Beauty & Grooming  Discussion Forum

Name: rajm1

MINERALS
HERBALS
Unlike drugs that are governed by the Food and
Drug Administration, dietary supplements are not tested or regulated and can be
sold over-the-counter without a prescription. This lack of monitoring means
there are no standards for purity and strength for herbals. Two packages of the
same herbal distributed by the same company might have different purity and
strength that makes the effect of the herb unreliable. There is no control over the
manufacturing process and that can lead to contamination. The law prohibits distributors
of herbals from claiming that an herbal can cure a disease. They can
only state the effect of the herbal on the body. For example, the manufacturer
can say that an herbal increases blood flow to the heart, but cannot say that the
herb prevents heart disease.
Herbals can lead to unwanted side effects and undesirable interactions with
prescription drugs. For example, ginkgo inhibits platelet aggregation (grouping to
form clots) if taken with coumadin, an anticoagulant. The result can be increased
bleeding and stroke. Garlic interacts with protease inhibitors used to treat HIV
and decreases the effectiveness of the prescribed medication. The interaction of
herbals with other drugs can be unpredictable and even dangerous. Healthcare providers
should encourage patients to reveal any herbal preparations they are taking.

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