Herbal Supplements

Herbal supplements are prepared from plants-often using the leaves, stems, roots, and/or bark, as well as the buds and flowers.  Known for centuries as medicinal agents, many plant parts can be used in their natural form, or they can be refined into tablets, capsules, powders, tinctures, and other supplement formulations.

Many herbs have several active compounds that interact with one another to produce a therapeutic effect.  An herbal supplement may contain all of the compounds found in a plant, or just one or two of the isolated compounds that have been successfully extracted.  For some herbs, however, the active agents simply haven't been identified, so using the complete herb is necessary to obtain all its benefits.
Of the hundreds of remedies that are surfacing in the current rebirth of herbal medicines, the majority are being used to treat chronic or mild health problems, increasingly, herbs are also being employed to attain or maintain good health-for example, to enhance the immune system, to help maintain low blood cholesterol levels, or to safeguard against fatigue.  Less commonly, some herbs are now recommended as complementary therapy for acute or severe diseases.

The Healing Power Of Vitamins, Minerals, and Herbs. 
Photo:  ginseng-the capsules of ginseng supply ginsenosides, active ingredients extracted from the Panax ginseng root.