People are looking more to natural remedies as a way to improve their health as opposed to relying on pharmaceutical drugs. Herbal supplements are now more popular than ever. Taking herbal supplements, combined with healthy eating and regular exercise, can be very beneficial. With these benefits it’s only natural for people to turn to herbal supplements to treat varying health conditions as well as to aide in their general well-being.
Herbal supplements, like other health-related products, are not regulated in the United States. It’s unfortunate that the companies that manufacture herbal supplements are not under any obligation to guarantee the effectiveness, safety or even the content of their product. As a direct result the majority of dietary supplements don’t contain the herbs they claim to. That is why it is of the utmost importance to do your research before taking any kind of herbal supplements.
Here are just some of the steps you can take to ensure finding a high quality herbal supplement and the right supplement for you.
Check to see if the product is manufactured under GMP compliance. GMP compliance uses the same high standards the pharmaceutical drug companies are required to follow.
Look for supplements that were created by a credentialed formulator. This is someone who is qualified to create supplements with ingredients that not only work together, but offer maximum results.
Look for supplements with ‘standardized’ herbal extracts. These extracts are the purest available and they offer the highest quality active ingredients, which is where the therapeutic values come from. Each ingredient in any herbal supplement you purchase should be backed by a Certificate of Analysis (COA). This ensures the efficiency and safety of each ingredient in the product.
Purchase only single-herb products that clearly state how much each dose contains of the herb. Stay away from the products that contain mixtures of herbs with unknown proportions of each herb.
If it sounds too good to be true it probably is. When a product claims to do something completely outrageous, think miracle cure, trust your instinct. There is not a single herbal supplement available that can address a wide variety of health concerns.
Exercise extreme caution about herbal supplements that have been manufactured outside of the United States. Even though many European countries have high regulation standards there have been toxic ingredients and prescription drugs found in some herbal supplements.
Regardless of the increase in interest for herbal supplements, precautions should be taken if:
You are currently taking prescription medication or any over-the-counter (OTC) medications. There are many herbs that, when mixed with prescription and OTC drugs can cause serious side effects. This is especially true if you mix herbs with blood thinners, aspirin or blood pressure medications.
You are pregnant or breast feeding. As a general rule any type of medication, OTC or prescription, should be approved by your doctor before taking if you are pregnant. The same rule applies to herbal supplements. Even though the medications or herbs may be safe for you as an adult, they may be harmful to your breast-feeding infant or your fetus.
Avoid herbal supplements if you are having surgery as some can have an affect on the success of your surgery. Some herbs may decrease how effective the anesthetic is and may cause severe and dangerous complications such as high blood pressure or bleeding. Inform your medical doctor about any herbs you are taking or may be considering to take.
If you are younger than eighteen or older than sixty-five. Not many herbal supplements have been tested on children or have established safe doses for children and older adults may metabolize medications differently.
Talk to a doctor, your regular family physician or a certified Herbologist to find out all the information you need. As a consumer it is your responsibility to research before you start taking any type of herbal supplement. Nevertheless the benefits of herbal supplements can be great so look for quality suppliers. There are many quality herbal supplements both online and offline, it is simply a matter of doing a little research.
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