Study: Homeopathy not effective in treating anything

[eridani]

37. Germfany tests herbal remedies for selected active ingredients.

So at least they contain what they are supposed to contain. Consumer Reports has found that most American supplements do NOT contain componets of the herbs on the lables.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2015/02/what-s-wrong-with-herbal-remedies/index.htm

In fact, the highly processed nature of those herbal remedies is at the heart of the controversy over the testing methods used in the recent analysis. The tests looked for DNA evidence that the products actually contained the herb listed on the label. But, Cohen says, the methods used to turn herbs into pills, tablets, and capsules is so aggressive it leaves very little DNA intact. This makes it unclear if the resulting product never contained any of the supposed active ingredient, or is just so processed that even its DNA is no longer recognizable.

Of course, much of the controversy could be avoided if the Food and Drug Administration subjected dietary supplements to anything close to what it requires for over-the-counter and prescription drugs. But it doesn’t. That lack of oversight not only means that it’s almost impossible to know for certain whether products work or contain what they claim, but if they are doctored up by unscrupulous manufacturers with dangerous ingredients, including prescription drugs.

And that happens far too often. One recent study, financed in part by a grant from Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, found that two-thirds of supplements that the FDA had recalled for containing banned drugs remained easily available and still contained either the same chemical the FDA had detected earlier, or another banned substance with a similar effect. Another study of 150 easy-to-purchase sex enhancement supplements found that 61 percent turned out to contain prescription drugs, experimental drugs, and even untested “designer” drugs.

Spiking supposedly “natural” supplements with prescription drugs is not only misleading, it’s dangerous. The drugs can cause side effects and may interact dangerously with other drugs you take. Consider a man on heart medication who unknowingly takes a supplement laced with the erectile dysfunction drug sildenafil (Viagra), a cocktail that can trigger a dangerous drop in blood pressure.