Buyer beware: tips on use of herbal supplements

With rising herbal medicine sales paralleling a faltering economy, here are some tips on these dietary supplements:

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DOCTOR IS IN

Why worry?

THINNER YOU

Lose weight. Together.

_Know that herbal medicines aren’t as strictly regulated as conventional medicines and that evidence on their safety and effectiveness is often lacking.

_Do your homework. Find out what scientific evidence exists about the product you’re considering. A good resource is http://www.pubmed.gov an online service from the National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health that contains summaries from published research.

_Tell your doctor or other health care provider any time you plan to use an alternative treatment; recognize that these products can sometimes interfere with other drugs and may even cause dangerous side effects.

_Find out if your insurance health plan covers alternative medicines; many don’t.

_Check out the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine’s Web site, http://www.nccam.nih.gov, which contains helpful information for evaluating these products.