Introduction
Herbal supplements are natural plants that people use to improve certain conditions or treat various diseases. These herbal supplements most people believe that they originate from natural plants and therefore they trust them to be harmless. They are an improvement of the traditional ways and methods that people used to go about in treating illnesses. Herbal supplements are in most cases not considered to be drugs and therefore they are not regulated by the Food and Drug Agency (FDA). What this means is that their authenticity i.e. their effectiveness, quality, quantity and other factors that determine the safety of these herbs are not verified. (Candy)
Main body
I feel that FDA should regulate the consumption of herbal supplements so as to ensure that the consumer is protected. The FDA checks the safety of the herbal supplements once they are in the market and if the product is thought to be harmful, action can be taken against the manufactures or distributors or better yet removes the product from the market. The consumer does not have any assurance of what they are buying and taking since the herbal supplements do not go through any verification as the synthetic drugs. Regulations should be put in place since these herbs can have side effects that can be harmful to the consumer. (Shepherd & Ken.)
Sometimes harmful ingredients can be found in these herbs bringing devastating effects on the consumer. The herbal supplements are powerful just like the synthetic drugs and therefore verification must be done in order to ensure that the consumer is not exposed to any danger or harm. Regulation is also important so as to ensure that the consumer is made aware of what they are consuming. In this way, misuse is minimized. The consumer of these products should be able to search for reliable information they find on labels and seals of the herbal supplements from sources that are reliable. (Candy)
It is very important for the consumers to be aware of the benefits as well as the risks of these herbs to avoid being harmed in any way. Health providers and some scientific research findings might be able to help the consumer make informed decisions about these products. Manufactures of these herbal supplements are not obligated to give any guarantee of the authenticity of these products thus they may not contain the herbs they claim to have. Herbal supplements if misused can be harmful but if handled with care they are very beneficial. (Candy)
I believe if these herbs are monitored well we can avoid having these herbs being harmful to the public. There is no much verification or regulation for most herbal supplements available in the market. Verification should be done by having clear and proper warnings on the prescription bottles as well as seal of approval. The consumers should be aware that some of these herbs can be harmful and therefore they should make sure to check that the herbs have been verified before making any purchase from reliable sources. (Shepherd & Ken.)
Conclusion
The manufacturers should also follow the proper rules and regulations to make sure that their products meet quality standards. Government should also ensure that these drugs do not sneak into the market without proper regulations. The government should also ensure that the consumers are able to have easy access to these herbal supplements but at the same time maintain their safety and effectiveness.
Works Cited
Candy. Regulation of Herbal Supplements. 2006. Web.
Shepherd, Ken. CBS Prescribes Regulation for Herbal Supplements. 2007. Web.