Frequently Asked Questions

• Q. Why should I use herbal products?
• Q. Are herbals safe?
• Q. Are herbal supplements safe?
• Q. Are herbal supplements effective?
• Q. What about interactions with drugs?
• Q. Should I tell my primary care physician that I'm using supplement herbals?
• Q. Where is my order?
• Q. What is your refund policy?
• Q. Do I need a prescription for herbal products?

Why should I use herbal products?

The decision to use herbals for their health promoting value is, as with all health decisions, a personal one. There are, however, many good reasons to consider herbal products as complements to your own health care. The best reason, however, may be the fact that herbals and herbal products, with their incredibly wide use throughout time, continue to provide real health benefits while maintaining a remarkable safety profile. Readily available natural substances and supplements were the first medicines used by humans. Primitive and ancient civilizations, as well as contemporary cultures throughout the world, have always relied on herbs and supplements to provide the benefits that have been observed with their use. In fact, the World Health Organization has estimated that 80% of the world's population continues to use traditional therapies, a major part of which are derived from plants, as their primary health care tools. In our own time and culture, most herbals are available in the form of "herbal supplements." These products are found in the form of teas, tablets, capsules, liquid extracts, and others. We now have ready access to products that bring the herbal traditions from all over the world in a variety of convenient forms. In addition, scientific inquiries continue to develop our knowledge of the benefits of plants and supplements, and often validate the observations made over the past centuries.

Are herbals safe?

Plants that enjoy broad culinary and therapeutic usage are generally safe. We can flavor our food with any number of herbal preparations to make a meal more flavorful. We can appreciate a delicious cup of peppermint leaf or ginger root tea, or benefit from the soothing properties of marshmallow root or the bark of slippery elm. We can take a supplement containing dandelion root or saw palmetto berries, or any number of the other herbals. Although allergies and reactions have been recorded for a few herbs that are widely used in foods and supplements, such individual concerns are also seen with many foods, and do not diminish the safety profile of the many herbs that are generally recognized as safe. On the other hand, and as everyone knows, there are any number of plants that are highly toxic, even deadly. Every ten-year-old hiker knows to stay away from poison ivy (Toxicodendron spp.) when walking in the woods. The death sentence imposed on Socrates by an Athenian jury 2400 years ago was carried out with a fatal dose of hemlock (Conium maculatum). The poison curare, a blend of several equatorial rain forest plants (e.g., species of Chondrodendron, Curarea and Strychnos) is used by some South American hunter cultures to make their arrows more deadly. Federal law and good common sense, however, prevent the use of any such highly toxic plant in products that are readily available to consumers. The better question then, for today's American consumer, is "Are herbal supplement products safe?"

Are herbals supplements safe?

Federal law requires that every food product, including herbal supplements, is free of "adulteration" and is not "misbranded." This legal language translates into a requirement that all foods and supplements have a reasonable expectation of safety when offered for sale and when used as directed. So manufacturers of soups, cereals, and supplements all have an obligation to sell only safely made and properly labeled goods, and can find their products subject to seizure should they fail to do so. In addition, manufacturers of herbal products are specifically required to limit their ingredients to either those that were already in the market prior to passage of landmark legislation in 1994 or those that a company can convincingly show, by providing information to the Food and Drug Administration, to be safe. What that means is that any manufacturer who wants to introduce a new herbal ingredient must first provide the FDA with information showing that the herb will be "reasonably expected to be safe." Additionally, the safety of herbal products as a general class has been well established by both their long history of traditional use worldwide and by their broad contemporary use by a significant proportion of the population, estimated to be nearly half of the U.S. population.

There are so few credible reports of unexpected side effects due to herbal products that most experts consider problems with herbal products to be of only minor or occasional concern. Norman Farnsworth, Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine and Research Professor of Pharmacognosy at the University of Chicago at Illinois, is generally considered to be one of the most respected experts on the scientific research of botanical medicines. In a 1993 article written on the subject of herbal safety, Dr. Farnsworth concluded, "...side effects or toxic reactions associated with herbal medicines in any form are rare. In fact, of all classes of substances reported to cause toxicities of sufficient magnitude to be reported in the United States, plants are the least problematic." This is not to say that every herbal ingredient that is sold as an ingredient in a supplement is appropriate for every consumer or in any quantity. Responsible and informed use by consumers is essential to insure that these products maintain their established safety profile. Accurate product labeling must provide consumers with all information that is material to the use of the product, and such disclosure is required by federal law.

A general rule for assuring responsible use of an herbal product is to follow all of the labeled directions. If the product bears a caution that suggests that the product is inappropriate for your use, you should take that message seriously. More information can often be provided by a qualified expert, and often from well-informed retail personnel.

Are herbals effective?

Today many people are turning to alternative medicine rather than conventional medicine in a search for both a healthier option to prescription and over the counter drugs, and for an inexpensive means of health care. There are many people who swear by herbal remedies, and there are even some doctors who incorporate herbs with modern medicine.

Botanicals have remained a primary source of traditional medicine for millennia. They have made contributions over the last centuries to the development of some of the most widely used and effective modern drugs. In the last several decades, there has been a resurgence of research in the clinical efficacy of herbs and supplement herbals. The results of such studies often verify that the empirical observations of the past centuries were accurate. For example, recent studies on the effect of valerian have produced results that led researchers to conclude that valerian root can produce "significant improvement in sleep quality" and that valerian root extract can be "recommended for the treatment of patients with mild psychophysiological insomnia". But can a consumer have confidence in the claims made for the products that are available in the market? To begin with, federal labeling law and regulations for herbs and supplements limit allowable claims to those for which a manufacturer "has substantiation that such statement is truthful and not misleading". The manufacturer therefore has a legal burden to assure that the claim that is made for their products has scientific evidence to back it up. Because there is a greater acceptance of herbal therapies by conventional physicians in Europe, a significant body of clinical data supporting the use of herbs has been developed there. More recently, a number of U.S. companies have designed clinical studies for their branded products. It is estimated that there are over 1,000 clinical trials now being undertaken in the U.S. to increase our knowledge about herbs. The National Institutes of Health has even set up a center with a special focus on "alternative" medicine, and is now concentrating much of its resources on the study of natural products.

What about interactions with drugs?

Humans have been learning about the diverse effects of ingesting plants throughout our evolution. We have, by trial and error, found both good and bad effects that are related to specific plants, some of which we use as food, and others that are used for therapeutic purposes. The introduction of synthetic and highly purified drugs is an extremely modern development. As researchers observe the interactions that drugs have with common foods and herbals, surprises continue to surface. For example, less than 10 years ago it was found that drinking grapefruit juice increases the serum drug concentration when patients take certain drugs. This effect, which can last for up to (24) hours after consumption, is now thought to inhibit specific enzymatic activities responsible for breaking down the drugs. Similarly, both avocado and leafy vegetables that are high in vitamin K can diminish the effectiveness of blood-thinning drugs. These concerns are not widely known by the public, but now that medical professionals are aware of these effects, they can routinely monitor their patients to assure effective treatment. Similar information has surfaced about some of the herbals that we use. For example, we now know that the use of an extract of St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) may cause certain prescription medications to be eliminated more quickly, leading one researcher to caution that, "As with grapefruit juice, a food product, physicians should also be aware of potential drug-herb interactions". In response to this new information, the American herbal Products Association has recommended that products containing St. John's wort be labeled to suggest that the advice of your prescribing physician be requested if you are taking any prescription drugs. Speculation on the exact mechanism of St. John's wort has led to reports that the use of this herb might affect oral contraceptives, leading to ineffectiveness and unwanted pregnancies. To date, there have been no reports of any such actual occurrence. Nevertheless, women taking oral contraceptives such as ethinyl estradiol and desogestrel should be aware that, if you experience break-through bleeding, you might experience a reduction in protection against pregnancy. As can be seen by the above examples, the effect of a drug can be either increased or decreased in the presence of other factors in the diet, including herbal use. Although it is likely that most such factors have little or no influence on drug metabolism, continued research will add to our knowledge of such interactions and responsible food and supplement manufacturers will be expected to inform their customers of any new findings. There is now an ongoing interest in other drugs that are suspected of interacting with certain specific herbals, with most contemporary emphasis on the use of herbals with blood-thinning drugs such as warfarin. Although the current concerns are either conceptual or based on isolated and inconclusive reports, it is advisable to inform your prescribing physician or pharmacist that you are using herbals when undergoing any drug therapy. As close monitoring of the effect of warfarin is an established standard of medical practice, this additional information will assist your physician in maintaining good supervision of your drug levels. In order to understand the potential for an herbal product to interact with prescription drugs, it may also be useful to consult with a qualified herbal expert.

Should I tell my primary care physician that I'm using herbals?

Of course you should! And because your doctor is, ideally, your primary partner in managing your health, you should insist that your doctor, no matter their degree of training in herbals, receive that information respectfully. In telling your doctor of your decision to use a herbal, however, don't be surprised to find that your knowledge of herbs and supplement herbals is more advanced than theirs. At the same time, remember that your prescribing physician has a responsibility to safely oversee your use of any prescription drugs. If your doctor is concerned that a pharmaceutical substance might interact with a herbal, it is prudent to accept such advice.

Where is my order?

Products are shipped according to customer's chosen method and shipping time may vary: (Delivery time varies depending on customer's shipping address).

Shipping Policy:
We do not ship orders on the weekend. If you place an order on Friday after 4:00 pm Eastern Standard Time, it will be dispatched on Monday.

Check your order status online:
You can check your order status by clicking here.

What is your Refund Policy?

FDA regulations prohibit us from accepting returned herbals from a customer. The customer's account will be charged once the order has been shipped.

Refunds will be issued when a customer did not receive his order,and chooses a refund instead of reshipment. Refunds can take between 5-7 business days. If for any reason your package did not arrive we will issue a refund OR reship your order.

Click here and we will take care of your request promptly.

Do I need a prescription for herbal products?

The herbal formulas offered on this site are classified by the US Food and Drug Association as nutritional supplements and not as drugs, thus they do not require a doctor's prescription.