Are Chinese Herbal Medicines Safe?
I’m often asked if Chinese Herbal Medicines are “proven”. I’m not real sure what people mean when they ask this, but I think they want to know if herbs are safe.
To answer if herbs are safe – the majority of the time, yes, herbs are safe. However, you need to know if this herb is right for your health problem and your constitution. You need to know if this herb will affect the other medicines and supplements you are taking.
Herbs and herbal medicines should be taken within the context of your particular health problem, not just because you read that it may be good for a specific illness. You may have other health problems that an herb could aggravate.
A number of years ago, ephedra was used for weight loss, and some people developed kidney failure and died as a result of taking this herb. Western MD’s were prescribing it for their patients that wanted to lose weight, not herbalists. As a result of this, ephedra was banned by the FDA, and now Traditional Chinese Medicine herbalists are unable to use it for it’s ancient indications. Any herbal formula containing it, had to be reformulated with different herbs. Yet ephedra remains a good example of an herb that should never be used by anyone with high blood pressure or kidney disease.
There are plenty of herbs on the market (that you can freely purchase) that should be used with caution with certain diseases, and unless you are aware of this, you could cause harm to yourself. This is one of the reasons I provide the services of Herb Consults, so you know exactly the best herbal formulas for your condition.
As an TCM acupuncturist and herbalist, we receive thousands of hours of training on herbs and herbal therapies. We also have to pass National Board Certification on Herbs, and like any other licensed health care professional we are required to continue our education yearly.
I personally know of no other herb system in the world as comprehensive as Traditional Chinese Medicine and as ancient.
Go here to read the full article. . . .Are Chinese Herbal Medicines Proven
Tags: are chinese herbal medicines proven, are chinese herbal medicines safe, chinese herbal medicines, Herbs, Herbs
Hi, I'm Christine Hasinger, DOM. I’m an Oriental Medicine Practitioner of which a large part is utilizing natural herbal medicine. You see, we're Master Herbalists as well as Acupuncturists. A large part of our extensive training focuses on the preparation, making, use and prescribing of herbs and herbal formulas for a wide variety of health disorders and problems.