Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Be wary of herbal and nutritional supplements
The recent removal of Zicam and Hydroxycut products from the market highlights an important aspect of herbal medications: sometimes you don’t know what you are paying for.
Zicam was a popular zinc-based flu remedy that was taken off the market due to many reports of users losing their sense of smell, sometimes permanently.
Hydorxycut weight loss products have been linked to serious liver damage, and were removed from store shelves in May.
There are a multitude of valuable, safe, and effective nutritional and herbal supplements that can be used to improve your health. Unfortunately there is also a large amount of potentially harmful products as well – products that are harmful to your wallet as well as your health.
FDA-regulated medications must prove both safety and efficacy before they are marketed. Although not everything is known about a medication when it does reach the open market, rigorous testing and reporting of the medications’ risks and benefits allow you and your doctor to make informed decisions about what treatments you should use.
In contrast, companies that manufacture and sell herbal and nutritional supplements have very little regulation. They do not have to prove to any regulatory body that these products are safe or that they are effective.
Many reputable companies will perform their own in-house testing to ensure quality, but not all. And most companies do not conduct the type of safety studies demanded by the FDA for medications. Without such rigorous testing, dangerous side effects like those mentioned above can go unknown for years.
The FDA along with Federal Trade Commission have also taken serious action recently against a number of fraudulent internet sites selling Swine Flu remedies.
The manufacturing freedom mentioned above can lead to a lot of old-fashioned “snake oil”-like products.
Unscrupulous businesses tried to capitalize on the nation’s fear and make a quick buck by promoting products as treating or preventing the Swine Flu.
Just like days of old, slick salesmen use all sorts of gimmicks to try and get you to buy their often useless and occasionally dangerous products. Many of these dealers will use endorsements from phony doctors and unscientific studies to try to convince you of their value. Not all of it is on the internet though; some companies use very well produced, high-dollar radio and television infomercials to advertise their products as well.
How can you protect yourself and your family from potentially unsafe products?
* Stay informed and research as much as you can about the products you buy.
* Only buy from reputable manufacturers that have been in business for many years.
* Do not listen to internet or television commercial doctors that are often little more than practiced salesman. Instead, talk to your own doctor or pharmacist about products you are considering and gather objective advice.
* Always inform your healthcare providers about the nutritional and herbal products you do take and stay on the lookout for any safety alerts from the FDA.
Michael Smith is a pharmacist and Clinical Coordinator in the Department of Pharmacy Services at The William W. Backus Hospital. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. If you want to comment on this column or others, go to the Healthy Living blog at backushospital.org or E-mail Smith and all of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org.
Zicam was a popular zinc-based flu remedy that was taken off the market due to many reports of users losing their sense of smell, sometimes permanently.
Hydorxycut weight loss products have been linked to serious liver damage, and were removed from store shelves in May.
There are a multitude of valuable, safe, and effective nutritional and herbal supplements that can be used to improve your health. Unfortunately there is also a large amount of potentially harmful products as well – products that are harmful to your wallet as well as your health.
FDA-regulated medications must prove both safety and efficacy before they are marketed. Although not everything is known about a medication when it does reach the open market, rigorous testing and reporting of the medications’ risks and benefits allow you and your doctor to make informed decisions about what treatments you should use.
In contrast, companies that manufacture and sell herbal and nutritional supplements have very little regulation. They do not have to prove to any regulatory body that these products are safe or that they are effective.
Many reputable companies will perform their own in-house testing to ensure quality, but not all. And most companies do not conduct the type of safety studies demanded by the FDA for medications. Without such rigorous testing, dangerous side effects like those mentioned above can go unknown for years.
The FDA along with Federal Trade Commission have also taken serious action recently against a number of fraudulent internet sites selling Swine Flu remedies.
The manufacturing freedom mentioned above can lead to a lot of old-fashioned “snake oil”-like products.
Unscrupulous businesses tried to capitalize on the nation’s fear and make a quick buck by promoting products as treating or preventing the Swine Flu.
Just like days of old, slick salesmen use all sorts of gimmicks to try and get you to buy their often useless and occasionally dangerous products. Many of these dealers will use endorsements from phony doctors and unscientific studies to try to convince you of their value. Not all of it is on the internet though; some companies use very well produced, high-dollar radio and television infomercials to advertise their products as well.
How can you protect yourself and your family from potentially unsafe products?
* Stay informed and research as much as you can about the products you buy.
* Only buy from reputable manufacturers that have been in business for many years.
* Do not listen to internet or television commercial doctors that are often little more than practiced salesman. Instead, talk to your own doctor or pharmacist about products you are considering and gather objective advice.
* Always inform your healthcare providers about the nutritional and herbal products you do take and stay on the lookout for any safety alerts from the FDA.
Michael Smith is a pharmacist and Clinical Coordinator in the Department of Pharmacy Services at The William W. Backus Hospital. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. If you want to comment on this column or others, go to the Healthy Living blog at backushospital.org or E-mail Smith and all of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org.
# posted by ----------------- @ 9:59 AM 
