A Look at the Problems with Regulating Health Supplements and Alternative Medicine

Health supplements and alternative medicine are getting a lot of attention these days.  As more and more people use these options to get healthier, it’s crucial to make sure they are safe and work.  But it’s not easy to keep these products under check.  The problem is how to protect customers from dangerous items while also letting new ideas and good alternatives be available.  Even specialists like Dr. Mercola have said many times how hard it is to find the correct balance between freedom and regulation in this field.

Unclear Rules for Business

  • Health dietary supplements and choice medicinal drug commonly don’t fit into the regular medical rules.
  • These gadgets don’t seem to be continually thought of as “drugs,” thus they do not go thru the identical strict checking out and approval processes.
  • They are sometimes called food, which suggests they are not as tightly supervised as drugs.
  • Because there are not clear rules, each clients and manufacturers can get confused, which can lead to harmful activities.

Dr. Mercola

The Importance of Scientific Evidence

  • One of the biggest problems with regulating these items is that many of the claims aren’t backed up by strong scientific data.
  • Clinical trials and research are very important to traditional medicine, however alternative medicine and supplements generally don’t have these studies.
  • Regulators can’t be sure that a product is safe and works without doing the right study.
  • A lot of companies don’t do the right tests on their products before selling them, which can be bad for people’s health.

Problems with Trust and Demand from Customers

  • People sometimes look for other remedies because they think they are safer or more natural than regular drugs.
  • People don’t trust these items either. Because there are so many unregulated supplements on the market, many people don’t know what they’re actually taking.
  • People often go to famous people like Dr. Mercola for assistance, however this can propagate false information if there isn’t any proof.

It is hard and ongoing to regulate health supplements and alternative medicine.  We need to find a better way to allow new ideas to come forward while also keeping people safe.  More research and tougher rules will assist keep people safe and make it safer for anyone looking for alternative health alternatives.  The road to better regulation is lengthy, but it’s important to keep fighting for changes that will protect public health.