# Is herbal medicine safe? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 19, 2014, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-herbal-medicine-safe/679210 "2014-01-19T17:23:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-herbal-medicine-safe/679210/21 "2014-01-20T15:27:05Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > so what happened? stopped sneezing? No, still sneezing. ---
**Author:** ![SerafinaPekala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SerafinaPekala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SerafinaPekala)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-herbal-medicine-safe/679210/22 "2014-01-20T15:32:43Z")
… which begs the question: why not try to eliminate the dust mites if thats the source of your allergies? There are mite-proof covers for the mattress, pillow and comforter of course, and washing everything in hot water and vacuuming with a HEPA filtered machine can help. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Quatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc8723/32.png) [@Mr\_Quatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Quatro)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-herbal-medicine-safe/679210/23 "2014-01-20T17:51:22Z")
> [@SerafinaPekala](#): > > … which begs the question: why not try to eliminate the dust mites if thats the source of your allergies? There are mite-proof covers for the mattress, pillow and comforter of course, and washing everything in hot water and vacuuming with a HEPA filtered machine can help. This makes more sense than putting something in your system that your not even sure of that has known side effects. Look at the company selling the item your interested in … are the other products they sell safe for your system? I bet they aren’t … most of these companies are in the profit motive business … not the doing you a favor business. Buyer beware learn from other people’s mistakes without having to join a class action suit. ---
**Author:** ![SerafinaPekala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecae2f/32.png) [@SerafinaPekala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SerafinaPekala)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2014, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-herbal-medicine-safe/679210/24 "2014-01-20T18:33:33Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > Don’t mind **Whynot** , she does a good line in sounding authoritative, but I guarantee you she cannot cite any sound, scientifically based testing that has yielded signficant positive results for bacterial or viral infection for this particular snake oil. Wha?? I dont see any _sarcastica_ font here so Im taking this as an attack on WhyNot. \<\ **Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2015, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-herbal-medicine-safe/679210/25 "2015-02-03T20:30:02Z") Most herbal supplements do not contain the herbal ingredients they claim on the label. DNA testing revealed [only 21% of herbal supplements actually contain](http://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/ny-ag-takes-aim-popular-herbal-supplements-n299161) what you think you are buying, ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-herbal-medicine-safe/679210/26 "2015-02-04T19:12:39Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > The reason for vague claims is that’s what they’re legally allowed to write without submitting their product to the testing required for FDA approval as a drug. Which should, in itself, tell you something. > [@WhyNot](#): > > That blend is pretty benign, given a generally healthy individual…Yes, that’s a nice little blend… And therein lies the rub. They may be “benign” and “a nice little blend” if indeed they contain what is on the lable - but when subjected to DNA testing 4 out of 5 do not. Read the study in the link posted by **Fear Itself**. You really don’t know what you are ingesting. Here is a more in depth [article](http://www.ajc.com/ap/ap/top-news/ny-attorney-general-targets-popular-herbal-supplem/nj3qB/) about the study. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-herbal-medicine-safe/679210/27 "2015-02-04T19:51:55Z")
> [@Lakai](#): > > I’m allergic to dust mites, which has resulted in excessive sneezing every morning. A friend of mine gave me a bottle of [Nature’s Sunshine Lymph Gland Cleanse](http://www.naturessunshine.com/us/product/lymph-gland-cleanse-100-caps/sku-960.aspx) because it would help my immune system. People pushing herbal nostrums to “boost” or “strengthen” the immune system of allergic people are demonstrating they are ignorant of what allergies actually are. They are operating from an outdated belief that allergies are due to a “weak” immune system. They aren’t. If anything, allergies are related to an _overactive_ immune system and “strengthening” or “boosting” the immune system will only make them worse, not better. > [@SerafinaPekala](#): > > … which begs the question: why not try to eliminate the dust mites if thats the source of your allergies? There are mite-proof covers for the mattress, pillow and comforter of course, and washing everything in hot water and vacuuming with a HEPA filtered machine can help. While _in theory_ you can eliminate dust mites in reality that is almost impossible. It’s like trying to eliminate house dust. You can certainly reduce the amount substantially but it’s nearly impossible to eliminate the problem. Yes, do all those things - mite-proof covers, hot water washing, HEPA filters - but in the end an antihistamine might still be a reasonable addition to the daily routine. A doctor in real life (not the internet) can help you decide which one, or I suppose you could try several of the OTC varieties and see which one works for you with minimal side effects. Some of the modern antihistamines have very minimal side effects (loratidine, fexofenadrine, cetirizine). ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-herbal-medicine-safe/679210/28 "2015-02-04T19:55:58Z")
No they are not because thanks to Orin Hatch and Congressional corruption, the industry is essentially unregulated. Basically someone has to die before the Government can even suggest they make changes. It’s possible that some of these “natural” treatments have some basis in truth but there is not even a guarantee the XYZ pills you buy actually even contain any XYZ even if XYZ were effective in any way. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-herbal-medicine-safe/679210/29 "2015-02-04T20:32:31Z")
Obecalp is safer, probably equally effective, and might be less expensive. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-herbal-medicine-safe/679210/30 "2015-02-04T20:35:54Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > Obecalp is safer, probably equally effective, and might be less expensive. I’m pleased to know that. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2015, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-herbal-medicine-safe/679210/31 "2015-02-04T21:34:59Z")
To add to my impeccably crafted :dubious: response of a year ago: I recommend boycotting any product containing goldenseal, not so much because of its dubious efficacy, but because overharvesting in the wild has made this plant endangered. _“Is herbal medicine safe?”_ Somehow I picture Dr. Christian Szell asking this question, a leer on his face and a dentist’s drill in his hand. :eek: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-herbal-medicine-safe/679210.md?page=1)