Chinese officials admit that their TCM-exports are of dubious quality | Edzard Ernst

On this blog, I have discussed the lamentable quality of TCM products before (e. g. here, here and here). In a nutshell, far too high percentages of them are contaminated with toxic substances or adulterated with prescription drugs. It is no question: these deficits put many consumers at risk. Equally, there is no question that the problem has been known for decades.

For the Chinese exporters, such issues are a great embarrassment […]

Read on: Chinese officials admit that their TCM-exports are of dubious quality

Dietary supplements: often more than we bargained for | Edzard Ernst

Many experts have warned us that, when we opt for dietary supplements, we might get more than we bargained for. A recent article reminded us that:

the increased availability and use of botanical dietary supplements and herbal remedies among consumers has been accompanied by an increased frequency of adulteration of these products with synthetic pharmaceuticals. Unscrupulous producers may add drugs and analogues of various classes, such as phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors, weight loss, hypoglycemic, antihypertensive and anti-inflammatory agents, or anabolic steroids, to develop or intensify biological effects of dietary supplements or herbal remedies. The presence of such adulterated products in the marketplace is a worldwide problem and their consumption poses health risks to consumers.

Read the rest here: Dietary supplements: often more than we bargained for