To Go or Not to Go Herbal, that is the Question…

Many people nowadays are turning to “organics” and “naturals” otherwise known as herbals. The rising popularity of herbal supplements has created a new fad if not a new health lifestyle. But before you join the bandwagon, here are some things you need to know about this mean, “green” dietary supplementing machine.

What is the difference between a drug and a dietary supplement?

According to the definition set by food and drug administrations in different countries, drugs are chemicals that can prevent, prolong the life, treat other effects of a health condition, improve the quality of life, and/or cure ailments and diseases, or alter the function of any part or chemicals inside the body. These drugs have approved therapeutic claims. For example, paracetamol is a drug given to bring down the body temperature in fever. Ascorbic acid is indicated for the treatment of scurvy. Iron supplements are given to treat mild cases of anemia.

Herbal supplements are not classified as drugs but as dietary supplements. The main difference is that they do not have approved therapeutic claims unlike in the case of drugs. Moreover, dietary supplements could either contain vitamins, minerals, herbals, or amino acids, all aimed to add to or supplement the diet of an individual. They are not intended to be taken alone as a substitute to any food or medicine.

Most of the manufactured medicines we now have once came from animals and plants. Through the years, chemists isolated the life-saving or life-curing components and separated them from the harmful ones. This lead to the further drug research and drug development that lead to the production of a different variety of drugs for many ailments and conditions from synthetic sources. But still we have semi-synthetic drugs, as well as drug that more or less approximate more natural composition. Since herbal supplements are made from a mixture of crude herbs reduced into powder or gel form, and later on packaged as tablets and capsules, there is a possibility that life-threatening or at least body chemistry-altering components are still present, thus the expression of concern from the medical community.

Is there a growing concern with the use of herbal supplements?

Yes. With the rising popularity of using and consuming anything herbal or organic is the proliferation of fake herbal supplements that threaten to endanger lives. If that’s the case, then why are herbal supplements given drug administration approvals? One way of ensuring the safety of the people is to have all candidate drugs, food, drinks, and dietary supplements registered with the proper authority. Otherwise, they would pose more risk with these things being sold in the black market for a hefty sum. We could ensure the quality and safety of herbal supplements if they get proper classification with the food and drug administration. Moreover, people may be able to file the proper complaints in the event a worsening of health condition is proven to be linked to the use of a particular herbal supplement.

Is using herbal supplements worth the risk?

Yes. It cannot be discounted that many who have tried herbal supplements experienced an improvement in their health—whether this is due to the herbals themselves or due to a placebo effect, as long as they do not worsen the condition of an individual, then using them is worth the risk. But of course, certain things must be considered before taking those herbal supplements:

Your doctor knows best.

First of all, clear your condition with your doctor. Ask him/her if taking a particular herbal supplement is safe given your health condition. People with heart, liver, or kidney trouble or malfunction, are usually not advised to take these, or at the minimum is to take these herbals in minimum amounts. All substances pass through the liver and kidney to be processed and filtered respectively. Kava, which is used to relieve people from stress, has been pulled out from the Canadian, Singaporean, and German markets because it contains substances that cause liver damage. Certain herbals such as Ephedra used for losing weight, contains chemicals with heart-inducing effects that can increase heart rate, which in turn can exhaust the heart and cause heart attacks in several documented cases by the American Medical Association.

Follow the directions for use.

Never take more herbal supplements than what is directed by the doctor or as instructed on the bottle. Each individual reacts differently to the components of herbal supplements. While it is perfectly safe for one individual to take in a supplement of primrose oil capsules, another person may be allergic to it. So, do not even think about downing one bottle of

It has no approved curative effect.

No matter how the product pamphlet or the label of the bottle sounds about how it has been found to be helpful in certain health conditions, these herbal supplements are not therapeutic. So do not substitute these for the medications prescribed by your doctor for the treatment of certain diseases, or for the maintenance of blood pressure, lowering of blood sugar and cholesterol, and fight off infections.

Acne Skin Care Before, During and After Acne Strikes

If you've never had acne before, you're luckier than I've been. My first bout erupted when I was a teenager. Thankfully, it was intermittent and never a real problem. If you're between bouts of it, there are steps you can take to help prevent it from recurring. If you're past the breakout, but have scarring or discoloration on your skin, you're in luck!

The best thing to do for acne is to prevent it before it ever occurs. A combination of diet, drinking plenty of water and regular exercise will go a long way towards prevention. In fact the fastest growing movement in acne prevention is the all-natural approach. The drug companies and sellers of topical treatments may not like it, but more and more people are taking action to keep their skin clear without taking medicine or applying creams, lotions or other "magic potions" to their skin.

If you're currently plagued by blemishes, don't poke at them. It's tempting to want to get rid of them as fast as possible, but you could do damage to your skin and make the breakout worse. Since acne is not caused by "dirty skin", more washing won't really help, either. Frequent washing, especially with soaps and chemicals, can irritate the skin. Go gently and be patient might be the best medicine you can apply to your face.

Chronic acne that simply won't go away, even if you've seen a dermatologist and/or other medical professional may not be hopeless. There are new ways of dealing with acne from the inside and outside that are natural, safe and have shown real results for people all over the world.

Acne scars, discoloration, pitting and rough skin can be effectively dealt with by skin care professionals using powerful technology and chemical treatments that actually remove the blemished skin. However, even if that's something you can afford, it may not be what you want to endure. Happily, there's a new way of dealing with scarring, wrinkles, burns and other skin problems that you can read about on my blog.

Are you suffering from acne? Have you tried all the “cures”, with no success? Worried about scarring? Find out about a revolution in natural acne remedies! Go to Tips for Eliminating Acne Without Acne Medicine for more free information and resources for you to finally CONQUER acne and nasty acne scarring naturally!

Eat Fruit To Cure Acne

Eat fruit to cure and prevent acne

Eating fruit is a very effective way to prevent or cure acne.
As you may know fruit is not only very tasty but also healthy.
The best fruit you can eat to prevent acne is fruit with an orange or red skin.
I think you now already that a balanced diet is very important when it comes to cure acne.
Below you can find seven kinds of fruit that are very effective.
And they have more benefits related to health than just preventing acne.

Apples

Eat at least two apples a day they are very effective to clean your skin.
Be sure that you can eat the skin of the apple because most pectin is in the skin it helps with constipation. If you don’t like apples you can make also a fruit juice from the apples but be sure that you mix the skin also. But even if you have already a perfect skin it’s a good idea to eat a few apples a day it reduces the risk of weight loss, hart diseases and it control cholesterol. Or haven’t you heard about the old proverb: An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Bananas

A banana is a kind of a probiotic food – it contains live bacteria - just like onions and artichokes, oats and goat’s milk. Eating probiotic fruit helps you to feed the good bacteria. In stead of eating you can also take a supplement but I’m sure your prefer to eat a banana. But don’t eat to much bananas in fact one banana a day is already enough.

Grapes

Grapefruit a sub-tropical citrus tree is a useful source of vitamin c. As you may know vitamin c is a very good vitamin when it comes to skin cleaning. You can also find vitamin c in oranges and in lemons. I have tested this out and they are also excellent to prevent acne.

Strawberries

Strawberries have strong anti acne-activity. Strawberry contains alpha-hydroxy acid it slough of dead skin cells. This way new youthful skin cells are revealed.

Cherries

Personally cherries are my favourite fruit. Not only are they purifying the bleed but they also contain a lot of vitamins. Vitamin A, a proven vitamin to cure acne and vitamin C. Did you know that cherries are also helpful for a good night sleep.

Papayas

Papaya native to the tropics of America is an effective ingredient when it comes to skin care. Eating papayas – which contains enzymes - is a good way to rejuvenating and repairing the skin.

Lemons

This is the last sort of fruit that I will describe here. The most effective way to cure acne with lemons is not by drinking the juice, it’s very better, but to apply lemon juice on your acne spots.

Now you know seven fruit sorts that are effective to prevent or even cure acne. You don’t have any reason know to not try it out. And even if you don’t have acne it won’t hurt your body.

There is much more to say about acne and skin cleaning.
If you want to learn more about it visit my site
there are a lot of tips that you can use.
Get more acne tips