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.

Are herbal supplements safe? 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.