Safe Herbal Supplements

Question: "How safe are herbal supplements that supposedly reverse the effects of overmasturbation? Supplements such as LoveLongerIII for anyone familar with it.

Answer: I doubt you can treat too much masturbation with any herbal or vitamin therapy. See a counselor for this. It could be as simple as needing to find a hobby that really grabs your attention to a compulsion that needs to be discussed with a professional.

Question: Is it safe to mix herbal supplements? Every morning I take L-theanine, St. Johns Wort, 5-HTP, Ginko Biloba, Ashwagandha, Fish Oil, & Ginseng. Is it safe to take all of these supplements at once, and is the effect the same?

Answer: Before you take any of those together, you need to see a naturopathic doctor, and find out what you SHOULD be taking, safe combinations, and proper dosages. The things most people don't understand about all this herbal and natural stuff, is it is not all good for you just because it's natural. Poison ivy is as natural is it comes. Would you eat it just because it's natural? Hell no! Consult with someone who sent years studying herbs and see what they have to say. Also, be leery of anything without a natural name. 5-HTP sounds like some sort of club drug. What plant or animal source is it derived from? What research has been done in it? And most importantly, what is something that has obviously been synthesized in a lab going to do for your health? Think about these things before you start gulping down stuff you do not know if it is safe, or even legitamant. My nauturopatic doctor has prescribed lots of different supplements over the years, not one of them had numbers or random assortments of letters in them. Everyone was an herb I could research, if i found negative side effcts on it, discuss with my doctor, even look at photos of the plant it came from. If your going to do this, do it right. You have no idea what "natural" things can do wrong in your body. That's why there are licensed experts to help you decide.

Question: Are Herbal supplements safe? When I was in Whole Foods, I noticed a plethora of not only vitamin supplements, but supposedly all natural herbs and antioxidant supplements. Some examples include Acai/Blueberry/Cinnamon extract, goji berry, milk thistle, kava kava, saw palmetto, and antioxidant complex supplements, and the list goes on. How safe are these supplements? I have heard that they are not always regulated by the FDA and thus should be avoided, even though the claims made on the bottles sound very inviting. Does anyone have any information or insight on this subject?

Answer: The best idea is to do some research on any given supplement, and for the most part choose supplements that come from plant, herb and whole food sources. When you do your research, try to avoid mainstream controlled and troll patrolled sources (such as Wiki and quackwatch for example) if you want accurate information that is not biased against natural supplements due to self-serving greed. In any given year, only a handful of deaths at most can be attributed to supplements worldwide, while in the US alone over 140,000 people die each year in hospitals and homes from side effects due to properly prescribed and adminstered mainstream drugs. That does not mean that supplements are always safe, but generally they are far safer than mainstream alternatives. Likely the difference in safety is due to the fact that the majority of supplements come from items found in nature and thus have been side by side with mankind since we first began making footprints on the sands of time. Mainstream drugs on the other hand are unnatural compounds, synthetics and unique isolates not found in nature and thus are not nearly as compatible, and most often inimicable, to the natural human body. The fact is that over 95% of all approved medications have side effects. The idea that mainstream drugs are more potent or effective than natural supplements is by and large a myth. The ONLY reason mainstream medicine does not utilize natural supplements is because they cannot be patented - you cannot patent a natural herb or other plant, nor can you patent a natural vitamin or mineral, and thus you cannot control it nor can you make huge profits from it. The catch 22 is that the FDA drug approval process has been set up to where it takes hundreds of millions of dollars to get a drug through trials and to market. No one can afford to do that for a natural or other supplement they cannot uniquely market. When it comes to FDA approval, while that is good in theory, in practice the FDA serves as a protection racket for its true masters - the world pharma empire - and instead of protecting us as the public thinks they do, instead protects big pharma drugs from competition by suppressing and prosecuting any natural supplements or other items that dare imply health benefits (such as Washington cherries, for example). The approval process certainly did not protect us from over 60,000 deaths due to Vioxx, or from Avandia, Gardasil, Fosamax, Bextra, Alleve or Aspartame did it? In fact, the FDA has fought long and hard to keep such items on the market in the face of rising death and injury tolls. The last two FDA heads have left office under a cloud of scandal due to taking excessive gifts from the pharmaceutical industry. One of them approved Aspartame on his way out, over the objections of the FDA's own scientific advisors. Guess where he ended up getting a job after he left? The same as does over 50% of the outgoing managers in the FDA each year who go on to jobs in the industry they were supposed to supervise. The last FDA commissioner who was regarded as not being a lackey to pressure and influence from the big pharma companies had this to say after he left: "The FDA 'protects' the big drug companies and are subsequently rewarded, and using the government's police powers they attack those who threaten the big drug companies. People think that the FDA is protecting them. It isn't. What the FDA is doing and what the public thinks it is doing are as different as night and day." Dr. Herbert Ley

Question: Is there a safe herbal supplement or diet for menopause? I'm having severe hot flashes and night sweats. Trouble staying asleep and now depression.

Answer: i heard alot of women take evening primrose oil.....

Question: ARE HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS REALLY SAFE? herbal treatments such as st. johns wort and Valerian root, 5htp are not FDA approved so I was wondering are they really safe to take?

Answer: They aren't automatically safe because they are natural, but they are typically much safer than drugs. It has nothing to do with FDA approval, though... supplements aren't FDA approved, but they aren't denied either. It is basically that the FDA lets them be on the market and ignores them as long as the supplements aren't hurting people and as long as companies are being tested and verified that they are actually selling what the bottle says is in it. There are a lot of various opinions on this, but if you look closely at the statement, it usually says that it's not making any claims or the FDA doesn't approve of any claims being made. If the FDA actually had a problem with a supplement, they do (and have) pull it from the market based on enough consumer complaints or reports of adverse reactions... they actually banned L-Tryptophan for about 10 years because they over-reacted to a contaminated batch where a lot of people were getting sick. When you're looking at supplements, the FDA basically ignores them if they aren't causing problems, but that's why it's important to make sure another company is verifying quality. The GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) and USP (U.S. Pharmacopoeia) are the main quality assurance organizations (USP is for the U.S., GMP is for the U.S. and worldwide). So as long as a supplement company has a good rating with either of those, you'll know it's safe in general... but there are some supplements that have warnings on them that you need to abide by to be on the safe side. Also, if you are taking any prescriptions, it's best to ask a doctors or a pharmacist because both have access to a database of drug and supplement interactions and they can tell you quickly if you can safely take them together or not. Most supplements are perfectly safe if you aren't taking a prescription or have any medical condition, though. There are literally thousands if not millions of deaths every year from "properly prescribed drugs" (I believe it's in the top 5 causes of death in the U.S.) whereas there are hardly any deaths from supplements. In fact, most deaths from supplements are either severe allergic reactions (which is very rare) or negative reactions from some drug the person is taking that interacts with the supplement. Good luck and I hope I helped!

Question: Is This Combo of Vitamins and Herbal Supplements safe? Most of these are natural - I just want to make sure there is no harm in taking them all together - or too much of one thing. I have followed the label with all supplements on when I take them. Multivitamin - Morning Vitamin D3 - Morning St. Johns Wort - Morning and Evening Acai - Morning Ginseng - Morning and Evening B-Complex - Morning Fish Oil - Morning and Evening Cayenne Fruit - Morn and Evening Cinnamon - Evening Melatonin - Evening Biotin - Evening

Answer: Very safe as they are all compatible without any adverse interactions. Supplements that may clash with other supplements usually have a warning to that effect on the container.

Question: I'm looking to take the following herbal supplements - is this safe? A multiple vitamin such as Centrum Amino Acid: L-Arginine: 500mg Amino Acid: L-Lysine: 500mg Bee Pollen: Max 1 teaspoon a day Herb: Avina Sativa Herb: Muira Puama Extract Herb: Schizandra Herb: Saw Palmetto Berries Extract Are these ok to take together? Thank you

Answer: Overall they are fine to take together. the 2 questions i have for you is, Why do you wan to take Centrum, as this is not a good Multi in any way shape or form; and my second question is, why the 500mg of L-Arginine? I would purchase a good quality Multi-Vit/Min, and i would have it be a liquid as most minerals are much more stable in the liquid for. As for the L-Arginine, it really has no nutritional content what so ever. It is found in most "pre workout" supplements as it is something called a Vasodilator. In other words, it opens up your blood capillaries, and increases oxygenation in the muscles. The problem with this is, it is an oxidant! Arginine has no nutritional content or value what so ever, and it is a proved fact that it causes free-radical damage to the cells. So if i were you i would invest in a better Multi, and throw out the Arginine. Good luck!

Question: Is it safe yo take herbal supplements while being on Accutane ? like Phytoestrogenic Herbal Supplements, Fenugreek, Puraria Mirifica..etc

Answer: It depends on what kind of herbal supplements. You shouldn't take any supplements containing vitamin A because this can cause a potentially serious drug interaction.

Question: Is there an effective and safe herbal remedy for anxiety? Yes, I could Google it, but every website (of course) is going to say that their product works. I'm very interested in personal experiences. Also, if there is a safe herbal remedy, can you recommend any brands? From what I know, there are companies who sell herbal supplements that aren't very good... My thanks in advance for your answers :) (((Solly!)))

Answer: I had to conquer my anxiety and depression by changing the way that I think, and with exercise. I met a therapist who offered me an alternative. What he said to me made so much more sense than swallowing a happy pill to get thru the ordeal of going to the grocery store. I will try not to sound like an idiot here... LOL He said that we train our brains (by worrying, etc.) to think a certain way, to fear. Over time, that changes our brain chemistry. When we practice changing our thought process, then "over time" we can undo the damage that has been done, creating the chemicals we need to live and think "normally." It made sense, and it worked. Au naturale, no herbs (cannabis just made me paranoid then, lol) and no drugs. Just coping skills. Oh, it helped that I got a divorce from a poison person, too.

Question: Herbal Supplements and Vitamins Safe? I was just wondering whether there are any contraindications or adverse effects between any of the following vitamins or supplements: St. John's Wort Valerian Vitamin B6 Vitamin B12 Fish Omega-3 Oil Folic Acid Vitamin D Also, how long can one safely take St. John's Wort, Valerian, or both if that is indeed safe? Will extended use cause any serious effects i.e: liver damage, etc? The info I've found on the internet thus far is pretty ambiguous and contradictory.

Answer: There's little point taking SJW as it does have known interactions with many drugs. Leave valerian out for the same reason. The rest occurs naturally in food so will be fine.

Question: do breast enhancement herbal supplements really work and are they really safe?

Answer: I'm certain that you will not find any empirical (scientific) evidence that they do what they claim to do. Due to the fact that herbal supplements are not regulated by any authority, you are taking your chances. All kinds of problems have been found with these unregulated products ranging from dosages as stated on the bottle being contradicted when the product was tested ("shortchanging" the consumer) - TO - discovery that one or more of the ingredient(s) used to make these products were contaminated with lead (as was one case I know of with ginseng). At the very least you will be throwing your money away.

Question: Are there any natural or herbal remedies for decreased libido in men that are safe to use? My husband is 38 years old. He takes Lexapro and Lamictal for a mood disorder and depression. He has decreased libido and low serum testosterone levels. He has taken Androgel in the past but is interested in other treatment options. Are there any herbal supplements or natual remedies that are safe to use? Does anyone out there have any first-hand experience with any of them?

Answer: I'm not an expert but I know in China they have been using Ginseng for that kind of thing since forever. I've also heard that Seafood can be good because it's high in L-Arginine which is a precursor of nitric oxide which is apparently necessary for sexual function.

Question: Is it safe to take a bunch of herbal supplements? More info...? I take CoQ10, Fish Oil, Ginkgo Biloba, Garlic, and Blue Green Algae. Let me know if this is okay, or what I should be doing instead to get good minerals and supplements.

Answer: Yeah, its safe. all herbs are good for you, but wait..... you already know that.

Question: is there a safe herbal supplement i can take to wake up in the morning? coffee disgusts me. thanks!?

Answer: Hey Ross I have an awesome product that will wake you up and keep you going all day long. It is all natural and ephedra free. This product is awesome and free. www.xtremepill.com

Question: Is it ok to take effexor XR with herbal supplements? I take Effexor XR 37.5mg and it started to work the first day. I was wondering if it is safe to take natural supplements like L-Tyrosine, PharmaGABA, and or 50mg 5-htp in addition to Effexor XR?

Answer: I wouldn't take these supplements while on Effexor. 37.5 mg is a minimal dose. If you're not feeling like the Effexor has worked good enough, talk to your doctor and see about getting the dosage upped. These types of supplements work on your neurotransmitters in a similar way to antidepressants (as you apparently know). If you do want to take them, please talk to your doctor. You don't want to get seratonin syndrome which is like an OD and can be fatal..

Question: Can I put my herbal supplements in the refrigerator? Oh my lands!!!!! It is soooo hot today, it is 94 degrees inside my apt (no AC). I am worried about my herbal supplements, I have around 100 dollars worth of them that I have been taking (includes kelp, an adrenal formula, acidophilus and a yeast cleanse package)! Should I put them in the refrigerator for now (or permanently?) Is it safe? I don't know what to do - please help! Thanks so much.

Answer: There are some isolated exceptions and apparently green superfoods such as alfalfa, barley grass, wheat grass, chlorella and spirulina in the form of powders or tablets are supposed to be stored at room temperature. Colloidal silver is another one. All the ones that you have mentioned (with the possible exception of kelp) are probably better in the fridge. Kelp I am not sure as that may perhaps be better at room temperature like the green superfoods that I have mentioned so you might perhaps want to do some research on that.