Herbal Regulations Pros and Cons

Herbal Regulations Pros and Cons

Herbal regulations vary from country to country. They are mostly based on the basic guidelines provided by the World Health Organization (WHO). In the United States, herbal drugs cannot make any specific claim without approval from Federal Drug Administration. And for this reason most herbal products can only be promoted as food and dietary supplements. In Europe however things are different and herbal drugs are more likely to gain status of effective medicines approved by their health authorities. For one, it is less expensive in Europe to get a drug approved. In the U.S., FDA takes a long time to give approval which only makes herbal drug manufacturers hesitant. In Europe, many herbal products can be approved on the basis on their long-term history even if no scientific evidence is available. The same is not the case in the U.S. Strict herbal regulations have their pros and cons. For one, FDA is a very well respected authority and people trust a drug when it has FDA approval. Hence this lessens the risk of using some low quality herbal drugs. Secondly because herbal regulations are in place, people cannot blame anyone but themselves if something goes wrong. FDA also says it has the authority to stop the production of any dietary supplements that poses health risks.

For example there are hundreds of dietary supplements available in the U.S. each claiming to help lower weight. But since these claims are not backed by FDA, people are skeptical of these drugs and those who actually use them cannot blame anyone if they don't get any real results. Regulations help save millions of lives because they make people hesitant about using a non-FDA approved drug. However some herbal remedies with history of success behind them may find this environment rather hostile. There are thus certain cons attached to regulations too. People may be deprived of some good herbal remedies and herbal medicine on the whole is not able to flourish properly. Their research capabilities are also hampered due to strict regulations which limit the chances of better herbal drugs making their way into the markets.

In the countries around the globe especially some traditional societies like China and India, herbal medicines are not only popular, they are also given due appreciation and recognition which allows more research into the area. For example Ayurvedic medicine is very famous in India and people have been regularly using them for centuries for ailments ranging from tooth ache to fertility. The same is true in China and some other countries. However in the U.S., strict regulations hamper research which means that while there are herbal alternatives available, they cannot make any specific claim and they do not have the very coveted FDA approval.