Herb supplement quality determines how effective the formula is and its safety! Learn how to choose a quality supplement and know you are buying an effective product.
If doctors and standard media articles don’t condemn herbs, they question their safety.
Herb Supplement Quality- Choosing a high-quality supplement.
Private Brands: Herb supplement quality cannot be determined easily by the consumer!
They are privately labeled with the store brand such as Sprouts or CVC.
Some of these store brands are really good products and some are junk.
Store brands often don’t tell you much about the origin of the product.
You CANNOT determine the testing done on it or if it was packaged in the US.
It is hard to call and find out that information.
Name Brands: Herbal supplement quality will be found on the company’s website FAQ page.
Brands such as Natural Factors give you an address or a toll-free number to call for questions.
That is why I prefer to order from those companies.
You can look up product reviews for those brands on several sites including Amazon.
Often it takes trying the product for a given amount of time, to see if it is beneficial.
Formulation Differences:
Formulations differ in each product.
How your body and health condition react to that formulation is very individual.
Allergies and sensitivities all come into play on taking supplements.
No one can tell you ahead of time how your body will react to a given formula.
The ingredients are listed with the main ingredient being first, then with the others being listed next, and so on.
So look at the ingredient list and how it is ordered.
Look for fillers, additives, and other ingredients that may make your supplement less effective.
Fillers can cause allergic reactions in some people.
Statements on Supplement Labels that are important!
Is the product manufactured under GMP procedures?
GMP procedures are not required by law here in the US.
‘Products are manufactured in accordance with GMP or Good Manufacturing Practices.
‘ This is the law for companies and is a structure of rules and regulations
to guarantee safety and standards for supplements.”
“All companies are required to adhere to this law but many do not.”
“There are not enough agents to enforce this law.”
“This means that some companies are operating below the law but just have not gotten caught.”
Origin of Product: Herbal supplement quality?
Example: Fish oil Country of Origin is Peru.
If it does not state where the product is from, you have no clue unless you call the company directly.
We don’t buy fish much anymore because most of it comes from China.
The way they raise and feed their fish is disgusting so we don’t buy it.
Most of your fish comes from China now.
Spices are another one that is imported from countries with inferior standards of quality control.
You may be eating heavy metals, E. coli, bacteria, and dried insects along with your spices.
Where was herb supplement quality tested and packaged:
Was it tested at all?
Example: Encapsulated and quality tested in the U.S.A.
Example: USP has tested and verified ingredients, potency, and manufacturing process.
USP sets official standards for dietary supplements.
Standardized Herbs: What does that mean to you the consumer?
Herbs are tested by a lab to determine that the main medicinal parts of the herb are present.
Many herbal products tested prove insufficient in the medicinal properties they are stated to contain.
Without those medicinal properties, they are useless to improve health.
The herb must be grown properly, picked at the proper time, and washed properly.
Then the herbs need to be dried and stored properly.
The manufacturing process can destroy the medicinal properties of that product.
You cannot tell any of that without lab tests. That is the problem.
What part of the herb was used in the product:
Herbs contain medicinal properties which may be present only in the leaves, the root, or the flowers.
If the proper part of the plant is not processed, it is useless.
Examples: ginseng root, chamomile flowers, and goldenseal root.
In some cases, the whole plant contains medicinal properties.
There are many species of plants in the same family but not all contain medicinal properties.
Some plants are just decorative.
It company that bottled your product should conduct quality testing procedures.
Those tests determine that the product contains goldenseal root.
Adulteration of goldenseal with weeds or similar herbs of yellow color is a problem.
You cannot tell by looking at the yellow powder.
Only a microscope and testing can determine this.
Tasting the herb can tell you much about the supplement!
Your taste cannot determine if it contains bacteria, mold, mildew, and other contamination.
The only way you can tell this is by calling the company!
Ask them questions or look it up on their company profile.
If they test, they are proud of their standards!
The company will state this information on its FAQ page or company profile.
Do your research folks?
This is the main problem on why people say herbs don’t work.
It is either the quality of the product,
The amount of product (too much or not enough).
The length of time using it (it can take weeks or months to see results),
You may be taking the wrong herb for the problem.
Herbal medicinal properties include stabilizing blood sugar or balancing blood pressure,
Herb affects the body by raising the overall health of organs and tissues.
You may be spending money on costly inferior herbal supplements!
I hope this article helps you to make a more informed decision when buying herbs and supplements.
In the end, it is up to you to research these companies to know for sure.
Supplements and herbs should not be purchased on price only, it is not a pair of shoes.
You bought that herb or supplement for a specific reason on your path to better health.
If the supplement is junk quality you are throwing your money and your health down the toilet.
Think about it the next time to visit a health store.
The employees are not allowed to suggest one brand over the next.
You can understand why.
They are not allowed to give you medical advice.
They are bound by law on what information the label can state.
Thank the FDA and the AMA for keeping you in the dark about alternative herbs and therapies.
Read my other articles: Is organic certified really safe?
Herbal Companies Who Test Their Products Extensively
Visit Live Vibrantly with Brain and Memory Health Here
Important:
Statements on this website have not been approved by the AMA or FDA.
This information is for your education only!
You are advised to always seek a medical doctor for problems.
You are advised to get permission from your doctor before you take herbs.
Cathryn Freer, The Herbladyisin
