The information, hosted by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, includes a short quiz where individuals can test their current understanding of drug-supplement interactions. The resource also discusses some of the risks associated with taking supplements and medicine together, including a supplement's ability to alter the effectiveness of certain drugs and to increase the severity of medication side-effects. |
Information for All Herbal and Dietary Supplement Consumers
The free resource also addresses risks of combining medicine with herbal products like St. John's wort and goldenseal, which are growing in popularity. Believing that natural supplements like these are completely safe without the risk of side effects is a misunderstanding which could lead to harmful side-effects. The potential for capabilities, interactions, and adverse reactions are different for each supplement, and in blended cases, for each supplement's ingredients. Unfortunately, it is up to the consumer to learn this information for themselves in a heavily advertised market known to promote benefits, verified or assumed, while ignoring risks. | Herbal and Dietary Supplement Information by NCCIH |