Herbal Products and Supplements: What You Should Know ?

A herb is a plant or plant part valued for its medicinal or therapeutic properties, flavor, and/or scent. Herbs are a subset of botanicals. Products made from botanicals that are used to maintain or improve health may be called herbal products, botanical products, or phytomedicines.
Herbals are sold in many forms: as fresh or dried products; liquid or solid extracts; and tablets, capsules, powders, and tea bags. For example, fresh ginger root is often found in the produce section of food stores; dried ginger root is sold packaged in tea bags, capsules, or tablets; and liquid preparations made from ginger root are also sold. A particular group of chemicals or a single chemical may be isolated from a herbal and sold as a dietary supplement, usually in tablet or capsule form.
Are botanical dietary supplements safe?
Many people believe that products labeled "natural" are safe and good for them. This is not necessarily true because the safety of a botanical depends on many things, such as its chemical makeup, how it works in the body, how it is prepared, and the dose used.
The dose and form of a botanical preparation also play important roles in its safety. Teas, tinctures, and extracts have different strengths. The same amount of a botanical may be contained in a cup of tea, a few teaspoons of tincture, or an even smaller quantity of an extract. Also, different preparations vary in the relative amounts and concentrations of chemical removed from the whole botanical.
Does a label indicate the quality of a botanical dietary supplement product?
It is difficult to determine the quality of a botanical dietary supplement product from its label. The degree of quality control depends on the manufacturer, the supplier, and others in the production process.
Are herbal health products and supplements safe because they’re natural?
Not necessarily. Don’t think that herbal health products and supplements are safer than medicines just because they occur in nature or come from plants. After all, many plants are poisonous! Although herbal products and supplements are advertised as “natural,” they aren’t necessarily natural to the human body.
Do any health problems increase the danger of taking herbal products and supplements?
Yes. Herbal products and supplements may not be safe if you have certain health problems. You also may be at increased risk of problems from these products if you are elderly. Talk to your doctor before taking herbal products if you have any of the following health problems: Blood clotting problems ; Cancer ; Diabetes ; An enlarged prostate gland ; Epilepsy ; Glaucoma ; Heart disease ; High blood pressure ; Immune system problems ; Psychiatric problems ; Parkinson’s disease ; Liver problems ; Stroke ; Thyroid problems .
Can herbal health products or supplements change the way prescription ?
Yes. Herbal health products or supplements can affect the way the body processes drugs. When this happens, your medicine may not work the way it should. Some herbal can reduces the amount of certain drugs absorbed by the body. This may mean the drugs aren’t absorbed at high enough levels to help the conditions for which they are prescribed. This can cause serious problems.You should be especially cautious about using herbal health products or supplements if you take a drug in one of the following categories: Drugs to treat depression, anxiety or other psychiatric problems ; Anti-seizure drugs ; Blood thinners ; Blood pressure medicine ; Heart medicine ; Drugs to treat diabetes ; Cancer drugs. If you take any of these drugs, talk to your doctor before taking any type of herbal product or supplement.