National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) issues new warning on food supplements. Food supplements can sometimes cause serious adverse effects, such as severe allergies or life-threatening liver damage, ANSES says.
Unlike medicines, food supplements do not have a mandatory leaflet where safety information could appear. For caregivers responsible for advising or selling food supplements, Anses recommends training in the safety and use of the plants contained in these supplements. The agency also lists all the precautions for use, recommendations, contraindications and potential drug interactions relating to 118 medicinal plants.