Friday, July 18, 2008

US scientists scrap major AIDS vaccine test (AFP)

A doctor retrieves a blood sample from a man for an HIV test in Tegucigalpa, Honduras in 2006. US scientists have scrapped plans for a large trial of a HIV vaccine due to concerns about its effectiveness, the government's medical research agency said.(AFP/File/Elmer Martinez)AFP - US scientists have scrapped plans for a large trial of a HIV vaccine due to concerns about its effectiveness, the government's medical research agency said.

A health supplement is a product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to complement the diet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration treats them as foods, not drugs. It comes in tablet, capsule, powder, softgel, gelcap, or liquid form. It is labeled as being a dietary supplement and has no proven therapeutic effect. Dietary enhancements are sold in grocery, health food, drug, and discount stores, as well as through mail-order catalogs, TV programs, the Internet, and direct sales.

Why do people take supplements?

Some take liquid supplements for health and pain, others take whole food supplements to support bone health. Businessmen and other high-pressure profession take natural health enhancers for handling stress. Elderly people take herbal and supplements for urinary health. Athletes combine health diet nutrition and nutrition supplements. The list goes on. Some of them have become part of conventional medicine.

There are five major kinds of food supplements:

1. General Health Products.

2. Weight Loss.

3. Women's Health and Beauty.

4. Men's Health.

5. Skin Care.

Food Supplements can have a Negative Reaction on Prescription Drugs

Research shows that:

1. St. John's wort can increase the effects of prescription drugs used to treat depression. It can also interfere with drugs used to treat HIV infection, to treat cancer, for birth control, or to prevent the body from rejecting transplanted organs.

2. Ginseng can increase the stimulant effects of caffeine (as in coffee, tea, and cola). It can also lower blood sugar levels, creating the possibility of problems when used with diabetes drugs.

3. Ginkgo, taken with anticoagulant or anti platelet drugs, can increase the risk of bleeding. It is also possible that ginkgo might interact with certain psychiatric drugs and with certain drugs that affect blood sugar levels.

4. The label "natural" does not always mean "safe" or purchase bulk edta calcium disodium harmful effects."

To be sure about the safety of taking supplements, consumers should be diligent enough to consult with their attending physician, or other medical practitioners. They should not rely too much on the FDA approval tag on the bottle. For the sake of information, the FDA doesn't analyze the contents of these supplements unlike in the prescription drugs presented to them for approval. They will only act if there are verified reports about the harmful effects of the said supplements. There are also times when what's in the bottle does not always match what's on the label. Due to the laxity of the FDA in their control of this industry, a food supplement might:
1) be contaminated.
2) not contain the correct ingredient and
3) contain higher or lower amounts of the active ingredient.

Take extra caution before taking any forms of health supplements.

Raul T. Cruz - rtcruz@yagbi.com

Main website - http://healthmallcare.com/

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home