Many people across the world wake up in the morning and go through their daily morning routines. Within this routine, many people take vitamins, herbs, and food supplements. Although, many of these vitamins, herbs, and food supplements are said to have little to no health benefits but have false findings backed behind them.
Could us American's, who spend over $22 billion each year for herbal treatments of uncertain effects, be too worried about our overall health? Or could these supplements, vitamins, and herbal remedies have different effects depending on the person? As of 1999, the FDA no longer monitors the safety, purity, or effectiveness of these health products. So how are we to know the truth when there are multiple opinions on the effectiveness of a supplement such as kava? Kava is said to help anxiety and insomnia, but on the other hand, is also said to cause liver damage.
From a health standpoint, what is the point of taking an abstract supplement like kava to help with anxiety and insomnia, when if you have a problem, you can see a doctor and obtain medicine? Maybe too many people are caught up in the over-the-top healthy lifestyle with these abstract supplements. A healthy diet with a multivitamin everyday will lead to a healthy future. It is the risk and reward factor that many supplement takers are chancing. It could be worth the try, although there is no guarantee on a product's claims.
Sources: Lilienfeld, Scott O. "Stress, Coping, and Health." Psychology: From Inquiry to Understanding. Boston: Pearson/Allyn Bacon, 2009. 482-83. Print.
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