Herbs, supplements and HIV

January 2005     View PDF     En español

Buyer beware!

Some herbal remedies contain controlled and possibly dangerous substances banned by the FDA. The FDA readily admits that it doesn’t have enough enforcement to ensure that these products stay off store shelves. Media exposés on this topic in California reveal countless tales of people harmed by products that contain lead, arsenic, anabolic steroids and other dangerous substances.

A few years ago a number of Chinese herb supplements to manage diabetes were pulled from the shelves by the California Food and Drug Board. This followed an incident when a person with diabetes was hospitalized after taking one of the supplements. It was tested and found to contain a medication used to treat diabetes. The additional medication in the claimed “natural” product led to an overdose for that person.

To protect yourself, seek reputable sellers, investigate the product and seek guidance from trained professionals. Other resources that may help are ones that address fraud issues, such as state AIDS Fraud Task Forces and Project Inform’s publication, How to Identify AIDS Fraud.