Caution: Herbal Medicine Should Not Be Taken Without Prescription
JEDDAH: Shops selling herbal remedies and beauty treatments are thriving in the Kingdom, but serious questions are being raised about the efficacy and safety of such products.
"Many customers come in everyday looking for different types of herbs and spices," Ahmed Bashuwaya, co-owner of a herbal store told The Saudi Gazette."We don't prescribe herbal remedies, however. We only sell them. For customers who are interested we do have books on herbal remedies available," he said.
Among the "natural" products on display in many herbal stores are bottles literally labeled "Snake Oil."
Those selling the product claim that it enhances hair growth, unaware, apparently, that "snake oil salesman" is a term used in the West to describe someone selling products based on fraudulent claims. Additionally, many other products touted as "herbal" or "natural" display no expiry date, are not registered with the Ministry of Commerce and have not been safety-tested by the Ministry of Health.
"We have never heard of any product such as Snake Oil," said Dr. Mahmood Abdul Jawwad, director of the licensing department at the Ministry of Health.
"Many herbal shop owners hide products like this from us because they may well be harmful, but since there's a market for them, they'll sell them, anyway. They're not concerned about public safety," he said.
Abdul Jawwad also warned against using natural remedies without a prescription from a certified doctor, referring to the common practice of herbal salesmen "prescribing" remedies for their customers. "Those shop owners know nothing about herbs. They prepare harmful remedies and fool people," he said.
The most frequently-reported problem resulting from herbal remedies is kidney failure. "This is a very serious health issue," Abdul Jawwad declared.
"I'm urging people not to believe those shop owners and not to take these remedies based only on their word. Some of the remedies can be very dangerous and can cause kidney failure."
According to Abdul Jawwad, a massive campaign to confiscate all unregistered products is in the works.
The Ministry of Health checks herbal stores every Saturday and Sunday for unregistered products. If any unregistered products are found, they are confiscated and the shop owner is given a warning. If the offense is repeated, the owner can be arrested and face stiff fines, ranging from SR10,000 up to a maximum of SR100,000.
A doctor at Al-Mustaqbal Hospital drew a striking parallel between unlicensed herbal concoctions and another natural substance, water. "Water can be a serious health hazard if it is not tested properly for contamination," he said, "so just imagine how harmful products such as snake oil might be."
"Some modern medicines contain herbal ingredients," he said. "So herbal remedies should be taken just as seriously as any medicine bought from a pharmacy," he advised.
Many herbal storeowners contacted by The Saudi Gazette refused to say whether bottles labeled "snake oil" actually contain such an ingredient. "Snake oil is just a name," said on herbal shop owner who refused to give his own name. "It's just a collection of other oils."
Asked why the ingredients were not listed on the bottle as required, the shop owner refused to comment.
Umm Tamer, a Saudi national, says that she prefers herbal beauty products because she believes they are generally better for the skin and body.
"They're healthier and safer than modern beauty products, but it does take time for results to show," she said. "I use herbal medicine for many things, such as kafour (camphor) mud for knee pain and chamomile water for blemishes."
Umm Abdullah, a Saudi national, prefers modern medicine or, at least, remedies that have been proven safe and effective.
"I think it's OK to drink chicken soup or milk with ginger for the common cold - simple things like that," she said. "But you can't just take any remedy simply because it is herbal. Taking a herb without proper knowledge of what it's for and what it does could be harmful."
By Arjuwan Lakkdawala
© The Saudi Gazette 2007
