| Herbal remedies, dietary supplements, and
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| | division of the National Institutes of
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| botanical medicines are part of the
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| | Health:
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| growing interest in alternative medicines
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| | Currently, the FDA regulates supplements
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| and therapies that people are seeking
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| | as foods rather than drugs. In general,
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| today. When you walk into many large
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| | the laws about putting foods ( including
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| supermarkets you may see an aisle
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| | supplements) on the market and keeping
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| dedicated to natural medicines. Spend
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| | them on the market are less strict than
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| any time online researching health
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| | the laws for drugs. Specifically:
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| questions and you will be bombarded with
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| | *Research studies in people to prove a
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| advertisements for the "next big thing"
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| | supplement' s safety are not required
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| in supplements that will claim to cure
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| | before the supplement is marketed,
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| everything from earaches to diabetes to
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| | unlike for drugs.
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| cancer.
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| | *The manufacturer does not have to prove
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| I am a great believer in the efficacy and
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| | that the supplement is effective, unlike
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| safety of natural products when used
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| | for drugs. The manufacturer can say that
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| properly in a patient's overall regimen.
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| | the product addresses a nutrient
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| I also think it's great that more and
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| | deficiency, supports health, or reduces
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| more people are interested in taking an
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| | the risk of developing a health problem,
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| active role in their own health plans,
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| | if that is true. If the manufacturer
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| but as the old saying goes, "A little
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| | does make a claim, it must be followed
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| knowledge can be a dangerous thing,"
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| | by the statement "This statement has not
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| especially when it comes to
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| | been evaluated by the Food and Drug
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| self-prescribing medicines. Here are
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| | Administration. This product is not
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| three vital things every consumer should
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| | intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or
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| consider about botanicals and dietary
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| | prevent any disease."
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| supplements:
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| | *The manufacturer does not have to prove
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| 1) Just because a plant or herb is
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| | supplement quality.
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| natural doesn' t make it safe for you to
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| | Specifically:
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| take, even if it is sold as an
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| | *The FDA does not analyze the content of
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| alternative medicine.
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| | dietary supplements.
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| 2) Not all herbal remedies or natural
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| | *At this time, supplement manufacturers
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| medicines are created equal.
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| | must meet the requirements of the FDA's
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| 3) As always, if the claims about a
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| | Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) for
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| product sound too good to be true, they
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| | foods. GMPs describe conditions under
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| probably are.
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| | which products must be prepared, packed,
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| Let's consider each of these points in a
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| | and stored. Food GMPs do not always
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| little more detail. First, just because
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| | cover all issues of supplement quality.
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| a plant or herb is natural doesn't make
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| | Some manufacturers voluntarily follow
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| it safe for you to take, even if it is
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| | the FDA's GMPs for drugs, which are
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| sold as an alternative medicine.
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| | stricter.
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| Since herbs and plants must be used in
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| | *Some manufacturers use the term
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| strong enough doses to make them
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| | "standardized" to describe efforts to
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| effective in the treatment of many
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| | make their products consistent.
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| conditions, there can also be
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| | However, U.S. law does not define
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| contraindications for the use of them.
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| | standardization.
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| Contraindications can occur if the herb
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| | Therefore, the use of this term (or
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| is taken over an extended period of time
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| | similar terms such as "verified" or
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| (1- 2 months) or in large doses that
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| | "certified") does not guarantee product
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| could result in side effects. Drug
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| | quality or consistency.
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| interactions may also occur when an herb
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| | (Source: National Center for
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| is taken. Combining an herbal remedy with
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| | Complementary and Alternative Medicine,
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| another drug can be problematic and
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| | The bottom line? Some manufacturers
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| possibly dangerous.
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| | produce better products than others. The
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| The combination of a pharmaceutical drug
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| | herb must be of sufficient potency and
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| with an herb may interfere with the
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| | meet certain standards to be truly
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| activity of the herb or drug, thus
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| | effective. I like to look at the
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| producing a decrease or increase in the
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| | research done on the herbs that I
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| effectiveness of the drug. For example,
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| | prescribe to my patients before
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| willow (salix) is used as an
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| | recommending a particular herbal remedy
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| anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain
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| | or botanical medicine.
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| reliever) just as aspirin is used in
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| | 3) As always, if the claims about a
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| inflammatory conditions such as arthritis
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| | product sound too good to be true, they
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| and for headache pain. Willow is also
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| | probably are.
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| used for fevers. Like aspirin, willow is
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| | There are a lot of natural products on
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| contraindicated in conjunction with
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| | the market that are being hyped with
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| other blood thinning agents ( such as
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| | some outrageous claims. It is true that I
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| coumadin). It is also contraindicated in
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| | have seen some pretty amazing results
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| patients with bleeding disorders like
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| | with some botanical medicines, but use
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| hemophilia. It is absolutely essential
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| | common sense when considering a new
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| that you keep your primary care
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| | product. There is no "cure all" with
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| physician and all others who may
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| | herbal remedies. There are more
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| prescribe medicines for you ( natural or
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| | scientific clinical studies being done
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| pharmaceutical) aware of any and all
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| | every day on herbal products, and I try
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| medications you are taking.
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| | to stick with products that have been
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| 2) Not all herbal remedies or natural
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| | tested and proven effective. Used with a
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| medicines are created equal.
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| | complete treatment program, botanicals
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| Pharmaceutical drugs are tightly
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| | can be very helpful in promoting the
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| controlled and regulated by the Food and
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| | overall health of a patient.
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| Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure
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| | If you are one of the millions of people
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| standardization and quality in the
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| | who are researching and considering the
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| products. However, herbal remedies and
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| | use of herbal remedies, I congratulate
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| dietary supplements are classified as
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| | you for wanting to take an active role
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| "food" by the FDA and therefore are
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| | in your own health plan. Be sure to be
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| regulated in a different way. The
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| | an informed consumer, and keep your
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| following is an excerpt from the web
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| | health care providers abreast of all the
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| site of the National Center for
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| | medicines or supplements you may be
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| Alternative and Complementary Health, a
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| | taking, natural or otherwise.
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