A lot of people today are considering herbal supplements as an alternative to, or in addition to, conventional medicine. Are you one of these people? Or think that you may want to be? If so then read on, we will endeavor to provide at least a few answers to this question that will help you to decide if herbal supplements are for you.

In the past, before antibiotics and pharmaceutical companies, doctors used herbs and other medicines that they mixed themselves in their office. Doctors did pretty much what they do today and more because they were pharmacists/chemists in addition to their normal duties. Herbs were the medicines then and some doctors still prescribe them. Herbs today are classified as supplements and not as drugs.

Today, a lot of our medicines are plant derived. Chemists isolate the components of the herb that have specific medical benefits, then go through the FDA’s testing process before being given the OK to market them. Sometimes they are synthesized from the herb and mixed with other ingredients to make a viable product. Herbal supplements are either a portion of the plant or are ‘whole herb’ meaning that all of the plants components are used. There are literally thousands of herbs and herbal mixtures in today’s health food stores. Herbs and herbal mixtures can be found easily on the internet by using one of the search engines.

So, how does one choose which herbal supplements to take? It depends on why you want to take them. Do you want to take them for vitamin and mineral supplementation? Or do you want to take a specific herb for a condition or symptom? These things you must decide for yourself and to do the necessary research. There is an herb or herbal mixture for just about any condition or symptom. Much of this information can be found in early medical books and online.

Herbal supplements should be researched for any side effects or toxic component before taking. What could be the effects of mixing them with other medications or vitamin/mineral supplements that you may be taking. These are some of the questions that should be answered before taking any supplement. Check with your doctor first before taking any supplements of any kind.

A popular saying about Chinese herbal medicine answered the question “What to Expect from a Doctor of Chinese Medicine” with “Above all else, do no harm”. Among all the medical systems of the world, Chinese herbal medicine is the most highly developed. Over thousands of years, the experience of countless administrators of the system ensured its popularity.

Chinese herbal medicine consists of animal, mineral materials and plant species. They are prescribed in the form of formulae – a combination of herbs – than individually. The combination of herbs enhances the medicinal effects. Unwanted side effects are also neutralized by combining different herbs. The formulae in a Chinese herbal medicine consist of herbs of principal, assisting and directional functions which are combined with herbs to reduce the side effects and induce the digestion of the principal herb.

Tang (decoctions of the boiled teas), San (milled powders), Pign (pills), Wan (tablets) are some of the methods of ingestion of the Chinese herbal medicines. Poultices, soaks, plasters, washes, ointments and fumigants contain the herb for an effective cure.

The legends of Chinese herbal medicines are its flavour and potent odors. To get its fullest experience, boil the herbs and drink the “tea”. According to the combination of the formulae, the boiling time of herb will vary. While the roots of herbs take nearly 20 to 40 minutes of boiling to get its essence, other parts such as leaves and flowers yield medicines within ten to twenty minutes of boiling.

The pills were invented by the Chinese. As it is done today, the doctors of China were prescribing pills right from the twelfth century. The pills are prepared from herbs milled and bound with honey, juice of ginger and water or some other related herbal substance. Extracting the constituents of the herbs can be achieved by using alcohol, glycerin, vinegar or water.

Extracts from herbs should be drunk at room temperature since liquids, which are cold, do not get digested easily. Slowly sip the hot liquid even though it tastes terrible. To overcome the aftertaste, put a drop of lemon juice on the tip of the tongue after swallowing the herbal extract. In order to obtain best results, consume the herbal extract on an empty stomach. Wait for 30 minutes after drinking a herbal extract to eat food or any other additional medicines.

Tinctures of Chinese herbal medicines should be diluted with water in small quantities so that the caustic effect of the solvent is reduced. The four examinations involved prior to prescribing a suitable formula are listening, smelling, tasting, and touching. After these processes, the doctor will decide the best course of action to treat the malady suffered by the patient.