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Herb Resource For Your Anxiety

Posted by admin | Resources | Tuesday 23 June 2009 4:57 am

Herbs have been used for centuries to treat various conditions, including anxiety and panic attacks. Today many anxiety medications often contain herbal components. That’s because these anxiety herbs have great abilities to enhance our body’s response to stress and to promote relaxation and calm.
One of the main benefits to herbal treatments for anxiety is the cost. Herbal treatments are almost always much less expensive than prescription drugs. But the benefits don’t end there. The best herbs for anxiety will also have fewer and less severe side effects as well, making them safer to use. For instance, they’re nonaddictive.

That’s not to say there are no side effects. Every chemical action must also have a reaction (side effect) and every body reacts in its own way to herbs and other supplements. So you must be careful with any supplement you take. That’s why I recommend that you not take any herbal remedy without first running it by your doctor or pharmacist. Now let’s talk about the anxiety herbs themselves.

Valerian: Valerian is a powerful anxiety herb. You can use it in the daytime to manage your stress and anxiety. You can also use it at nighttime to calm you down after a long day. And to help you get a restful, full night’s sleep.

Kava: Kava was first used in the South Pacific islands where it grows easily and abundantly. There it was cultivated into a relaxing beverage used in nearly every household. From there, it made its way to Europe and the West where it is used as an effective treatment for anxiety and insomnia.

St. John’s Wort: St. John’s Wort is a medicinal herb that dates back over 2000 years to the days of Hippocrates. He used it to first treat depression but in today’s world, it has been found to be an effective treatment against the effects of moderate levels of anxiety. It comes with certain side effects though as it may increase your sensitivity to sunlight and also interfere with the effectiveness of other drugs you may be taking.

Passion Flower: Passion Flower is a plant native to the Southeastern United States, parts of Argentina, and Brazil. It has been typically used as both an aid to digestion and as a natural tranquilizer. A small dose taken just before bedtime has been known to promote a restful sleep.

Last Word: All of these herbs are useful in the treatment of anxiety disorders and you can find them in most health food stores. They come in different forms, capsules, liquid extracts, and teas. And while they all produce much the same effects generally, you may find that they each work a little differently on you. Which one works best will probably take a little trial and error.

Capsules are the easiest to take while the extracts may be the most flexible; you can add them to just about any of your meals or beverages. Teas can be very flavorful and can give you more enjoyment. But whatever you choose, you’ll be getting some serious help from these anxiety herbs, help that can ease your anxiety and stress.

You are often worried about things which are not important. Then you can not forget valuable herb resource for your anxiety condition, namely valerian, kava, St. John’s Wort, passion flower, capsules, teas, liquid extracts. Tell others who also get anxiety like you this therapy.

Safe Treatment With Chinese Herbal Medicine

Posted by admin | Chinese Herbal Medicine | Tuesday 23 June 2009 4:55 am

Chinese Herbal Medicine is a kind of medicine that is original in China and existed thousands of years. Today, it is one of the most popular complementary therapies in the world. The therapy can treat various conditions such as asthma, depression, eczema and irritable bowel syndrome. It uses the extracts and essences of flora and fauna within formulas taken as teas, tinctures or capsules.

These formulas often contain up to 15 different herbs. But in a world concerned with ecological sustainability and ethical practices, how can we be sure the products we take are safe and not damaging the environment or wiping out endangered plants and animals?

As western societies have become switched on to the benefits to be had from Chinese Herbal Medicine, the demand for the products has increased. While the Far East looks to supply that demand, there must also be a question of how sustainable that supply is and if strict guidelines on extraction and safety are in place. Although the majority of Chinese medicines do not contain products from endangered species (plant or animal), some have been known to include products derived from tigers, elephants and bears. There are a number of societies around the world that monitor the trade and have set down codes for suppliers to abide by.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species was set up to make it illegal for anyone to buy or sell a product that derives from an animal or plant on the list of critically endangered species. Operation Charm is a joint initiative set up to combat this illegal trade in London and since its launch in 1995 the Metropolitan Police have seized over 30,000 items. Its dedicated Wildlife Crime Unit continues to make arrests and helps prosecute traders across the capital.

Chinese herbal products fall into categories of medicine, food and cosmetics. In the UK, these are monitored and enforced by trading standards agencies where legal requirements are in place to govern their use. Herbal formulas are seen as medicines and therefore must have product licences to be marketed and be safe and labelled in accordance with the Medicines Act of 1968. Some formulas that are exempt from this fall into the ‘unlicensed herbal medicine’ category but still should be safe and labelled correctly.

Anything that is not taken as a medicine is classed as food, a food supplement or drink and this will include things like herbal teas. These foods must meet strict guidelines as set out by the Food Safety Act that includes and governs things such as labelling, ingredients and quality. There should also be no false descriptions or misleading claims for those foods that are called ‘health foods’.

Cosmetics include any product that comes into direct contact with the skin, hair, nails, teeth, lips or genitals and whose purpose is to help protect, clean, perfume or correct. Some cosmetics are exempt from licensing however medicines and cosmetic products generally are licensed and are enforced by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

A way to ensure products you buy from a Chinese Herbal Medicine shop be safe and ethical, you should use a local practitioner or outlet that obeys codes and ethics. Then, the practitioner or outlet is using a supplier who has the necessary license to sell Chinese Herbal products.

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