Herbal Medicines and Safety Labels

A new research published in the journal BMC Medicine has revealed that some herbal medicines do not have labels to state what side effects the consumers might experience if they take the medicine in spite of the new EU rules which make it mandatory. The new rules kicked in earlier this year after it was found that some of the medicines were not safe for the consumers. For example taking Asian ginseng is not safe for people who have diabetes while some herbal medicines such as St John’s wort react unfavorably with conventional medicines.

Researchers say that the consumers should be aware of the dangers of taking such herbal medicines and added that they should look for a THR logo on the products which would mean that they have traditional herbal registration.

“The best advice is buyers beware. Many people believe herbal medicines are different because they are ‘natural’. However any substance that affects the body – no matter where it came from – has the potential to do harm if not taken correctly”, lead researcher Professor Theo Raynor said.


Source-Medindia