Herbs and herbal supplements have skyrocketed in popularity the past decade. 25% of United States adults report taking an herbal supplement. While this hot trend may seem new to some, herbal medicine is actually one of the oldest known forms of healthcare.

Many people turn to alternative medicine, including herbal supplements, because they want something less invasive, gentler on their systems and readily available. Many are looking for some benefit without the common side effects of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. Supplements often address the underlying cause instead of just treating the symptom.

Herbal supplements fall into the dietary supplement category and are governed by different regulations than drugs. Supplement makers are not allowed to make claims that their products treat diseases, but can make structure and function claims. For example, a supplement label can’t say “treats arthritis” but it can say “good for joints”.

Because manufacturers are not required to do testing or quality control, there’s no guarantee that pills are what they say they are. You can’t always be sure a plant’s active ingredients end up in the supplement you buy, whether the dosage makes any sense and what else is in the pills. It is important to buy from a reliable, reputable company.

There are many herbs that have proven to be quite effective. A few examples include saw palmetto which can be helpful with enlarged prostate. St. John’s Wort has been shown to be effective with mild depression.

Other herbs are questionable for safety. Ephedra, also known as ma huang, is an herb sold to help with weight loss and muscle enhancement. There have been over 1000 adverse events reported. In many of the cases, it is when people took more than the recommended dosage.

Although it is important to understand the actions of the individual active constituents, scientific research is increasingly showing that active constituents of many herbs interact in complex ways to produce the therapeutic effect of a remedy as a whole.

Be cautious if you are taking any medications. Side effects are possible when you mix herbs and pharmaceutical drugs. Also, be cautious if you have a medical condition as certain herbs can be contraindicated. For example, licorice root should not be taken by people with high blood pressure as the herb it self can raise blood pressure and cause water retention. Always tell your doctor about any herbal products you are taking.

When looking for a supplement, the words “standardized” products are recommended. Labels that are clearly marked “standardized extract” or “standardized herbal extract” means that each dose contains a specific amount of the active ingredient and it’s always the same. Manufacturers determine that standard.

By staying with single herb formulas, you’re exposing yourself to less medicine, which decreases the likelihood of side effects. An exception is if a mixture contains only the herbs you are looking for.

Check expiration dates on the labels. Herb effectiveness decreases with heat and light. Herbs will keep potency longer if stored in a dark, cool place.

Check the botanical name. Look for the genus and species names on product labels. This is important as a common name can sometimes refer to 2 or 3 different herbs. For example, ginseng is a common name but has different species that have different properties.

Analyses of different products have shown a wide variance in actual ingredients vs. what the label claims. An independent website, www.consumerlab.com have run tests on different products and report their findings.

Practitioners such as naturopaths have extensive training in natural medicine and tend to use herbs as part of their treatment programs.

The mild nature of herbal supplements makes them relatively safe, but this is not true of every herb. It is important to follow the dosage recommendations on the product label. A lot of people think that if a little is good, more must be better. This is not a good idea with herbs. The effect of herbs on your health is complex.

Just because herbs are readily available or advertised as so-called “natural”, does not mean they are completely safe and free of side effects. Herbs should be thought of as drugs in our minds. They shouldn’t be used indiscriminately or taken for fun. When used properly, herbs can be allies to your health.

Tags: active ingredient, safety

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 at 10:16 am and is filed under Herbal Medicine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.