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Natural products such as herbal medicines or botanicals are often
sold as dietary supplements and are readily available to consumers;
however, there is a lot we don’t know about the safety of many of these
products.
Two of the main safety concerns for dietary supplements are:
- The possibilities of drug interactions—for
example, research has shown that St. John’s wort interacts with drugs
such as antidepressants in ways that can interfere with their
intended effects
- The possibilities of product contamination—supplements
have been found to contain hidden prescription drugs or other
compounds, particularly in dietary supplements marketed for weight loss,
sexual health including erectile dysfunction, and athletic performance
or body-building.
As with any treatment, it's important to
consider safety before using complementary health products and practices. Read more at https://nccih.nih.gov/health/safety.
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