'Natural' is not always the best
National Post
Sat 18 Dec 2004
Page: A27
Section: Editorials
Source: National Post
There is something psychologically comforting about the idea of an "herbal" remedy. If it's herbal, one tends to think, it must be soothing and gentle. And since it comes from the good Earth rather than a chemical lab, surely it must be safe.
Sadly, this is often not the case. A new report published by the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that many imported herbal medicines, including supplements associated with India's ayurvedic healing movement, contain heavy metals at potentially toxic levels.
The researchers were first put on to the problem by a Boston, MA patient admitted to hospital with severe lead poisoning that turned out to have been caused by a lead-laced ayurvedic arthritis treatment. Lab tests showed the patient's remedy contained 10,000 times more lead than is recommended as an acceptable maximum. Once they investigated further, the researchers found more lead, as well as mercury, in a number of traditional remedies from China, Africa, Mexico, the Middle East and Malaysia.
The ayurvedic movement is typical of "non-traditional" healing techniques in that it takes a "whollistic" approach that involves meditation, massage, breathing exercises and so forth. Many adherents see its ancient rituals and herbs as time-tested alternatives to what they regard as the harmful artifices of modern medicine. However venerable their source, however, heath supplements that are not scientifically tested or rigorously regulated will always pose a significant risk to those who take them. "Unnatural" prescription pharmaceuticals may not have the pleasant associations with nature enjoyed by, say, Ginkgo Biloba, St. Johns Wort or Saw Palmetto. But unlike those questionable substances, they are generally sold in scientifically precise quantities, without impurities, and only after years of rigorous testing.
Before taking any health supplement, consumers should verify whether the claims made on behalf of the product have been verified by peer-reviewed, scientific studies. (Many of those ingesting herbal medicines rely on the testimonials of friends, or on fuzzy anecdotal reassurances offered on the Internet.) They should also scrutinize the manufacturer: Studies have shown that the quality, dose and purity of unregulated health supplements vary widely.
It is too early to know whether governments will have to regulate herbal remedies with the same rigour applied to conventional pharamaceuticals: As with the benefits of these substances, the risks they pose have not been systematically studied. For the time being, therefore, the duty falls to ordinary people to be sensible about what roots they ingest and what balms they apply. Just because something is "natural" doesn't mean it's good for you.
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