|
Harvard Medical School Publishes Buyer's Guide to Herbs and Supplements
Boston
MA, 22 January 2004
Source: Harvard Health Publications
The
extensive selection of herbs and supplements on the market can make
the decision about which ones—if any—to purchase difficult.
Based on the best available scientific evidence, Harvard Medical
School's Buyer's Guide to Herbs and Supplements provides readers
with an understanding of dietary supplements, offers ways to interpret
label claims, and supplies details about 52 herbs and supplements.
This
special report helps readers become informed shoppers. Here are
steps to take when considering a purchase:
- Read
the label to learn the ingredients in the product.
- Look
up the ingredients using Buyer's Guide to Herbs and Supplements
or other reliable medical references.
- Look
for standardized brands tested for quality and purity by third-party
laboratory testing.
- Choose
products studied in human clinical trials.
- Check
for fillers or additives on the label to ensure that you aren't
allergic to any of the ingredients.
- Check
serving size, percent daily value, and expiration date.
- Stick
with products from reputable manufacturers that you trust.
- Keep
alert for any reactions or side effects.
- Speak
with your doctor and your pharmacist about your condition and
possible interactions before starting an herbal therapy.
Buyer's
Guide to Herbs and Supplements also provides extensive information
on 52 popular herbs and supplements, including possible side effects
and interactions, safety precautions, and dosage information. Additionally,
each herb or supplement is given an herbal report card rating its
effectiveness in treating various conditions.
Buyer's
Guide to Herbs and Supplements is available from Harvard Health
Publications (visit www.health.harvard.edu
for more information).
About
Harvard Health Publications
Harvard
Health Publications, a division of Harvard Medical School, publishes
five monthly newsletters—
- Harvard
Health Letter
- Harvard
Women's Health Watch
- Harvard
Men's Health Watch
- Harvard
Mental Health Letter
- Harvard
Heart Letter
—as
well as more than 40 Special Health Reports and eight books. The
goal of all the publications is to bring the public the most current
practical and authoritative health information by drawing on the
expertise of the 8,000 faculty physicians at the Harvard Medical
School and its world-famous affiliated hospitals.
Source
Harvard
Health Publications (www.health.harvard.edu).
|
