Viagra has been around for quite some time as a sexual aid for men. But there are dangers with use that make the product not suitable for use by some.

As such, many herbal alternatives have been released and marketed to take advantage of this shortfall -- but they, too, could cause problems according to new research.

If you're on common heart and blood-pressure drugs, taking one of these herbal-based sex pills could lead to a stroke or even death, according to the research. Why? Well, these products may just contain unregulated versions of the very pharmaceuticals they are supposed to replace. Therein lies the wrinkle -- reactions inside that body that can lead to serious health consequences.

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One concern about taking vitamins, herbal remedies, or dietary supplements has been the fact that there is no real regulation of the industry. According to Steve Mister, president and CEO for the Council for Responsible Nutrition, most companies are responsible about testing their products to ensure that they contain the raw ingredients they claim to include, but there have been reported instances where labels don't match the products, as well as complaints of contamination.

In response to those issues, the FDA has issued a new rule that companies who produce these types of products must test the strength and purity of the ingredients in their products, and must also make sure they identify all of the ingredients on the label. If they fail inspection, they'll need to revise their labels or may even face litigation. Manufacturers have three years to comply to the new rules.

Critics say that, while this addresses the labeling issue, there's still no way for consumers to know if the supplement they're taking is safe for them or if it even works. So while the new rule will ensure the ingredients in supplements are consistent, it's still up to the consumer to do the research and find out if a product is right for them.

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Do you take herbal supplements for those health conditions like high blood pressure or allergies? if so, you're one of the millions that do, but University of Iowa researchers now say that roughly two-thirds who do this don't take the time to check specific medical guidelines on their use.

While herbal supplements have been successfully used for centuries (or longer) to treat certain ailments from a wholly natural perspective, many medical professionals continue to believe only in recent, pharmaceutical drugs. Not only is this a little disturbing, it smacks of very educated health professionals who either don't want to believe or have been trained to believe that natural products can't alleviate health issues.

While medical pros are usually to be trusted, this coming sentence sounds a little suspect to me as a natural health and healing enthusiast: "Physicians, pharmacists, and other health professionals should proactively educate consumers and advocate for public health policies that would disseminate evidence-based information regarding the appropriate use of herbs." This from the Iowa research, which is not sitting right in this mind. How about yours?

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Having trouble with allergies? How about high blood pressure? Are you using prescription medications or homeopathic remedies?

I'll bet that most of the U.S. population has never heard of a "homeopathic medicine," as these have been effectively shunned from the medical lexicon (a severe mistake) to make room for patentable and profitable synthetics. In my opinion, this is a disservice to the medical patient, but I'll move on.

TCM (traditional chinese medicines) are generally herbs (standardized for potency) that can help with so many common ailments it would boggle most minds. I've used TCMs for everything from stress relief to allergic and sinus relief with excellent results. You won't find them at the Wal-Mart pharmacy, but in health food stores.

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