When a claim of this magnitude is made it falls under the jurisdiction of the FDA and is then classified as a drug. There are so many manufacturers of herbal products that it is hard for the FDA to keep up with them all. Some of the less reputable will make claims their product is a cure all, these are definitely ones to avoid. Since these products are not classified as a drug the FDA does not regulate the quality control measures for these supplements. Due to the complex nature of herbal names a bottle may actually contain an entirely different ingredient from the one listed on the label.
Standardization is an important issue with the use of herbal remedies.
Standardization means that every product of a certain herb would contain the same amounts of active ingredient. As it is now, one product may contain 10 percent active ingredient, and another product 5 percent. These two examples are not standardized. Many people feel that alternative remedies are harmless. That is not always true.