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February 10, 2012
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Nutrition Article
HOW SAFE ARE HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS?
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In NUTRITION, baby boomers receive healthy eating tips from health reporters and dietitians, many of whom are boomers, too.  Judy Swancutt Registered Dietitian |
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(50PlusPrime) SOUTHFIELD, MICHIGAN --
Herbs have been used for many years to treat a variety of illnesses. Folklore abounds with the benefits of these “medicinals.” In more modern times people have flocked to the various health food stores to stock up on alternative medicines that promise to do many things as well as “energize and detoxify” the body.Some surveys indicate that ½ of the U.S. population is taking one form of dietary supplement or another. However, the recent death of Baltimore Orioles pitcher, Steve Bechler, from heatstroke must raise some questions concerning possible safety issues of certain herbs. He was taking Ephedrine in an attempt to lose weight and the Broward County, Fla. medical examiner has stated that it may have contributed to his death. Are herbs safe?
Manufacturers of dietary supplement do not have to prove that a product is safe and effective before putting it on the market. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA), passed in 1994, allows the FDA the authority to stop the distribution of a product only if it can prove that it is unsafe. In order to do this, the FDA must compile facts and evidence that a product provides a danger to public health. This may take years as the evidence comes from consumer Adverse Effects Reports. These are anecdotal reports that do not provide scientific proof of a cause and effect relationship between the supplement and the adverse effect, only an association. If enough reports are submitted, than the FDA may have a case to remove a product or to require a warning that there may be some adverse effect from the use of a product.
This is what has been happening in the case of Ephedra. Ephedra or Ephedrine, an herb, often referred to by its Chinese name, ma huang, has been used in China for the treatment of bronchial asthma and related conditions for over 5000 years. It is a central nervous system stimulant and is sold in this country to boost energy levels and for weight loss. It causes an increase in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as an increase in heart rate. Large does may cause headache, insomnia, dizziness, skin flushing, tingling, palpitations, and nervousness. People who have high blood pressure and possibly other heart conditions should never take it. Since it is sold as an over the counter herbal supplement, people do not know that. They may not even know that they have a health condition that could make this product dangerous. In 1997 the FDA was looking at possible problems with Ephedra but did not have enough Adverse Effects Reports to provide the public with guidelines for safety. Sports associations such as the National Collegiate Athletic Association and The National Football League have taken the initiative to ban ephedra-containing products. Hopefully the other sports associations will be pressured to ban this product as well.
