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CNN Live At Daybreak
Do Herbal Supplements Really Work?
Aired September 17, 2003 - 06:52 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Perhaps you've been surfing the Web for some saw palmetto or maybe you're thinking kava kava can ease your worries. Well, buyer beware is the message from a new study this week.
Joining us with more, Lisa Drayer.
Good morning.
Of course, we're talking about herbal supplements and whether they really work.
LISA DRAYER, NUTRITIONIST: Exactly, Carol. And I'd like to say buyer beware, or, rather, buy at your own risk. Researchers from Brigham & Woman's Hospital surfed the Internet for eight of the most popular herbs out there, including gingko biloba, St. John's Wort, Echinacea and some others.
And what they found was that more than half of the Web sites that made health claims for these herbs claimed that the herbs could prevent, treat, diagnose or cure specific diseases.
COSTELLO: Wow.
DRAYER: And this is despite the fact that these specific types of claims are prohibited.
COSTELLO: Well, then how are they getting away with this?
DRAYER: Well, here's the thing, supplements go through a different process than drugs. So, for example, drugs have to prove that they are safe or effective before they enter the marketplace. But this is not the case for supplements. That is, manufacturers of supplements don't even have to give data to the FDA stating that their supplements are safe or even that they work.
So certainly they're not allowed to use any of those claims stating that they could help prevent or treat a specific disease. So really you're putting, you're taking the risk into your own hands when you are buying these supplements.
Now, that's not to say that there's no benefits of some of these herbs. For example, we have seen that there is some research on the benefits of St. John's Wort in mild depression or saw palmetto, that it can be beneficial for prostate health. But there must be a disclaimer on these supplements stating that these herbs are not intended to be used to treat specific diseases or conditions, and, in fact, the disclaimer was omitted from a lot of these health Web sites, as well.
COSTELLO: OK, well, thanks for the advice.
We appreciate it.
Lisa Drayer reporting live from New York.
I think she's in the AMERICAN MORNING studios this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 17, 2003 - 06:52 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Perhaps you've been surfing the Web for some saw palmetto or maybe you're thinking kava kava can ease your worries. Well, buyer beware is the message from a new study this week.
Joining us with more, Lisa Drayer.
Good morning.
Of course, we're talking about herbal supplements and whether they really work.
LISA DRAYER, NUTRITIONIST: Exactly, Carol. And I'd like to say buyer beware, or, rather, buy at your own risk. Researchers from Brigham & Woman's Hospital surfed the Internet for eight of the most popular herbs out there, including gingko biloba, St. John's Wort, Echinacea and some others.
And what they found was that more than half of the Web sites that made health claims for these herbs claimed that the herbs could prevent, treat, diagnose or cure specific diseases.
COSTELLO: Wow.
DRAYER: And this is despite the fact that these specific types of claims are prohibited.
COSTELLO: Well, then how are they getting away with this?
DRAYER: Well, here's the thing, supplements go through a different process than drugs. So, for example, drugs have to prove that they are safe or effective before they enter the marketplace. But this is not the case for supplements. That is, manufacturers of supplements don't even have to give data to the FDA stating that their supplements are safe or even that they work.
So certainly they're not allowed to use any of those claims stating that they could help prevent or treat a specific disease. So really you're putting, you're taking the risk into your own hands when you are buying these supplements.
Now, that's not to say that there's no benefits of some of these herbs. For example, we have seen that there is some research on the benefits of St. John's Wort in mild depression or saw palmetto, that it can be beneficial for prostate health. But there must be a disclaimer on these supplements stating that these herbs are not intended to be used to treat specific diseases or conditions, and, in fact, the disclaimer was omitted from a lot of these health Web sites, as well.
COSTELLO: OK, well, thanks for the advice.
We appreciate it.
Lisa Drayer reporting live from New York.
I think she's in the AMERICAN MORNING studios this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
