Glossary of Natural Remedy Safety Terms
Plain-language meanings of the words used in natural remedy safety, such as interaction, contraindication, adverse event and narrow therapeutic range, each tied to an official source.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
This page explains the words you will meet on the safety pages and on supplement labels. Each meaning is paraphrased from a named source, so you can check it. It defines words; it does not tell anyone what to take, and it cannot say whether a product is safe for a particular person. That is a question for a pharmacist or clinician. For a poisoning or emergency in the US: 911, 988 (mental health crisis) or Poison Help 1-800-222-1222.
Medicines, supplements and interactions
| Term | Plain meaning | Source note |
|---|---|---|
| Interaction | One substance changing how another one works or how toxic it is. For medicines and supplements, NIH lists three possible results: the medicine gets stronger, gets weaker, or the combination causes harm. | NLM defines a drug interaction as one drug affecting another drug's activity, metabolism or toxicity. [1] NCCIH gives the three results. [2] See How interactions work. |
| Herb-drug interaction | The harmful or helpful effect of a medicinal herb on how a medicine acts, is processed or becomes toxic. | NLM's definition. [3] NCCIH's clinical digest says most of the herb-drug interactions listed in current sources are hypothetical, based on animal or cell studies or other indirect evidence. [4] |
| Food-drug interaction | A medicine reacting with something in the diet. The effect can be wanted or unwanted. | NLM's definition. [5] FDA's example is grapefruit and grapefruit juice, which can change how some medicines work. [6] |
| Enzyme (CYP, "P450") | A body protein that helps break down many drugs and other foreign substances. | NLM describes the cytochrome P-450 family as involved in the metabolism of toxins and drugs. [7] FDA names CYP3A4 in the small intestine as one enzyme that helps break down many drugs. [6] |
| Transporter | A protein that moves a drug into the body's cells. If something blocks it, less (or more) of a drug may get in. | FDA describes drug transporters and says grapefruit juice can reduce how much of one allergy medicine enters the blood. [6] |
| Inducer | Something that speeds up the body's drug-processing machinery, so a medicine may be cleared faster and work less well. | NCCIH says St. John's wort decreases the effects of some drugs by speeding up the processes that change drugs into inactive substances. [8] Its clinical digest calls the herb a potent inducer of P-450 enzymes and an intestinal transporter. [4] |
| Bioavailability | How much of a drug's active ingredient reaches the place in the body where it acts. | NLM's definition. [9] |
| Narrow therapeutic range (or index) | A medicine where a level only a little too low or too high can cause serious reactions. NCCIH's examples: carbamazepine, cyclosporine, digoxin, phenytoin and warfarin. | [10] See Narrow-range medicines and supplements. |
| Anticoagulant ("blood thinner") | A medicine that makes blood clot less easily. Warfarin is NCCIH's example. | [10] See Supplements and blood thinners. |
| Contraindication | A condition or factor in a person that makes a drug, procedure or other treatment inadvisable. It may be absolute (life threatening) or relative (higher risk, where benefits may still outweigh risks). | NLM's definition. [11] |
| Serotonin syndrome | A potentially life-threatening reaction in which the body has too much serotonin, most often when two or more serotonin-affecting medicines are taken together. | MedlinePlus. [12] NCCIH warns that St. John's wort with certain antidepressants may raise serotonin-related side effects, which can be serious. [13] See Serotonin syndrome and other reaction signs. |
| Lab-test interference | A substance in the body making a lab result wrong. | FDA says biotin, often found in dietary supplements, can interfere with certain lab tests and cause incorrect results that may go undetected. [14] |
| Elective surgery | Surgery that can be scheduled in advance. | NCCIH uses the term when it explains why surgical teams ask about supplements. [10] See Supplements before surgery. |
Reactions, harm and getting help
| Term | Plain meaning | Source note |
|---|---|---|
| Adverse event | Any undesirable experience linked to the use of a medical product. It is "serious" when the outcome is severe, for example a hospital stay. | FDA's definition and its list of serious outcomes. [15] |
| Side effect / adverse reaction | A harmful or unwanted result of using a medicine as intended, including toxicity, interactions and metabolic effects. | NLM's heading for drug side effects and adverse reactions. [16] |
| Hypersensitivity (allergy) | An altered reaction to a substance that the immune system has met before, which can cause harmful reactions on later exposure. | NLM's definition. [17] |
| Anaphylaxis | A life-threatening, whole-body allergic reaction that usually comes on quickly. It is an emergency. | MedlinePlus says to call 911 or the local emergency number right away. [18] NLM's definition. [19] |
| Cross-reactivity | The immune system reacting to similar proteins in two different things, such as pollen and certain raw fruits, vegetables or tree nuts. | ACAAI describes this in pollen food allergy syndrome. [20] See Allergies, asthma and plant product cross-reactions. |
| Drug-induced liver injury (hepatotoxicity) | Liver harm that ranges from mild lab changes to acute liver failure, caused by drugs, herbal products, dietary supplements or chemicals. | NLM's definition. [21] NIDDK says some people develop liver injury so severe it can lead to acute liver failure. [22] |
| Jaundice | Yellowing of the skin or the whites of the eyes, which happens when a substance called bilirubin builds up in the body. | NHS (UK) advises asking for an urgent appointment or getting urgent medical help if your skin or the whites of your eyes look yellow. [23] See Liver injury warning signs. |
| Poisoning | Harm from exposure to a harmful substance. It can come from swallowing, breathing in, injecting or touching it. | MedlinePlus. [24] |
| Poison center / Poison Help | The free, confidential, 24-hour expert service for possible poisonings in the US, reached at 1-800-222-1222. | America's Poison Centers says calls are routed to the right center for your location. [25] |
| 988 | The US Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: free, confidential, available at any hour by call, text or chat. | [26] |
| Inducing vomiting | Making someone throw up after a swallowed poison. Poison experts advise against it. | Poison Control says not to induce vomiting. [27] MedlinePlus says not to unless poison control or a clinician tells you to. [24] |
| Pharmacovigilance | The detection of side effects of conventional and traditional medicines through research and monitoring of health-care information. | NLM's definition. [28] For how to report a problem, see Side effects, allergic reactions and reporting. |
| MedWatch | FDA's safety-reporting program for health professionals, patients and consumers. | [29] |
Products, labels and quality
| Term | Plain meaning | Source note |
|---|---|---|
| Dietary supplement | In US federal law, a product taken by mouth (tablet, capsule, powder or liquid) that is made to supplement the diet. | NCCIH. [30] NLM adds that supplements are intended to raise the intake of nutrients. [31] |
| Herb | A plant or plant part used for its scent, flavor or therapeutic properties. | MedlinePlus. [32] |
| DSHEA | The 1994 US law (Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act) under which FDA is not authorized to approve supplements for safety and effectiveness before they are sold. | FDA. [33] See How supplements are regulated. |
| Adulterated / misbranded | Legal terms FDA uses. A product can be adulterated if, for example, an ingredient is unsafe, and misbranded if its labeling is false or misleading. | FDA. [34] |
| Contamination | The presence of organisms or foreign material that makes a preparation impure. | NLM's definition for drugs. [35] See Product quality and contamination. |
| Hidden ingredient (tainted product) | An ingredient that is in the product but not on its label, often a prescription drug ingredient, banned substance or harmful chemical. | FDA says that a product missing from its health-fraud database is not necessarily safe. [36] NCCIH names weight-loss, sexual-enhancement and bodybuilding products as ones that may contain unlisted prescription drugs. [30] See Hidden drugs in supplements. |
| Recall | Removal of a consumer product from the market, for example because of a defect or a safety issue. | NLM's definition. [37] FDA's recall page can be filtered by product type, including dietary supplements, and says not all recalls are posted on it. [38] |
| Structure/function claim | A label statement about the role of a nutrient or ingredient in the normal structure or function of the body. FDA does not approve it in advance. | FDA. [39] |
| Disease claim | A claim to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent a disease. FDA says only a drug can legally make it. | [39] |
| Health claim | A label claim linking an ingredient to a lower risk of a disease or health-related condition. | FDA. [40] |
| FDA disclaimer | The required statement that FDA has not evaluated a structure/function claim. | NCCIH. [30] See Claims on labels. |
| Supplement Facts panel | The boxed label section that lists serving size, servings per container and each dietary ingredient. | FDA. [40] See Reading supplement labels. |
| Proprietary blend | A named mix of ingredients where the label gives the blend's total weight and lists its parts in order of weight, not each amount. | FDA's labeling guide. [41] See Proprietary blends. |
| "Standardized," "verified," "certified" | Words a maker may use. NCCIH says they do not necessarily guarantee quality or consistency. | [30] |
| Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) | The highest daily intake of a nutrient likely to pose no risk of harm for almost all people in the general population; risk rises above it. | National Academies (US). [42] EFSA (EU) describes its UL as the maximum amount of a nutrient that can be consumed safely over a long period. [43] See Upper limits and recommended intakes. |
Evidence words used on this site
| Term | What it means here | Source note |
|---|---|---|
| Placebo | A dummy treatment, often given to a comparison group in a trial. | NLM's definition. [44] |
| Documented | A named source says the effect has been shown or documented in people. | This site's label. |
| Reported | Described in case reports. | This site's label. |
| Preliminary | Seen in a small or laboratory study. | This site's label. |
| Theoretical | Suspected from how a substance works, without direct human evidence. | This site's label. NCCIH's digest says many listed herb-drug interactions are hypothetical. [4] |
| Traditional use only | A use recorded in a tradition, not tested in good research. It is never offered as proof. | This site's label. |
| Preclinical | Findings from cells or animals, which are kept apart from human trials. | This site's label. |
The first four labels are explained in full in Documented, reported and theoretical risks.
What this page does not cover
- Words that belong to one remedy type, such as herbal "actions" in Western herbalism. See Herbal actions and materia medica terms.
- Medical diagnoses. Ask a clinician.
- Rules outside the US. Where a term is American, such as DSHEA, the table says so.
Frequently asked questions
Why do the safety pages use so many specialist words?
Because the official sources do. NCCIH, FDA and NLM use terms such as interaction and adverse event with specific meanings, and a short table here lets you read them without guessing. [2][15]
What is the difference between a side effect and an interaction?
A side effect is an unwanted result of using a medicine as intended. [16] An interaction is when one substance changes the activity, metabolism or toxicity of another. [1]
Does "contraindication" always mean never use it?
No. NLM says contraindications may be absolute (life threatening) or relative, where benefits may outweigh a higher risk. [11] A clinician weighs that for the person.
Does "standardized" or "certified" on a label mean a product is safe?
NCCIH says these words do not necessarily guarantee product quality or consistency. [30] See Evaluating safety claims.
Where do I look up a word that is not here?
Start with the sources named in the tables. Research and safety sources explains what each official source is for, and a pharmacist can explain a word on a label.
References
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), “Drug Interactions”, scope note. Read 2026-10-23.
- NCCIH, Know the Science: How Medications and Supplements Can Interact (Introduction). Read 2026-10-23.
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), “Herb-Drug Interactions”, scope note. Read 2026-10-23.
- NCCIH, Clinical Digest: Herb-Drug Interactions (December 2024). Read 2026-10-23.
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), “Food-Drug Interactions”, scope note. Read 2026-10-23.
- FDA, Grapefruit Juice and Some Drugs Don’t Mix. Read 2026-10-23.
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), “Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System”, scope note. Read 2026-10-23.
- NCCIH, Some Supplements May Decrease the Effects of Medications. Read 2026-10-23.
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), “Biological Availability”, scope note. Read 2026-10-23.
- NCCIH, Some Medication-Supplement Interactions Can Be Serious. Read 2026-10-23.
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), “Contraindications”, scope note. Read 2026-10-23.
- MedlinePlus, Serotonin Syndrome. Read 2026-10-23.
- NCCIH, St. John’s Wort. Read 2026-10-23.
- FDA, Biotin Interference With Troponin Lab Tests. Read 2026-10-23.
- FDA, What Is a Serious Adverse Event?. Read 2026-10-23.
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), “Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions”, scope note. Read 2026-10-23.
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), “Hypersensitivity”, scope note. Read 2026-10-23.
- MedlinePlus, Anaphylaxis. Read 2026-10-23.
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), “Anaphylaxis”, scope note. Read 2026-10-23.
- ACAAI, Pollen Food Allergy Syndrome. Read 2026-10-23.
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), “Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury”, scope note. Read 2026-10-23.
- NIDDK, LiverTox: An Online Resource for Information on Drug-induced Liver Injury (2022). Read 2026-10-23.
- NHS (UK), Jaundice. Read 2026-10-23.
- MedlinePlus, Poisoning First Aid. Read 2026-10-23.
- Poison Control (America’s Poison Centers), Need Immediate Assistance. Read 2026-10-23.
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Read 2026-10-23.
- Poison Control (America’s Poison Centers), First Aid for Poisonings. Read 2026-10-23.
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), “Pharmacovigilance”, scope note. Read 2026-10-23.
- FDA, MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program. Read 2026-10-23.
- NCCIH, Using Dietary Supplements Wisely. Read 2026-10-23.
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), “Dietary Supplements”, scope note. Read 2026-10-23.
- MedlinePlus, Herbal Medicine. Read 2026-10-23.
- FDA, Information for Consumers on Using Dietary Supplements. Read 2026-10-23.
- FDA, Mixing Medications and Dietary Supplements Can Endanger Your Health. Read 2026-10-23.
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), “Drug Contamination”, scope note. Read 2026-10-23.
- FDA, Avoiding Products Contaminated With Hidden Ingredients. Read 2026-10-23.
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), “Product Recalls and Withdrawals”, scope note. Read 2026-10-23.
- FDA, Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts. Read 2026-10-23.
- FDA, Structure/Function Claims. Read 2026-10-23.
- FDA, Questions and Answers on Dietary Supplements. Read 2026-10-23.
- FDA, Dietary Supplement Labeling Guide, Chapter IV: Nutrition Labeling. Read 2026-10-23.
- National Academies, Dietary Reference Intakes: Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (chapter). Read 2026-10-23.
- EFSA, Dietary Reference Values. Read 2026-10-23.
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), “Placebos”, scope note. Read 2026-10-23.
Education, not medical advice. This page is for general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Natural does not automatically mean safe. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before changing your care, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition.