Herbal Supplements

Excerpt

Herbal products, botanical products, or phytomedicines are produced from plants or botanicals to maintain health or treat diseases. Herbal supplements are products specifically used for internal use. A large number of prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications originate from plant derivatives. They differ from herbal supplements in that they use FDA-regulated, purified ingredients. However, the FDA does not regulate the manufacture of herbal supplements. Therefore, preparations may contain a portion of the plant or the whole plant and vary in their consistency. Herbal supplements are most often sold in solid form (capsules, pills, tablets, lozenges) but are also available in liquid or powder form.

This paper focuses on the following commonly used herbal supplements in the United States. These are:

1. Saw Palmetto

2. Garlic

3. Gingko Biloba

4. Echinacea

5. Black Cohosh

6. Ginseng

7. Hawthorn

8. St. John's Wort

9. Goldenseal

10. Feverfew