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Page 7
| The Safety of Herbs |
| To say that herbal medicine is controversial is to make an understatement. Warnings about their use abound. In 1983, FDA Consumer, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services magazine, published a lengthy article titled, "Herbs Are Often More Toxic Than Magical." |
| The article offered six "cautions" to anyone considering taking an herb for medicinal use. These cautions are widely quoted and reflect the FDA's concerns about the safety and appropriateness of herbal therapies. |
| Caution One: Some herbs contain the wrong kind of magic; some are potent poisons, like hemlock, curare and deadly nightshade. That's true, and no one recommends using these plants as teas. Mislabeled herbs and toxic contaminants are certainly possible, but reputable herb companies, especially those that specialize in wildcrafted and organically grown plants, have an excellent safety record. |
| Caution Two: We don't know enough about herbal teas to conclude that they are safe. "Manufacturers of herbal teas have not submitted their products to FDA or made the required animal studies for a determination of safety," says the article. One reason the FDA knows so little about herb safety is that it does not recognize research conducted in foreign countries, such as Germany, Austria, England and Japan, and critics claim that it often ignores the evidence supplied by American universities and researchers. |
| Because herbs cannot be patented, there is no economic |
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