Many Herbal Products may be Unnatural

A recent study shows that many herbal products that do not contain the commonly listed plant ingredients and instead have fillers or other cheaper chemicals may be composed of various ingredients.

According to researchers at the University of Guelph, they found that only two of the 12 companies studied had products composed of authentic plant derivatives. They also found that approximately 60 percent of the natural products had plant species that were not included on the label.

The study also notes that around 32 percent of supplements had cheaper substitutes added to them and over 20 percent had other fillers, including rice or wheat.

For the study, researchers used DNA barcoding technology in order to test 44 herbal products marketed by 12 companies.

Contamination and substitution in herbal products can cause numerous health problems, according to lead study author from the University of Guelph, Steven Newmaster. "We found contamination in several products with plants that have known toxicity, side effects and/or negatively interact with other herbs, supplements and medications."

In the study, researchers studied a plant that's known for its laxative properties, known as Senna alexandrina. Long-term exposure to the plan can cause diarrhea and even liver disease.

Many products included in the study had Parthenium hysterophorus (feverfew), which can cause numbness of mouth and oral ulcer.

Some believe that those with any kind of allergy might be better off staying away from herbal medicines. The study showed that at least one company selling a ginko product had mixed Juglas nigra, known as walnut that could trigger a reaction in people who are allergic to nuts.

Products with wheat can also harm those with a gluten allergy.

"It's common practice in natural products to use fillers such as these, which are mixed with the active ingredients. But a consumer has a right to see all of the plant species used in producing a natural product on the list of ingredients."

The study is published in the journal BMC Medicine.