MSNBC Takes on "The Herbal Frontier"

MSNBC Takes on "The Herbal Frontier"

Online health readers got an eye full at MSNBC in late February, as the news site posted a series of articles about "The Herbal Frontier." The set of five stories covered a range of issues facing consumers, regulators and the industry in dealing with herbal supplements. Readers could also take an interactive quiz to test their "supplement savvy" and access several charts about sales growth in the dietary supplement industry.

The main story, The Promise and Peril of Supplements, took a balanced look at the current regulatory environment for herbal products (even noting that "FDA declined repeated requests for an interview for this article."). It also reviewed some of the risks associated with herbal products, particularly with drug interactions, and the movement by industry and other groups to set safety and efficacy standards for these products. Other articles included East Meets West at the NIH, The Promise of Plants, Does Germany Have a Better Way?, and Precautions in Pregnancy.

To view the full series, visit www.msnbc.com/news/HEALTH_Front.asp?ta=y