Sep 7, 2025
I've done episodes about dietary supplements. I didn't take into account the ones sold at the gas station or corner store. People with an anxiety condition or disorder should be very careful about promises of herbal supplements treatment.
I don't want to be elitist here. There is bad stuff in U.S.
pharmacies that do not work, known not to be effective or dangerous
and yet still on sale. I have examples from Ethan Melillo. PharmD
and Grant Harding, PharmD.
It is one thing to buy Slim-Jims from the gas station. I've
bought water, two cans for three dollars then I get to the counter
where the person looks at me like I'm less than dirt as he rings me
up. Then I remember not to go back into that store for the next
eight months or so.
I would never, ever purchase an herbal supplement from the gas
station store, a convenience store or the 99 Cents or 150 Cents
Store-ish variations.
You might decide otherwise. If you do want to risk it, pack a
magnifying glass because you have to read the label.
What is the dosage? It might not be the full
bottle.
And most important, have the contents been verified by an
independent industry respected testing organization?
We need to be careful out in the wild. Just my two cents. This
is my opinion which ain't worth a bucket of salt. Which does not
stop me from this episode on how to evaluate herbal health
supplements.
Resources Mentioned:
Operation Supplement Safety is intended for folks in the
military that have restrictions on the kind of supplements they can
use. However there is a non-military consumer version of
the OSS Postcard that is a PDF
download that gives guidelines on how to evaluate a
supplement.
Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS), National Institutes of
Health (NIH) Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know updated January
2023.
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health page
called Herbs at a Glance and
Using Dietary Supplements
Wisely
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
FDA page on Information for Consumers on Using
Dietary Supplements, updated 2022.
FDA page on Health Fraud Products Database.
You can search by name, vendor, website or a specific action taken
by the FDA.
Emergency Resources
Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988 and press 1, text
838255, or chat online. There are phone lines for those serving
overseas. Visit the website to find the current status of the
Veteran line and international calling options.
National Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 for
free, confidential support 24/7. This service operates
independently of the 988 service. Users can use text, chat or
WhatsApp as a means of contact.
Disclaimer:
Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.
Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder.
This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.