Nearly every day, I am asked my opinion on a variety of nutritional supplements. It can be something to help them stop smoking, lower their cholesterol or lose weight. Often it will be about the various “menopausal products” that are on the market.  One of the things I frequently tell people is that whatever they buy, make sure it comes from a reputable company. Unfortunately, there are not really only standards when it comes to supplements. Or so I thought.

I recently learned that high-quality dietary supplements can be identified by the “USP Verified Mark”. It’s an optional quality standard for nutritional supplements that is set by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). What this mark means is that product has been submitted for testing and it meets the USP standards. In other words, the product has been verified that it contains what it says it does, does not contain harmful contaminates and has undergone proper manufacturing practices.

The USP website has lots of information on how to choose a good supplement in both written format and video.  Visit  USP for further information.

This new study is good news to my ears. I’m always worried about the possible combinations between the drugs I prescribe, but feel really uneasy sometimes with the various herbs, especially is someon is taking coumadin (warfarin) or other medications that often interact with other substances.

Even though this study is good news, one still needs to remain cautious.

• Always treat herbs with the same respect that you treat prescription medications. Remember…they are drugs too.
• Always notify your health care provider and pharmacists of the over-the-counter medicaitons and supplments you are taking.I
• If you are taking a medication such as coumadin(warfarin), please research the supplment first – before you take it. It does not take much for the INR levels to get out of wack (If you take this…you’ll know what this means).
• Write out a list of everything you take (including the dosages and how many times per day), and keep it with you. You never know when you will need it.

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May 25, 2006 St. Johns wort, ginkgo biloba, black cohosh. Just a decade ago most Americans would not have known these names. Today, these and other herbal medications are not only familiar, but the products are fixtures on drugstore shelves.

Herbal remedies are not just for health food stores anymore. The medications have gone mainstream, and as sales continue to rise, so do concerns about their interactions with prescription and more traditional over-the-counter drugs.

But new research suggests that potentially dangerous interactions may occur less often than are widely believed. Investigators reviewed the drugs taken by 7,652, mostly older Canadians, and found very few instances of such interactions.

You can read the rest of this report there – Herb-Drug Interactions Uncommon

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I’m sure you will read in the news today about a study that was just released in the New England Journal of Medicine about how glucosamine is not effective.

I beg to differ here.

First of all, the study used glucosamine hydrochloride, not glucosamine sulfate – which has been shown to be effective in previous studies. This is the form that is most often recommended and most patients I see are telling me it works for them.

Secondly, this study was looking for pain relief. Glucosamine is not a pain medication, however pain relief is a secondary (and important) benefit.

Glucosamine is a supplement that I always recommend people use for a minimum of 6 weeks before deciding that it is not effective for them. What I hear most often from people is that they did not realize how helpful it was until they stopped taking it.

In addition, since over the counter supplments are not regulated the way “medications” are, it is possible you may need to try more than one brand to find one that works for you.

As always, do your research before you take something. Better yet, talk with your Nurse Practitioner or other health care provider about this or any other supplment you take.