Dec. 10, 2003 – The more expensive a product made from a medicinal plant, the more it meets recommendations for dosage, labeling and amount of active ingredients, US researchers have found.
They scrutinized samples of the ten most popular products in the United States in 1998, namely echinacea, St. John’s wort, ginkgo biloba, garlic, goldenseal, saw palmetto, ginseng. , aloe vera, eleutherococcus (formerly known as Siberian ginseng) and valerian. In total, nearly 900 brands of these products were studied.
This allowed scientists to establish that in terms of dosage and active ingredients, only 43% of the products analyzed met the recommendations contained in a manual used by professionals in alternative medicine. In addition, only 20% of the samples only met the recommendations for active ingredients. And the labeling of 37% of them was inadequate to allow consumers to make an informed choice.
The price was the main indicator of the degree of conformity of the product. The more expensive products were the most likely to meet labeling, active ingredient and dosage recommendations.
Researchers are concerned, however, about the disparities that exist between products, especially because consumers will be virtually unable to explain to their doctor exactly what product they are taking, or how much.
Jean-Benoit Legault – PasseportSanté.net
From pubmed.com and drweil.com; October 27 and December 4, 2003.
1.Garrard J, Harms S, Eberly LE, Matiak A. Variations in product choices of frequently purchased herbs: caveat emptor.Arch Intern Med. 2003 Oct 27; 163 (19): 2290-5.