Many individuals are turning to alternative medicine as part of their healthcare needs.
About 38 percent of adults and 12 percent of kids use some form of complementary or alternative medicine. But for everything like fish oil and flaxseed that has strong scientific backing, there are other, unproven treatments.
A few things to consider before trying any dietary supplement or nonconventional treatment:
• Complementary medicine isn’t the same as alternative medicine. It’s complementary when a nontra- ditional treatment is used with conventional care. Hospitals sometimes offer these treatments. Alternative medicine is a substitute, usually discouraged by health professionals.
• Even “natural” herbs and supplements have side effects. They can interact with prescription drugs and each other, yet only about one-third of patients tell their doctors about supplements they use. And people tend to take multiple supplements, or more than the recommended dose, says Dr. Melinda Ring of the Northwestern Center for Integrative Medicine and Wellness. Be wary of supplements that don’t list side effects.
• Popularity isn’t proof of effectiveness. Gingko biloba is just the latest hot-selling supplement whose health claims failed to measure up in high-quality clinical trials.
• What’s on the label might not be what’s in the bottle. Not all supplements list their active ingredients, and the amount of these ingredients can be much higher or lower than listed. Supplements also can be contaminated with substances such as pesticides, metals and prescription drugs, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Loose herbs sold in bags are especially susceptible to contamination and should be avoided, says Barrie Cassileth, chief of the Integrative Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
• Supplements don’t get the same scrutiny as prescription drugs. Dietary supplements are defined as food, not drugs, by the Food and Drug Administration. So they are considered safe until proven otherwise — the opposite of the way prescription drugs are evaluated.
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