This story is as old as the health food business is. I worked in that industry for many years, and it probably is true that the pharmaceutical companies are trying to control the situation, after all they are in the patent business.
However-
I have seen dangerous claims made by *some* sellers and producers of natural medicines. Especialy the multi level marketing types! I have also seen contaminated and unsafe materials being sold. So far, the legislattion I have seen passed has encouraged producers and sellers to provide eduational materials to consumers, and forced many to follow the Good Manufacturing Practices and ISO systems.
Health consiousness in very mainstream now, so much so that you can get organics, nutrients, and herbal remedies in almost any supermarket. While the buyers are much more educated than they used to be, there still needs to be protection for those who do not follow the current nutrition research, and for those who may not recognize that many "natural" remedies are in fact pharmacologicaly active (they DO work, after all, dont they?) and there may be a posibility of adverse reaction when combined with other drugs or therapies.
vitaman
