Volume 21, Issue 4, July 2014, Pages 377–384
The Interdisciplinary CKD Team — The Sum is Greater than the Parts
Article
Dietary Counseling: The Ingredient for Successfully Addressing the Use of Herbal Supplements and Probiotics in Chronic Kidney Disease
Globally,
herbal medicines represent a $60 billion industry, and they account for
approximately 20% of the overall drug market. Herbs (or herbals) that
improve the taste of foods as flavor enhancement spices can generally be
used safely by the CKD patient population. However, many herbals are
sold as dietary supplements for medicinal use, and these are regulated
as foods not drugs, thus allowing herbal supplements to be sold without
premarket evaluation or approval by the Food and Drug Administration. In
the absence of required testing, many herbal supplements are
manufactured inconsistently with wide variations in composition. It is
essential for the nephrology practitioner to assess CKD patients
regarding their use of these products to understand their risks and
benefits and to educate patients and families. This article will discuss
some of the more commonly used products and their potential positive
and adverse effects on CKD patients.
Key Words
- Herbal supplements;
- Probiotics;
- Counseling;
- Chronic kidney disease;
- Complementary or alternative medicine
Copyright © 2014 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
