Are Herbal Supplements Hurting You?

(CBS)  In her New Jersey kitchen, Sharon Hubbs-Kreft crafts everything from brain tonics to teas to treat pinkeye, CBS News correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi reports.

"This is actually a family recipe I ship all around the world," Hubbs-Kreft says.

Hubbs-Kreft is a certified herbalist who learned about "natural healing" from her grandmother.

"I believe fully in the healing properties of herbs," she says.

And hundreds of customers believe in her home-grown supplements.

"Business is very good for me. It makes me happy that people are willing to try a natural alternative," Hubbs-Keft adds.

This year, Americans will spend about $20 billion on supplements they believe will keep them healthy.

"There's no good evidence these products are safe and effective and there's plenty of evidence that many of these products are unsafe, ineffective or both," says science and medical writer Dan Hurley.

Hurley investigated the supplement industry for his book "Natural Causes." He examined hundreds of studies and found there is little proof that supplements work. Federal studies found no proof that St. John's Wort fights depression and no proof that echinacea fights the common cold.

And, Hurley cites other studies that suggest there is no proof that a healthy child or adult benefits from a vitamin or mineral supplement.

Nevertheless, some people swear by it, and say they take Vitamin C and don't get a cold. "I say, I can go all winter long and not get a cold and I don't take those things," Hurley counters.

"There are people that passionately believe in them. It's like a faith for them. I'm not here to challenge their faith. I'm a reporter. I looked at what evidence I could find," Hurley says.

And, Hurley says some of what he found was alarming.

"People have found prescription medications in these products. People have found pesticides," Hurley says. "The manufacturing process is not regulated. The safety and effectiveness has not been proved. It's a buyer's beware market."

Sue Gilliatt thought herbal remedies were safe. Then, her nose was burned off by one.

"I've had seven surgeries," Gilliatt says.

Gilliatt used an herbal paste called "bloodroot" to treat a pink area on her nose, which she thought might be cancer, until she could get to a doctor.

"After a few days the edges of the tissue started to lift off and I lost my entire nose cartilage. The nostrils were gone," Gilliatt says.

Her case is extreme, but Hurley says his analysis of data from the U.S. Poison Control Centers show a million and a half people have suffered adverse reactions to vitamins and herbal supplements since 1983.

Not everyone agrees. "These products are tested by their manufacturers, but there's a long history of not only safety of the products, but the fact that they do have proven benefits," says Steve Mister, who works for the supplement industry.

Mister says Hurley's book isn't credible because of its "lack of science, historical inaccuracies and emphasis on anecdotal evidence and opinion."

"I think it's premature for an author like Mr. Hurley to just dismiss an industry based on a few extreme examples," Mister adds.

Tuesday, CBS News will look at what the government has to say about supplements — about their safety and effectiveness — and why they still don't need FDA approval.

[dailyreads]

Thanks for bringing this to non-CBS viewers attention.

CBS%u2019s own audience does not agree with the story.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/15/opinion/polls/main2359664.shtml

IMO -

1. Did anyone count the number of pharmcuetical commericals during this broadcast?

2. This recent segment on herbal supplements is so biased. I%u2019ve used St.
John%u2019s Wort with great success, check out this article.
http://www.doctorstrust.com/article.html?id=3794

3. My mother was on several prescription drugs with a whole host of side effects. I just wonder if she wouldn%u2019t still be alive today had she tried the alternative medicine route instead.

4. Dietary supplements have a great safety record, especially compared with other consumer goods, such as drugs and even other foods. Below are a few statistics that support this claim.

The truth is that dietary supplements are far safer than most common foods and drugs that consumers use without a second thought. Prescription drugs, for all the testing they go through and copious usage directions that are issued with them, are estimated to be one of the top five leading causes of death in the U.S. at more than 106,000 annually[Journal of the American Medical Association].

5. With the aging population of America, dietary supplements offer tremendous cost benefits. Check out the latest:
http://www.supplementinfo.org/anm/templates/?a=465&z=6

[geneb5]

It's not big pharma vs. big supplement. It's big money buying off legisltaors.

You can thank Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) for the non-regulation of the supplement industry, as well as for the insipid regulation of the pharmaceutical industry.

They both pay him and his ilk plenty of money to work tirelessly against the interests of ordinary American consumers.

[kcatdeejay]

It certainly is reassuring knowing that we have the FDA out there protecting us, isn't it?? Didn't they approve Vioxx, etc for our consumption? They check out everything very thoroughly to make sure we are doing no harm to ourselves. They would never approve of us eating meat loaded with hormones and antibiotics would they? FDA-Friend to Drug Advocates!!!

[ddd555-2009]

ARE CBS NEWS REPORTERS ON THE PAYOUT OF BIG PHARMA?

Hey, CBS, how do YOU like a headline like this?
It is unfair to all your reporters, isn't it?

So, how do you, CBS, allowed this kind of manipulative and tainting headline spin to influence the opinion of millions of your viewers?

What exactly are you doing, CBS:
Poor diletant journalism or contract brain washing?

[happygael]

I have used herbal supplements for thirty years. They are a lot safer than meds like vioxx. Big Pharma and Mr Hurley do not mention that mistake. I do not think i will be reading his book. by the way i am over eighty years of age and still exercise. this includes walking and jogging.
herbal supplements etc. are a lot safer than things Than big pharma products such as vioxx.

[dell011]

CBS news has a lot of nerve to call themselves newsworthy after your horrid piece on Herbal Remedies! Even the greater of nerve you have to protest that the FDA actually cares about the protection of the public's safety?? Seriously, after the whole Vioxx catastrophe you actually think the FDA gives a *** about peoples lives when 'In 1999, the FDA approved Vioxx, a COX-2 inhibitor for arthritis pain as a medical marvel and five years later - FIVE YEARS - the associate science director of the FDA's Office of Drug Safety charged that FDA officials tried to suppress a report that concluded "27,000 heart attacks and sudden cardiac deaths" could have been avoided if patients had been using Celebrex instead of Vioxx.' Vioxx is only one of the HUNDREDS of drugs that Big Pharma has created and is subsequently killing Americans slowly everyday. Why don't you do an expose on Big Pharma and the FDA if the public's health is REALLY aforemost issue with these corrupt giants. Perhaps because you are on their payroll too? CBS news and ABC and NBC and FOX, ad nauseum is the last place the American public should look to for news let alone facts. You should all be ashamed for broadcasting someone's opinion as NEWS instead actually having REAL FACTS to back up such a lame assertion. All of you care for the publics health as much as Bush cares about Peace. You are all corrupt and greedy hypocrites!! Shame on you all.

[rampagesr]

Many of the supplement companies sell their products through Multilevel Marketing (MLM) pyramid schemes. This allows the companies to recruit distributors to sell their products. However, the distributor's cost is inflated and is very unlikely to sell the product. So instead, the distributors recruit more distributors into the pyramid so they can collect commissions from required monthly minimum purchases to qualify as a distributor.

These distributors make health claims like how products containing grape seed extract can reverse the affects of certain cancers (Dr. Ladd McNamara, a USANA Gold distributor and on USANA's Medical Advisory Board, made this claim during a USANA distributor meeting). When asked how USANA can make such claims. He said USANA doesn't make any health claims and since he is a doctor he can make any health claim he wants. So many of these nutritional supplement companies hire people to make the health claims for them. Distributors also make verbal health claims that are not permitted by law, but little is ever done about it.

Many commenting on here repeat the same slogans that are taught by MLM training material. On many MLM forums selling nutritional supplements, distributors are urged to comment on the CBS website regarding this segment. So most of the comments on here are from distributors selling supplements. These individuals insinuating greed amongst drug companies, only have to look in the mirror (from recruiting members into pyramid schemes).

[gaye5]

takeapilltoo you are just so spot on...

I had arrhythmia of the heart and so did a couple of friends of mine, one male and one female... my heart was shaking the bed and it felt like it was going to jump out of my throat so I couldn't sleep..... we all went to different Dr's, they were put on a drug for life and I went home and researched what they wanted to put me on,, luckily my Dr said that he didn't really want to put me on it as the drug can eventually kill you so he didn't push it.. I already knew that I had far toooo much salt, and that salt took potassium out of the body so I started on potassium tablets for a while and low and behold within a day my heart kicked back into normal, however I had to keep up the six tablets that were recommended for a few weeks as when I stopped it would go funny again within a few days of stopping. As I knew that it was dangerious to have toooo much potassium as it could then also cause the same problem so now I only have to take two tablets a day occasionally instead of the six that I took before for it to work,,, As I found out what my body was lacking in to cause the problem, I now have NO trouble with my heart... When drugs are taken doesnt it only hid the problem thus whatever the body is lacking in is still doing damage to the body...

[dennisjames3]

The bias against safe and effective therapies with herbs and nutrition does a disservice to people who are ill. The first step in medical treatment for diabetes and hypertension is diet (lose weight, and better food choices) and exercise (according to the scientific literature), medications should be a last resort. Unfortunately drugs are the first and only choice for many physicians who are untrained in nutrition. Apparently, Mr. Hurley has an agenda because if he was really aware of the scientific studies on St. John's Wort, etc., instead of picking and choosing negative studies he would have come to another conclusion about their efficacy, according to the 'real' scientific literature. There are problems in pharmaceuticals (witness Vioxx) and some herbs, granted. There should be a balanced approach as there is in Germany where 80% of prescriptions for depression are for St. John's Wort. So, one has to wonder about Mr. Hurley's conclusions. This is sensationalism for the uninformed.
With CBS allowing this unscientific and poorly researched report to be aired smells of caving in to the 'Pharmaceutical Cartel' like the caving in to 'Big Tobacco' on 60 Minutes. Maybe Katie Couric should follow the lead of the gentleman who left CBS for PBS because of that story. This newscast was an embarrassment. Can't remember the last time I needed a 'safe' pharmaceutical since 'dangerous' herbs and nutritional supplements helped me overcome CFS. I spent 25 years in pharmaceutical sales.

[gaye5]

Dan instead of trying to expose the odd problem that the natural MIGHT have, why don't you get your nose into saving the lives of people by exposing the drug companies for what they really are, ('money making experimental machines' using humans as guineapigs) at the expense of millions of lives, ... try looking up, "The Pharmaceutical Drug Racket," it will blow your mind.. ..
If the natural is ineffectual, who the hang cares, so is eating many things, they are herbs for goodness sake... and yes people might have had side effects from them but some people also cant eat certain foods, so do we stop people eating...
Dan you say ...Federal studies found no proof that St. John's Wort fights depression and no proof that Echinacea fights the common cold. What a lot of rot... it is all in who makes these products, and how much is in each tablet.. I had pneumonia 4 years ago, and was told that I would now get everything that went around, and I did for a while, until I got onto Echinacea made by an Australian company called Medi Herb which is fantastic.. it works..along with a good brand of vitamin c of a tsp often during the day, until you get loose bowels, then cut back... Echinacea should only be taken for short spurts.. yes I do have faith in reputable natural products we are designed to eat natural things for our health, like vegies fruit herbs, etc,, natural products are made up of them..