A recent study on herbal supplements revealed many "natural" remedies are actually stuffed with soy, rice, and wheat fillers in addition to potentially dangerous ingredients, Yahoo! reported.
A team of researchers at the University of Guelph in Ontario studied 44 popular herbal supplements that are available at 12 companies in the U.S. and Canada.
Their study found that one-third of the products did not contain the plant extract they advertised on the label and 59 percent included plants not listed on the label -- including ones considered toxic, not to mention the possibility of allergies.
Out of all 12 companies studied, only two marketed supplements that were genuine and filler-free.
Health advocates and researchers say the new research isn't surprising. David Schardt, senior nutritionist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said that previous studies demonstrated that some supplements don't always include what they advertise.
However, Schardt said the new study is more concerning because "only 2 out of 12 companies [tested] were manufacturing a quality product, while 10 out of 12 were shoddy." He added "Its not impossible, but it may be hard for consumers to find quality products" at all.
According to Yahoo!, the herbal supplement business has become a $5 billion-a-year industry. Some say this is because dietary supplements do not have to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before hitting the shelves, unlike prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
Though some harmful weight loss drugs, such as Ephedra, were eventually banned, it can take years before the FDA receives enough health complaints to finally take action and subsequently prevent further damage.
Despite the findings published in the journal BMC Medicine, herbal supplement advocates like Stefan Gafner, chief science officer of the American Botanical Council, suggest the data is flawed.
"Over all, I would agree that quality control is an issue in the herbal industry," Gafner said. "But I think that what's represented here is overblown. I don't think it's as bad as it looks according to this study."
