Kat McLeod is passionate about dispelling misinformation, especially regarding herbal remedies. Taking herbal supplements nearly killed her, so she volunteers at the University of Alberta as a mentor for pharmacy and medical students, arming them with the knowledge that can hopefully prevent the kind of suffering she has endured.

Kat and Leslie talk about some of the problems in Canada and elsewhere with standard medical practice, then delve into how herbal supplements are often mislabeled, concealing (in her case) an unlisted potent steroid. They also discuss other aspects of the alt-med industry, and steps Canada can take to improve the safety and well-being of all Canadians. 

Health Canada report on Natural Health Products:

Report 2—Natural Health Products—Health Canada

“Overall, Health Canada’s oversight of natural health products available for sale in Canada fell short of ensuring that products were safe and effective.”

Vanessa's Law (which aims to strengthen safety oversight, improve reporting, and increase transparency for therapeutic products in Canada):

Protecting Canadians from Unsafe Drugs Act (Vanessa’s Law)

Podcast for Inquiry is hosted by Leslie Rosenblood and brought to you by the Centre for Inquiry Canada. Support Podcast for Inquiry on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodcastforInquiry. Send your thoughts and feedback to [email protected].