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Traditional Chinese Medicine ( Tcm )

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Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) includes herbs (Zhōngyào/ 中藥), acupuncture (zhēnjiǔ/ 針灸), massage (tuīná/ 推拿), and dietary therapy (shíliáo/ 食療). These therapies have been accepted by the general population in China for thousands of years. However, in the United States, many Chinese herbs that are banned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) because there have been reports that Chinese herbal products are contaminated with drugs, toxins, heavy metals or not containing the listed ingredients. In addition, some herbs used in Chinese medicine can be interacted with drugs, have serious side effects, or are unsafe for people with certain medical conditions.
In the United States, Chinese medicine practitioners are …show more content…

Chinese herbal medicines are a major component in TCM practice and are used in China both as monotherapy and in combination with Western medicine. In the United States, Chinese herbs are categorized as dietary supplements by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), therefore, the efficacy, safety, and quality of these products do not need to be proven. Also, it does not require to report any post marketing adverse events. (U.S. Food and Drug Administration [FDA], 2016)
In the early 1990s, the FDA started to develop stricter regulations for herbal products, and in 1994, a bill passed by Congress called the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA). DSHEA defined dietary supplements as a product containing one or more of the following: a vitamin, mineral, amino acid, herb, other botanical, concentrate, metabolite, constituent, or extract (Cheng & Deng, 2010). DSHEA placed dietary supplements in a distinct category from drugs. Labels of dietary supplements are required to state: “this product in not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.” (U.S. Food and Drug Administration [FDA], 2016). However, product labels are allowed to make health claims, such as “promotes prostate health” or “supports the circulatory system.” (U.S. Food and Drug Administration [FDA], 2016). In addition, makers of dietary supplements are not required to prove efficacy, safety, or quality of a product prior to marketing. For various

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