Chinese herbal medicine has gradually permeated the medical worlds of societies outside of China. While this is most definitely a positive thing, as it gives more people around the world the chance to experience Chinese herbal medicine, it also has its drawbacks. Because of its spread, fraudulent forms of herbal medicine are being developed all over the world. Thus, there is a potentially high risk of taking certain herbal medications.

Because of this, people are beginning to question the integrity of Chinese herbal medicine. Because of the fact that many of its methods have not been scientifically proven, there is no evidence to back up its credibility. In addition, many doctors are new to Chinese herbal medicine, and do not understand many of the complications of using Chinese herbal medicine in conjunction with Western medicine. Once again, it puts the patient at risk.

In addition to these risks, Chinese herbal medicine itself contains certain things unbeknownst to the consumer. An example of this is ?? (Ma? Hua?ng), which is an herbal extract found in ephedrine. Even over-the-counter medicine such as Sudafed, which contains psuedoephedrine, can be dangerous. This is especially true for athletes, who take these medicines without knowing what it contains, and end up testing positive for banned substances and hit with a massive penalty.

Due to all of these factors, Chinese herbal medicine is now enveloped in a cloud of controversy.