In a move that’s bound to upset allot of shonky practitioners the European Union has introduced new laws banning hundreds of Herbal Remedies.
Under the directive, herbal medicines will now have to be registered. Products must meet safety, quality and manufacturing standards, and come with information outlining possible side-effects.
Herbal practitioners and manufacturers say they fear the new rules could force them out of business. –The Guardian
Practitioners and Manufacturers are unhappy with the idea of being regulated because in the past they have been free to swindle whomever they choose. But not any more, no they will need to prove that their product meets certain guidelines. The fact that this seems to be a concern for them should send alarm bells ringing.
One of the problems of Herbal “Medicines” is that many people think they are safe because they’re “natural” however this isn’t the case. There are plenty of natural substances that can seriously harm you and without any regulation quacks are free to sell many of these substances without oversight.
Dangerous “Natural” substances include (but are not limited to)
- Colloidal silver
- Bitter orange
- Germanium
- Ephedra
- Arsenic
The list could go on endlessly, at least longer than I can type in a lifetime. Just because something is “Natural” it doesn’t mean it’s good for you. In fact a very popular chemical that’s found in nature is Dihydrogen Monoxide which is involved in millions of human deaths per year. Of course Dihydrogen Monoxide is the chemical name for Water which is essential for life on Earth. So not all chemicals are bad for you and not all “natural” substances are safe.
Regulating Herbal “Medicines” is an essential step in protecting the public from potentially dangerous substances. Other jurisdictions need to follow the example of the European Union.