To Supplement or Not?

I have often thought about popping an herbal supplement, whether it is for weight loss or just trying to fight a cold. Instead of choosing one certain supplement to investigate I am doing a broader investigation on herbal supplements in their selves. I will be explaining if herbal supplements are safe, how to read the packaging and choosing the correct herbal supplement for your body.

First of all dietary supplements are not for everyone. People that are currently pregnant or breast-feeding should consider the risk involved and talk to their doctors before tying to add an herbal supplement into their diet. Not only can it affect their health but it can also affect the health of the baby. A person that is having surgery should also be weary about taking a supplement. This is because some supplements contain certain chemicals that can be dangerous when paired with anesthetics. Also, some supplements can cause the blood to thin and not coagulate. If you are currently taking a prescription or taking other over-the-counter medications you should consult a doctor because when you mix too many drugs you can have major side effects. Supplements are also not for people that are younger the eighteen years old or older the sixty-five this is because before eighteen and after sixty-five your body breaks down medications differently then if you were between these ages. Also, there are very few supplements that have been tested on children, considering that children are going to need different doses then adults would. Considering that you do not have any of the above complications we will move onto if herbal supplements are actually safe.

Not until just recently the government has started to look into dietary supplements specifically. New regulations have been established by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act that give all of the responsibilities to the FDA or Food and Drug Administration. The have been given the job to verify that the manufactures that distribute these drugs are following certain regulations. They are also responsible for making sure those foreign made supplements are not interfering with the domestication of the United States. The problem found with these regulations is that older drugs that have already been passed are being over sighted and do not need to go through the reviews that new drugs are undergoing to be approved by the FDA. However, the new regulations are putting there foots down on the supplements. The FDA is now making sure that labels are accurate with what the supplement actually contains and added contaminants are not just snuck into the product. Now the supplements are being monitored to make sure that they are safe to be on the market. This is the start of a new era so be careful of what supplements you are purchasing because these guidelines are being set over a three year period and the FDA has given these manufactures until 2010 to have all of these important guidelines.

Considering that it is only 2007 we should be aware of how to read the labels on the supplements that we are planning on taking. Since this regulation has not yet been processed to its fullest there are certain things that are necessary to label on a bottle of supplements. The bottle will have the name of the herbal supplement that is used in this supplement. The website that I am looking at has used St. John’s wort. So St. John’s wort is the supplement that is inside of this bottle. If you do not find this label do not take the pills inside. The label should also have the quantity that the pills contain. Currently, most bottles have a statement that states that this supplement or bottle has not been tested by the FDA and it is not indented to treat, diagnose, or prevent disease. A supplement fact panel should be found and this will contain the recommended amount or daily intake the ingredients used in the