Although most people assume that herbal supplements are natural and safe to take, that is often not the case. Unfortunately, a large number of those who take herbal supplements are unaware of possible side effects and the potential dangers when they are mixed with certain types of prescribed medicine. When an herbal supplement interacts with other drugs, it can change the prescribed drug's effect. Mixing the two may reduce or increase the effects of the prescription drug, resulting in serious side effects. Therefore, patients should tell their physicians about any herbal supplements they are taking.
Herbal supplements differ from the pills doctors prescribe.
The supplements are made from a whole plant, while pharmaceutical drugs are synthesized from a single, active ingredient that has been extracted from the plant. Each year in the United States, approximately 4000 pregnancies result in spina bifida or anencephaly. Babies born with spina bifida usually survive, often with serious disability, but anencephaly is invariably fatal. This report summarizes findings from a survey conducted during January and February 1997 and indicates that only one third of women of childbearing age consume a supplement containing the recommended amount of folic acid daily. Statistical estimates were weighted to reflect the total population of women aged 18-45 years in the contiguous United States who resided in households with telephones.