Health Risks of Supplements and Herbal Medicines
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When herbal supplements and medicines pose health risks, it is rare to hear
about it unless a large number of cases are reported and the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) investigates. This has happened in the past when women
and men taking herbal weight loss medicines suddenly suffered from heart
attacks. As the FDA investigated it became clear that rather than just one kind
of brand or herbal supplements it was a common ingredient – ephedrine – that
was to blame for these deaths. Acting quickly, retailers were ordered to remove
from their shelves any herbal mixes and pills containing ephedrine and before
long consumers were safe in the knowledge that reputable retailers had rid
their stores of this danger.
from prosecution that they are actually advertising the availability of ephedrine
and consumers are purchasing the substance as they are certain that it will
provide the weight loss help they require.
supplements and their sometimes questionable ingredients, there are other
risk factors that require mentioning. Consider for example the presence of
heavy metals connected with the methodologies used to grow, fertilize, protect,
harvest, and store the herbs, and it soon becomes obvious that any health
benefit that might have been potentially derived from the ingestion or use of
such a compound is negated because of the poisons that are found on the
plants and inside the supplements.
Use Herbal Remedies with Caution
Many people use herbs to help maintain good health or to relieve symptoms.
Herbal products may supplement conventional medicine but should never be a
substitute for treatment. Some herbals can lead to dangerous side-effects or
drug interactions. If you are careful and aware, you will avoid this health risk.
If banned substances and heavy metals do not worry you, consider that herbal
supplements and medicines pose health risks such as liver damage not
because of some exotic herb included in the mix, but instead because they
include everyday substances, like caffeine, that is an operating agent in the
medicine but when combined with the typical American diet of coffee, caffeine
laden soft drinks, and even stay-awake pills taken before the drive home, the
intake exceeds drastically even the highest daily recommended dosage. At the
forefront of filtering out poisons are the kidney and liver, but it is the liver that
usually suffers the most, especially in individual who may have some latent
conditions which pose danger to the liver already.
Although frequently not mentioned when discussing herbal supplements and
medicines posing health risks, the fact that some of the substances are highly
concentrated may escape the notice of the individual consumer and a
consistent overdose might not be noticed or reported. Instead, the systemic
overload will lead to renal failure, the potential increase of other risk factors,
and of course classic signals of poisoning, such as upset stomach, chronic
diarrhea, dehydration, and other problems.
======================================================
about it unless a large number of cases are reported and the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) investigates. This has happened in the past when women
and men taking herbal weight loss medicines suddenly suffered from heart
attacks. As the FDA investigated it became clear that rather than just one kind
of brand or herbal supplements it was a common ingredient – ephedrine – that
was to blame for these deaths. Acting quickly, retailers were ordered to remove
from their shelves any herbal mixes and pills containing ephedrine and before
long consumers were safe in the knowledge that reputable retailers had rid
their stores of this danger.
Unfortunately, when herbal
supplements and medicines
pose health risks, the arm
of the FDA and other
governmental agencies only
reaches so far and by and
large individuals peddling
these supplements under
the guise of Chinese patent
cures have remained
unaffected by the ban,
Theoretically they might be
in jeopardy of violating
United States law if there
were to import herbs, pills,
and balms that contain
banned substances, but
enforcement is literally
impossible.
from prosecution that they are actually advertising the availability of ephedrine
and consumers are purchasing the substance as they are certain that it will
provide the weight loss help they require.
supplements and their sometimes questionable ingredients, there are other
risk factors that require mentioning. Consider for example the presence of
heavy metals connected with the methodologies used to grow, fertilize, protect,
harvest, and store the herbs, and it soon becomes obvious that any health
benefit that might have been potentially derived from the ingestion or use of
such a compound is negated because of the poisons that are found on the
plants and inside the supplements.
Use Herbal Remedies with Caution
Many people use herbs to help maintain good health or to relieve symptoms.
Herbal products may supplement conventional medicine but should never be a
substitute for treatment. Some herbals can lead to dangerous side-effects or
drug interactions. If you are careful and aware, you will avoid this health risk.
- Read the label - The quality of herbal products can vary. Labels
marked with USP (United States Pharmacopeia) or NF (National
Formulary) show that the manufacturer followed the standards set by the
testing organization, United States Pharmacopeia. The letters USP
indicate approved use. The letters NF indicate that the product has the
same standards for purity and quality in manufacturing as USP but does
not have a USP-approved use.
- Know what you’re taking
- Be aware of drug interactions - Herbal supplements can have risky
interactions with prescription and over-the-counter medicines. For
example, garlic, if taken on a regular basis, may increase the strength of
aspirin and the drug Warfarin to prevent blood clotting. The herbal
supplement St. John's wort can also mix with prescription
antidepressants and increase the medication's effect. And if you take
Ginkgo biloba with a diuretic medicine, it is likely to raise blood pressure.
If banned substances and heavy metals do not worry you, consider that herbal
supplements and medicines pose health risks such as liver damage not
because of some exotic herb included in the mix, but instead because they
include everyday substances, like caffeine, that is an operating agent in the
medicine but when combined with the typical American diet of coffee, caffeine
laden soft drinks, and even stay-awake pills taken before the drive home, the
intake exceeds drastically even the highest daily recommended dosage. At the
forefront of filtering out poisons are the kidney and liver, but it is the liver that
usually suffers the most, especially in individual who may have some latent
conditions which pose danger to the liver already.
Although frequently not mentioned when discussing herbal supplements and
medicines posing health risks, the fact that some of the substances are highly
concentrated may escape the notice of the individual consumer and a
consistent overdose might not be noticed or reported. Instead, the systemic
overload will lead to renal failure, the potential increase of other risk factors,
and of course classic signals of poisoning, such as upset stomach, chronic
diarrhea, dehydration, and other problems.
======================================================
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