Tips to Take Herbs and Supplements Effectively and Safely.
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Research your medical condition:
The first step to better health is researching your health problem. Know everything about it from standard medicine treatments to alternative treatments. If you have no diagnosis, it is difficult to put a plan together. If you have only been to see standard medicine doctor, visit a holistic doctor to get their viewpoint. Knowledge is power.
- Know Your Herbs! Research each herb online or a book from the library. Talk to a professional herbalist or holistic doctor to get support for your path to better health.
3. Develop a plan of action including diet, exercise, vitamins and herbs. Write it all down.
4. Buy your herbs from a quality company.
5. Decide What form of the herb do you want to buy?
- Which form would suit your life style best and your personality?
- How do you research the company?
More Tips on taking herbs and supplements more effectively and safely
Herbs come in different forms: bulk, tablets, caps, extracts, liquid, and teas. If you have problems swallowing tablets or caps, make sure you order extracts or liquids.
Many herbal liquid formulas do not taste good. Some are bitter so be aware of that.
Extracts are stronger so you need to take less. Liquids such as liquid Kyolic garlic are effective for mouth infections and to get the herb into the system quicker. Some people absorb liquids better than powder.
Note teas are not generally as strong as other forms. Tea quality is a problem too. Many teas are cut with with less expensive herbs or fillers. So consider this question carefully before you buy. An herbal formula that sits on the shelf will not do anything for your health.
Research that company online. Call them and ask the questions below. If they refuse to answer them, don’t buy their products. In conversation listen carefully to see if they give you answers or misleading vague answers.
- Where is your company based?
- Where do you buy your bulk herb product from?
- Is the product tested to make sure it the right species of an herb?
- Not all oregano contains medicinal value, some are ornamental only?Is it tested to see if it contains the beneficial medicinal properties such as the berberine alkaloid content in the Goldenseal product you have purchased.
- Is the product tested by you for mold, mildew, bacteria, and E-coli?
- How often is your bulk herb material tested? Is it tested by an unbiased third party?
- Where and how it is processed and packaged?
Your herbs arrive so now what? How and when is the best time to take them? If you did things correctly, you researched the herb first before you bought it.
Tips on taking herbs and supplements more effectively and safely
- The dosage on the bottle of herbs is just a legal suggestion. The FDA will not allow herb companies to give specific dosage instructions or to state what you should take the herb for. Then it would be considered a drug and would be taken off the shelf. So the herb companies cannot say much without losing their business. You must research that.
- The dosage for that herb depends on the herb, the dosage in each capsule, the severity of the health problem, and individual needs. That is why consulting a holistic doctor is needed to help you know how much and how often to take the herbal supplement.
- If you have a mild cold you would take less product than if you had strep throat. If it is a child you must know if that herb can be given to a child. The dose depends on the weight of that child as well as the other factors. Children are often too little or cannot swallow pills or capsules. You might use homeopathic medicine or liquid Kyolic garlic with them. Always taste what you give them first, if it tastes bitter such as Goldenseal root extract, they may throw it back up or spit it out. Grape juice is great for hiding the taste of unpleasant herbs. Works with the elderly as well or anyone who cannot handle capsules or tablets.
- It is best if you have never taken herbs or a specific herb to take the minimum dosage first to see how you react to it. Every person reacts differently. If you are extremely sensitive to products and foods, start with one tablet or capsule or even half of one. Take them with food unless directed not to on the bottle label. Keep a food diary of your reactions for the first month.
Important…..Never take herbs and prescription drugs together at the same time. That can lead to dangerous results. Herbs and drugs often don’t get along well in the stomach. Herbs can potentiate the effects of the drug or lessen the effects. You could suffer an overdose taking heart medications and hawthorne berries at the same time. If you are bound and determined to take herbs and drugs together, make sure they are taken at least 4 hours apart or more. Monitor your blood sugar and blood pressure every day if you have those health problems. Again it is very dangerous to take herbs and drugs together without a doctor’s supervision.
