Are Natural Remedies Safe?

I love using natural remedies and herbal remedies when I have an ailment or to simply boost my health. But it wasn't until I really sat down and studied Herbal Medicine seriously at the Australasian College of Health Sciences that I realized that herbs can have side effects.

Natural doesn't necessarily mean safe.

I'm not saying this to stress people out, but it serves as a good warning. Certain people shouldn't take certain herbs. For example, if you retain water or have high blood pressure, you should stay away from licorice root. Browsing the herbal tea aisle at whole foods I can find at least three different blends with licorice in it. And you can't rely on the company to have a disclaimer on the box. Some don't. In fact, most don't.

If you want to get a really good resource, check out the German Commission E - there's nothing like it in the United States. This was a project funded by the German government. Experts got together and assessed the positive and negative data concerning different herbal remedies and published what they found. I own a copy and it has been invaluable to me.

Visit my page at Ehow for more advice on how to use herbs safely.