- An oriental proverb has pointed out "One-third of a drug is toxicity". That is true for not only many Western conventional medicines but also for Herbal supplements. Even if the label says “natural” it may not be OK for you. For instance, some people take a herb called kava kava for menopause symptoms or to help them relax. But studies show that it may lead to hepatitis and liver failure [1]. Some countries have banned or restricted the herb, but it’s still available in Australia.
- Please remember: Any Herbal product is suggested when the nature of your body is imbalanced, just like a Conventional Medicine should be used when you are are sick. Another Old Proverb from an ancient classic says, “Weapons are lethal tools, the sage has no alternative but to resort to arms (When there is a disorder)”[2].
- Also, supplemental producers have side effects too, monitoring Professional websites, such as TGA website and Webmed will help you to update the knowledge, like Vit B6 and fish oil have side effects, for example,
- After receiving over 30 reports of peripheral neuropathy with enough information to indicate a possible link with products containing vitamin B6, the TGA conducted a review and found that: peripheral neuropathy can occur at doses of vitamin B6 less than 50 mg. [3]
- When taken by mouth: Fish oil is likely safe for most people in doses of 3 grams or less daily. Taking more than 3 grams daily might increase the chance of bleeding. Fish oil side effects include heartburn, loose stools, and nosebleeds. Taking fish oil supplements with meals or freezing them can reduce these issues. Consuming high amounts of fish oil from DIETARY sources is possibly unsafe. Some fish are contaminated with mercury and other chemicals. Fish oil supplements typically do not contain these chemicals. [4]
- As a practitioner with both Western Conventional Medicine and Oriental Chinese Medicine background, Dr George Zhang always keeps a close eye monitoring the most recent and advanced studies on toxic and side effects of both Western Medicine and Oriental Natural Medicine. He aims for maximising the therapeutic effects with Botanical herbs and advising on appropriate views for natural products while minimising the adverse effects of such substances. In the initial visit and during your following up treatments, it is advised that clients always keep him with updated information regarding any medications (conventional medicine, herbal products, or supplement) having taken before or are taking currently.
Reference
[1] Smith, K. and C. Leiras (2018). "The effectiveness and safety of Kava Kava for treating anxiety symptoms: A systematic review and analysis of randomized clinical trials." Complementary therapies in clinical practice.
[2] Dao De Jing, Laozi,6th-century BC
[3] Therapeutic Goods Administration. (2023). Health supplements containing vitamin B6 can cause peripheral neuropathy. Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. https://www.tga.gov.au/news/safety-alerts/health-supplements-containing-vitamin-b6-can-cause-peripheral-neuropathy
[4] WebMD. (n.d.). Fish oil. Retrieved June 20, 2024, from https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-993/fish-oil
