If you and your elderly parents are believers in dietary supplements and your family ends up spending significant amounts of money on it every year, if you routinely browse the Internet and enthusiastically pick up latest ‘natural’ herbal products without consulting your physician, it’s perhaps time to stop and take a second look at what you are doing and if it’s really helpful.
Exaggerated claims. Don’t fall for the claims of something that promises to cure every illness from cold to cancer and depression to dementia. Celebrities promoting products are no guarantee that they are surefire cures.
Do your research. There are thousands of nutritional supplements on the market today from every part of the world; so online shopping for them has never been so easy. However, you need to do your research with regards to the products mentioned in the supplement. Just because something is described as ‘exotic’ and ‘rare’ does not mean it will be safe and work for your health.
All that’s natural is not safe. Just because a product is natural or herbal does not mean it is safe. Says a 2017 report in the ‘Medical Journal of Australia’, where researchers in the University of Adelaide reviewed the findings from 52 studies of herbal medicines and toxicology, many users of herbal medicines do not tell their doctor they are taking them because they believe they are natural and therefore, not harmful. However, say the researchers, “The lack of systematic observation has meant that even serious adverse reactions, such as the kidney failure and liver damage caused by some plant species, have gone unrecognised until recently.”
Possible substitution of ingredients. Sometimes plant ingredients are substituted if the original plant is difficult to obtain or expensive. This, too, can lead to an unhealthy fallout. A 2010 report in the ‘Journal of the American College of Cardiology’ says, “There is a clear need for better public and physician understanding of herbal products through health education, early detection and management of herbal toxicities, scientific scrutiny of their use, and research on their safety and effectiveness.”
Keep your doctor informed. People tend not to disclose to their doctors when they are taking herbal remedies, either because they feel it’s unnecessary or then worry that the doctor might not approve of it and so ask them to stop taking them. At times, there are possibilities of the herbal supplements clashing with the conventional medication or decreasing their efficacy. In rare cases, this decision can prove to be fatal. The abovementioned report in the ‘Journal of the American College of Cardiology’ lists 15 common herbal medicines known to interact adversely with conventional cardiovascular drugs.
Plants are not without disadvantages, and herbal or natural medicine is not appropriate in all conditions. Researchers believe that in addition to seeking detailed information from the patients about herbal supplements they may be using, physicians should educate themselves and the patients on what these supplements claim to do and what is known about their real biological effects.
Traditional medicine streams like Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine have proved to be wonderful so there is no problem in looking for healthier ways to heal oneself. However, it is prudent to consult a reliable, certified practitioner instead of taking OTC pills made of the latest exotic ingredient in the market. Such a simple precaution will go a long way in ensuring good health of your family members.
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