For hundreds of years, people have used plants to treat diseases, a practice described as herbal medicine or phytomedicine. Many people in industrialized countries are now turning to herbal products as alternatives or complements to conventional medicines. Although plants are the source of many conventional drugs, the active ingredients in these drugs usually are purified, measured, and often modified or synthesized rather than being used in their natural state.
Some issues have arisen with the increased use of herbals, including questions about their purity, safety, concentration, and efficacy. Another issue is drug interactions. Health care providers should ask about the use of herbal remedies when taking a patient's drug history, and patients should report any herbal medicines they take when under treatment. The FDA does not test or regulate herbal medicines, and there are no requirements to report adverse effects. There are, however, restrictions on the health claims that can be made by the manufacturers of herbal medicines. The U.S. government has established the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) to support and coordinate research in this field.
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