Supplements and herbal remedies are powerful compounds that help support various conditions. But before you peruse the aisles of your local vitamin shop, make sure you know how to read labels and determine if a supplement or herbal remedy is appropriate for you.
What Do You Really Know About Your Dietary Supplements?
There’s a frightening and emerging trend plaguing the dietary supplement (DS) industry. Recent studies (conducted by independent labs, scientists, and/or newspapers) in which DS were randomly and independently tested have shown that DS products do not always contain the ingredients (or the purity of ingredients) stated on the product label. This concern goes across all supplements: vitamins, minerals, herbs/botanicals, and amino acids.
To complicate matters, manufacturers of DS are not required to submit products to the scientific scrutiny of the FDA because DS are regulated as a food product, not a drug. The Federal Trade Commission regulates advertising of product claims, but that has nothing to do with the purity and quality of the pill you’re taking. The FDA has the authority to spot-check supplements (and to remove products that violate certain regulations) but is not required by law to test, or require testing, on all over-the-counter supplements.
Several private groups, as well as the Government Accountability Office (Natural Resources and the Environment Division) want more done to hold supplement makers accountable for the purity of their products. It’s a heated debate, but as more clinicians, consumers, and retailers call for standardized practices for testing, producing, and marketing DS before they go on the market, the more confident we all can be about what we’re buying.
Be an informed consumer:
- Read labels and understand what the terms on the label actually mean (See Diagram). Ingredients you don’t want to see include fillers, dyes, lead, dextrose, titanium dioxide, and magnesium stearate.
- If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
- Look for a Quality Assurance seal of approval: Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP).
- Purchase products from your healthcare provider or a reputable company.
- Research the product / company on the Internet: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine(NCCAM). Look for product recalls and scams: FDA Health Fraud Scams & Tainted Supplements.
What’s Really in Your Herbal Remedy?
Herbal supplements (botanicals; plant-based medicine) have been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Today they are recognized for having drug-like effects such as improving mood. Products that can have medicinal effects also carry risk, especially if taken with other medicines or supplements. However, most over-the-counter herbal supplements are not subjected to the same scientific scrutiny and aren’t as strictly regulated as medications.
As noted above about dietary supplements, makers of herbal supplements are not required to submit their products for FDA approval before going to market. Their only requirement is to demonstrate their products meet quality manufacturing standards. Studies have shown this is not enough: Many over-the-counter herbals are contaminated or substituted with alternative plant species and fillers that are not listed on the label. According to the World Health Organization, this adulteration of herbal products is a threat to consumer safety.
Before buying herbal supplements, do your homework and investigate potential benefits and side effects. Follow the tips below to help identify quality herbal supplements. Before taking an herbal supplement, talk your health practitioner–especially if you take other medications, have chronic health problems, or are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Tips to identify quality herbal supplements:
Quality Factors: Look for products that indicate standardized extracts; no fillers, preservatives/additives; naturally harvested; fair-trade/sustainable manufacturing practices.
Quality Control: Quality control (QC) refers to processes for maintaining the purity of a product. Without QC, there is no assurance that the herb contained in the bottle is the same as what is stated on the outside. One of the key solutions to the QC problem that exists in the United States is for manufacturers and suppliers to adhere to standardized manufacturing practices.
Products should indicate they are third-party tested. Look for a USP (U.S. Pharmacopeia) seal of approval. Check products (and product recalls) on these websites: Council for Responsible Nutrition, ConsumerLabs, and the National Institutes of Health Dietary Supplement QA Program. Check the product website for more information.
As a holistic health practitioner, I’ve sourced the very best dietary supplements to effectively aid in achieving optimal wellness. If you can’t find what you need, feel free to contact me and I’ll be happy to help.
What’s your favorite supplement or herbal remedy? Share in the comments below!
References
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Cleveland Clinic. “Herbal Supplements: Helpful or Harmful?” Reviewed December 2013. http://my.clevelandclinic.org/services/heart/prevention/emotional-health/holistic-therapies/herbal-supplements
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ConsumerLab Independent Testing of Supplements https://www.consumerlab.com/aboutcl.asp
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Council for Responsible Nutrition. “One Dozen Tips for Consumers.” http://www.crnusa.org/CRNfactsheetconsumertips.html
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Harel, Z., et al. “The Frequency and Characteristics of Dietary Supplement Recalls in the United States.” JAMA Internal Medicine 173, no. 10 (2013): 929-930. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.379.
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Mayo Clinic. “Herbal Supplements: What to Know Before You Buy.” http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/herbal-supplements/art-20046714
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National Institutes of Health Quality Assurance Program https://ods.od.nih.gov/Research/AMRMQualityAssuranceProgram.aspx
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Newmaster, S., et al. “DNA Barcoding Detects Contamination and Substitution in North American Herbal Products.” BMC Medicine 11 (2013): 222. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/11/222
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Pizzorno, J.E. Textbook of Natural Medicine. Fourth edition. St Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Publishing: 2014
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U.S. Government Accountability Office. “Dietary Supplements: FDA Should Take Further Actions to Improve Oversight and Consumer Understanding.” Published January 29, 2009. http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-250
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U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention. “USP & Dietary Supplement Manufacturers.” http://www.usp.org/usp-manufacturers/dietary-supplements
Photo Credits
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iofoto.com/bigstockphoto.com
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elenathewise/bigstockphoto.com
I like your tip to do research on the products on the internet. My wife and I are pretty new to herbal supplements, so we’ve had to do a lot of research just to know what type of herbs to get. We’ll have to pay attention to brands and what people recommend so we aren’t buying the wrong stuff.
Hi Jack,
Thanks for stoping by. Yes, it’s always important to trust the source of your herbs (or any product) and understand their functions prior to using them. Although beneficial, herbs can interact with other supplements and medications, and not every herb is right for everyone. Kudos to you for researching herbs that will best support you and your wife!
Warmly,
Christine