For almost every health condition, there is traditional medical treatment, often including the use of prescription or over-the-counter medications. Although medications are available, many people are concerned about the synthetic nature of these medicines, as they are most often made in a laboratory. So, they wish to attempt healing through herbal remedies, which they consider to be more natural. But herbal medications may have risks such as lack of purity, effectiveness, side effects and drug interactions, so they may not be appropriate for everyone. Check with your health-care practitioner before using any natural remedy.
FDA Registration
The Food and Drug Administration regulates herbal remedies as dietary supplements, similar to the way food is regulated. The FDA does not require specific registration of companies wishing to produce herbal remedies or other dietary supplements. This is in contrast to traditional prescription and over-the-counter medicines, which must be registered with the FDA, which inspects the factory where they are produced and closely examines clinical studies and other reports before allowing them to be sold.
Effectiveness
All medication, prescription and over-the-counter, has been subjected to rigorous clinical testing in both animals and humans to ensure that the drug is effective. The manufacturers of medications are allowed to tell both physicians and patients which conditions the medication may be used for. Manufacturers of herbal supplements are not required to conduct clinical studies to prove effectiveness. They are also not allowed by the FDA to make any claims about the effectiveness of their products to treat a specific medical condition, so users have to do their own research about the use of herbs. The information they find is often anecdotal and may be unreliable.
Safety
In addition to the clinical research regarding effectiveness, the FDA requires pharmaceutical manufacturers to conduct studies regarding the safety of any medications they wish to produce. This information includes both serious reactions and side effects. They must also provide information about pregnancy safety, breast feeding and safety in children, along with the likelihood of having an adverse reaction. After the medication is marketed, they must continue to collect safety information so that long-term reactions are known and the medication may be removed from the market if it is later determined to be unsafe or if safety risks outweigh benefits of use. Little information is collected regarding the safety of herbal remedies, unless serious adverse events occur. Unless provided from an alternative source, such as an herbal compendium, it may be difficult to predict side effects and drug interactions. Talk to a qualified health-care professional about all of your medical conditions and medications, including herbal remedies, before using them.
Purity
Manufacturers of traditional pharmaceutical medications must follow specific guidelines known as Good Manufacturing Processes. The facilities where medications are manufactured must be certified as inspected by the FDA. In the United States, each pill must be assured of being within 90 to 110 percent of the stated amount of active ingredient, while other countries may have even more rigorous standards. Each additional ingredient, such as fillers, binders and starches used to make the medication must also be of pharmaceutical grade, and the labeling of each pharmaceutical product must be clear as to exactly what is in the medication. With herbal remedies, it may be difficult to determine purity or amounts of the active ingredients. Many herbal treatments are made with plants, seed or roots that may contain varying amounts of active ingredients. In addition, they may contain additional plant matter that is not identified. If you use an herbal remedy, make sure you purchase it from a reputable manufacturer and retail outlet and talk to your health professional before using it.
Member Comments