Medical doctors issue warnings to their patients all the time about the possible dangers of taking herbal supplements.  Some supplements are not considered safe when combined with certain medications.  But most importantly, herbal supplements are not regulated as strictly by the US government as many of us might think.  Sometimes the labels can be very misleading.

A recently breaking news story online is reporting a case in New York State where fraudulent activity has been uncovered in the herbal supplement industry.    The state’s Attorney General has juts accused four of the nation’s major retail chains of selling herbal supplements that were either contaminated or that contained none of the listed herb whatsoever.  So how can we tell if our supplements are safe?

Look for the “USP Verified” seal of approval.

The United States Pharmacopeia Convention, or the USP, is an independent, non-profit group that sets very high standards on everything from food ingredients to herbals supplements.  The USP is made up of a group of highly educated scientists who thoroughly evaluate those products which are voluntarily submitted to their organization by manufactures of herbal supplements.    If the USP seal of approval is not clearly displayed on the bottle, then the product is either not considered safe by the USP or the product was never provided to the organization for review.  Either way, buyers should beware.

“NSF Certified” is another option.

NSF International is another similar non-profit group that sometimes reviews herbal supplements but tends to focus more on multivitamins and fish oils.  This organization also issues a second seal of approval called the “NSF Certified for Sport”.  Products with either seal are usually considered safe, but watch out for fake seals and misleading copycats.  Many manufactures will include a NSF seal without the word “certified” included.  Others might slap an USP logo without the word “verified” attached.  These can be intentionally misleading and are often found on products that are manufactured outside of the United States.  For those taking herbal supplements, always be sure to read your labels carefully.