Herbal Supplements and Their Standardization
Herbal supplements & their Standardization.
Herbal supplements are a type of dietary supplement that contain herbs, either singly or in mixtures. An herb (also called a botanical) is a plant or plant part used for its scent, flavor, and/or therapeutic properties. A dietary supplement is a product taken by mouth that contains a "dietary ingredient" intended to supplement the diet. The "dietary ingredients" in these products may include: vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, and substances such as enzymes, organ tissues, glandular, and metabolites. Dietary supplements can also be extracts or concentrates, and may be found in many forms such as tablets, capsules, soft gels, gel caps, liquids, or powders. They can also be in other forms, such as a bar, but if they are, information on their label must not represent the product as a conventional food or a sole item of a meal or diet. Whatever their form may be, DSHEA places dietary supplements in a special category under the general umbrella of "foods," not drugs, and requires that every supplement be labeled a dietary supplement.
Herbal supplements are products made from plants for use in the treatment and management of certain diseases and medical conditions. Herbal supplements commonly address specific medical concerns, such as the common cold, menopause, or memory loss. All plants, including herbs, naturally synthesize many (sometimes hundreds) of complex chemical compounds as part of their metabolic activities. Many of these compounds are not directly related to the plant 's energy production but are toxins synthesized by the plant in order to ward off other plants, herbivores, and plant parasites. Thus, all plant materials contain large numbers of chemical compounds, some of which may exert a desired physiological effect and others which may exert no effect whatever or any number of undesirable effects when consumed by humans. In fact, many herbs contain chemical compounds that act
Herbal supplements are a type of dietary supplement that contain herbs, either singly or in mixtures. An herb (also called a botanical) is a plant or plant part used for its scent, flavor, and/or therapeutic properties. A dietary supplement is a product taken by mouth that contains a "dietary ingredient" intended to supplement the diet. The "dietary ingredients" in these products may include: vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, and substances such as enzymes, organ tissues, glandular, and metabolites. Dietary supplements can also be extracts or concentrates, and may be found in many forms such as tablets, capsules, soft gels, gel caps, liquids, or powders. They can also be in other forms, such as a bar, but if they are, information on their label must not represent the product as a conventional food or a sole item of a meal or diet. Whatever their form may be, DSHEA places dietary supplements in a special category under the general umbrella of "foods," not drugs, and requires that every supplement be labeled a dietary supplement.
Herbal supplements are products made from plants for use in the treatment and management of certain diseases and medical conditions. Herbal supplements commonly address specific medical concerns, such as the common cold, menopause, or memory loss. All plants, including herbs, naturally synthesize many (sometimes hundreds) of complex chemical compounds as part of their metabolic activities. Many of these compounds are not directly related to the plant 's energy production but are toxins synthesized by the plant in order to ward off other plants, herbivores, and plant parasites. Thus, all plant materials contain large numbers of chemical compounds, some of which may exert a desired physiological effect and others which may exert no effect whatever or any number of undesirable effects when consumed by humans. In fact, many herbs contain chemical compounds that act
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