Much has been said about the restriction of herbal supplements over the past month. I feel I should add one more article to this debate, although I can’t promise it will be my last.
Time will tell how this situation develops. There may be an opening for manufacturers to jump into the gap left by the withdrawal of many well-used supplements with optional products. In addition, some companies are changing the labelling which allows some herbs to continue to be available.
For example, one manufacturer of Ayurvedic herbal products has re-labelled all its products as ‘food supplements’, which the company believes will allow them to go on being sold legally – as I said, time will tell. Research has shown that an increasing amount of adults have used over the counter herbal medicine for mild, common complaints in the past few years.
This has taken away business from the pharmaceutical companies’ production of drugs and medicines, and it has made a small but gaping hole in their profits. However, it is our choice to decide whether or not we wish to take herbal medicine or drugs.
The advocates of this new regulation will advise us that the herbal and supplement industry was not regulated, and the supplements and herbs were not safe, or tested in the correct way. That is in the same way all drugs are tested, which makes them safe – does it?
Take Thalidomide (those of my readers old enough to remember this drug); it was taken for morning sickness in pregnancy in the 1960s and resulted in children being born without limbs.
More recently a drug for a skin complaint has resulted in numerous suicide attempts and a drug for cancer has caused a large volume of heart attacks, and I could go on.
Many of the Chinese herbs and some supplements have been used for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Many supplements are made from flowers, plants and natural products and many of them do not offer serious side-effects. I am sure there are some that have caused side-effects; after all nothing is perfect and we can get side-effects from food and drink.
Most people use herbal products because they are often as, or more, effective, gentler and have fewer side-effects than pharmaceutical drugs, whether prescribed drugs or bought over the counter (OTC). Incidentally, the regulation does not cover homeopathy, aromatherapy or flower remedies.
In the UK, all OTC herbal medicines must have a Traditional Herbal Registration (THR) licence from the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency), which allows the product to carry the THR certification logo. The ‘traditional’ part of the licence means that the herb has been on the market for at least 30 years, 15 of them in Europe. As well as safety, the THR licence also covers quality, thereby ensuring that the correct herb is included. In addition, and also allowed, are permitted pesticides and other contaminants which will extend the shelf life.
Consider that new herbal products brought out by pharmaceutical companies, or manufacturers, may now contain sodium lauryl sulphate, aspartame or cyclamate, or even a range of E numbers to help preserve the product, make it taste sweet and look colourful.
This, somehow, makes a mockery of herbal medicine. However, if it is brought to our shelves by a manufacturer who can afford the licence, then it is allowed to contain these substances which have been clarified as unhealthy for years by those who believe in natural therapies.
In addition, it is also expected that standard labelling will be included, offering comprehensive information about contraindications, side-effects, safety for children and women in pregnancy.
In the UK, about 100 THR applications have been granted; there are around another 100 in the pipeline. This may result in your usual remedy re-appearing later in the year or next year. If the THR logo is not featured on the product for the moment, that is OK, because manufacturers are allowed to sell off their existing stock.
Interestingly, my usual supplier contacted me recently with a list of supplements which would no longer be available, asking me if I wanted to buy what they had in stock.
My other regular supplier has already sold out of Milk Thistle (a simple supplement which helps detox the liver) and St John’s Wort (a supplement for helping stress and anxiety and used widely in Germany). Their regular customers have been bulk buying.
In the UK, there have been no applications for a THR licence for Chinese or Ayurvedic remedies, hence my earlier comment where one manufacturer is re-labelling the products.
A MHRA spokesperson admitted that the current situation is confused. The legislation continues to be fought, online and through a variety of petitions, by people who only want their ‘human right’, which is freedom of choice.
They don’t want to be bullied into taking medication or drugs for which they may pay more and, more importantly, could have long-term side-effects.
kathryn@maltanet.net