2007-12-04 00:05:54 · 6 answers · asked by d_joyous 2 in Health ➔ Alternative Medicine
Elliott, you're right. Even though it is the FOOD and Drug Administration, the agency evaluates food and herbs for safety only - not for efficacy in treating or curing anything. This is reserved for manufactured drug only.
2007-12-04 01:50:52 · answer #1 · answered by Marmelade 2 · 3⤊ 1⤋
The FDA would approve them only if the vendor had requested to market them as drugs not as dietary supplements. The vendor would be required to provide human clinical trial test results showing them to be safe and effective; this testing can cost several million dollars.
Few, if any, vendors have bothered to ask for drug status as they can make much more money selling untested herbs and foods as dietary supplements. The posts above are not entirely correct -- the FDA does not test dietary supplements for safety either, it is the responsiblility of the vendor to only sell "safe" supplements but there is no requirement for the vendor to provide evidence of safety. The FDA can ban a supplement only if there is evidence that the supplement made people sick; this would be after, not before, the supplement was sold.
If a supplement you want to take makes a "curative" claim on the label, then the vendor should have FDA approval to market it a drug. You can check the FDA website to see if, in fact, the vendor has done so.
The link below is to the FDA dietary supplement consumer information page and provides much more detailed information.
2007-12-04 19:01:12 · answer #2 · answered by Judy B 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Hey Elliot, It's FOOD and Drug Administration. They do have authority over food. But I can't think of a herb or food that they have approved.
2007-12-04 08:14:51 · answer #3 · answered by D28Guy 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The FDA is not interested in promoting "natural" anything since it's not a part of their administration to do so. The FDA's main priority is to make sure drugs are safe, and believe me, there's more money to be made forcing drugs down peoples throats than to provide a healthy alternative. It's quite disturbing.
2007-12-04 08:15:16 · answer #4 · answered by Lori E 4 · 1⤊ 6⤋
With the current state of the FDA I doubt it.
2007-12-04 08:08:38 · answer #5 · answered by not too creative 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋
FDA does NOT approve herbs and other NATURAL occuring remedies - period.
It's not in their guidelines.
As the name suggest (FEDERAL DRUG ADMINISTRATION) - they are only involved in manufactured drugs.
2007-12-04 08:10:16 · answer #6 · answered by Elliott J 4 · 3⤊ 2⤋