from lupus (also saw where "thin, peeling fingernails" is a sign of low stomach acidity. Low stomach acidity leads especially to poor protein digestion and decreased mineral absorption (known facts). It is likely that the individual is deficient in copper even though the blood has elevated levels (this is common for many nutrients and blood levels may actually present the wrong conclusion). Also some evidence that selenium and zinc can help cure lupus (although if you take a lot of zinc, definitely take additional copper as it decreases the absorptivity of copper, and we all need copper).

Lastly, but not least, some evidence shows that omega-3-fatty acids, as an anti-inflammatory, can fight lupus symptoms. Since a cure is what we are after, I would suggest trying both the burdock and supplements containing high doses of vitamin E, selenium, zinc and copper. Don't take too much zinc or copper, but vitamin E is very safe, especially if the water-soluble form is taken (such as the succinate). While we are on these nutrients, clinical studies have shown the following: vitamin E is very important to help reduce the risk of heart attacks by 50%, as long as at least 400 IU of vitamin E is consumed per day. And, selenium is another nutrient needed by everyone to help reduce the risk of cancer by 50%.

It is our philosophy at xxxxxxx that we only want to help people live longer and better through nutritional support. Making money will come by itself, but only if we can benefit our customer's health -- that is all we want to do (of course that may be why we make so little money, and do so little marketing).

Your web site is greatly needed! It should be a place where the consumer and the supplement provider can gain. After all, we are all after the same thing -- elevated health and longevity. It is better to get rid of the hype products and keep the good ones than to lose credibility with the few mistakes. Unfortunately sometimes it takes time to heal with nutrition and people lose patience (especially when they are used to the rapid, though side-effect-producing prescription products).

If you do not mind, I intend to spend more time on your site answering questions that you are not getting answers for. There is nothing worse than despair. Hope you do not mind some input from a manufacturer . . . . let me know if you prefer I not comment. Thanks for your site and the care you put into it for the consumer -- they need an unbiased source for information.

Editor's Note: We welcome input from manufacturers who provide quality information and explain their position in the supplement industry.