The use of natural remedies in psychiatry: a commentary.

Abstract

Natural, or “alternative,” remedies—derived from natural products but not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for their putative indications—have been used for millenia,1 but they have generally received little attention in Western industrialized societies. Over the last few years, however, their popularity has been increasing dramatically both in the United States and worldwide.2-5 Current news programs and popular magazines often feature stories about natural remedies, and bookstores routinely have entire sections devoted to alternative treatments. Recently the National Institutes of Health recognized that up to 25% of people in the United States seek and obtain non-traditional treatments.6