Now on the brighter side there are benefits from having controlled and regulated medicines that are under the scrutiny of the Food and Drug Administration. This is quality control. This is very beneficial for the drugs that you get from the large pharmaceutical companies have to pass inspections and follow numerous guidelines to insure that the safety and the consistency of their medicines meet the stringent standards put forth by the government. This is a tremendous benefit to the public. On the other hand there are benefits from using herbal medicines that have existed for thousands of years. There is documented proof of their effectively and they are used virtually all over the world. The disadvantage is the lack of quality control. Since these substances are sold in the United States and Canada as food supplements, they do not fall under the same degree of scrutiny as do drugs. So let the buyer beware. You may go to the health food store and buy what you think are top quality herbs and they in reality may be worthless. This is not as uncommon as it may sound. The best is to deal with sources that can be trusted and I will give you some suggestions. Personally I have no affiliation, financial or otherwise with these companies, I am just a consumer like yourself.