Natural Supplements
While herbal supplements are considered to be natural supplements, they can still trigger different types of drug/continction interactions and severe negative effects, and can worsen some health conditions. This is because herbal supplements are not subjected to clinical trials or to the same manufacturing standards as traditional prescription or over-the-counter medications. Herbal supplements are not subject to the same standards of testing, production, and labeling that pharmaceuticals are.
Also, since herbal supplements are not subject to the same regulations, manufacturers are allowed to make claims on their products that are not allowed with prescription drugs. Nutritional supplements are not regulated using the same approved methods that are used with prescription drugs. It is important to keep in mind that herbal supplements are not subject to FDA regulations, and thus, they are not tested by an FDA clinical trial to demonstrate effectiveness for treating or managing health conditions. If you are considering using an herbal supplement, you need to know that many herbal supplements may interact with prescription and non-prescription medications, and may cause some very serious interactions and side effects.
Be sure to tell your health care provider about any supplements (including multivitamins) that you are taking before starting your treatments. Never go over recommended dosages, and ask for information on those who should not take supplements. Ensure their supplements are void of contaminants and are labeled accurately. It is important that those living with Parkinsons disease inform their healthcare providers about any herbal products, vitamins, over-the-counter medications, and changes in diet they have made regularly.
Patients taking blood thinners Blood thinners should always also check with their primary health care providers before using any of these supplements. Even if they are unaware of a particular supplement, they can probably direct you to the latest medical guidelines on its use and risks.
Vitamin and mineral supplements are becoming more popular, but there are no obvious benefits for diabetics, unless you have a deficiency or if a doctor has prescribed one. Diabetes UK does not recommend using herbal remedies and supplements because there is not enough evidence that it is safe and effective for people with diabetes to use. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates herbs and other food additives differently than conventional medicines. Herbal supplements are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but they are not subject to the same strict regulations that are applied to prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medications.
The Nutritional Supplement Health and Education Act has granted manufacturers of herbal supplements an exemption from regulation (see www.fda.gov/ regulatory information/legislation/). Current laws, including the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, designate dietary supplements as a specific subset of foods (but not, in fact, foods, and therefore are subject to more lax regulations than those applied to conventional foods and medicines). The federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act makes it clear that herbal supplements are a subcategory of dietary supplements, which are in turn a special subcategory of foods.
Dietary supplements are subject to stricter manufacturing and quality-control regulations than foods, and must thus be manufactured at CGMP-compliant manufacturing facilities approved to manufacture dietary supplements. As the standards-setting organization committed to public health, the U.S. Pharmacopeia supports manufacturers of dietary supplements in continuing their efforts to manufacture high-quality products that address the needs of consumers. USPs DSC also includes General Chapters related to Good Manufacturing Practices that manufacturers can use to help ensure their supplements are made using safe, sanitary, and well-controlled production practices.
Although Federal Drug Administration regulations are less strict on herbal supplements than they are on foods or medications, if a product injury occurs due to a herbal supplement, a consumer can be entitled to bring product liability claims against the manufacturer and other liable parties (i.e. The FDA may take action against companies who make false or unsupported claims in order to market their supplements.
The FDA keeps a list of supplements under regulatory review or reported to have harmful effects. There is no guarantee of safety, potency, or purity for supplements that are not monitored by FDA.
Manufacturers of herbal products are not required to submit evidence of safety and effectiveness to the FDA prior to marketing. Many prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications are also made with botanical products, but those products only have refined ingredients and are regulated by the FDA. Products made from botanicals, or plants, used for treating diseases or for maintaining health are called herbal products, botanical products, or plant-based medicines.
Herbal products are also sometimes called botanical supplements. However, herbs and herbal products including the ones labelled as natural may well be powerfully effective on your body. Herbal products may present an unexpected risk, as many supplements contain active ingredients that exert powerful effects on the body.
There are also a number of possible side effects of some diets and supplements, particularly when taking large dosages. Some supplements may affect the safety or effectiveness of some cancer treatments. When cancer causes an imbalance, people using Chinese medicine might try herbs, minerals, and botanical extracts as treatments.
Many such claims made by the manufacturers of certain supplements are not supported scientifically. Herbal supplements are still subject to legal challenges by manufacturers who allege that their products cure diseases, conditions, or ailments. Before taking any over-the-counter medications, the PD patient should talk to his/her healthcare provider about adding these supplements.
You may be able to search for products by name, usage, active ingredients, or manufacturers. An easy way to compare ingredients in products is by using the dietary supplement label database, available at the US National Institutes of Healths site. Some manufacturers might use the term “standardized” on the label of the supplement, but that does not necessarily mean the same thing from manufacturer to manufacturer. Depending on where you live, that might or might not include your own home (most states do not allow the manufacture of food additives in homes), a shared-use commercial kitchen space (a rental space for small businesses), your own manufacturing space, or the restaurant or other eating establishment in which you work.