Safety Concerns Related to Botanicals

There are a number of reasons to be concerned about the potential safety of such widespread use of CAHP. These products are frequently used by vulnerable populations, including older adults, those with chronic disorders, children, and women during pregnancy and lactation (5 10). These products are also used by patients to treat a variety of chronic disorders that are difficult to medically manage (e.g., anxiety, depression, dementia and memory impairment, headache, weight loss, back disorders, chronic pain, prostatic hypertrophy, and cancer) (1,11,12). Choice of a particular product for a particular condition is usually based on the claims made for the product and anecdotes of historical use, rather than conclusive scientific evidence that establishes the safety and efficacy of a particular product for a particular condition. 

Although many supplements are commonly advertised as being natural, this does not make them automatically safer or better than drugs or synthetic ingredients. In many cases, there is much less credible information about the effects of particular natural products or their ingredients, and there is more product variability. Product quality and variability are known safety concerns (27,28). Natural products can contain anything found in our environment—including pesticides, bacteria, molds, heavy metals, and other poisons—as has been documented in the literature. 

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