Herbal Dietary Supplements
Herbal supplements have recently become a highly popular form of nutritional
supplements. Unlike vitamins, which are used to support overall health and
body function, herbal supplements are usually targeted toward a particular
health issue or illness. They can be used in a preventative manner or as a
treatment for a certain ailment. For example, Echinacea is taken regularly
to support the immune system while garlic might be taken for its strong
antibiotic properties. Herbal dietary supplements are currently being used
to treat and enhance many different physical and mental conditions. The
American Botanical Council estimates that Americans spent approximately 260
million dollars on herbal dietary supplements in 2004.
Webster's Dictionary defines an herb as a plant or a part of a plant that is
valued for its medicinal, savory, or aromatic qualities. To eliminate any
confusion, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has formalized the
following definition for all dietary supplements (with the exception of
tobacco): “a dietary supplement is intended to supplement the diet; contains
one or more dietary ingredients (vitamins, minerals, herbs, etc.); is
intended to be taken by mouth as a pill, capsule, tablet, or liquid; and is
labeled on the front panel as being a dietary supplement.”
There are several kinds of prescription and over-the-counter drugs that
contain herbs and tend to be made from sanitized sections or derivatives of
the herb and are thoroughly tested and regulated by the FDA. In contrast,
herbal supplements can be made from any part of the herb. Herbal dietary
supplements are sold in powder, liquid, pill, dried and various other forms.
They can be taken internally or applied directly to the skin.
Today, drawing on the herbal knowledge of different cultures and traditions
over many years, there are a variety of herbal remedies and nutritional
supplements available. The reasons people have turned to this style of
alternative health treatment are many; some mistrust the medical
establishment, some have found that many herbal remedies work as well as
other drugs at a fraction of the cost, others value herbal medicines because
they often have less severs side-effects than pharmaceuticals.
There is a lot of misinformation involving herbal remedies and nutritional
supplements. For one reason, they are not regulated by the FDA and, secondly
because a lot of manufacturers try to make a quick profit from their
newfound popularity. Before taking any supplement it is a good idea to do a
little research. Make sure that a particular brand is reputable, that there
are no warnings associated with a particular supplement, and be sure that
the nutritional supplements you are interested in will not react with any
other medications you might be taking.
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