THE CRAZY LUNACY OF HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS

Here’s idiocy for you. The FDA cannot regulate dietary supplements, including herbal medications. I kid you not. Wait, it gets worse. Anyone can manufacture a supplement. Any mother’s son can manufacture a supplement AND they don’t have to prove that it works or that it’s safe. In fact, they can make any outrageous claim their little brains can dream up provided the label says: “This claim has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease”.

So does this mean the FDA are total eunuchs? No, but they gotta prove a supplement is bad for you before they can put on the sheriff's badge and pull out their gun. Meaning you’re long screwed before the FDA rides in on their white horse. And the supplement guy? He's way rich and on to the next cure all.  Crazy doesn’t begin to describe this lunacy. 

Having said all that, millions use herbal supplements every day. It’s a mega billion-dollar business. Below's a list, not comprehensive, of herbal supplements that cause interactions with prescription medication or mess up your liver. 

  1. Drug-Herb Interactions
    1. Blood thinners (warfarin) and Antiplatelet agents (Plavix, aspirin, Aggrenox)

Garlic, Gingko, Ginseng, Papaya Extract, St. John’s Wort, Tamarind.

  1.  
    1. Cyclosporin:

St. John’s Wort

  1.  
    1. Phenobarbital

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids, Germander

  1.  
    1. Prednisone

Licorice

  1.  
    1. Aldactone

Licorice

  1.  
    1. SSRI antidepressants (fluoxetine, paroxetine, citalopram, escitalopram, fluvoxamine, sertraline):

Kava kava

 

  1. Hepatotoxic Herbs (messes up your liver)
    1. More Toxic:

Black Cohosh, Camphor, Cascara sagrada, Chaparral, Comfrey, Dai-saiko-to, Germander, Greater celandine, Hydroxycut, Jin Bu Huan, Kava kava, Ma-huang (Ephedra), Pennyroyal

  1.  
    1. Less Toxic:

Oil of Clove, Saw Palmetto, Senna, Shark cartilage, Skullcap, Valerian.