e-Health Resources

In the United States, many individuals are choosing to use herbal and other natural products. The use of these products is frequently to complement, rather than to replace, traditional medical care. Before using herbal and other natural products, remember:

“Natural” does not mean safe and free of serious side effects.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not control the quality of herbal products. Product may or may not contain the ingredients listed on the label. Adulterants or contaminants may also be present in the product.
Self-care with herbal or other natural products should only be used for brief period of time.
Serious life threatening conditions such as heart failure, asthma and depression should never be “self-treated” with herbal and other natural products.
Herbal and other natural products should not be used for a medical condition that is being treated with a prescribed medicine without first informing their physician and pharmacist.
Most studies with herbal and other natural products are very short in length so that the long-term safety of many herbs is not known.

The following websites are sponsored by reputable groups using the best available evidence of their safety and efficacy.

National Institute of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements - This website sponsored by the National Institute of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements includes general fact sheets on dietary supplements and safety notices, as well as a searchable database.
FDA- Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition - This is a website of the Food and Drug Administration. It has information about warnings relating to dietary supplements that have occurred. There are also links to report potential problems with products.
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine - This website sponsored by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine includes treatment information listed by treatment and by major disease or condition. General information is also provided as well as alerts and advisories.
National Institute of Health - This website sponsored by the National Institute of Health includes ten fact sheets on common vitamins and minerals.
Quackwatch - Quackwatch is a non-profit corporation that operates a website to inform consumers about some of the inaccuracies of health-related information, including herbs and dietary supplements. This site subscribes to the HONcode principles.
United States Pharmacopeia - This website offers information about dietary supplements complying with USP standards and the Dietary Supplement Verification Program.