Devil’s claw (Harpagophytum procumbens): is the buzz in Google justified?

Chronic muscle and joint pain affect many people. However, current treatment options harbor a considerable risk of adverse drug reactions, which is why the search for other treatment alternatives is constantly expanding. As a result, research is also focusing on plant-based products. These include devil's claw, a medicinal plant from the sesame family, which is native to the African continent and is used there as a traditional remedy. In this study, 16 different criteria were selected for a critical analysis of devil's claw products, which included aspects such as drug-drug interactions, adverse drug reactions, and recommended daily dose, and 88 products were analyzed with the help of these criteria. Furthermore, products classified as food supplements, dietary supplements, and herbal medicinal products were compared with each other. Our goal was to analyze how consumers are informed, with a focus on consumer safety. The primary objective was not to analyze the actual ingredients of the products or to compare them based on their composition. The results almost invariably show the pharmaceutical reliability of herbal medicinal products. In contrast, products marketed as food supplements and dietary supplements have questionable reliability, as most products in these categories allow manufacturers more freedom and impose fewer controls and requirements. Devil's claw products labeled as food or dietary supplement show significant gaps in consumer information compared to herbal medicinal products. Product naming and packaging are often suggestive, potentially misleading consumers. Our study shows that food supplements and dietary supplements are clearly pursuing financial interests, and that consumer protection is often neglected in the process. The study analysis also revealed a limited number of clinical studies, no long-term studies, and poor methodological quality, undermining their reliability.