Herbal supplements

Herbal supplements are a type of dietary supplement that contain herbs, either singly or in mixtures. Many herbs have a long history of use and of claimed health benefits. For example, Chinese herbs and Chinese medicine have been used for thousands of years to treat various illness and restoring various normal functions of the human body. Compared to pharmaceutical drugs, they may have less or be without any adverse reactions or side effects.

Why do normal human beings need herbal supplements? Currently many diseases cannot be cured, e.g, patients with cancer have a low survival rate. Prevention of disease is much easier than cure. Chinese herbs harmonise the Yin and Yang of the human body, and make the latter immune to or more resistant against many serious diseases. In a word, the purpose of herbal supplements is not cure but prevention from illness.

Some herbs have however caused health problems for certain users. It is therefore advisable to use herbal supplements under the guidance of a medical professional who has been properly trained in herbal medicine. This is especially true to those women who are pregnant or nursing, and infants or younger children. For those taking other drugs, herbs or non-herbs, herb-herb or/and herb-drug interactions may also occur. In the United States, herbal and other dietary supplements are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as foods.

External links

Advocacy

• Original text from Herbal supplements, licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.

Criticism

• Supplement Safety - NCAHF page
• Selling Suppliments - A review of the current regulations and practices of the marketing of supplements by Steven Novella, MD
• Enter the Snake Oil Zone - By Steven Novella, MD