German health claims
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care warns consumers to be critical of health claims of dietary supplements and complementary medicines. The institute also launches a Web site (1www.informedhealthonline.org/) to help consumers decide about health treatments, including supplements and complementary medicines. "Just because a product is made from a plant or vitamins, it does not mean it is necessarily safe in very high doses or for frequent use," the institute says, adding "not all medicinal products can provide as much relief as patients expect." Patients and doctors should consider whether treatments have been proven to work in enough clinical trials and whether the benefits are significant...