Black Box Botanicals

Can you give us an example? 

The substance synephrine occurs naturally in citrus fruits. It would be very difficult to consume enough synephrine to harm one’s health just by eating oranges or mandarin oranges. In food supplements, however, the doses are sometimes so high that they can impair the cardiovascular system and cause issues such as cardiac arrhythmia. The effect also depends on the form in which a substance is consumed, i.e. whether as an isolated extract or as part of a food.

Botanicals are often based on plants which are traditionally used medicinally or which are sometimes officially approved as plant-based medical drugs. Does this not provide a certain safety level? 

Plant-based medical drugs are regulated differently from plant-based food supplements. This is important to understand. Strict quality standards apply when manufacturing and distributing medicine. For instance, it must be precisely stated which plant part a substance is derived from and how it was extracted and which degree of purity it has and so forth.

What about for food supplements?

There is nothing comparable. The substances contained in food supplements can stem from various parts of the plant. Sometimes isolated extract is used and sometimes dried and powdered plant parts are added. All of these factors can influence how the ingredients are absorbed and metabolised and thus what the effect of the botanical is. By the way, there is no requirement to scientifically demonstrate the efficacy and safety of these products. And there’s another aspect, too.

Namely? 

Medical drugs are typically taken when a health problem occurs. Food supplements, by contrast, are often taken prophylactically. Particularly when it comes to the health consequences of long-term use, there is often a lack of data. This is also the case for substances used in traditional medicine such as ayurveda which have been used for a long time and are perceived to be harmless.

What can consumers do? 

Always assess advertising claims critically, especially when it comes to products sold online. For healthy people, botanicals are generally unnecessary. People who eat a balanced and varied diet consume sufficient secondary plant ingredients through fruit, vegetables, herbs, and spices, which has a proven positive impact on health. Anyone who wishes to take a botanical should purchase the product from a trustworthy source and refrain from unnecessarily prolonged use. People taking medication should be particularly careful, as interactions can occur. Doctors should be made aware of any food supplement intake.