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Safety and Chinese Herbs

Safe Chinese Herbs - They Do Exist!
Chinese herbs are slowly gaining popularity in the United States. Indeed, last year Chinese herbal concentrates were top sellers in the herbal remedy category here in Colorado. This is because we have a well-educated and receptive population in the area of alternatives. They have discovered that safe responsible products are available.

Patent formulas, herbal extracts or tinctures, and powdered concentrates can now be found in health food stores and pharmacies. Unfortunately, when Chinese herbs have been in the news lately it is usually negative and the patents are usually the culprits. Some concern may be well founded.

Patent remedies may have several problems. If the ingredients are listed in Chinese and you can't read them, that should be a hint. If you can't trust the information, you can't know exactly what's in the product. Look for a company with a toll free number and someone available to answer your questions.

Some companies have been guilty of mixing drug products with their herbal remedies to give them an extra kick. Cortisone and steroids have been found. Arsenic and mercury may be present. Contaminants can cause new problems or exacerbate the original reason for taking the product. Artificial colors have been used in the sugar coating of some pills.

Another cause for concern is the use of animal products. Many people object to the use of zoological ingredients. Some of these are seen as very weird (although they have valuable historical use). Others are suspect because they harm endangered species or because of the method of harvest. These categories include deer antler (young animals are the ones in velvet), rhinoceros horn (expensive and illegal), and bug parts (yuck) just to name a few.

There is new research in the United States related to incorporating Chinese herbal remedies into tinctures. Practitioners may prepare their prescriptions into tinctures with an alcohol base. Some people object to the taste and others to the method of preservation. Also new are extracts prepared with water. The desired parts of the herbs are extracted and standardized. These products are altered from their classic origins and contain extra ingredients to improve the taste.

Chinese herbs excel in safety and ease of delivery in their concentrates. This is a modern (mid 1900s) mass-produced version of the traditional method of taking herbs utilized by most of the Chinese population. In Taiwan, one particular factory where the OHCO herbs are cooked uses special patented methods. The factory is modern and sterile with considerations like refrigeration of raw ingredients and careful treatment of wastewater.

In addition to being safe you also won't find Chinese herbal concentrates being promoted as fad products. They are based on a vast body of knowledge that often resides in the capable hands of a trusted practitioner. You may see single ingredients such as Ginseng and Tang Kuei emerge in popularity but this is not the true magic behind Chinese herbology. In Oriental medical tradition formulas may contain as few as four ingredients and often as many as twenty. It is the synthesis and balance of precisely chosen ingredients and a centuries-old method of cooking that makes them so effective.