Here is a crash course in the advantages of herbal supplements and medicines:
They are cheap. Did you look at your medical bills for the past year? Now add up all that you paid the pharmacist for prescription and over-the-counter medications. Is the number looking scary yet? So if you have been using conventional medicine for small problems like common cold and stomachaches then perhaps it is time you considered herbal medicine. It might give you a healthier wallet or purse besides a healthy body.
You can do it. Did you know that herbal medicine and supplements can be assembled in your own kitchen? There are thousands of herbal recipes available on the Internet. Just follow them like a recipe to bake a cake and there you are. Your medicine made by your own hand. If you have a garden you could even grown your own herbs.
They are natural. Man has learned to do many things but nature continues to know more. So matter how much noise the pharmaceutical companies make you should at least give some time to listen to nature and her own remedies.
Now for the long version:
Herbal medicines, therapies, and supplements are nothing new. People have used them for centuries but it is only recently that western culture has rediscovered the wonders of herbs. In part, this was because the development of allopathic medicinal techniques in the west combined with the lack of scientific support for non-conventional medicines to give an unsavory (and quite wrong) reputation to herbal medicines and supplements.
Recent discoveries have forced the medical community to reconsider the benefits of herbs. This has mostly come about with increasing exposure of western community to the healing techniques practiced in other cultures and countries that proved to be more effective than, or at the least complimentary to, allopathic treatment.
People were falling sick a long time ago and even they needed something to help ease the pain and maybe do away with the cause altogether. In the absence of modern medical techniques, they turned to the only things they had around them: plants and herbs. Soon they were busy treating everything from stomachaches to depression and insomnia.
Modern medical science is discovering that these simply remedies from the distant past are not without merit and when combined with a healthy lifestyle and present day rules of personal hygiene, they can really be a potent force in preventing illness and promoting general good health and well-being. Since they do not involve some of the more serious side effects of conventional medicine these herbal supplements can be taken for a variety of preventative reasons. For example, some herbal supplements help lower cholesterol, enhance memory performance, improve the quality of mental concentration, strengthen the cardiovascular system, and increase energy and stamina.
There was a time when food had to travel a very short distance. Grains arrived quickly from the farmer, milk and bacon came fresh from the milkman, most people had gardens to grow their own plants. Those were the days without preservatives and fertilizers and, hard as it may be, people were a lot healthier back then. The reason is that massive production and manufacturing pressures inevitably result in poor handling and use of artificial preservatives. Due to this, a lot of the food that we eat today is lacking in important vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients before it even appears on the shelves.
No matter how healthy the label claims the food inside to be, fresh is fresh, and preservatives mean loss of food quality for the sake of profits. A normal diet comprised of the same elements will leave you deficient in several important nutrients if it is not fresh.
This is one reason why herbal dietary supplements have suddenly become important today and are being studied so closely by the medical community. They are safe, they are as close to natural and fresh as they get, and they are the most effective means available to the common people to ensure that their body has all the required types of fuel to keep it going at maximum efficiency day after day even in the face of improper diets.
A note of caution is in order here to warn you that since herbal supplements are not subject to government regulations or general scrutiny it is quite natural that there are some very ill-minded people out there who are putting up substandard products to cash in on the herbal medicine and supplement craze. It is vital to avoid these products, as the total harm they will end up doing is unjustifiable against the limited good they might do.
When you go shopping for herbal products, do a thorough research of the company manufacturing them. You are shopping for your health so make certain that it is safe from malicious products and greedy corporations. Look out for Certificate of Analysis (COA) for each ingredient in the supplement. Also make certain that the manufacturing company follows the GMP manufacturing processes strictly. In the absence of regulations similar to those that apply to pharmaceutical companies, GMP is the best you can hope for from a company manufacturing herbal products.
Nowadays you do not need to go down to the local health store to purchase nutritional health supplements.
Just connect to the Internet and there are countless websites from where you cannot only purchase products online but you can also perform extensive research. Researching products is a good idea.
Do a web-search for reviews of people or visit forums where such products are discussed. People will be more than willing to exchange posts on a personal basis on those boards.
While herbal supplements are sold as individual products it is a good idea to look for comprehensive formulae that involve different herbal extracts along with a healthy dose of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and cofactors. Try to treat your herbal supplement as a balanced that should have a bit of everything while staying on the safe side.
Most importantly, before you make a purchase, take a print out of the details of the product that interests you and discuss it thoroughly with your doctor. Some herbal supplements might be more useful for you and conversely you might be about to spend money on supplements you do not need in the least. Your doctor can help with the practical details.
Herbal supplements are growing popular day by day. People all over the world are always looking for ways to improve their health and more and more of them are turning to natural remedies rather than the mainstream drugs that have been around for most of recent history.
Due to this increasing trend, scientists have finally decided to conduct studies to determine the therapeutic benefits and applications of the different herbs and their extracts that are used in herbal therapies and supplements. A majority of results from these experiments strongly indicate that taking herbal supplements along with maintaining a healthy lifestyle and good diet can be greatly beneficial to general health.
This is the reason why many people prefer natural health supplements. The trouble comes from the fact that like other nutritional supplements, herbal supplements are not regulated in the United States. Therefore, the manufacturers do not have to make any assurance of the safety and effectiveness of their products. They are not even required to reveal the ingredients in a health product.
One outcome of this is that a product can claim to contain a herb but a manufacturer can easily put in a chemical equivalent. This might sound criminal but unfortunately in modern corporate culture of "profits first", it is quite a normal occurrence.
The use of dietary supplements saw a dramatic increase in the 1990s but since then the use of such supplements has gone into a decline. The slight correction in this downward trend is attributed to the introduction of herbal supplements into mainstream multivitamin products.
Within the last decade the use of alternative medicines, and herbal products in particular, has increased considerably.
In the year 2001, Americans spent almost $4.2 billion on herbal and botanical remedies. This coincided with extensive media coverage of the benefits that people were enjoying from herbal remedies.
The percentage of people who were using dietary supplements increased from 14.2% (1998) to 18.8% (2002), with the low spot of 12.3% in 2000 and the highest peak at 19.8% in 2001.
The number of people ages 45-64 who were taking supplements increased by 50% between 1998-99 and 2001-02.
Broadly speaking it was discovered that the majority of people taking dietary supplements were older and mostly female (59.9% as compared to 55.5% of males).
There are many reasons for this increase, not the least being that herbal supplements do in fact being many benefits with them. People can take herbs and supplements for any number of reasons. There are herbs like Echinacea that are extremely helpful in case of common cold or flu. If you feel constantly lethargic even when there is no weakness in the body then perhaps Ginseng tea can help to give you a boost of energy instead of a cappuccino. Ginseng can also increase sexual stamina, reduce stress levels, and fight against aging effects like memory loss.
Herbal medicine is varied and within its diversity it covers a broad range of conditions where it can be effectively applied for treatment. Furthermore, these treatments are conducted on several different levels that can range from generic every day problems that need nothing more than symptomatic relief to completely customized prescriptions that are prepared for individual conditions in patients that have undergone extensive analysis and examination at the hands of an experienced medical herbalist.
Some herbals remedies do not require consulting a qualified medical herbalist. Minor problems like mild infections, cold, cough, catarrh, stomach cramps or gas, indigestion, constipation, etc. can be cured with self-help using over the counter herbal remedies. Self-medication using herbal remedies has never been easier thanks to the limitless information that is available today, mostly though the Internet. All it needs is a little investment of time in order to peruse these websites and anyone can make an informed decision without having to visit a medical herbalist.
In the 10th century, Arabs invented a process of distillation for the extraction of essential oils from plants. These oils were inhaled as aromas, drunk as potions, and worn aromatic amulets. This is one of the first uses of aromas as personal scent preference. This is allegedly the root behind the use of perfumes and modern day deodorants. Nowadays, this extraction process is mainly used to get the oil from plants and flowers for use in aromatherapy. This form of therapy that involves nothing more than deep inhalation of different types of herbal oils is being used to treat a wide spectrum of maladies, both physical and emotional. Headaches, herpes, dry skin, acne, arthritis, and asthma are just a few examples of the problems that people have cured using aromatherapy.
Recently, France and England started the process of reintroducing the various ancient healing techniques to the western world. This began in 1990 and aromatherapy gained a wider acceptance in the traditional community since that time.
France remains the world leader in rediscovering modern uses for ancient healing techniques. Several prominent French doctors prescribe aromatic remedies as a matter of routine for most of their patients. A visit to most French pharmacies will reveal that all of them are well stocked in a wide array of essential oils. Insurance companies in France are more than willing to pay for treatments involving aromatherapy and other traditional methods.
Advantages of Herbal Diet Supplements
Herbs for Diabetes
Since antiquity, herbs have been used to treat diabetes symptoms and root causes. Particularly in Chinese medicine where such common plants as dandelion and licorice root as well as ginseng has been used for centuries. Herbs for diabetes, when used under the care of a naturopathic practitioner can quite possibly cure Type I Diabetes and hold off the onset of Type 2 Diabetes. Other herbs for diabetes are efficacious in treating symptoms rather than root causes.
Generally, any herb that strengthens the pancreas or liver will be helpful for diabetes treatment. Herbs for diabetes include Pterocarpus Marsupium, Gymnema Silvestre, Momordica Charantia, Allium Cepa, Allium Sativum, Trigonella Foenum-Graecum, Vaccinium Myrtuillus, Asian Ginseng, Bilberry, Stevia, Ginkgo Biloba, cinnamon and barberry.
Pterocarpus Marsupium is also known as Dragon’s Blood, Kino, Pitasara and Venga. The gum resin of this Indian tree has the look of dried blood, hence the name. An alcohol extract of the resin and the flavonoid epicatechin extracted from the bark of the tree both have been shown to prevent pancreatic alpha cell damage in rats and to actually regenerate beta cells. These pancreatic cells directly or indirectly control metabolic processes to balance glucose in the blood stream.
Gymnema Silvestre reduces the desire for sweets. It helps in the production of insulin in Diabetes Type 2 and reduces the blood sugar levels for both types 1 and 2. 500 mg per day of Gymnema extract is a substitute for oral medications to lower blood sugar for both Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes.
Momordica Charantia or bitter melon is also known as balsam pear. It is widely cultivated in Africa, Asia and South America as a vegetable and as a diabetes treatment. Several compounds in bitter melon are confirmed as effective in treatment of diabetes. Charantin is a hypoglycaemic agent; Momordica contains a polypeptide which is confirmed by clinical trials to reduce blood sugar when injected subcutaneously.
Allium Cepa and Allium Sativum are respectively onion and garlic. Both foods are helpful in diabetic treatment plus have the added benefits of being beneficial in treating cardiovascular problems. Both substances lower blood sugar levels.
Trigonella Foenum-Graecum is also known as Fenugreek. Fenugreek contains an anti-diabetic compound via the defatted portion of the seed.
Vaccinium Myrtuillus is commonly called blueberry. A concoction of the leaves of the blueberry plant injected is only slightly less effective but less toxic than insulin. Its beneficial effects can last several weeks. The active ingredient is myrtillin, used to improve the functioning of the vascular system and effective in preventing diabetic retinopathy—an eye disorder associated with diabetes.
Each of the other herbs for diabetes mentioned above is helpful in treating particular symptoms of the disease. Particular mention should be made of barberry—one of the best liver tonics available and cinnamon which make insulin three times as effective as without the use of cinnamon.
Continuing research into the use of herbs for diabetes may well result in a cure for the disorder. In the meantime these herbs for diabetes have been shown to be helpful in treating the disease or its symptoms.
Different Types of Herbal Medicine
There are many positive aspects that herbal medicine has going for it. Unfortunately, the lack of adequate scientific understanding means that there is no way a doctor can completely take responsibility for what is being prescribed and hence the safety factor involved in taking herbal medicines is suspect.
The drugs that we normally take have to undergo thorough testing and need FDA approval. This entire process ensures that every single chemical in the medicine and its interaction with the human body (and resulting side effects) are well understood, documented, and scientifically demonstrable.
While herbal medicines enjoy the reputation of being less complicated it should be remembered that they are manufactured by Mother Nature and she does not need FDA approval or scientific testing. Fortunately, thousands of years of development have put herbal medicines into a certain safety zone that has helped many a human being with being cured.
So herbal medicines might be risky but there is no need to worry if you take the simple precaution of consulting your doctor before consuming any herbal concoction. Doctors are sort of walking pharmacopoeias and they know more about all those chemicals and stuff. They can advise you properly.
Another thing to know with herbal medicine is that different cultures have resulted in different types of herbal therapies. Finally, thanks to the Internet and online marketing there is no shortage of frauds selling roots and leaves grown in their backyards. Make certain that when you get herbal medicine it comes from genuine herbs. The wrong herbs might possibly contain toxic chemicals that make a trip to the hospital inevitable.
Some common forms of herbal medicines are as follows:
- Essence. You have probably come across the line "essence of …" followed by some plant or flower when reading an ad for a cosmetic product. While Essences tend to get associated with cosmetic products due to massive advertising of those products, certain essential oils are always available for therapeutic purposes. The popularity of essential herbal oils processed through cold pressing or steam distillation is because many people prefer to get a massage than eating a pill. The most common benefit of essential oils is the help they provide in relaxing. They do not really cure any problems. Their major effect is to provide relief.
- Body massages can release toxins in the muscles, aiding relaxation.
- Head massages can likewise reduce heaviness or, in some cases, cure headaches. Similarly, chest massages using essence of certain herbs can help with congestion resulting from common cold.
- Pills or capsules. There was a time when this alternative was not available. It was a dark time for people who could not stand the taste of raw herbal medicines. The pills and capsules were a godsend for people who wanted to try herbal remedies but were unable to swallow. In order to convert a herb to pill form it first needs to be dried and crushed into powder. What is of interest is that there are hardly any herbal medicines available in pill or capsule form that target specific ailments. They act more like secondary medications to provide moral support to whatever primary medication is being taken. Professionals in herbal medicine believe that the drying and crushing of the herbs robs them of their potency. Others suggest that herbal medicine should be taken in its raw form for complete effectiveness. Anyway, if you are looking for specific herbal medicines instead of general health enhancers and supplements then this option is not for you.
- Infusions. The most popular form of herbal infusion is the drinking of various kinds of tea. Infusion involves the use of the delicate parts (leaves, seeds, and fruits) of a herbal plant and are quick to administer. Some ingredients of infusion tea could be stinging nettle, oat straw, red clover, raspberry leaf, and comfrey leaf. Infusions can be just the tea you drink normally (but using herbs instead of tealeaves) or what is known as Medicinal Strength Tea. Most herbal teas fall into this category though the preparation is slightly different. There are several recipes available on the Internet for making Medicinal Strength Tea.
- Poultice. For injuries, inflammations, cramps, or other spasmodic problems it can become necessary to apply the herbal mixture as a poultice. The required herbs are first macerated or chopped into small pieces. These are then applied directly to the affected area and covered with a hot and moist bandage. In some cases, the herbal mixture can be applied as a layer to the moist bandage before wrapping it around the affected area.
- Tinctures. There are very few kids who get exposed to this form of medicine these days but about twenty odd years ago no kid that got into a scrap in the field escaped the terror of tincture. These are basically herbal medicines in a liquid form. They can be for external as well as internal use. Modern incarnations are a lot milder that their older forms.
- Decoctions. A decoction is a liquid preparation made by boiling a medicinal plant with water usually in the proportion of 5 parts of the drug to 100 parts of water. Typically, certain specific parts of a plant like berries, roots, and herb-bark are used in this process. Depending on the consistency of the plant part being used, it can take up to two hours to prepare a decoction. This process extracts the flavor and increases the concentration of the herb through the process of boiling.
That more or less covers the different types of herbal medicines available. Depending on your requirement and personal taste you might need to take them in one of the above forms.
