By Joe Smulevitz, C.H., M.H.
Once mainly confined to health food stores, herbal products are now found in pharmacies, discount stores and easily purchased on the Internet. Countless brands are available and each claim to be the best. How do you know what product to take or should you be taking the product at all? Is it suitable for the condition you’re treating and what if you’re already taking medication for that condition? Shopping for an herbal supplement requires some study and pre-planning before you decide to select an appropriate preparation that suits your needs.
Here are some important guidelines to follow: Learn about herbs by reading books and articles from reliable sources before purchasing. Read the label and follow instructions. Avoid products with fillers or preservatives and you will diminish your chances of being allergic to any of the ingredients. Wild-crafted herbs do not guarantee good quality or that it is free from pesticides. It is better to choose preparations containing organically grown herbs. Check for expiry date and safety seal as added protection. After purchasing keep in a cool, dry place, away from heat and moisture. Purchase capsules in glass bottles rather than plastic, as they will last longer. Choose herbal brands that have been tested or ask if the supplement you are considering has a good reputation. Use caution if products are very inexpensive or make extra-ordinary claims.
Herbs are not miracle drugs and work best as a preventive or to strengthen a weakened condition. They are not a cure for a serious disease or a substitute for a prescription. Herbal products are generally safe but have active ingredients that may affect how your body functions. Check with your health care provider if on medication. As an adjunct to prescription drugs they may actually intensify or reduce the effectiveness of the medication or cause side effects. For example, there may be an increased risk of bleeding when garlic, bilberry, feverfew, ginger or ginkgo among others is used concurrently with anticoagulants. Consult with your doctor especially prior to surgery. Many herbs are not suitable for use during pregnancy and nursing or for young children.
Increased interest in herbal remedies and their widespread use has resulted in more and more scientific studies substantiating the credibility of many herbs. For instance saw palmetto berry helps to maintain prostate health, ginger has an effectiveness in preventing motion sickness, ginkgo enhances cerebral blood flow, feverfew can be used as a migraine preventive, valerian acts as a tranquilizer and calmative, garlic is useful for heart or circulatory conditions and milk thistle works as a liver protector.
Generally herbs can be categorized according to their actions. Two important categories of herbs include specifics and tonics. Specifics target a particular symptom and are most useful for illnesses that come and go but do not affect the body on a deep level. They are not marked by long duration or frequent occurrence. Specifics should be taken as soon as symptoms appear. Once the condition is improved they are either discontinued or the dose is cut back. Echinacea is a specific for colds, influenza and other respiratory infections. It helps to stimulate immune cell function giving heightened resistance to infection. Research has shown Echinacea is most effective when consumed at the onset of symptoms, every couple of hours for the first few days in small frequent doses.
Astragalus is considered an important tonic with immune enhancing effects. Tonics nourish the various organs and systems of our bodies. They are used more like foods providing nutrients and can be taken for months at a time up to 3 or 4 times a day. Tonics affect the body on a deep level working slowly, long lasting and having a normalizing affect on body systems.
Herbal preparations are most commonly available as single herb products. They can also be purchased as formulas, combined with several herbs in one preparation to enhance each other’s actions. Herbs can be purchased in various forms the most popular include capsules, teas, tinctures and sprays. Capsules are the easiest to use and most convenient. Capsules are often sold as standardized extracts. This insures that every dose of the product contains a guaranteed level of the most important component of the plant. Whole plant products are also available. This form of supplement may have many components some of which are not identified that work together to have a synergistic effect instead of isolating a single constituent.
When you purchase herbal teas you just add hot water to extract some of the plants material components. This process works quite well for peppermint, sage, and chamomile whose aerial above ground parts are released in near boiling water.
Tinctures are liquid extracts of fresh or dried plants in alcohol. They have an almost immediate affect on the body entering the bloodstream faster than in solid form and have a longer shelf life than capsules. The alcohol in tinctures is irritating to some but can be diluted by boiling. An alcohol free base solution for tinctures is glycerine. Although it does not make as good a solvent as alcohol this clear sweet-like consistency is excellent for children concealing the taste of bitter herbs.
Herbal sprays are now available and are used under the tongue entering the bloodstream quickly.
As with any product be a wise and knowledgeable consumer before purchasing. This will probably become more important in the future as more clinical (human) research and laboratory research validates the importance herbs can have in health maintenance and treatment.
Author Bio: Joe Smulevitz is a Chartered Herbalist, a Master Herbalist, a nutritional researcher, and author of numerous health articles.