Herbal dietary supplements are a growing segment in natural health because more and more people are getting interested in improving their health. Dietary supplements have suffered their share of bad press when the occasional product has produced bad effects. While rare, this is a true concern that anyone wanting to take dietary supplements should consider. It is very important to do your research and find one of the excellent supplements that are on the market.
Dietary supplements encompass everything from amino acids that bodybuilders may use to increase their muscle mass to vitamins and herbal remedies. The FDA does not regulate these supplements, so some companies try to get away with products that do not do what they promise. A good rule of thumb is to avoid supplements that promise you claims that are hard to believe. Do you really believe that if you take a few pills you'll drop fifty pounds in a week? If you can't find any research to support the claims, and your physician doesn't think it is a good idea, it is best to avoid it.
There are websites that will give you the low-down on herbal dietary supplements, complete with what to look for on the label, and what you should expect from various supplement companies. Consumer alert websites also cover dietary supplements sometimes, so check them out as well. You'll want to be sure what you choose is a healthy choice.
Once you've found which supplements will be safe for you to take, be sure and follow the directions on the label. More is not better! Herbs may be natural, but they still affect your system, and you can overdose on herbs as much as you can on drugs. Gentle herbs like chamomile and catnip may be next to impossible to overdose on, but stronger herbs like kava kava and black cohosh are much more dangerous if you take too much. Certainly if you were taking a multi-vitamin once a day, you can see why it may be dangerous to double the dose... some vitamins build up too high in the body, causing toxicity and other problems. Herbs work the same way.
Choose the supplements that will help you to achieve your desired results. For example, unless you are treating hemorrhoids, varicose veins or menstrual problems, butcher's broom probably isn't an herb you need. If you are pregnant, you need to be even more careful. Some herbs are compatible with pregnancy, like catnip, chamomile, borage, and lemon balm... others are not, even though they sound like they should be. Rosemary and parsley, for instance, can be eaten safely as a seasoning during pregnancy, but you should avoid using extracts, tinctures, essential oils or eating large amounts of these herbs. They can cause contractions that can endanger the baby in large or concentrated amounts.
As you can see, choosing the right herbal dietary supplement can be a bit challenging. Don't let that stop you... if you do your research, you'll find a high quality supplement that will help you get the nutrients you seek.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Dietary Supplements
Dietary Supplements
A dietary supplement is a product that a person takes by mouth, which contains nutritional ingredients meant for addition to the normal diet. These extra nutritional ingredients may include minerals, vitamins, botanicals, herbs, amino acids, organ tissues, metabolites and glandular. Ingredients like extracts or combinations such as soft gels, liquids, oils, capsules, tablets and powders can also constitute a dietary supplement.
Dietary supplements can also be found as bars and in other forms but they are classified as food and not as drugs.
Classifications of Dietary Supplements
The dietary supplements can be classified into the following four classes.
Herbs and Botanicals
Dietary supplements of herbs consist of natural products. These products are active ingredients or extracts from plant roots, stems, seeds, leaves, flowers or buds. An herbal product can be an extract of two or more active ingredients or they may be whole plant. Herbal extracts are being used to maintain low cholesterol, good health and help in disease control. People generally have a wrong view that because they are natural, these dietary supplements are good for health.
An example of a dangerous dietary supplement is ephedra extract. This is generally used for weight loss and energy boosting. It causes muscle injury, blood pressure, nerve damage, and stroke or memory loss. It is banned, but any dietary supplement containing this herb extract should never be used.
Many herbs prove to be very good dietary supplements. Some of these are listed below.
Grape Seed Antioxidant
Grape seed dietary supplement has concentrated extract of active ingredients from the seed of grapes. This product shows antioxidant properties and acts as a free radicals remover.
Oxy-Gen 3 flavors
Oxy-Gen is an Aloe Vera dietary supplement that provides improved oxygen for the human body.
Other herbal dietary supplements include cranberry, garlic, green tea, ginkgo biloba, etc.
Vitamins
Vitamin dietary supplements contain essential vitamins that are needed by many cell reactions and body functions. Certain vitamins exhibit antioxidant behavior too which remove the free radicals from the body. Some vitamins present in dietary supplements are not manufactured within human body such as vitamin K and vitamin D. A healthy body that has a supply of good balanced diet doesn’t need vitamin supplements, as over usage of such dietary supplements can cause liver damage.
Vitamins are of two types: water soluble and fat soluble. The water soluble vitamins such as vitamin C and the 7 vitamin Bs can dissolve in water and hence are not stored in any significant amount within the human body. The fat soluble vitamins such as Vitamin A, D, E and K are stored in the fats of the body. Fresh fruits or vitamin dietary supplement is used by people to ensure proper amount of water soluble vitamins.
Vitamin A & D (25,000 IU/1,000 IU)
This dietary supplement is rich in vitamin A and vitamin D, which are both needed by many cell functions and body reactions for release of energy.
B-12 / Folic Acid Combo
B12 and folic acid belong to the vitamin B family and support action of the C vitamin. It also helps to strengthen the acid present in the stomach for better digestion.
Other vitamin dietary supplements include vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, vitamin K, Vitamin B12, B6, B3 and many more.
Minerals
Mineral dietary supplements contain minerals required by body fluids and tissues like bones, brain, teeth, liver, brain, blood, muscle and nerve cells. There are approximately 60 minerals that are present in a human body but 22 out of them are necessary. To have the proper amounts of minerals, good healthy food and dietary supplements are advised.
Dietary supplements contain two types of minerals required by the body. The major minerals, which are the ones that are required by the body in large amounts, are calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, chlorides and sulfur. Body requirement for these minerals is almost 250 grams each day. The trace minerals are copper, iodine, fluoride, manganese, iron, zinc and chromium and are required in small quantities. The amount that should be taken of trace mineral is about 20 milligram each day.
Liquid Life Ultra Calcium w/Ostivone
This mineral dietary supplement contains easily absorbing calcium along with several other trace minerals.
75 Plant Derived Minerals
75 plant derived mineral dietary supplement is natural and the purest source of minerals. It provides many minerals not produced within the body.
Nutritional Supplements
These dietary supplements include fish oils, compounds present in food such as flavonoids, CoQ10 and many more.
Who needs dietary Supplements?
Dietary supplements are needed by all those people who have deficiency of certain nutrients in their diet or body due to lack of proper vitamin and mineral rich foods or lack of enough food. Athletes, vegetarians, older people and pregnant women can use dietary supplements for better health.
Dietary Supplement Selection and Use
Dietary supplements provide extra nutritional ingredients and are not a replacement of food. Natural foods provide many complex compounds that are needed by the human body in many function and cell metabolism. These products are only to be used to improve body function. Before you actually opt for a supplement bear the following points in mind.
It may be wise to avoid all the dietary supplements that have large or mega servings. Over usage can cause nutrient toxicity. Many dietary supplements contain herbal and botanical extracts that are known to cause severe side effects. You must have complete and viable information about the ingredients. Natural vitamins are more expensive and if any company offers very low prices then they may not be genuine. Check the label of the supplement and note the amount of nutrients in each serving. The label of the medicine should have USP written on it which means that the dietary supplement meets the US Pharmacopeia standards.
There are some known dietary supplements that a person should not take. Some of these include Aristolochic acid that is toxic for the kidney, comfrey that causes liver disease, kava that causes liver damage, Tiratricol that can cause heart attacks, chaparral that causes hepatitis, and usnic acid that is toxic to the liver. There are other dietary supplements in the market that have side effects, as well.
A dietary supplement is a product that a person takes by mouth, which contains nutritional ingredients meant for addition to the normal diet. These extra nutritional ingredients may include minerals, vitamins, botanicals, herbs, amino acids, organ tissues, metabolites and glandular. Ingredients like extracts or combinations such as soft gels, liquids, oils, capsules, tablets and powders can also constitute a dietary supplement.
Dietary supplements can also be found as bars and in other forms but they are classified as food and not as drugs.
Classifications of Dietary Supplements
The dietary supplements can be classified into the following four classes.
Herbs and Botanicals
Dietary supplements of herbs consist of natural products. These products are active ingredients or extracts from plant roots, stems, seeds, leaves, flowers or buds. An herbal product can be an extract of two or more active ingredients or they may be whole plant. Herbal extracts are being used to maintain low cholesterol, good health and help in disease control. People generally have a wrong view that because they are natural, these dietary supplements are good for health.
An example of a dangerous dietary supplement is ephedra extract. This is generally used for weight loss and energy boosting. It causes muscle injury, blood pressure, nerve damage, and stroke or memory loss. It is banned, but any dietary supplement containing this herb extract should never be used.
Many herbs prove to be very good dietary supplements. Some of these are listed below.
Grape Seed Antioxidant
Grape seed dietary supplement has concentrated extract of active ingredients from the seed of grapes. This product shows antioxidant properties and acts as a free radicals remover.
Oxy-Gen 3 flavors
Oxy-Gen is an Aloe Vera dietary supplement that provides improved oxygen for the human body.
Other herbal dietary supplements include cranberry, garlic, green tea, ginkgo biloba, etc.
Vitamins
Vitamin dietary supplements contain essential vitamins that are needed by many cell reactions and body functions. Certain vitamins exhibit antioxidant behavior too which remove the free radicals from the body. Some vitamins present in dietary supplements are not manufactured within human body such as vitamin K and vitamin D. A healthy body that has a supply of good balanced diet doesn’t need vitamin supplements, as over usage of such dietary supplements can cause liver damage.
Vitamins are of two types: water soluble and fat soluble. The water soluble vitamins such as vitamin C and the 7 vitamin Bs can dissolve in water and hence are not stored in any significant amount within the human body. The fat soluble vitamins such as Vitamin A, D, E and K are stored in the fats of the body. Fresh fruits or vitamin dietary supplement is used by people to ensure proper amount of water soluble vitamins.
Vitamin A & D (25,000 IU/1,000 IU)
This dietary supplement is rich in vitamin A and vitamin D, which are both needed by many cell functions and body reactions for release of energy.
B-12 / Folic Acid Combo
B12 and folic acid belong to the vitamin B family and support action of the C vitamin. It also helps to strengthen the acid present in the stomach for better digestion.
Other vitamin dietary supplements include vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, vitamin K, Vitamin B12, B6, B3 and many more.
Minerals
Mineral dietary supplements contain minerals required by body fluids and tissues like bones, brain, teeth, liver, brain, blood, muscle and nerve cells. There are approximately 60 minerals that are present in a human body but 22 out of them are necessary. To have the proper amounts of minerals, good healthy food and dietary supplements are advised.
Dietary supplements contain two types of minerals required by the body. The major minerals, which are the ones that are required by the body in large amounts, are calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, chlorides and sulfur. Body requirement for these minerals is almost 250 grams each day. The trace minerals are copper, iodine, fluoride, manganese, iron, zinc and chromium and are required in small quantities. The amount that should be taken of trace mineral is about 20 milligram each day.
Liquid Life Ultra Calcium w/Ostivone
This mineral dietary supplement contains easily absorbing calcium along with several other trace minerals.
75 Plant Derived Minerals
75 plant derived mineral dietary supplement is natural and the purest source of minerals. It provides many minerals not produced within the body.
Nutritional Supplements
These dietary supplements include fish oils, compounds present in food such as flavonoids, CoQ10 and many more.
Who needs dietary Supplements?
Dietary supplements are needed by all those people who have deficiency of certain nutrients in their diet or body due to lack of proper vitamin and mineral rich foods or lack of enough food. Athletes, vegetarians, older people and pregnant women can use dietary supplements for better health.
Dietary Supplement Selection and Use
Dietary supplements provide extra nutritional ingredients and are not a replacement of food. Natural foods provide many complex compounds that are needed by the human body in many function and cell metabolism. These products are only to be used to improve body function. Before you actually opt for a supplement bear the following points in mind.
It may be wise to avoid all the dietary supplements that have large or mega servings. Over usage can cause nutrient toxicity. Many dietary supplements contain herbal and botanical extracts that are known to cause severe side effects. You must have complete and viable information about the ingredients. Natural vitamins are more expensive and if any company offers very low prices then they may not be genuine. Check the label of the supplement and note the amount of nutrients in each serving. The label of the medicine should have USP written on it which means that the dietary supplement meets the US Pharmacopeia standards.
There are some known dietary supplements that a person should not take. Some of these include Aristolochic acid that is toxic for the kidney, comfrey that causes liver disease, kava that causes liver damage, Tiratricol that can cause heart attacks, chaparral that causes hepatitis, and usnic acid that is toxic to the liver. There are other dietary supplements in the market that have side effects, as well.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Depression Treatment with Herbal Dietary Supplements
Depression affects many men and women in the United States and of those affected very few are aware there are diet supplements that can help their depression. Too often people just want to go to the doctor and get a prescription that they overlook all the herbal diet pills that could help them with their depression while saving them money and being healthier overall. There are quite a few herbs that have been used as a treatment for depression in the past although there are only a few that have been researched enough to know they really are good treatments for depression.
St. John’s Wort is perhaps the most researched herb in the treatment of depression. In fact, many studies have results that show that the herb is very effective in its treatment of depression and that it is very likely that the herb has similar results as tricyclic antidepressants but fewer drawbacks or side effects. The side effects that were experienced from using St. John’s Wort were not too difficult to handle. They included oversensitivity to the sun, stomach problems, fatigue, and more. St. John’s Wort is great for depression although if mixed with other drugs it can be very dangerous. It should never be mixed with oral contraceptives, other antidepressants, warfarin, reserpine, theophyline, indinivir, as well as others.
There are quite a few other drugs that professional herbalists believe can help with depression. Keep in mind that if you are visiting a professional herbalist you should listen carefully to his recommendations and even write them down. It is too easy to forget or make a mistake if you don’t. So, keep a paper and pen handy. The other drugs include Damiana, Valerian root, ginseng, and others. Each of these herbs has its own special effect on the body and on depression. If you have been using these herbs and you feel they are really working for you then continue using them because they just may be. One thing is for sure and that is that St. John’s Wort has been identified by scientists and doctors that it plays an important role in treating depression and may be even better than the prescription drug method for curing depression.
Those are the basics when it comes to herbal dietary supplements and depression treatment. If you are feeling depressed then consider St. John’s Wort after discussing it with your doctor. More than likely you can take it and in no time feel better about your situation.
St. John’s Wort is perhaps the most researched herb in the treatment of depression. In fact, many studies have results that show that the herb is very effective in its treatment of depression and that it is very likely that the herb has similar results as tricyclic antidepressants but fewer drawbacks or side effects. The side effects that were experienced from using St. John’s Wort were not too difficult to handle. They included oversensitivity to the sun, stomach problems, fatigue, and more. St. John’s Wort is great for depression although if mixed with other drugs it can be very dangerous. It should never be mixed with oral contraceptives, other antidepressants, warfarin, reserpine, theophyline, indinivir, as well as others.
There are quite a few other drugs that professional herbalists believe can help with depression. Keep in mind that if you are visiting a professional herbalist you should listen carefully to his recommendations and even write them down. It is too easy to forget or make a mistake if you don’t. So, keep a paper and pen handy. The other drugs include Damiana, Valerian root, ginseng, and others. Each of these herbs has its own special effect on the body and on depression. If you have been using these herbs and you feel they are really working for you then continue using them because they just may be. One thing is for sure and that is that St. John’s Wort has been identified by scientists and doctors that it plays an important role in treating depression and may be even better than the prescription drug method for curing depression.
Those are the basics when it comes to herbal dietary supplements and depression treatment. If you are feeling depressed then consider St. John’s Wort after discussing it with your doctor. More than likely you can take it and in no time feel better about your situation.
Improve your physical performance with Herbal Dietary Supplements
Although, there are many products on the market promising to increase your stamina or just boosting your overall energy level, many of them are chemical compounds, which are prejudicial to your body, far away from helping to improve your physical performance.
Whether you are looking for weight loss alternatives, fat burners or just diet supplements to enhance your nutrients, going natural is a good choice for a safe change. Herbal dietary supplements are designed according to specific needs, but most of the time are harmless and with no side effects.
If you have gained some pounds and need to be back in shape, your health care provider or dietitian can provide you with a low carb diet. However, these types of diets are often missing basic nutrients that your body needs for physical and mental performance.
Diet supplements are necessary to balance the nutrients that the body demands on a daily basis, but especially when you are enrolled in a weight loss program. One of the biggest mistakes people suffering from being overweight and obesity is believing that eating little food or stop eating will serve as fat burners, when this is a misconception.
Fat is stored in our fatty tissue and liver, so even depriving your body of food, fat deposits remain stored in the adipose cells, and only exercising or drastic methods can burn such fat. A well-balanced diet contributes to stopping the excessive intake of fats and junk food, but does not remove your fatty cells as if it was a miracle cure.
Furthermore, depriving the body of food only leads to malnutrition and potential health problems. Inclusion of diet supplements in your diet, benefit and protect your organism against such risk, and round out any diet plan. Along with eating well, you can begin an exercise program to burn fat naturally, instead of trying chemical fat burners with risky side effects.
However, there are also herbal supplements used as fat burners with good results. If you design a weigh loss plan supervised by a physician, dietitian, or professional health care provider, your chances to defeat being overweight will be increased dramatically and with no need of weight loss surgeries, or another risky or costly method.
Herbal dietary supplements are safe and can help you to boost your energy level while you accomplish you weight reduction program. Whether you choose natural fat burners or include diet supplements with your weigh loss diet, not only will you increase your energy level, but your overall health and well being will be improved.
Whether you are looking for weight loss alternatives, fat burners or just diet supplements to enhance your nutrients, going natural is a good choice for a safe change. Herbal dietary supplements are designed according to specific needs, but most of the time are harmless and with no side effects.
If you have gained some pounds and need to be back in shape, your health care provider or dietitian can provide you with a low carb diet. However, these types of diets are often missing basic nutrients that your body needs for physical and mental performance.
Diet supplements are necessary to balance the nutrients that the body demands on a daily basis, but especially when you are enrolled in a weight loss program. One of the biggest mistakes people suffering from being overweight and obesity is believing that eating little food or stop eating will serve as fat burners, when this is a misconception.
Fat is stored in our fatty tissue and liver, so even depriving your body of food, fat deposits remain stored in the adipose cells, and only exercising or drastic methods can burn such fat. A well-balanced diet contributes to stopping the excessive intake of fats and junk food, but does not remove your fatty cells as if it was a miracle cure.
Furthermore, depriving the body of food only leads to malnutrition and potential health problems. Inclusion of diet supplements in your diet, benefit and protect your organism against such risk, and round out any diet plan. Along with eating well, you can begin an exercise program to burn fat naturally, instead of trying chemical fat burners with risky side effects.
However, there are also herbal supplements used as fat burners with good results. If you design a weigh loss plan supervised by a physician, dietitian, or professional health care provider, your chances to defeat being overweight will be increased dramatically and with no need of weight loss surgeries, or another risky or costly method.
Herbal dietary supplements are safe and can help you to boost your energy level while you accomplish you weight reduction program. Whether you choose natural fat burners or include diet supplements with your weigh loss diet, not only will you increase your energy level, but your overall health and well being will be improved.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Alternative Herbal Diet Pills
Herbal diet pills are very popular these days as an alternative to more traditional methods of weight loss like diet and exercise. Herbal treatments in general are very trendy today, which I find a little worrisome for several reasons.
First of all, just about anything can be in an herbal diet pill. ‘Herbs’ are a kind of loophole in the FDA system, as they are not classified as drugs and therefore don’t have the rigorous standards for testing and safety that drugs normally get. Make no mistake about it though, herbs can be every bit as potent and harmful as drugs. The difference between medicinal herbs and drugs is really quite vague anyway, as most drugs themselves come from a kind of plant or herb.
Most of the time the ‘herbal’ classification doesn’t last very long; the FDA eventually calls it a drug and brings in the scientists. When that happens herbal diet pills often either become available only by prescription or are banned completely. Snooping around a little from site to site selling herbal diet pills, it is clear that the makers of these things are all too familiar with the FDA. Many sites even use it to their advantage saying things to the effect of ‘buy it now before the FDA bans it!’. You have to ask yourself, if the FDA is likely going to ban an herbal diet pill you’re interested in, should you be taking it at all?
I took a few herbal diet pills in college once on a whim, and I didn’t eat anything for nearly two days afterwards. I also didn’t really get much sleep either. Anything that makes you wired like that and kills your appetite so completely just isn’t good for you. While they were ‘ephedra free’ and were supposedly totally natural and safe, I don’t think I’d ever felt so polluted and ill in my life. A year later I discovered that the FDA had banned the same herbal diet pills I had taken, and I have to wonder what it was I had put in my body.
Anyway, just don’t be fooled by the word ‘herbal’ in an herbal diet pill. I would actually trust a regular diet pill that is FDA approved a lot more than some herbal diet pill concoction that has who knows what in it. The words herbal and natural are marketing ploys and should never be confused with the word safe unless there’s been some testing to prove it.
First of all, just about anything can be in an herbal diet pill. ‘Herbs’ are a kind of loophole in the FDA system, as they are not classified as drugs and therefore don’t have the rigorous standards for testing and safety that drugs normally get. Make no mistake about it though, herbs can be every bit as potent and harmful as drugs. The difference between medicinal herbs and drugs is really quite vague anyway, as most drugs themselves come from a kind of plant or herb.
Most of the time the ‘herbal’ classification doesn’t last very long; the FDA eventually calls it a drug and brings in the scientists. When that happens herbal diet pills often either become available only by prescription or are banned completely. Snooping around a little from site to site selling herbal diet pills, it is clear that the makers of these things are all too familiar with the FDA. Many sites even use it to their advantage saying things to the effect of ‘buy it now before the FDA bans it!’. You have to ask yourself, if the FDA is likely going to ban an herbal diet pill you’re interested in, should you be taking it at all?
I took a few herbal diet pills in college once on a whim, and I didn’t eat anything for nearly two days afterwards. I also didn’t really get much sleep either. Anything that makes you wired like that and kills your appetite so completely just isn’t good for you. While they were ‘ephedra free’ and were supposedly totally natural and safe, I don’t think I’d ever felt so polluted and ill in my life. A year later I discovered that the FDA had banned the same herbal diet pills I had taken, and I have to wonder what it was I had put in my body.
Anyway, just don’t be fooled by the word ‘herbal’ in an herbal diet pill. I would actually trust a regular diet pill that is FDA approved a lot more than some herbal diet pill concoction that has who knows what in it. The words herbal and natural are marketing ploys and should never be confused with the word safe unless there’s been some testing to prove it.
Natural Herbal Treatments And Remedies
Today, herbal treatments and remedies are all the rage. People are increasingly turning to natural herbal remedies to fix what ails them. Many people have become fearful of the side effects of pharmaceutical medicines and have begun to investigate what nature has to offer as an alternative.
Herbs have been used as medicine for thousands of years, in every culture around the world. Many ancient uses of herbs stand today as effective treatments. In the Bible, it is said that God gave the people herbs to serve as medicine. Many people find that hard to argue!
Although natural herbal remedies have now attained almost a “fad” status, being a trendy topic in our society, there's more to this than meets the eye. The study of natural herbal remedies is a fascinating subject when you consider that individual societies, thousands of miles apart, have found the same plant to be an effective treatment for the same condition, hundreds of years apart and with no communication between the cultures. This observation alone leads you to conclude, there must be something to this!
Another interesting facet to the study of natural herbal remedies is that of plants indigenous to a certain region addressing conditions inherent to the particular environment. For example, in tropical regions, malaria is rampant. Coincidentally, Cinchona, a tree native to Peru and Ecuador, yields a medicinal dose of quinine in the bark of the tree sufficient to cure malaria.
Another example of these natural herbal remedies is Hoodia. Hoodia is currently a weight loss ingredient in tablets touted to burn the fat off a toad. Hoodia is naturally occurring in the Australian outback, where indigenous peoples have used this herb for centuries to quell their hunger while on long hunting trips.
Chapparal, also known as “creosote bush” has been known as a treatment for certain types of cancer by Native Americans in the American southwest. Anecdotal reports of skin cancer cures are still appearing in news stories, credited to a tea prepared from the leaves of Chapparal.
There are many outstanding natural herbal remedies which effectively treat some fairly horrendous terminal illnesses. There is the famous Essiac cancer cure, a combination of a number of herbs developed by a 19th century Canadian nurse, gleaned from native sources. Dandelion root has cured people of liver cancer.
The main obstacle to general acceptance of natural herbal remedies lies in the culture of major pharmaceutical companies. Herbs cannot be patented, so these natural herbal remedies are not profitable enough to support millions of dollars of research money spent to produce these magic pills. Instead, pharmaceutical companies extract individual components of herbs and combine them with synthetic ingredients to produce a chemical wonder that may be patented, and sold at a high price.
It's indeed a sad commentary on our society's values when good medicine is cast aside and maligned, motivated by simple greed. Natural herbal remedies deserve a closer look.
Herbs have been used as medicine for thousands of years, in every culture around the world. Many ancient uses of herbs stand today as effective treatments. In the Bible, it is said that God gave the people herbs to serve as medicine. Many people find that hard to argue!
Although natural herbal remedies have now attained almost a “fad” status, being a trendy topic in our society, there's more to this than meets the eye. The study of natural herbal remedies is a fascinating subject when you consider that individual societies, thousands of miles apart, have found the same plant to be an effective treatment for the same condition, hundreds of years apart and with no communication between the cultures. This observation alone leads you to conclude, there must be something to this!
Another interesting facet to the study of natural herbal remedies is that of plants indigenous to a certain region addressing conditions inherent to the particular environment. For example, in tropical regions, malaria is rampant. Coincidentally, Cinchona, a tree native to Peru and Ecuador, yields a medicinal dose of quinine in the bark of the tree sufficient to cure malaria.
Another example of these natural herbal remedies is Hoodia. Hoodia is currently a weight loss ingredient in tablets touted to burn the fat off a toad. Hoodia is naturally occurring in the Australian outback, where indigenous peoples have used this herb for centuries to quell their hunger while on long hunting trips.
Chapparal, also known as “creosote bush” has been known as a treatment for certain types of cancer by Native Americans in the American southwest. Anecdotal reports of skin cancer cures are still appearing in news stories, credited to a tea prepared from the leaves of Chapparal.
There are many outstanding natural herbal remedies which effectively treat some fairly horrendous terminal illnesses. There is the famous Essiac cancer cure, a combination of a number of herbs developed by a 19th century Canadian nurse, gleaned from native sources. Dandelion root has cured people of liver cancer.
The main obstacle to general acceptance of natural herbal remedies lies in the culture of major pharmaceutical companies. Herbs cannot be patented, so these natural herbal remedies are not profitable enough to support millions of dollars of research money spent to produce these magic pills. Instead, pharmaceutical companies extract individual components of herbs and combine them with synthetic ingredients to produce a chemical wonder that may be patented, and sold at a high price.
It's indeed a sad commentary on our society's values when good medicine is cast aside and maligned, motivated by simple greed. Natural herbal remedies deserve a closer look.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
General Herbal Treatments - The Trendy Way
Herbal diet pills are very popular these days as an alternative to more traditional methods of weight loss like diet and exercise. Herbal treatments in general are very trendy today, which I find a little worrisome for several reasons.
First of all, just about anything can be in an herbal diet pill. ‘Herbs’ are a kind of loophole in the FDA system, as they are not classified as drugs and therefore don’t have the rigorous standards for testing and safety that drugs normally get. Make no mistake about it though, herbs can be every bit as potent and harmful as drugs. The difference between medicinal herbs and drugs is really quite vague anyway, as most drugs themselves come from a kind of plant or herb.
Most of the time the ‘herbal’ classification doesn’t last very long; the FDA eventually calls it a drug and brings in the scientists. When that happens herbal diet pills often either become available only by prescription or are banned completely. Snooping around a little from site to site selling herbal diet pills, it is clear that the makers of these things are all too familiar with the FDA. Many sites even use it to their advantage saying things to the effect of ‘buy it now before the FDA bans it!’. You have to ask yourself, if the FDA is likely going to ban an herbal diet pill you’re interested in, should you be taking it at all?
I took a few herbal diet pills in college once on a whim, and I didn’t eat anything for nearly two days afterwards. I also didn’t really get much sleep either. Anything that makes you wired like that and kills your appetite so completely just isn’t good for you. While they were ‘ephedra free’ and were supposedly totally natural and safe, I don’t think I’d ever felt so polluted and ill in my life. A year later I discovered that the FDA had banned the same herbal diet pills I had taken, and I have to wonder what it was I had put in my body.
Anyway, just don’t be fooled by the word ‘herbal’ in an herbal diet pill. I would actually trust a regular diet pill that is FDA approved a lot more than some herbal diet pill concoction that has who knows what in it. The words herbal and natural are marketing ploys and should never be confused with the word safe unless there’s been some testing to prove it.
First of all, just about anything can be in an herbal diet pill. ‘Herbs’ are a kind of loophole in the FDA system, as they are not classified as drugs and therefore don’t have the rigorous standards for testing and safety that drugs normally get. Make no mistake about it though, herbs can be every bit as potent and harmful as drugs. The difference between medicinal herbs and drugs is really quite vague anyway, as most drugs themselves come from a kind of plant or herb.
Most of the time the ‘herbal’ classification doesn’t last very long; the FDA eventually calls it a drug and brings in the scientists. When that happens herbal diet pills often either become available only by prescription or are banned completely. Snooping around a little from site to site selling herbal diet pills, it is clear that the makers of these things are all too familiar with the FDA. Many sites even use it to their advantage saying things to the effect of ‘buy it now before the FDA bans it!’. You have to ask yourself, if the FDA is likely going to ban an herbal diet pill you’re interested in, should you be taking it at all?
I took a few herbal diet pills in college once on a whim, and I didn’t eat anything for nearly two days afterwards. I also didn’t really get much sleep either. Anything that makes you wired like that and kills your appetite so completely just isn’t good for you. While they were ‘ephedra free’ and were supposedly totally natural and safe, I don’t think I’d ever felt so polluted and ill in my life. A year later I discovered that the FDA had banned the same herbal diet pills I had taken, and I have to wonder what it was I had put in my body.
Anyway, just don’t be fooled by the word ‘herbal’ in an herbal diet pill. I would actually trust a regular diet pill that is FDA approved a lot more than some herbal diet pill concoction that has who knows what in it. The words herbal and natural are marketing ploys and should never be confused with the word safe unless there’s been some testing to prove it.
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