Herb Safety

September 23rd, 2011 admin

If I can help it, I am going to keep my family out of the doctor’s office.  For us, going to see the doc is a last resort tactic.  I much rather have the vast knowledge of feeding my family healthy nutritious foods, and have the education to supplement them with immune boosters before I take them to a traditional doctor’s office  Most of the time I set foot in a doctor’s office I have found that it has been a large waste of my time, and that they either give me information that I already know to be true, no information at all, or information I do not agree with.  So, even though we aren’t anti-doctor by any means I prefer to only visit the family physician if it is a last resort.

Treating with herbal remedies can be quite effective.  I have found that for the majority of the time they are much more effective than taking them to the doc.  However, the effectiveness of herbal remedies can vary from person to person.  There are many factors within a person that can change the rate and absorption of a herb within the body.  And, even though there are many documented cases (in medical journals mind you) that research the effects herbs have on the body much of the information on them is not always widespread knowledge.

Keep in mind that using herbs in cooking is safe because of the small amount of herbs that are used.  But, also keep in mind that when using herbs in a medicinal amount it is always good to practice herb safety.  Even though herbs are a food and can contain many vitamins and nutrients in large amounts you can overdose .  Therefore, it is important to practice proper herb safety so that you keep your family healthy and safe.

Tips for Herb Safety

  1. Do Your Homework – No matter how safe you might think a herb might be it is always important to do your homework.  These days it is easy to search around online and check out all the information on each herb you plan to use.  Find out what the side effects might be or if people with some conditions or ages should use them.  Using herbs are great, but you can never have enough education so educate yourself! 

2. Give Frequent Small Doses Instead of One Large Dose – If you give one large dose and you have an undesired reaction you can’t take it back.  Therefore, give a small does at a time to make sure there are no undesired reactions, such as allergic reactions.  In this case you have already started with tip #1 and have done your research, but it is important to always give a small dose to make sure there is no problems.  Also, keep in mind that if you purchase herbal supplements or find a dosage most doses are reflective of a 150 pound adult (I’m not even 150 lbs), so you must adjust accordingly.  So it is important to calculate the dosage by the weight of the child or adult you are giving it to.

3. Always Purchase our herbs for a reputable source -When using herbal remedies (or any other vitamins and supplements) you want to make sure you are purchasing high quality.  Be aware that herbs from China, India and other parts of the world may not be safe for you and your family because they don’t have as high safety standards as we do here in the US.

4. When Purchasing from Your Local Health food Store Do More Research – I have found that at local health food stores they often try to recommend products to their customers.  I would beware of this.  Sometimes you will find health food store owners that are completely knowledgeable and other times they are not.  I have gotten lots of bad advice from people who work in health food stores.  I highly recommend doing your own reserach unless you are confident in that person’s knowledge and know them personally.

My Recommends: 

If you are in search of quality bulk herbs I highly recommend Rose Mountain Herbs and The Bulk Herb Store.  I have done business with both and they both are high in quality.

And, if you are wanting to be educated in treating your family with herbs I highly recommend a Vintage Remedies program.  I am currently enrolled in their family herbalist program and love it!  You will get quality education so you can safely administer herbal remedies to you family and have the knowledge to do so.

Disclaimer:  In the my recommends section there are affiliate links listed.   I only recommend companies that I highly recommend as I give their products to my family.