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The Need for a Herbal Supplement - How to Choose One

Tess Thompson

An herbal supplement is made up of plants and herbs that have medicinal properties. Many herbal supplements are meant for treating specific diseases that range from minor back pain to serious problems like metabolic and psychological disorders. Some herbs are used as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy. A vast majority of them are widely used for internal strength (read immunity) and help you remain healthy as you grow older.

The idea of herbal supplements arose mainly because some people find it difficult to take herbal remedies due to one reason or the other. To mention just a few:

• Garlic has a pungent taste and odor
• Ginger roots in their original state can also be pungent. Some people use it in while cooking food and others prefer to take it as tea.

Sometimes the necessity of having to take more than one herb at a time poses a problem to many people. Herbal supplements are convenient and easy to take. The process can be as simple as popping one in the mouth or making herbal tea from a tea bag. Some supplements, on the other hand, are a combination of more than one herb or a formulation that is prepared according to certain principles. The best known herbal supplement in the east is Triphala, which is a combination of three major Indian herbs. It may be difficult to procure the three herbs, Emblica officinalis, Terminalia bellirica, and Terminalia chebula individually, which makes it necessary to market them as an herbal supplement.

Besides pills and tea bags, herbal supplements are also available in the form of a powder, paste or liquid. The basic condition is that they must be prepared according to the principles of the therapy that is using them. Homeopathic supplements, for example, must conform to one of the important aspects of homeopathy. Homeopathic remedies in many cases attempt to ‘bring out’ the disease in order to achieve a total cure. For example, rhus tox, used to treat pain may some times aggravate pain temporarily. There are antidotes available in homeopathy and for this purpose a homeopath insists on regular visits so that regular monitoring is possible. A homeopathic supplement thus has to take this aspect into consideration as well.

It is sometime difficult to assess the safety aspect of herbal and natural remedies as they are not regulated by the FDA. Some important points to remember while choosing herbal supplements are:

• Beware of hyperbole. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is a fake.
• Herbs are usually safe but more is not always better.
• Avoid running after the latest arrival in the market. Fad supplements usually arrive with a bang and then vanish. Be sure of what you need rather than chase what everyone else is buying.
• Using single ingredients is better but the effects of a combination are usually difficult to monitor. The best way is to check the credentials of the manufacturer.
• Last but not the least; make sure that you know as much as you can about the herbs used to make the supplement.

References:

http://www.natural-cure-guide.com/supplements/herbal-supplements.htm
http://www.natural-cure-guide.com/health-articles/herbal-supplements.htm
http://in.rediff.com/getahead/2005/aug/12diet.htm
http://www.vdf.org/resources/HerbalSupplements.php