Vitamin Retailer spoke with Vancouver-Washington-based physician Zora De Grandpre, ND, who serves as an expert for Leafreport, which is based in Tel Aviv, Israel, www.leafreport.com. She offers some general cautionaries for retailers and the natural products industry, at large:
While most natural products have mild to moderate adverse effects, it is obviously incorrect to think of these products as harmless. Even water can kill if improperly used and the natural world is filled with natural poisons, toxins and other harmful substances which can harm and kill—just because it is natural doesn’t mean it’s good for you.
Cyanide for example is natural to immature elderberries, and if these are harvested too early, the cyanide levels can be toxic and lethal.
In my garden, I have plants that have a narrow therapeutic window (Digitalis/foxglove and Atropa belladonna are examples) and if not used within the parameters of this window can be lethal.
The Western pharmacological approach—to purify single “active” agents—can remove the natural modulators of the “active” agents and become more dangerous. If that happens just once—natural product use will be severely set back.
There is no single “magic bullet” for any disorder—it generally requires rational lifestyle choices, a balanced diet, an active lifestyle and a reasonably healthy genetic playing field. Epigenetics also plays a role so that the “sins” of the mother and to a lesser degree the father can alter that genetic playing field.
I am often made uncomfortable by the “hype” surrounding natural products—again, there is no magic bullet, no magical plant substance and no pill, tincture, capsule or topical that will miraculously turn around poor life choices.
I would encourage retailers to be accurate and somewhat prudent—and to stay away from the hype.
