She didn't have insurance and ended up with a big hospital bill. The amount of active ingredients in herbal supplements can vary widely. Concerns are also increasingly being raised about the quality of herbal supplements because studies have found that the amount of active ingredients can vary widely. Doses are all over the board. Impurities are all over the board.
Adulterants are all over the board.
And supplements do not always contain what they say they do. The major problem is that, in many cases, it does not. No matter how well-informed you are, if you're not getting what you're supposed to be getting, then you're in trouble. Problems can also be caused by conflicts with other medications or herbals. Ginkgo biloba, often taken to enhance memory, can conflict with blood thinners such as warfarin or aspirin.