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Subscribe to Health and Wellness Naturally Ezine      Factors That Go Into Choosing An Herbal Supplement By Kate Clifton, The Herbladyisin "Herbs don't work!" is frequently a complaint I hear. Here are some real concrete answers on why you may think that is the case. The problem in this country is that herbs have to be sold as food supplements. The problem with labeling herbs as food supplements is that herbal manufacturing companies are not allowed by the FDA to put proper instructions for their usage on the bottle. Another problem with supplements is quality control.  An herbal supplement unless processed properly is a waste of money and ineffective. I talk to people all the time that have been taking herbs for months but are not getting results. There are several reasons why this may be true. That individual may not be taking the right herb for his problem or not taking it at the right time.  Often the problem in not taking enough of the herb to achieve results or perhaps it is just too soon to see healing.  Dosages are different for each individual and each situation is different. Healing takes time in most cases. It can take months for a long standing illness! If it took you months to weaken your health, it is going to take time to build up your body again. If you are under stress, eating improperly, not exercising, not getting enough deep sleep it will take more time. If your stress level is too high, the immune system may not be able to function.  Your mental attitude also determines your ability to get well whether it is standard medicine or alternative medicine.  You are using a formulation that is poor quality. I will address this issue next. Even if you are doing all these things correctly, you must still have a properly processed supplement.  You may ask," What steps go into a quality produced supplement.    Why does it matter?" You may be compromising your health and life. The herbal powder may contain bacteria, E.coli, dirt, weeds, mouse parts, insect parts, heavy metals, contamination or they may be the wrong herb.  Steps Taken By A Quality Company To Insure Product Safety and Effectiveness 1.   A reputable company receives shipments of raw herbs from many different sources.  They may be coming from a foreign country just like fruit and vegetables. That shipment is then immediately put on hold until certain quality procedures can be performed to assure the safety of the product.  The following steps are then crucial to the quality of the product.  2.    In the companies laboratory the product should first be examined by scientific tests and equipment to determine if the herb is the correct species of the plant ordered. There are several species in a family of plants but not all contain identical properties. This is an extremely important factor in herbs that contain medicinal properties. There are microscopic footprints for each plant   3. The  next step is vigorous and complicated testing for bacterial contamination of the product by salmonella, E-coil, and other contaminants. Contamination may be in the form of weeds, insecticides, insect or mouse parts, lead, mercury, PCBs, and other toxic materials, etc. Herbs come from all over the world. These herbs are harvested by natives often. How these herbs are harvested depends on the company and the owner. Some let greed get in the way and harvest improperly. This is why tests need to be performed on the product. 4.  Another step in the processing of herbs is to determine whether certain medicinal components are present in the product.  For an herb to work effectively, it must contain a certain percentage of the main medicinal property. If the herb or root was not picked at the right time, the medicinal properties may not be present.  An example is ginseng.  For ginseng to be effective it should be left growing in the ground for several years.  If the root is picked before it is ready -- there is less medicinal value in the product. The reason an herbal product works is because of these medicinal and healing properties. Even the time of day the herb was picked is important. At certain times of the day, there are more of the medicinal properties and oils present in the plant.  With some plants there is only a certain season that the plants can be picked.  There are many species of each plant but not all of them contain the same medicinal properties.  If the correct species is not picked -- you are getting a useless product. 5.     The raw product is next cleaned and processed by special machinery and different process techniques. This cleaning process is not standard in every company. Some companies have crude machinery that does not screen for all the above contaminants. Only writing to the company will give you this important information. This process step can in itself ruin the herb. Processing with heat can destroy the medicinal properties of many herbs. The drying process must be done properly as well. Processing must be executed in a way to preserve the herb's medicinal properties.  If the herb product is not cleaned properly, you may get sick. You may also have allergy reactions to the dirt, weeds, insect parts, and bacteria in the product material. When people tell me they are allergic to an herb, it is more often to the dirt or bacteria in the product- not the product itself.  Many herb companies do not take the time, money, personnel and equipment to clean the herb product properly. The problem is that you, the consumer, cannot tell how the herb was processed by just looking at it. You cannot visually determine if the product is contaminated or dirty. The standards for herbal products in this country are not as strict as in Europe. In Europe herbs are regulated more closely and standards are tighter. There have been a number of herbal products that when tested by an independent source -came up sadly lacking in quality! Some herb products did not contain the stated ingredients or the percentage of stated ingredients was lower than listed. Testing takes time and money and raises the cost of the product.  6.   Most consumers don't have any knowledge about herbs or herbal products. The individual goes to a store, a clerk waits on them and they pick a product. More often it is picked on price or by the appearance of the bottle. In some cases the person that waits on you is quite educated. Many times they have little knowledge on the subject. By law an herb store employee is restricted from giving you any real useful information on dosage or what it is used for. The herb shop must be very careful or get shut down!  You must remember also that the clerk is in there to sell products.  If you asked him which the best brand is, he will probably tell you all of the brands are of equal quality.  This is simply not true.  There is a great difference in the quality of brands you find in a typical health food store. If the clerk says x- brand is much better, what happens to the y -brand? It sits on the shelf and the store loses money. Often the brands that are on sale are off- brands that have proven to be poor sales movers. The store may have purchased too much of the product and need to unload it. The problem here is that quality companies also offer discounts on their products! When I am asked, I advise not to buy brands you are not familiar with until you check the company out. I look at the brand, the label, and ingredients before I look at price.  If you have never heard of a brand, think before you purchase. Read the label carefully. Find out about the company. Ask the store for a number to reach the sales rep for that company. Find out how long it has been in business. A $3.00 product often is not  a bargain health wise. 7.   Selecting herb supplements that will really help you is difficult. The trouble you take to check out the company is worth it. When you write to a company, ask for detailed information on their manufacturing procedures and quality control standards performed on their products. You will feel more confident! When you have confidence in the product, you are more likely to take it.  Some products have been around for years and have a reputation for quality and high standards.  Their products often cost more because of these standards. These companies are very proud to tell you about their company and the procedures they employ to guarantee you a quality product! To use a cheap product costs you time, money, and possibly your health. Unless you use quality products your health will not improve and you may get even sicker! The most important factor in buying an herb product is not price but quality! When you're buying an herb product- shop quality! Get educated!  Read before you buy. Ask questions! Don't throw money down the toilet! Ignorance is not an excuse with all the information available.         Kate Clifton 760-458-2151 Info@womenshealth-naturalsolutions.com counseling@womenshealth-naturalsolutions.com www.oralchelationanswers.com www.herbladyisin.com     Copyright © www.herbladyisin.com Copyright © 'The-herbladyisin'  Copyright © 1999-2010 by Women's Health- Natural Solutions.Com All rights reserved. Revised: 09-01-09:43:25 -0400 .     Disclaimer: Important- Read Carefully *NOTE: The opinions and views expressed on this site are from Kate Clifton and other alternative medicine authors and are protected by Copyright and Freedom of Speech laws in the United States. These statements have NOT been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is advised to always seek the advice from your family holistic physician before starting any new herbal or nutritional program. 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