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Safety of Herbal Drugs

Friday, October 30, 2009
Related Tags: herbal | medicines | drugs | ginseng | percent
 

Instructions

No Set Standards

  • Step 1:
    Herbal medications are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration because they are considered dietary supplements. They do not have to meet the standards of safety and purity required for prescription drugs.

Can't Trust the Labels

  • Step 1:
    Herbal supplements are not subject to the same labeling criteria as conventional medicines. Dr. Stephen E. Strauss of the National Center of Complementary and Alternative Medicine compared two bottles of ginseng--one bottle contained 12 percent ginseng while the other contained 328 percent.

No Mandated Reporting System

  • Step 1:
    If someone has an adverse effect to an herbal remedy, there is no clear system of reporting or documenting the incident as there is with traditional drugs. The FDA estimates that only 10 percent of adverse effects to herbal medicines are reported.

May Interact Badly with Medicines

  • Step 1:
    Some herbal medicines can interact badly with traditional drugs. For example, garlic can heighten the effect of aspirin if taken on a regular basis.

Some Herbs are Dangerous on their Own

  • Step 1:
    Taking too much of an herbal drug may be just as dangerous as taking too much of a conventional medicine. For example, St. John's Wort can cause dizziness, light sensitivity and stomach upset if too much is taken.

Safety of Herbal Drugs Provided by eHow.com
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