Safer Supplement Self-Prescribing

Supplements. We all like to try something new, something to make us feel good, feel better, fix a symptom. Believe me, I'm just as tempted as you are!

Supplements

Bachelor qualified natural health practitioners are not just trained in what herbs and nutrients to prescribe for particular conditions, we are also trained in pharmacology and more specifically, pharmacokinetics (which focuses on what the body does to the drug/nutrient or how the body processes the drug), and pharmacodynamics (which focuses on what the drug/nutrient does to the body or how the drug produces its therapeutic effect). Our patients SAFETY is of utmost importance, and therefore, we are trained to check for interactions with pharmaceutical medications and to ensure that when we prescribe a therapeutic dose of a herb or nutrient that is higher than what you might purchase off the shelf, there are specific instructions as to dose, timing and what period of time it should be taken for.

This is one reason why at the top of every appointment I check for any updates to medications or supplements that you may be taking since your last visit. It is not about asking you to stop taking your supplements (although in some cases that might be the wisest), but to make sure that what I am advising for you is safe.

But because something is natural, does that automatically make it safe? Not necessarily.

There is a well-known saying "The dose makes the poison".

Up to the social media point in our lifetime, most mainstream supplements we were buying at the chemist or supermarket have been, for the most part, safe. However, the commercial world of supplements has grown and is still changing. There are now many suppliers marketing to us online and locally, and new ones popping up every month. (Even "practitioner only" suppliers marketing to practitioners are increasing.) I have become increasingly concerned by some herbal supplements being cleverly marketed with fancy websites touting that they are safe during pregnancy and when looking at their herb list I know that there are herbs that could cause miscarriage. And there are now complex formulas (which previously were mostly supplied through "practitioners only") being marketed directly to the public, touting "Sleep well", "Memory and Focus", "Gut Guard", "Gut repair", "Immune Support", "Pre-Workout", "Sports Performance", "Energy and Endurance", "Radiant Skin", oh my goodness, I'm exhausted from looking, so I think you get the idea.

These complex formulas may contain similar nutrients (for example, B6), because that nutrient is often used as a co-factor for metabolic processes in the body that result in the above marketing outcomes. So, it is possible, that if you are taking multiple supplements (with complex formulas) to benefit the area of your body you're trying to improve, that you may be consuming excessive amounts of a particular nutrient and experience unwanted symptoms.

In Australia we have a supplement regulator - The Therapeutic Goods Administration - otherwise known as the TGA. (They are the regulatory authority for many therapeutic goods such as prescription medicines, non-prescription medicines, vaccines, medical devices, blood and blood products, sunscreens, vitamins, software and artificial intelligence-based medical devices.) The TGA reviews, tests and investigates listed medicines to ensure they meet regulatory requirements. They also monitor Australian and international safety data to ensure complementary medicines aren’t causing health issues. If a health or safety issue is identified, they examine it and act if required, such as removing the product from sale. Herbal and nutritional medicines in Australia are listed medicines with the TGA and are considered lower risk. These medicines have an "AUST L" number on the front of their label. 

Listed medicines are not pre-market evaluated by the TGA. This means they aren’t assessed by the TGA before they are allowed to be sold. However, they regulate the safety and quality of these medicines by:

• limiting them to only use pre-approved low-risk ingredients

• allowing them to only have pre-approved low-risk indications (health claims)

• requiring them to be made under quality manufacturing principles.  

The person or company responsible for a complementary medicine needs to have the required evidence that their medicine is safe for its intended use.

There are ways you can self-prescribe in a safer manner:

• The Australian industry operates within one of the most tightly-regulated systems in the world, where products are manufactured under Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), and strict safety and quality regulations are enforced, ensuring that responsible, evidence-based and high quality products are available to consumers. Therefore, purchase only Australian Manufactured product from a reputable supplier - your local chemist should only have TGA labelled product.

• If you are going to purchase product online, check that it is on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) which is the public database of therapeutic goods that can be legally supplied in Australia. You can search the database here: https://www.tga.gov.au/resources/australian-register-therapeutic-goods-artg

• Take only the dose that is listed on the product.

• If you are taking multiple complex formulas, read the ingredients across each bottle to make sure you are not repeating nutrients and herbs which increase their dose.

• Ask yourself why? Why do I need this? How long am I going to need it for? Am I suppressing a symptom when its actually my body trying to tell me there is something else going on?

• Another really important factor that natural health practitioners are trained in is holism - looking at the body as a whole - and getting to the root cause in order to potentially reverse disease and restore optimal homeostasis. Purchasing a supplement that tells us this will restore sleep, relieve muscle pain etc, may do just that, but it doesn't consider the whole body, and it suppresses a symptom that might be trying to tell you there is something more going on. Why not save time and money and book in for a consult with a professional that will take into consideration your health condition, all body systems, current needs, prescribed medications, lifestyle factors, your budget and your diet.

• Better still, spend your hard earned money on quality whole food products and eat yourself well!