
Chinese herbal remedies made from vegetable matter have been used to heal maladies of all kinds for thousands of years. These days, with the miracle of the internet, individuals can self-diagnose, treat themselves, and even learn how to concoct their own mixes. In 2008, hundreds of millions of people worldwide took Chinese herbal remedies to treat everything from headache to back pain.
Currently, there is a debate about the safety of these remedies following the news of a European Union crackdown on herbalists and Chinese medicine practitioners who treat people unregulated currently. Under new regulations, from 2011 onward, sales of all herbal remedies, besides a small number of treatments for minor ailments, will also be banned. Lawmakers warn that lots of individuals believe that "herbal" is synonymous with "safe".
"Research we conducted last year found a significant proportion of people believed 'herbal' means 'benign'," says Richard Woodfield, Head of Herbal Policy at the Medicines and Health care products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). "That means people are more liable to self-medicate, and to neglect to inform their doctors, even though there's a risk that the herbal remedy will react with any prescription drugs. They're also more vulnerable to fraudulent, even criminal operators who put products out which are heavily adulterated with dangerous pharmaceuticals."


Labels: Chinese Herbal Remedies