Herbal Health
Are you one among the growing mass of women who have turned to
herbal health, naturals, organics or herbal dietary supplements
in the hope of maintaining good health?
As increasingly more and more women concern themselves with healthy
living and healthy lifestyles, dietary supplements and in particular
herbal diet supplements have certainly grown in popularity among
many, seeking alternative health and lifestyle choices. But
how safe are these herbals for health, womens health and wellness
in comparison to drugs?
The whole issue of complementary, alternative therapies
and health food supplements have come under the Food And Drug
Administration's (FDA's) spotlight of late, with implications for
how you access and even use herbal health food supplements and
other complementary therapies for health - women might have come
to rely on.
But is it simply a case of the (FDA) wanting to remove your
freedom of choice between the traditional drug therapy route and
the more natural dietary herbal health supplements/complimentary
and alternative therapies?
Here are some important pointers on the essential differences
between medicine/treatments and complementary and alternative
therapies; herbal health supplements; and what they stood for
prior to the FDA guidelines which are due to come into effect.
Drugs v Natural Herbal Supplements
The FDA define drugs as:
chemicals that can prevent, prolong life, treat other
effects of a health condition, improve the quality of life, and/
or cure ailments and diseases, or alter the function of any part
or chemicals inside the body
Drugs (or foods) that fall into the above definition lay claim
to therapeutic benefits and therefore have an approved
status. Examples include, ibuprophen, paracetamol - which are
drugs used to control fever, inflamation and normalise body
temperature; and some health food supplements such as iron - used
for treatment of mild anemia.
In contrast, herbal supplements are not classified as
approved drugs but as dietary supplements. This is because they
have no proven, scientifically-backed therapeutic claims, as in
the case of drugs. Dietary supplements or herbal dietary
supplements can also consist of vitamins, minerals, amino acids
and herbals, with the aim of supplementing your diet according
to your needs. However, they should not be used as a
meal replacement or substitution for medicine.
New FDA Guidelines On
Natural Herbal Supplements/Complimentary And Alternative Therapies
Herbal health care supplements and other food health supplements are presently
regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as foods.
This means that they do not have to meet the same standards as
drugs and over the counter medications for proof of safety or
effectiveness.
A new U.S. (FDA) draft guidance however, has recently been published
that can change all that. It reveals the FDA's intentions for
herbals, herbal diety suppliments, complementary and alternative
medicine (CAM). It is being claimed that the FDA is simply
serving the interests of the 'Big Pharma' by eliminating all CAM
practices and products.
But how does this impact on your herbal health choices in the
future? For safety reasons, many women rightly, do not buy into
weight loss dietary supplements. However, there are countless
women who do rely on and use natural herbals to manage aspects of
their health womens health issues and wellness.
How are these new guidelines set to change your health womens
health choices as regard natural herbal health choices?
The information on this site is purely of educational value
and is not intended to replace your seeking medical advice. You
must consult your doctor over all your health concerns.
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