Herbal Supplements

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Herbal Supplements

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Overview

An herb is a plant or plant part used for

its scent, flavor or therapeutic properties. Herbal medicine products are dietary supplements that

people take to improve their health. Many herbs have been used for a long time

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Overview

for claimed health benefits. They are sold as tablets, capsules, powders, teas,

extracts and fresh or dried plants. However, some can cause health problems,

some are not effective and some may interact with other drugs you are taking.

To use an herbal product as safely as

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Overview

possible:

-- Consult your doctor first

-- Do not take a bigger dose than the label

recommends

-- Take it under the guidance of a trained

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Overview

medical professional

-- Be especially cautious if you are pregnant

or nursing

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Additional Information

Standardization is

a process that manufacturers may use to ensure batch-to-batch consistency of

their products. In some cases, standardization involves identifying specific

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Additional Information

chemicals (also known as markers) that can be used to manufacture a consistent

product. The standardization process can also provide a measure of quality

control.

Dietary supplements are not required to be

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Additional Information

standardized in the United States. In fact, no legal or regulatory definition

exists for standardization in the United States as it applies to botanical

dietary supplements. Because of this, the term "standardization" may

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Additional Information

mean many different things. Some manufacturers use the term standardization

incorrectly to refer to uniform manufacturing

practices; following a recipe is not sufficient for a product to be called

standardized. Therefore, the presence of the word "standardized" on a

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Additional Information

supplement label does not necessarily indicate product quality.

Ideally, the chemical markers chosen for

standardization would also be the constituents that are responsible for a

botanical's effect in the body. In this way, each lot of

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Additional Information

the product would have a consistent health effect. However, the components

responsible for the effects of most botanicals have not been identified or

clearly defined. For example, the sennosides in

the botanical senna are

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Additional Information

known to be responsible for the laxativeeffect

of the plant, but many compounds may

be responsible for valerian's relaxing

effect.

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Safety of Supplements

Many people believe that products labeled

"natural" are safe and good for them. This is not necessarily true

because the safety of a botanical depends on many things, such as its chemical

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Safety of Supplements

makeup, how it works in the body, how it is prepared, and the dose used.

The action of botanicals range from mild to

powerful (potent). A botanical with mild action may have subtle effects. Chamomile and peppermint,

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Safety of Supplements

both mild botanicals, are usually taken as teas to aid digestion and

are generally considered safe for self-administration.

Some mild botanicals may have to be taken for weeks or months before their full

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Safety of Supplements

effects are achieved. For example, valerian may be effective as a sleep aid

after 14 days of use but it is rarely effective after just one dose. In

contrast a powerful botanical produces a fast result. Kava,

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Safety of Supplements

as one example, is reported to have an immediate and powerful action affecting

anxiety and muscle relaxation.

The dose and form of a botanical

preparation also play important roles in its safety. Teas, tinctures, and

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Safety of Supplements

extracts have different strengths. The same amount of a botanical may be

contained in a cup of tea, a few teaspoons of tincture, or an even smaller

quantity of an extract. Also, different preparations vary in the relative

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Safety of Supplements

amounts and concentrations of chemical removed from the whole botanical. For

example, peppermint tea is generally considered safe to drink but peppermint

oil is much more concentrated and can be toxic if

used incorrectly. It is important to follow the manufacturer's suggested

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Safety of Supplements

directions for using a botanical and not exceed the recommended dose without

the advice of a health

care provider.