1. Is it safe to take herbs while
taking drugs?
2. How can i safely decrease my
drug and take the herbs instead?
3. Is it safe for children to take
herbs?
4. Why do we need to take the herbs
with food?
5. What fluid should i take the
herbs with?
6. Why are some tablets speckled?
7. Why do the colours vary between
bottles of the same herb?
8. Can i take the herb without the
capsule?
9. Can i still take the herbs even
though it is past the due date?
10. What is the best way to store
the herbs?
11. What does “synersup “ on the
label mean?
12. What does “excipient” on
the label mean?
13. Do the products contain gluten?
14. Do the products contain
lactose?
15. What does “synergy” mean in
regards to the herbs?
16. What is a “catalyst”?
17. Why are the capsules sticking
together?
18. Why are the soft gel capsules
melting and sticky?
19. Do the products have preservatives
in them?
20. Secure shipping to australia?
There may be more questions you would like to ask. Feel free to do so and
I will do my best to answer them.
1. IS IT SAFE TO TAKE HERBS WHILE
TAKING DRUGS?
Generally speaking
it is not wise to take herbs and drugs at the same time, especially
if they have the same actions.
e.g. If you are
taking a drug that is a blood thinner you would not want to take a
natural blood thinner as well. You would be doubling the dose and
this could have disasterous results, such as a haemorrhage, and if it
occurs in the brain, that is a stroke.
So seek advice
from the one giving you the drug.
If the herb has a
different action than the drug you are taking, you still need to seek
advice, as they could still be incompatable.
So treat it as a
serious step
2. HOW CAN I SAFELY DECREASE MY
DRUG AND TAKE THE HERBS INSTEAD?
Only
with the help of the one giving you the drug in the first
place. They are the ones who can monitor you while you are gradually
decreasing the drug and introducing the herb. This is very important.
3. IS IT SAFE FOR CHILDREN TO TAKE
HERBS?
Certain herbs are
fine and when a child is 12 years old and/or a certain weight, they
are considered generally safe on the adult dosage, but personally I
would always start a preteen off on a minute dose and be careful of
the choice of herb to give.
For children aged
6 to 12 years it is general to give half the dose of adults but I
would still stick to minute doses, and still be careful of what is
being considered.
For children under
6 there are safe herbs that can be seeped in boiled hot water and
sweetened with honey if necessary for palatability. (I have given
babies in my life slippery elm for example in this fashion, for extreme colic)
Herbs in general are not
something to give without consultation if you are unaware of all the
necessary information. For instance, you
would not give a hormone type herb to any of those age ranges under
12 or 13 years of age. Nor anything that is classed as “alterative”
while children are developing. Nor would you use laxative or
sedative type herbs.
There is a lot of
inquiring to do before any step with children.
4. WHY DO WE NEED TO TAKE THE HERBS
WITH FOOD?
Basically to
enhance the absorption and digestion, and to make a more complete
food.
The food in your
stomach activates the digestive acids and enzymes very well.
Especially for
those who are newly taking herbs, and for those with poor digestion,
it is a good idea to have it in the stomach at the same time as food
as the digestive juices, and the enzymes, will then flow more
readily to help in digesting the herbs at the same time.
The food helps to hold the herbs down
and prevent repeating. (burping)
Also it helps the herb become more of a
complete food when mixed with normal eating.
However taking
them at any time is alright if you don't have a problem with it. I
for one do this many times and I usually take them with liquid
Chlorophyll which is very high in nutrients.
If a product is
high in Cayenne Pepper I always take it with food as it needs food to
absorb the heat. Otherwise it can get rather hot way down further in
the alimentary tract.
Of course if you
are taking digestive products such as enzymes you should always take
them just before your meal or if you forget, during the meal, as it
is there to help you digest that meal
If you forget to
do this it will still work if you take it during or after your meal.
Chewable Papaya
Mint can also have a good effect on undigested foods sitting in the
stomach even half an hour or more after the meal. I have proven that
to myself.
5. WHAT FLUID SHOULD I TAKE THE
HERBS WITH?
Water is always
the best and purified water even better.
Liquid chlorophyll
is also a great way to add to the contents of the pill and I usually
do this. Juice is also fine
if the first two are not to your liking. Coffee, caffiene,
tea, soda drinks or milk is not a good combination with the herbs apparently.
6. WHY ARE SOME TABLETS SPECKLED?
These are usually
in the vitamin and mineral range and are darker flecks of one or more
of the individual ingredients. Usually the flecks are not highly
pronounced.
If the specks
become blackish and/or the tabule has a rancid smell or a dank or
mouldy smell, it means usually, that moisture has altered the
contents.
It is wise to
throw these away.
Providing the cap
has been on tight and the storage has been out of the sun and the
damp, this should not happen in a hurry.
7. WHY DO THE COLOURS VARY BETWEEN
BOTTLES OF THE SAME HERB?
This is simply a
variation between crop colours depending on the factors present
during growth. It is not something to be concerned about.
The same rigorous
tests are done by Natures Sunshine to ensure the very high quality
demanded from the company, and also that the species and plant part,
root, leaves and flowers, are correct, so the colour is not the important
thing here. Naturally grown plants tend
to change colour crop by crop.
8. CAN I TAKE THE HERB WITHOUT THE
CAPSULE? (Some people
don't like to have the gelatin)
There are some herbs that are quite
palatable outside the capsule, but there are also many that are not
and taste vile or hot. Sometimes one can buy these ones in a
tincture or liquid form. They could still taste bad or be very hot
though.
Try a taste of a tiny bit of the dry powder and you will
know.
Things like slippery elm and licorice
are quite pleasant.
You can seep the powder in boiled hot
water for a while and then strain it, and if necessary sweeten it
with honey.
It can also be sprinkled on a sandwich,
or on cooked meals if not too strong in taste.
The capsule opens with a twist motion.
9. CAN I STILL TAKE THE HERBS EVEN
THOUGH IT IS PAST THE DUE DATE?
Certainly anyone
can if they wish to do this, and I have done this, providing the contents still
smell good.
Smell the contents
of the bottle and if it does not smell musty, damp, mouldy or
rancid, then it should be fine. (It should have a fresh herby smell).
It is entirely up to you.
But you can
dispose of it if you feel better by doing that. That is what
companies and government departments recommend.
It pays to store
them correctly.
The companies have
to put a date to show when the active ingredients lessen in value.
If there is less value then maybe a larger dose is needed to get the
same effect, but I did not find this to be so.
See the next
question to see the best way to store the product to prevent invasion
of outside influences.
Generally, the use
by time is 5 years for the herbs, and 2 years for extracts and
vitamins and minerals.
10. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO STORE
THE HERBS?
Out of the
sunlight in a cooler place in the room, a low lying cupboard being a
cooler place for many. Keep out of steamy rooms or damp areas.
Whilst taking them
they are fine on a bench providing it is a cooler place and not damp,
even though the bottle is coloured to protect from the light. The
bottle is made of high density polyethylene.
Keep the lid on
tight.
Don't use fingers
to extract them from the bottle as this could add unwanted
“ingredients” and moisture and oils. Tip what you need out of the bottle or
use a spoon to extract them.
When the weather
is very hot, store products that are contained in soft gel capsules
in the frig. Otherwise you could end up with a mass of gelled together stickiness.
Store away from
radiant elements and microwaves.
Bifidophyllus, a
probiotic full of so many good bacteria, should be stored in the frig
at least, and even the freezer.
When there is a
little sachet in the bottle, this is to absorb moisture. Leave it in
the bottle always.
11. WHAT DOES “SYNERSUP “ ON THE
LABEL MEAN?
This is an
exclusive formula of vegetables used by Natures Sunshine, as a base,
to add to the value of certain products. They are: Broccoli, Cabbage
Leaf, Chinese Cabbage Leaf, Carrot Root, Red Beetroot, Rosemary,
Tomato and Turmeric
When you find the
word “Synersup” on the ingredient list on the bottle, it is
guaranteed that those vegetables are present.
12. WHAT DOES “EXCIPIENT” ON
THE LABEL MEAN?
When you see this
on the label it simply means the coating used around a tablet, or a
lubricant to prevent the sticking of tablets to solid items especially during
manufacture . The
tablet would not be easy to swallow without an exipient. The
exipient used is smooth to help that situation.
Natures Sunshine
uses only top quality and safe exipients.
It is very
necessary for top quality tablets and tabules,(an elongated tablet).
13. DO THE PRODUCTS CONTAIN GLUTEN?
There are some
that contain foods that have a natural gluten content. The gluten is
not removed.
The bottle will
state if it does, or may, contain gluten.
Ones who are
sensitive to grains in ordinary food ranges may be able to tolerate
these in the small doses.
Ones who have coeliac disease should
not try them out.
If you don't have
access to a bottle, ask first for a list of ingredients so that you
can remain safe.
14. DO THE PRODUCTS CONTAIN
LACTOSE?
Herbs do not
contain lactose, and nor do the vitamins and minerals.
The probiotics and
digestive enzymes may do though as the starting material may have
lactose in it.
In this case the
label will state that it may have, or has lactose in it.
Best to ask first.
15. WHAT DOES “SYNERGY” MEAN IN
REGARDS TO THE HERBS?
It refers to the
interaction between the ingredients where there is a combination of
herbs, Vits and Mins etc. The co operation between them if you will.
It is not the sum
total of all the ingredients, but how one herb works together with
the other in the same capsule. An enhancement of
the actions of each other.
16. WHAT IS A “CATALYST”?
It is an
ingredient, in this case mainly a herb, that causes an action in the
other ingredients, without being affected itself (usually).
It can cause the
action of the group to go to various places in the body, depending on
what is used as a catalyst.
17. WHY ARE THE CAPSULES STICKING
TOGETHER?
Moisture, or
something else, has got into the bottle. Never put your fingers
inside to get the capsules out as this can add moisture/oils to the
capsules. Tip out to use or use a teaspoon to get them out of the bottle. Also keep the lid on tight and keep out of
damp atmospheres.
18. WHY ARE THE SOFT GEL CAPSULES
MELTING AND STICKY?
These are the soft
gel capsules used for such products as Evening Primrose, Omega 3 EPA, Vit A and D.
I have seen them
after being stored in a very hot area for a week, and they
became a clumped mass of soft gel and oils. So play it safe. That was quite
a waste of money.
Keep out of hot
rooms or store in frig in the hotter months. If you have them in a
hot car to travel, use a coolie bag or even wrapping in newspaper can
help to keep the heat away.
19. DO THE PRODUCTS HAVE PRESERVATIVES
IN THEM?
Only natural
organic forms of preserving would ever be used if any. For example
Vitamin C is a natural preservative or stabiliser and you will find
it used by many food preparation companies in the form of ascorbic
acid in foods such as bacon.
The herbs have no
need of a stabiliser. The gelatin capsules do not have a preservative
in them.
20. SECURE SHIPPING TO AUSTRALIA?
NB that my standard shipping is by airmail as it is cheaper, but it takes
from 5-9 working days to reach the destination. It is also un-tracked and if
it goes missing in transit there is a long wait to apply for a refund.The maximum
claimable amount is NZ$250.00. They require papers to be filled out by
both customer and distributor and that is still not assurance that they will
pay out.
You accept this method at your own risk.
If you wish to have secure oversight and delivery by the Economy Courier,
with signature required, you need to add the extra shipping fee that is located
under the "add to cart" button on all product pages.. ie "Add
Faster/Secure Au Shipping". Simply click on the link and then add it to your shopping cart as a purchased item. The maximum claimable
amount is NZ$2000.00
This method usually takes from 3-5 working days, depending on where you live.
The shipping fee applies to normal herb bottles and small liquids. If
you have quite a few heavy liquids such as Liquid Chlorophyll I would inform
you if there are any extra shipping charges.
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