What You Should Know About Drugs vs. Herbs

I was seriously disappointed to see a Mother Earth article taking a strong FDA stance on this very important healthcare issue! While I fully agree that there need to be universal quality control measures, I absolutely disagree with allowing FDA to regulate herbals. They have already tried to remove many of them from shelves, while allowing much more dangerous prescription drugs to continue being handed out.

Unfortunately, most consumers don't have the level of awareness required to truly make an informed purchase when it comes to herbals, how they work, and potential interactions/contraindications.

Added to this, there are inferior and even contaminated herbs on the market. What consumers don't realize is that just because a bottle says "300 mg capsule" doesn't mean it contains 300 mg of active constituents. Ten different 300 mg capsules may contain drastically different amounts of active herbal constituents, and this can have a drastic effect on the health of the consumer.

Some companies are importing herbs from China, and there have been enormous problems with contamination. Find out where the company gets its raw materials!

Does a company have independent quality control? This is an important factor. The average consumer doesn't do the homework before purchase, unfortunately.

In these economically trying times, most people buy the cheapest bottle out there. That, unfortunately, is not necessarily the best option. I'm not saying that only the most expensive brands are pure--there is price gouging in the herbal industry as well!--but in many cases, you do get what you pay for.

I have been a Master Herbalist for sixteen years, and I believe that herbs must be treated with the same caution and respect as prescription drugs--precisely because herbs DO work, and some are toxic. Many can have dangerous interactions with prescriptions; others are contraindicated for individuals with certain health conditions.