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Old 11-12-2009, 08:06 PM   #16 (permalink)
robot_parade
Junkie
 
Location: San Antonio, TX
Ok - I realize I'm probably going to come off as a jerk, which I don't mean to, but if I do, I'm sorry. It's your body, and up to you what you decide to take, or not.

That said, herbal 'supplements' are a special pet peeve of mine. Let me explain. First, if a given supplement is effective for a given condition (which is entirely possible - many medicines are derived from natural sources), then it's logical that some combination of chemicals in that supplement cause that effect. So, instead of taking a supplement, which due to a lack of regulation, and the fact that different sources may have different amounts of the chemicals that do have a positive effect, might have anywhere from 'not enough' to 'too much'.

Second, anything that has an effect can have side-effects. It's silly to assume that only pharmaceuticals have side effects. Again, due to lack of regulation, lack of study, and the aforementioned variable dosage, there's very little to tell a consumer what side effects a supplement might have, or what possible interactions there might be.

Finally, taking a supplement, if done in place of taking an actual medication, could be a very bad idea.

A couple of articles to back myself up:

the difference between a drug and a supplement
Is that 'natural' supplement so natural?
And...multivitamins
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