“Natural” doesn’t always mean safe.
Doctors say Traditional Chinese Medicine, which includes a variety of unregulated herbal medicines and New Age health supplements, is causing illnesses and deaths throughout Hong Kong.
TCM sits at the intersection of ancient religion and modern pseudoscience, so it’s not surprising that the practice causes some harm. But Dr. Tony Wing Lai Mak, a pathologist at Princess Margaret Hospital in Hong Kong, says hidden adulterants are leading to even more illnesses and deaths despite government warnings.
In the 10-year study, 404 people (including infants) were treated at the hospital after taking tainted supplements. The review included only patients who took “proprietary products processed into pills or other finished doses” and not those who simply ate “unprocessed plant or animal materials,” according to Dr. Mak.
The study has other limitations, too.
Unfortunately, “natural” doesn’t always mean safe.
