Herbalists warn that people are putting their health at risk by using remedies inappropriately.
The UK market for herbal remedies such as St John’s wort and ginseng is worth around £126m a year, but experts say some of that is wasted money.
Trudy Norris, director of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists, warned against mixing treatments, combining them with conventional medicines and taking low-quality supplements.
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Ginseng – helps with nerves and stress
Ginkgo – circulation
Echinacea – boosts the immune system
Vitex Agnus Castus – Balances hormone levels
St. John’s Wort – Effective for mild depression, but should not be used with conventional medicines
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She told BBC News Online that the herb was safe and safe to use.
But she added: “Our concern is that many people are self-prescribing in inappropriate ways.
“So someone might want to use an herb instead of medicine. For example, someone might buy a combination of herbs and equate it with HRT, but they don’t. .
“And they might go to the store to buy, say, St. John’s wort, and there are shelves full of different qualities and standards.”
self-medication
He also said people didn’t know that supplements could interact with conventional medicines.
Herbs can sometimes do more harm than good
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Trudy Norris, National Institute of Herbal Medicine |
She highlighted research showing that 60% of people who purchase the medication were taking the medication while taking conventional medicine.
“I still get calls from people taking St. John’s wort saying, ‘It doesn’t affect your birth control pills, right?’ Well, it does,” she said.
Speaking at the beginning of Herbal Medicine Awareness Week, Norris said: “Like any medicine, herbs can do more harm than good if used improperly, so it is important to avoid purchasing over-the-counter medicines. There are some obvious limitations,” he added.
“While we are not against over-the-counter herbal medicines being purchased for self-treatment, we encourage people to research as much as possible before self-prescribing.
“This is especially important if you are pregnant, taking other types of medications, or taking over-the-counter medications for anything other than minor illnesses.
She said: “Health and illness issues can create vulnerabilities in the marketplace.
“Practitioners’ primary focus is on the patient’s actual health needs rather than profit considerations.
“This is not necessarily true for the supplement market as a whole.”
EU judgment
Analysis of some products, particularly Chinese therapeutics, has shown that they contain steroids and toxic heavy metals.
The Medicines Control Agency (MCA) has expressed concern that it is considering banning some herbal medicines, including kava kava, after some patients reported liver disease.
Ms Norris welcomed the directive on traditional herbal medicines being considered by the European Union, which she said would go some way to addressing confusion around over-the-counter medicines.
Information, labeling, and quality are considered.
