NATURAL SUPPLEMENTS CAN BE DANGEROUS

NATURAL DRUGS DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN SAFE DRUGS

Half of Americans take some form of dietary supplement, from energy builders to mood escalators to libido enhancers.  Whether it's a tonic a pill or a tea, even if it's all natural, supplements can still pose a great risk.We have a love affair with pills, powders, potions, and teas that are based on natural occurring substance.

Annual sales of dietary supplements in the United States are approaching $16 billion.  The health and fitness crowd provide a huge market for diet supplements. An average of 1,000 new products are developed each year. 

REGULATION

Since naturally occurring substances are not Big Pharma drugs, they are not regulated.  The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) established in 1994 that dietary supplements are to be regulated like foods instead of drugs.  

They are considered safe unless proved otherwise and are not required to be clinically tested before they reach the market.  When bottled and sold as “diet supplements”, companies don’t need to test for safety or effectiveness. 

ADVERTISING


Dietary supplements are advertised to treat just about any symptom.   They promise to slow aging, improve memory, clean kidneys, protect the heart, and even prevent cancer.   There is evidence that some herbs, vitamins, and minerals do help.   The law prohibited supplements from advertising that they have therapeutic benefits, or that they directly treat or prevent disease.  The law does allow them to boast vague claims of "supporting bodily functions".

LABELING

Labeling is minimal and research is scanty.  These products are sold with very little information about potential side effects or even how the product works. "You almost have to be a detective.  Always check the product label.   The bottles should mention "USP" on the label ( U.S. Pharmacopeia standard approved).

SAFETY

Don’t think that herbal health products and supplements are safer than medicines just because they occur in nature or come from plants.   Before the products are sold, the manufacturer does not need to test the product or prove it is safe and work well.

There are no purity standards and warnings are not required for any dietary supplements.  Since makers don't have to report adverse events, it's nearly impossible to yank bad supplements off supplement

HERBS

It is agreed herbal supplements sometimes are beneficial, but they also can be dangerous.  Herbal supplements can react with other prescription drugs. Choose one antidepressant, not both an herbal supplement and a prescription medication.

DANGERS

People are essentially self-medicating, without the proper knowledge of the substances that they are using. Bad reactions are not required to be reported.   Its up to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to determine whether a particular substance on the market is harmful, based upon information available in the public domain.

COMMENTARY

The idea that diet supplements result in better health may be a greater risk to your health.   Herbal products and supplements may not be safe if you have certain health problems or are elderly.

Before self-medicating yourself, seek a medical diagnosis and choose known effective treatments for your underlying condition.  Forty percent of patients do not tell their doctors that they use alternative therapies.   

Many of us doctors believe in herbs and supplements. Talk to your doctor before taking herbal products. We spend billions of dollars medically treating ourselves without knowing the safety of what we are doing.

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