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FRANCE - FOOD SAFETY AGENCY WARNS FOR THE CONSUMPTION OF CERTAIN BOTANICAL SUPPLEMENTS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

France

May 02, 2020

The recent ANSES Opinion advises against the consumption of food supplements containing plants or plant substances which may interfere with the body’s natural defence systems. ANSES is the French National Agency for Food, Environment and Health Safety which regularly adopts scientific opinions on the risks associated with the use of particular food supplements. The body has scrutinized the consumption of food supplements containing plants that are renowned for their anti-inflammatory properties, such as willow, meadowsweet, harpagophytum, turmeric, echinacea, birch, poplar, licorice or plants of the Boswellia and Commiphora-genera.

These botanical substances may, as the agency claims, interfere with the natural immune and inflammatory response mechanisms which are important to fight of corona infections. For that reason, ANSES advises that the consumption of these botanicals in food supplements is halted immediately if symptoms of COVID-19 appear. For people with chronic inflammatory pathologies it is recommended they discuss the relevance of continued use with their doctor.

ANSES: Avis de l’Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail relatif à l’évaluation des risques liés à la consommation de compléments alimentaires contenant des plantes pouvant interférer avec la réponse immunitaire et inflammatoire associée à l'infection par le SARS-Cov-2 - link

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