The Heart of the Natural Products Industry *

In the October 2009 issue of Natural Products Marketplace, Dr. Grame Shaw comments on a robust Eastern medical history and the hurdles the natural products industry faces when trying to reach Western consumers.

"The lack of research regarding alternative medicine is a hurdle for this industry, according to Graeme Shaw, M.D., health consultant for Get Well Natural LLC. "Unfortunately, Western medicine isn’t convinced by the 4,000 years that make up Eastern medical history,” he said. "Herbal combinations have been perfected over that time, but the Western mind needs definitive data in order to accept a practice or product. Because we are marketing in a Western society, we must find ways to prove that our products really do work and that the benefits of natural solutions can far outweigh those of pharmaceuticals. As a standard double blind clinical research study can cost more than $1 million, most companies lack the funding necessary to study even a single product or nutrient."

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