I haven't actually studied biochemistry, so I can't say anything definitive on the subject, but I believe this is the main thing: The only products that fall outside the purview of the FDA are ones that make no claim of medical effectiveness. Things like that in general either have no effect, in which case there's no point in taking them, or they have an effect other than what is advertised, which could be dangerous. Substances that actually are able to treat problems and advertise themselves as such do still go through the FDA, even if they weren't created by a drug company. Willow bark, for example, I can assume (though I should probably check with Brian to be sure) is FDA-approved as an analgesic since the fact that it has analgesic properties is well known and has to have been tested in double-blind studies before, and aspirin was derived from the substances in willow bark that have those properties.
Something doesn't have to come from a drug company to have FDA approval, it just has to go through rigorous testing to ensure it has the properties it's claimed to have. Anecdotal evidence isn't enough for that, it has to go through studies that prove it has the effects its advertised to have, and that also demonstrate any unknown side effects it has.
There's also the issue that something doesn't have to come from a drug company to have drug interactions. Products that aren't FDA approved, even natural substances that have been around for centuries, can still interact with other medications in unexpected ways. Without the drug trials the FDA requires, there would be no way to determine these interactions before they're provided to the public.
Something doesn't have to come from a drug company to have FDA approval, it just has to go through rigorous testing to ensure it has the properties it's claimed to have. Anecdotal evidence isn't enough for that, it has to go through studies that prove it has the effects its advertised to have, and that also demonstrate any unknown side effects it has.
There's also the issue that something doesn't have to come from a drug company to have drug interactions. Products that aren't FDA approved, even natural substances that have been around for centuries, can still interact with other medications in unexpected ways. Without the drug trials the FDA requires, there would be no way to determine these interactions before they're provided to the public.
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