Navigating the World of Herbal Remedies

Firstly, one needs to know that the author of this article is a bona fide western medicine doctor. I, like most of my colleagues, is not taught a single word about the medicinal herbs in medical school. Fortunately, I have an inquisitive mind and have made my quest to research and understand this fascinating subject. Medicinal herbs are available everywhere and manufacturers of these products are numerous. The products can range from capsules containing a single type of grass "special schemes", as marketed by "menopausal symptoms" or "stress relief" that often contain many different herbs in a single capsule. Determining which of these to take and how much has become a challenge for many consumers.

The dangers of the use of medicinal plants are many. On the one hand, herbal products are largely unregulated. The Food and Drug Administration believes that herbs are dietary supplements rather than drugs. This means that the manufacturer only has to prove that the herb is safe for human consumption and is not required to determine whether the herb really works for what they say. Manufacturers are allowed to make any statement they wish about the possible health benefits of a particular herb, always add the disclaimer, "these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose , Treat, cure or prevent any disease. " Without evidence of a benefit of the herb is required - shades of the old-time medicine on men traveling in wagons peddling his snake oil to unsuspecting pioneers.

Secondly, there is a risk of adulteration in some herbal remedies. If the value of the grass is high, some companies discredited lower than those of cheaper products with a grass so that the consumer does not receive the full force of grass. Chinese Ginseng is an example of an herb for the adulteration has been a problem.

Finally, when the consumer will purchase the desired grass, reading and understanding of labelling on the packaging may be hallucinating. There is no well-defined dose of herbal medicines and to complicate matters further, there is no standard method for reporting doses in the packages. For example, a brand of kava kava (a herb used for anxiety) states containing two capsules of 300 milligrams of kava kava standardized to 30% kavalactones. What does that mean? Why tell us the dose of two capsules instead of just one, and what are kavalactones anyway? The bottle of kava kava with him stated that two of its 1000 milligram capsules containing kava kava from a concentrate of 4:1. Bottle containing the best dose of kava kava and how much should really be?

Besides needing a calculator to store herbs, a degree in pharmacy could be even more useful. The only problem with this is that most pharmacists are not trained in medicinal plants, either. Now do not get me wrong. I believe that herbs are a wonderful alternative to mainstream medical therapy. Since it is estimated that 80% of the world's population have used herbal medicines and herbs have been used for thousands of years, there must be some validity to its usefulness.