Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are herbs?

Herbs are the highest quality food known to man. They contain vitamins, minerals, and trace elements in natural balance and harmony. All herbs are plants. Depending on the nutrition desired, the leaves, flowers, fruits, stems, roots, bark, or the entire plant may be used.

2. Why should I use herbs?

It is our sincere belief that God our Creator put herbs upon the earth to maintain and restore our health (Genesis 1:29; Exodus 15:26; Psalm 104:14; Revelation 22:2). We believe that instead of simply masking symptoms as many pharmaceuticals do, herbs get to the real cause of health problems by feeding the body the nutrition that it needs to complete the healing process that God created into each of us. Click here for more about what the Bible says about herbs and health.

3. What is the main difference between taking herbs and taking drugs?

Because we believe that God uniquely and supernaturally created mankind and originally placed him in a garden, we also believe that everything that is needed for man’s health can be found in that garden. The vast majority of modern “drugs” were originally developed from plants, and many are still based on their original plant formulas.

Many (if not most) prescription and over-the-counter drugs are now chemically-reproduced (counterfeited, actually) copies of the original natural substance.

It is also openly admitted by most “traditional” health care professionals that Western medicine is more concerned with the suppression of symptoms than with the actual restoration of health. It is estimated (by the A.M.A.) that as many as 80% of all prescription medications are dispensed to counter the undesired effects of other prescription medications.

Herbs do not “mask” or hide symptoms — instead, they feed the body the nutrition that it needs to properly heal the root causes of the symptoms.

4. Are there any bad side effects using herbs?

No, but some people experience a normal and natural cleansing action (such as nausea, diarrhea, aches, etc.) on the body when first using herbs. These effects may occur when the body releases stored toxins from the cells into the bloodstream so they may be properly processed and eliminated. It is this detoxifying process that helps start bringing the body into a state of health.

5. Do I treat herbs like drugs (small dosage, caution in mixing, possible overdose)?

Herbs are food, not drugs. Most herbs can be taken in large quantities with no harmful side effects. Mixing herbs has less of a side effect than eating different foods together. Therefore, you can take all the herbs you want to get greater health benefits.

Most chemical drugs can be taken at the same time as herbs, but is preferable to take herbs and drugs at different times because of the way the body digests them differently.

If you are taking any prescription medications, you should check with your licensed health care professional or pharmacist for possible interactions between your prescription and any herbal products, then decide whether you want to take God’s medicine or man’s chemicals.

For example, if you are taking a prescription blood-thinner, you would not want to also take an herbal blood-thinner at the same time. Click here for a list of common cautions regarding herbal products.

6. How many herbs should I take, and for how long?

The answer to this question depends upon whether you are talking about maintaining your health or addressing a specific health concern.

If you are talking about health maintenance, you are talking about eating food! Remember that herbs are food, not medicines. How much broccoli or carrots or spinach should you eat? Every body is different and will assimilate different foods differently. Remember that when you consult the government’s Recommended Daily Allowances, you are looking at the absolute minimum values that have been established to keep the “average” “healty” person between the ages of 25 and 50 from becoming ill due to malnutrition. What is “average” and what is “healthy”? At what point does one reach “malnutrition”? These are arbitrary terms that won’t provide you with much assistance. Most food supplement manufacturers provide a “recommended dosage” for their products, and that recommendation is almost always the suggested amount for health maintenance for an adult with an average weight of 150 pounds.

When addressing a specific health concern, the general “rule of thumb” for any natural remedy for chronic situations is to take the remedy for three months plus one additional month for every year that you have had the condition, and to take five to seven times the amount that the manufacturer recommends for health maintenance. For acute situations, like a sore joint or the “sniffles” you would want to take the product until the situation is resolved, and then continue for at least a few more days. I personally continue for at least five to seven days after the situation has been dealt with.

“When using a new herb, begin with a recommended dosage and observe how your body reacts to it. If you do not receive the desired result, increase or decrease the dosage accordingly. When herbs are used for restoring health, dosages will need to be five to seven times that which is required for maintaining health.

“Depending, of course, on the ailment and the severity of it, approximately three months of sustained high dosage is usually required before the body is repaired. Sometimes it takes a full year for reparation to occur so that a person goes through all four seasons.

“The science of Homeopathy teaches that it takes one month for every year of illness for the person to rebuild the body.”

— Dr. Jack Ritchason
The Little Herb Encyclopedia

7. How soon should I expect to get results?

It is impossible to give a set answer. There are many factors involved — the severity of the problem, the person’s assimilation and digestive system, the number of herbs taken, and the particular problem. However, people with certain problems like constipation and blood sugar imbalance will usually see excellent results within a day, while someone with cancer or arthritis may not feel any difference for weeks.

8. Can I quit taking my chemical drugs when I start taking herbs?

Herbs provide a slow, safe process of health restoration. Don't ever suddenly quit taking drugs that you are dependent upon. However, many people have safely and successfully decreased, or even eliminated, drug dosage and frequency gradually with the use of herbs. Be sure to check with your licensed health care provider before discontinuing any prescription medications.

9. When is the best time to take herbs?

Since herbs are food, you can take them whenever you want. Most people will take them before meals so the liquid they take them with won’t dilute their digestive juices. Some people who take their herbs after meals may experience some minor burping. Others on a busy schedule will prefer to take them the first thing in the morning and the last thing at night. Herbs for insomnia and cleansing are mostly taken at night. Appetite suppressants and blood sugar balancers are best taken 15 to 30 minutes before the problem usually occurs. The timing can be best determined by the individual’s own experience.

10. It seems like I have to take an awful lot of herb pills or capsules to get the desired dose. Why is that so?

Herbs are natural foods, like broccoli. Think of the normal serving size for a portion of broccoli (or cauliflower). Now think of how many capsules it would take to fit that same serving size if you were to dry the broccoli and then put it into capsules. It takes a bunch of capsules to fit a bunch of broccoli, doesn't it? (Pun intended!)

11. I seem to be "allergic" to some herbs. Why is that?

Although it is possible for some people to be allergic to some foods, it is very unlikely that many people will have any kind of negative reaction at all to good-quality herbs. (It is possible that some manufacturers of herbal products have an inadequate quality control process, and their products may not be sufficiently pure — you may be having a reaction to contaminants in the product.)

Remember, herbs are natural foods, like broccoli and parsley. If you experience what seems like an adverse reaction to herbs, the most likely reason is that you are beginning to feel the cleansing and purging action that herbs have on the toxins in your body. (See also question 4.)

These toxins have been stored up in your cells and organs for many years, and as the herbs begin the cleansing action, the toxins are released from your cells into your blood stream so they may be filtered and eliminated as the natural healing process begins to occur.

If you are in doubt as to your ability to take herbs, you should consult a qualified health care professional (usually a naturopath, nutritionist, chiropractor, or osteopath is best qualified to advise you — most medical doctors have no more than a one-semester class [or less] in nutrition as part of their training, and are therefore unqualified to advise you on nutrition unless he or she has done additional personal study after graduation from medical school). However, you should check the few product cautions before deciding on an herbal alternative.

12. Can herbs be taken during pregnancy?

That depends on the herb. While there are many herbs that are very beneficial during pregnancy, there are many that should be avoided. Please refer to our section on herbs and pregnancy.

13. How do I determine the correct dosages for children and/or pets?

The dosage for children and pets is calculated according to individual weight. The recommended adult dose for most of our herbal products is based (rather arbitrarily) on an average body weight of 150 pounds. Divide a child’s weight by 150 to determine the fraction of the suggested adult dose. For pets, use four drops per 10 pounds of body weight, three times per day. For infants and small babies, work with one drop on the tongue at a time wait a few minutes before you give more and do not exceed 5 to 10 drops at any given time. Go to "Herbal Programs" for more information.

14. Why do you not provide information about what herbs I should take for specific health conditions?

The government has decided that only people with an M.D. (doctor of medicine) or D.O. (doctor of osteopathy) degree — or an N.D. (doctor of naturopathy) in a very few states — can provide you with information about your health, and that any other person who provides you with any form of health information comes under the category of “practicing medicine without a license.”

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations prohibit the use of therapeutic or medical claims in conjunction with the sale of any product not specifically approved by the FDA. But the FDA is run by medical doctors and pharmaceutical manufacturers (exactly like trusting the fox to guard the hen house) who only test pharmaceutical products. Since anything that grows naturally, including herbal products and other foods, cannot be patented (and therefore cannot provide outrageous profit margins for their production), the FDA does no testing on natural supplements or other foods, and therefore no FDA approval can be given for them. Additionally, the FDA and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) unilaterally and arbitrarily decide what constitutes a “therapeutic or medical claim.”

In some states these restrictions have become so ridiculous that a mother who tells her children to “eat your spinach, it’s good for you” or puts a “band-aid” on her child’s “boo-boo” could be charged with “practicing medicine without a license” or with making “unauthorized” health claims for spinach! Even though "everybody” knows that cranberry juice is good for bladder infections, and that calcium is used by the body to make healthy bones, it is literally against the law for anyone besides a licensed physician to tell you so.

MDs and DOs receive very little training in nutrition in their respective medical schools. MDs typically have only a one-semester course (or less) in nutrition and DOs receive slightly more. Therefore, neither of them are qualified to provide their patients with nutritional information, certainly not about the efficacy of herbs or other food supplements. The exception to this would be those extremely rare physicians who actually specialize in Orthomolecular Nutrition (vitamins and minerals applied as treatment for diseases).

Since nobody affiliated with TheHerbDoc.com has either an M.D. or D.O. degree, we are prohibited by law from offering medical opinion or advice in any form. And since the FDA does not test natural supplements, we are prohibited by law from making any specific medical claims for herbs, other nutritional supplements, or techniques.

The only information, therefore, that federal law permits non-physicians to provide concerning the use of herbal products or other nutritional supplements is to say how these supplements and herbs have historically been used. When we provide the historical uses for supplements, we are only stating historical fact, not making specific “therapeutic or medical claims.” [And there is constant pressure being brought to bear to outlaw even that much information from being given about natural products.]

The burden is therefore placed upon you, the consumer, to educate yourself regarding the properties and historical uses of herbs and nutritional supplements, and to decide which, if any, nutritional supplements you should take, and whether or not you feel from the historical information whether or not a given product may help in your body’s efforts to heal itself.

We truly wish that the government would allow us to do more to help you achieve better health. But to protect ourselves from criminal prosecution, we are forced to provide sweeping disclaimers, like the one that currently appears at the foot of virtually every page on this website.

No individual affiliated with TheHerbDoc.com or Abundant Life Herb Shop is a medical doctor or is in any way licensed or qualified to practice medicine. The information and services we provide are for educational and/or religious purposes only, and are an expression of our religious belief that all healing is from God, that we can expect to have good health when we live a lifestyle that is in harmony with God's Torah (His divine instruction and universal laws), and that He has provided mankind with certain foods and techniques that help the body's natural healing processes.

The information on this website is intended to supplement, not replace, your personal responsibility to take charge of your own health with appropriate advice from a licensed health care professional. It should not be used to diagnose or treat diseases. All serious health conditions should be treated by a competent health practitioner.

We make no specific medical claims for herbs, other nutritional supplements, or techniques, nor do we offer medical opinion or advice in any form. Neither our information nor our products are intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, and no guarantee of results or suitability is expressed or implied. We assume no responsibility for those who choose to treat themselves. Please read our entire disclaimer before applying this information.

FDA regulations prohibit the use of therapeutic or medical claims in conjunction with the sale of any product not approved by the FDA. The statements on this website have not been submitted for evaluation by the FDA. [Click here to find out why we do not believe the FDA is qualified to evaluate nutritional information.]

15. What is the difference between “natural” medicine and the form of medicine my physician practices?

These are the fundamental differences between “Conventional” (Allopathic) Medicine (the form of medicine practiced by licensed physicians) and “Traditional” (Naturopathic or Holistic) Medicine: