Complementary Alternative Cardiovascular Medicine

Chapter 2 / Herbs and Supplements 21
United States supplement law requires that statements be truthful and
not misleading and that they be supported by scientific evidence. The
exact wording of claims and the amount of evidence required are not
detailed. In some cases, health-benefit claims may be exaggerated or
carry implications that are not supported by sound evidence. In the United
States, dietary supplements that make structure/function claims must
carry the following disclaimer:
This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent
any disease.
The FDA’s purpose in requiring the statement is to alert the buyer that
the FDA has not reviewed or approved the claim and that the product
should not be considered an approved drug.
INGREDIENTS
United States supplement laws now require full disclosure of ingredients,
including binders, fillers, and other inert ingredients, that are
used to make tablets and other herbal products. Some companies explain
what each compound is for; others do not. The key ingredients in a
supplement—the herbs or nutrients included—are listed in a special
place on the package, which is called the “Supplement Facts” panel. This
panel lists the required information about the ingredients, including what
part of the plant is used, the genus and species, and the content of key
ingredients. For reasons of confidentiality, companies are allowed to use
mixtures in which the exact quantity of each ingredient is not disclosed.
Such a product might be labeled “a blend of...”
Potency claims are sometimes difficult to interpret. Careful reading
is necessary to determine the strength of the product. For example, one
product may contain a concentrated and standardized extract of an herb,
whereas another might contain just powdered whole herb, which, although
it seems to provide more of the herb, actually delivers less of the relevant
constituents.
With hundreds of herbal products available, it is not easy to choose the
best herbal products. The key is to be armed with a basic understanding
of the types of products and differences between them, to ask lots of
focused and probing questions, and to determine to buy based on top
quality, not low price. Avoid companies that make extravagant claims
and those who use tricky wording to describe the strength or potency of
the product. The best attitude with which to approach the herbal marketplace
is open-minded skepticism.