Herbal Supplements and the FDA

Paper Summary:

In the United States, the government and its agencies do not maintain the same regulation of herbal remedies in the same way that they ensure the safety of other foods and medicines. Furthermore, while these products were once the mainstay of only such minute groups as vegetarians and other counterculture types, they have now become widely popular among the general public as the widespread assumptions about their safety and naturalness has permeated contemporary society. The paper argues that, on the other hand, many professionals within the medical community conversely claim that the dietary supplement industry is selling modern day snake oil that has no proven safety or efficiency. In the end, both factions are correct, and in spite of the natural base of herbs and dietary supplements that can make these products appealing even when traditional medicines are not appropriate, these items are also powerful medicinal agents. The paper shows, therefore, that due to the public's lack of ability to make informed decisions surrounding these products, the Food and Drug Administration must be granted the same sovereignty over herbal remedies and vitamins that it maintains over other foods and medicines.

From the Paper:

"Still, one reason that some people believe that it is not necessary for the government to become involved in this industry is indeed largely because of the mistaken belief that these agents are safe merely because they are natural. In fact, according to one 1997 poll, more than half of consumers who use natural remedies are convinced that they are equally as safe and effective as traditional treatments like aspirin ( Greenberger 1077). However, since 1994 there have been reports of at least 34 deaths and nearly 900 adverse reactions--including heart-rhythm disturbances, heart attacks and strokes associated with supplements that contain one herbal stimulant that is often taken to boost energy and to lose weight (Josefson 1440)."

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