Show 985: Herbal Supplements Put to the Test
The People's Pharmacy
Joe and Terry Graedon
4.6 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 12 March 2015
⏱️ 58 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
A recent investigation by the New York Attorney General’s office provoked scandalized headlines. They indicated that important herbal supplements from four major retailers did not actually contain the herbs they purported to provide. What was detected by the DNA barcode test was rice, soy or wheat, possibly used as fillers.
But was the DNA barcode test appropriate for the extracts that were tested? We consult two experts on supplement quality control, Dr. Tod Cooperman of ConsumerLab.com and Dr. Russell Setright, consultant to Blackmore’s, Australia, for their herbal products. Learn how herbs are regulated differently in Australia as well as many European countries.
We’ll also explore some recent research on herbal and food therapies. Call in your questions and comments at 888-472-3366 or email radio@peoplespharmacy.com between 7 and 8 am EDT.
This Week’s Guests:
Tod Cooperman, MD, is founder and president of ConsumerLab.com, an organization that tests the quality of supplements on the American market. The photo is of Dr. Cooperman.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health offers useful information.
Russell Setright, ND, ATMS, is a medical herbalist, acupuncturist and educator in Advanced Life Support, First Aid, Emergency Care and Rescue. He has taught naturopathy at the Academy of Natural Therapies on the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia, and consulted with Blackmores Ltd., an Australian producer of herbal supplements. His books include The Handbook of Preventive Medicine with T.M. Florence, MD, and Get Well, An A-Z of Natural Medicine for Everyday Illness. His website is www.lifesurvival.com.au
Listen to the Podcast
The podcast of this program will be available the Monday after the broadcast date. The show can be streamed online from this site and podcasts can be downloaded for free.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hi, I'm Joe Graydon. |
| 0:01.9 | And I'm Terry Graydon. |
| 0:03.0 | This podcast of the People's Pharmacy is brought to you by Squatty Potty Toilet Stools. |
| 0:09.0 | They create healthy toilet posture for fast, easy elimination. |
| 0:12.8 | Learn more about toilet posture and health at Squattypotty.com. |
| 0:17.3 | That's S-Q-U-A-T-Y-P-O-T-Y dot com. |
| 0:27.1 | The New York Attorney General's Office has accused retailers of selling fraudulent in supplements. |
| 0:37.2 | What's the real story? |
| 0:39.2 | This is the People's Pharmacy with Terry and Joe Graydon. |
| 0:50.5 | Tests conducted on popular herbal supplements such as Ginkobeloba, Echinacea, and Valerian |
| 0:56.3 | reportedly showed them to have no detectable herbs. Large retailers like GNC, Walmart, Target, |
| 1:03.0 | and Walgreens were sent cease and desist letters demanding they not sell adulterated or mislabeled |
| 1:09.2 | dietary supplements. We'll talk with two experts on supplement |
| 1:12.7 | quality to find out whether the tests conducted were appropriate. We'll also explore research on herbal |
| 1:18.4 | and food therapies. Coming up on the People's Pharmacy, the health news that matters to you with |
| 1:24.2 | your calls and questions. First, this news. |
| 1:37.6 | In the people's pharmacy health headlines, people who eat primarily plant-based diets with some seafood cut their risk of colorectal cancer dramatically by 43%. |
| 1:42.4 | That's the finding from the Adventist Health Study that included more than 77,000 |
| 1:48.1 | 7th-day Adventists. Eating meat, smoking, and drinking alcohol is discouraged by the religion, |
| 1:54.7 | and about half of the participants ate no meat. Some were vegan, while others included eggs and |
| 2:00.7 | dairy or fish in their plant-based |
| 2:02.6 | regimens. The average follow-up in the study was just over seven years, with 490 cases of |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Joe and Terry Graedon, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Joe and Terry Graedon and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.