All Natural-THE PROS AND CONS OF HERBS AND SUPPLEMENTS

摘要

Bleary-eyed college students and jet-lagged corporate executives alike turn to the Asian herb ginseng for an energy boost. But ginseng devotees may be unaware that, when taken with insulin, the herb can cause hypoglycemia (low blood glucose). This is the kind of unforeseen risk that Laura Shane-McWhorter, PharmD, BCPS, FASCP, CDE, BC-ADM, spotlights in her new book, The American Diabetes Association Guide to Herbs & Nutritional Supplements. Dietary supplements "have many chemical components and act like drugs," McWhorter says, "so they can cause side effects when interacting with other drugs or a [disease or illness]."