Golden Opportunities

Herbal supplements give a big boost to the health of the companies selling them. But do they give a big boost to your health? Here to explain what to look out for in the herbal supplement aisle is Joseph Snoke, a pharmacotherapy specialist and assistant director of clinical services at Akron General Medical Center.

Question: I understand herbal supplements have become very popular.

Answer: Over 60 million Americans use herbal supplements, spending billions of dollars. Over 20,000 products are available.

Question: What is the difference between an herbal supplement and traditional prescription medication?

Answer: The biggest difference, and the public doesn't usually understand this, is in regulation. Whereas traditional medications must prove that they are safe and effective to the FDA, herbal supplements do not have to prove safety or effectiveness for treating a specific condition. There are different standards in labeling as well.
Traditional medication have had multiple studies done. Research on herbal supplements is much spottier.

Question: What are some examples of popular herbal supplements and their uses?

Answer:

• St. John's Wort for treatment of depression.
• Ginkgo for symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and other memory problems.
• Echinacea to stimulate the immune system.
• Garlic to lower cholesterol.
• Glucosamine for osteoarthritis.
• Vitamin C for colds.

Question: Are there any concerns about using herbal supplements?

Answer: While herbal supplements cannot claim to diagnose or treat a specific condition, their labels can plant the idea that they can help. For example, St. John's Wort may state it "helps improve mood" rather than treating depression.
There is a possibility of side effects. Even without side effects, some herbal supplements can mix with your medication and make it less effective. For example, St. John's Wort has few side effects, but it has been known to stifle the effectiveness of medications used for AIDS (causing the disease to progress more quickly) or anti-rejection drugs used in transplant patients (causing the possibility of organ rejection).
Because there are fewer standards than prescription drugs, there is sometimes concern about what is actually in the herbal supplement. A study was done in which one herb was chosen and 25 products of it from different companies were analyzed. A huge variation was found in the amount of the active ingredient in each company's version of the supplement. In addition, substances were sometimes found in the supplements that were not listed on the label, including prescription drugs and heavy metals.

Question: Should we even bother with herbal supplements? Is there a way to use them safely?

Answer:You should never use herbal supplements to replace traditional medication. Just because you read a certain herb is good for lowering blood pressure, don't stop taking your blood pressure medication.
Realize that no herbal supplement has been proven to have a major role in combating a chronic illness.
Buy herbal supplements from a pharmacy and talk to the pharmacist about what you are planning. Workers at health food stores are not typically trained as pharmacists and will not be able to assist as much. If you buy supplements online, the website may actually be an ad for the product and there may not be objective information on the site.
Look at the label of the supplement you are buying to see if they have been approved by Consumer Labs or USP. These show that some standardization of the product has occurred and the labels are more trustworthy.
They can be worth trying for minor ailments. But if you do, make sure you tell your physician.

If you want the low down on the safety of herbal supplements, give Akron General Medical Center a call. My thanks to Joe Snoke.