Are These Supplements Safe to Take?

     Recently while I was browsing the New York Times website, I stumbled upon an article on the herbal supplement industry.  The article detailed a study by a team of researchers on the misrepresentation and deceitfulness of the herbal supplement industry.  Using a technique called DNA barcoding that scans a species-specific section of a genome (basically a short genetic marker) to determine the identity of an organism, the researchers found that among the supplements examined, a majority of them were diluted with filler ingredients or showed "outright substitution" with plants entirely different from those advertised on the bottles.  However, proponents of the herbal supplement industry called the study misleading, saying that this problem is not as prevalent as suggested by the study.  Despite the supplement industry's objections and the limitations of the study (ex: DNA barcoding requires the detection of DNA, but that may not be possible for concentrated chemicals/ingredients that have their DNA removed or destroyed), the fact that this is a problem in the herbal supplement industry is unquestionable.
   
     I found this article fascinating because I know a lot of people who take herbal supplements.  As a part of alternative medicine, herbal supplements are popular in the Chinese community, so many of my relatives take them to treat various illnesses ranging from anxiety to memory loss.  This article made me concerned for the safety of those who take herbal supplements because these supplements may actually be toxic instead of therapeutic.  If the FDA's job is to ensure that the medicines we take are safe, then it should step up its oversight on the herbal supplement industry.  Being lax and negligent with the enforcement of rules just because there is insufficient funding or resource is not an acceptable excuse.

Article Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/05/science/herbal-supplements-are-often-not-what-they-seem.html?_r=0

Picture Source: http://www.smartechpy.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/herbal-supplements.jpg