Natural health products

Question 1

What is the most common type of self-care? Benefits and risks?

Answer 1

Self-medication is the most common type of self-care; it’s used for the prevention & self-treatment of ailments with non-prescription medicines (dietary supplements & natural health products)

Benefits: autonomy, convenience etc.

Risks: no medical oversight, potential for toxicity, drug interactions etc.

Question 2

What is the regulatory framework for NHPs? Current and future?

Answer 2

Many NHPs are sold as dietary supplements and are regulated by the Food Act which is less strict. Therapeutic Products Bill will include regulations for quality and safety but no requirements for efficacy.

Question 3

define traditional and complementary medicine

Answer 3

[1] TM has history. A collection of knowledge, skill, and practices based on the beliefs and experiences indigenous to different cultures. Used for maintenance, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of physical and mental illness.

[2] CM are practices that are not conventional medicine + not integrated into the dominant health-care system in that country.

[i] T&CM may be mainstream in another country & diverse.

Examples: acupuncture, chiropractic, traditional chinese medicine, herbal medicines, and aromatherapy.

Question 4

List the NHP categories

Answer 4

[1] Traditional medicines
Many different types; different in different countries; traditional Chinese medicines use insect & animal materials and minerals; Te Rongoa is Māori traditional medicine that involves herbal medicines + massage and prayer + incorporates all aspects of wellbeing (western healthcare doesn’t treat all aspects, especially spiritual).

[2] Homeopathic remedies
Highly diluted preparations. Made from plants, animals and insects. Lack of plausible mechanism of action—most implausible = the more dilute the preparation, the stronger it becomes. Evidence shows it’s nothing more than a placebo currently.

[3] Dietary supplements
Nutrients, vitamins, and fish oil preparations.

[4] Herbal medicines
From plants and plant parts; different chemical compounds present (even toxic) and not uniform throughout plant; referred to by common name (can cause problems as plants have different and multiple names = confusion). Unprocessed dried or fresh form.

[5] Flower remedies

[6] Vitamins and mineral

[7] Probiotics and prebiotics
Probiotics are preparations of live beneficial bacteria. Replace harmful bacteria in gut. Prebiotics are basically food that probiotics can feed on.

[8] Anthroposophic

Question 5

Where can you get NHPs?

Answer 5

• pharmacies
• health-food stores
• supermarkets
• TCM shops
• internet
• garden
• collected from wild
• natural health practitioners.

Question 6

Why do people use NHPs?

Answer 6

[1] minor self-limiting conditions
[2] maintenance of health
[3] prevention
[4] cure of serious chronic disease (problem)
[5] patients undergoing surgery
[6] belief that NHPs are safe / natural
[7] disatisfaction with conventional medicine
[8] cultural reasons
[9] last resorts