Herbal Supplements 4 Your Health

Is Herbal Medicine Stupid?

The mere mention of complementary and alternative medicine or CAM never fails to trigger a frenzied response or a look of disbelief, particularly among healthcare practitioners. Moreover, attempt to recommend a prescription of herbal remedies and surely you would get a good beating from specialists in the medical profession. In most instances, the prescription of alternative remedies for the treatment of any disease is viewed as a stupid gesture. And why shouldn’t it be? Any form of natural remedy that has not been submitted to a double blind, placebo-controlled test—despite being conferred with an FDA seal of approval, is considered dubious and risky by mainstream medicine, where its claims of efficacy and safety are deemed baseless for being unconfirmed by proper scientific research.

But do claims of natural healing really tantamount to stupidity? I bet that would irk a few herbalists to no end. True, herbal remedies have not been subjected to decades of clinical testing that are conformed to by prescriptions. But then again, won’t the long history of use for these natural substances count as a proof of its efficacy? With all due respect to the men and women who have devoted their lives to the practice of mainstream healthcare, medicine is not a perfect science that holds the absolute answer to the world’s health woes. In fact, traditional health care systems already existed centuries prior to the emergence of orthodox medicine.

 

The efficacy of medicine in the treatment of life threatening diseases is undisputable; whereas, herbal remedies and other alternative treatments operate in a subtle manner to become more effective as restorative tonics. In contrast, the chemical substances formulated with medicines can be harmful to the body in the long run to instead promote injurious side effects or recurrent diseases.

But does that make herbal medicine stupid? If that were true, then the methods of learned herbalists conveyed from previous generations are farce, including the systematic use of markers in the selection and mixture of natural ingredients. If that were really true, alternative medicine won’t be offered as a course in select universities today. If all these presumptions are accurate, then the testimonies of healing and increased use of CAM won’t materialize at all in this generation. Fact is that alternative medicine is a dynamic system of healthcare, just like contemporary medicine, where the manufacture of standardized herbal supplements using pharmaceutical methods and standards proves that CAM is actually a work in progress. It may be deficient in research, given that lesser budgets are expended for a deeper probe of its benefits. But it is never outright stupid and may just be the answer to many health woes that modern medicine could not resolve.

Chinese Herbs in Traditional and Modern Application

Traditional health care systems such as Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine serve as the foundation of complementary and alternative medicine.  To this day, one would find traces of its influence deeply rooted in the practice of acupuncture, herbal medicine and other forms of therapy.  In fact, traditional Chinese medicine is part of the curriculum of established medical schools in the United States where its practice is even being pursued by some as a career. 

For this post, let us delve into the so-called traces of this health care system in the manufacture of standardized herbal supplements.  It would be interesting to note how popular Chinese herbs and their medicinal compounds are integrated into herbal formulas and applied as treatment for various medical conditions.

Reproductive Tonics

Traditional Chinese medicine is regarded for its utilization of herbal tonics to restore and sustain the sexual or reproductive function in both men and women.  Among the Chinese herbs popularly administered for reproductive health include the Don Quai, Black Cohosh and Horny Goat Weed.

The Don Quai is revered in traditional practice due to its remarkable toning benefits to the reproductive organs. The herb is known to regulate monthly periods and estrogen levels. Its bioactive compounds also form part as an ingredient of herbal supplements intended to correct disorders of the endometrial lining such as Endo-Ex.

Meanwhile, the herb Black Cohosh is reputed for its supportive role in hormone functioning and the Horny Goat Weed is well-known for its libido-enhancing properties. Both herbs are constituents of  standardized herbal supplements designed to stimulate reproductive health and fertility.

Brain Tonics

Cognitive enhancers form part of the long list of Chinese herbs now extensively used in the manufacture of brain tonics to energy drinks. 

Panax Ginseng is recognized for its role in increased vitality and stamina, as an adaptogen and preventative to disease.  The herb Gingko Biloba, on the other hand, is synonymous to improved cognitive functioning, particularly enhancing routine memory apart from circulation. 

Both the Panax Ginseng and Gingko Biloba find extensive application in ADHD herbal supplements such as Focus ADDult and Focus Formula respectively. 

Circulatory Tonics

For conditions triggered by underlying systemic disorders or as a consequence of aging, traditional Chinese medicine holds a portfolio of herbs that would help regulate the numbers and now administered in a standardized format. 

The ancient remedy Red Rice Yeast has been noted to help reduce LDL cholesterol when included as a component of the diet. In line with its circulatory and antioxidant benefits, Gingko Biloba has likewise been observed to regulate the spikes in blood sugar levels.   

Indeed, traditional Chinese medicine is a promoter of health and wellness from then until today.

Safety of Herbal Supplements

You probably have heard about the safety regulations being implemented in the manufacture and distribution of dietary and herbal supplement products.  But  should an FDA seal of approval-- alone-- entice you to purchase and take herbal remedies and dietary supplements? 

You see, CAM products are not created equal.  While the perception of safety serves as its mainstream appeal, the herbal supplement user should nevertheless remain selective in its intake; particularly mindful of the ingredients, processes and production standards involved in its manufacture.  Heard about the Herbal Viagra? The supplement was initially marketed as an all-natural sexual stimulant. Users would learn later on that the supplement actually contains chemical constituents formulated in the Viagra drug. Now that makes the supplement hardly all-natural then.

In line with the pursuit of selective intake, allow us to provide a set of guidelines that would support the safety requirements of users to this end.

Get to know the herbal ingredients.  Knowing what herbal compounds constitute an herbal supplement product would help prevent adverse reactions.  A holistic weight loss supplement would most likely be made up of herbal  appetite suppressants such as the Malabar Tamarind, a digestive stimulant like the Dandelion and an adrenal gland tonic like the Bladderwrack. But you wouldn't want to patronize a slimming supplement formulated with Ephedra extracts due to the reported adverse side effects in its unregulated use.

Take only standardized herbal supplements.  Standardized herbal products receive due accreditation from the FDA after complying with  standard regulations of safety, cleanliness and uniformity in its production.  Said products are constituted with either the compounds of a single herb or multiple herbs available in concentrated, user-safe measures. 

The advantage of using standardized herbal supplements go beyond its safety profile.  Manufacturers now adopt inventive techniques from the extraction of bioactive compounds from potent herbs to its integration with other constituents in a single therapeutic formula.  One herbal extraction method called the Whole Spectrum Method has been designed to sustain the balance of multiple compounds in the formula to guarantee bioavailability and efficacy, while reducing the risks of severe side effects in its intake.   

It appears that the only way to avert the so called mishaps encountered in the intake of substandard supplements is to make informed users out of alternative medicine enthusiasts and consequently enable them to make informed decisions on the purchase and use of dietary and herbal supplements.

Surely, an FDA-endorsement is a formidable gauge to its safety profile; but taking the extra step of verifying ingredients and the manufacturing standards of an herbal product reinforces the safety criterion even more.

Natural Healing for Recurrent UTI in Women

Next to premenstrual syndrome or PMS, urinary tract infections are among the most common disorders affecting women of reproductive age.  Pertinent statistics reveal that 20% of women who have acquired the infection earlier will most likely encounter recurrent UTI attacks. In fact, annual medical consultations for bladder infections in women account for over 3 million clinical check-ups with physicians. 

Resistance to Antibiotics
Antibiotics of varying dosages are typically prescribed for UTIs. But then the increased resistance of urinary tract pathogens such as E-Coli could hardly prevent recurrent UTIs. What's worst is that the repeated administration of more potent medications in every attack compromises the defensive position of the immune system.  Now that only lowers the resilience of the body to infectious bacteria while increasing the likelihood of recurrent UTI attacks.

Prevention with Natural Home Remedies
A number of herbs are recognized home remedies for bladder infections.  Most herbal remedies contain natural antimicrobial constituents. Cranberries are popular preventatives of UTI due to the astringent properties of tannin compounds.   Tannins, when ingested, convey a tantamount of acidity that inhibits the cling of E-coli bacteria over bladder walls. Billberry is also prescribed for UTI prevention in line with its anti-inflammatory properties which inhibit the spread of bacteria.

Home remedies for UTI may offer effective prevention but recurrent UTI symptoms can be subdued through the administration of holistic remedies that would not only heal the symptoms but likewise treat underlying disorders with the urinary tract that may be triggering the manifest of the infection. Now that relief cannot be obtained from antibacterial medications. 

Holistic healing from urinary tract infections can be achieved through the synergistic action of potent herbal remedies recognized for their therapeutic benefits to the urinary tract system. This aggregate healing action is reminiscent of standardized herbal remedies. 

Standardized Herbal Remedies
Formulated by seasoned herbalists in the field of alternative medicine, standardized herbal remedy formulas are concocted using the medicinal compounds of herbal antimicrobials, diuretics and antiseptics.  The therapeutic constituents of the following herbs have been extracted and expertly combined in standardized measures to produce a concentrated herbal remedy for urinary tract infection symptoms.

• Uva Ursi (anti-microbial and diuretic)
• Yarrow (astringent)
• Buchu (bladder and urinary tract cleanser)

In the end, standardized herbal remedies for UTI such as UTI-Clear satisfy the need for symptomatic relief (antibiotics) and urinary tract system enhancer (herbal tonics) without compromising immune system functions to the risks of severe side effects that are inherent in the continued intake of UTI medications.  This is probably a much better way of managing recurrent bladder infections and eventually preventing future attacks.