HERBAL MEDICINES (BOTANICALS)
An herb is a plant or plant part used for its scent, flavor or therapeutic properties. Herbal medicine products are dietary supplements that people take to improve their health. Many herbs have been used for a long time for claimed health benefits. They are sold as tablets, capsules, powders, teas, extracts and fresh or dried plants. However, some can cause health problems, some are not effective and some may interact with other drugs you are taking.
Here are some simple rules to follow before you use an herbal product:
- Consult your doctor first
- Do not take a bigger dose than the label recommends
- Take it under the guidance of a trained medical professional
- Be especially cautious if you are pregnant or nursing
Herbal Medicines (Botanicals) 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 botanical and sold as a dietary supplement, usually in tablet or capsule form. An example is phytoestrogens from soy products.
Common preparations include teas, decoctions, tinctures, and extracts:
- A tea, also known as an infusion, is made by adding boiling water to fresh or dried botanicals and steeping them. The tea may be drunk either hot or cold.
- Some roots, bark, and berries require more forceful treatment to extract their desired ingredients. They are simmered in boiling water for longer periods than teas, making a decoction, which also may be drunk hot or cold.
- A tincture is made by soaking a botanical in a solution of alcohol and water. Tinctures are sold as liquids and are used for concentrating and preserving a botanical. They are made in different strengths that are expressed as botanical-to-extract ratios (i.e., ratios of the weight of the dried botanical to the volume or weight of the finished product).
- An extract is made by soaking the botanical in a liquid that removes specific types of chemicals. The liquid can be used as is or evaporated to make a dry extract for use in capsules or tablets.
(Source: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine)
Herbal Medicines – FDA warning
Warnings on Alternative and So-Called Natural Remedies
You are strongly advised to check with a knowledgeable personal physician before using any Herbal preparations
You should be aware that alternative or natural remedies are not regulated by the US Food and Drug Administration and their quality is not publicly controlled. In addition, any substance that can affect the body's chemistry can, like any drug, produce side effects that may be harmful. Even if studies report positive benefits from herbal remedies, the compounds used in such studies are, in most cases, not what are being marketed to the public.
There have been a number of reported cases of serious and even lethal side effects from herbal products. In addition, some so-called natural remedies were found to contain standard prescription medication. Most problems have been reported with herbal remedies imported from Asia, with one study reporting a significant percentage of such remedies containing toxic metals.
Of note for patients with congestive heart failure is an interaction between St. John's wort, an herbal medicine used for depression, and digoxin. Taking St. John's wort can significantly interfere with this heart agent.
The following website is building a database of natural remedy brands that it regularly tests and rates. Not all are available yet. http://www.ConsumerLab.com/
The Food and Drug Administration has a program called MEDWATCH for people to report adverse reactions to untested substances, such as herbal remedies and vitamins (call 800-332-1088).
