Caveat emptor! - Read carefully before you buy

Even if studies show that an herb or a natural remedy works, there's no guarantee the one you buy will. No matter what their effects, supplements aren't considered medicines and therefore aren't subject to regulation by the Food and Drug Administration unless they prove blatantly unsafe. That leaves quality control largely at the whim of manufacturers. Among the potential problems:

Shoddy production
With no one looking over their shoulders, there is no guarantee that manufacturers will actually fill bottles with what label says is inside.

Natural variation
Even if the manufacturer does identify quality products, check the label for: care about quality, plants of the same species that are raised in different places or under different growing conditions can vary significantly in their chemical makeup.

Lack of knowledge
In many cases, nobody really knows which part of a plant produces the desired therapeutic effect (the root versus the leaves, for example). So the manufacturer may responsibly provide the herb that you want—just not the part that gives results.

Responsible manufacturers understand these problems and do their best to ensure quality. To identify quality products, check the label for:

• The botanical name if the product is plant-based
• The recommended dose in milligrams
• A batch or lot number and expiration date
• The manufacturer's name and address
• A statement that the product contains a standardized extract, which ensures a certain dose of the active ingredient.