Know your retailer when buying herbal products

PRIME – March 2015 By Jonathan Evans Herbal Information Specialist, the Herbarium Hello folks. First, I must apologize for missing February’s issue. I was just coming back from holidays and could not get my column in on time. Mea culpa. The herbal supplement flap You may have missed the news story in early February that the New York Attorney General issued complaints to GNC, Walmart, Walgreen’s and Target. It seems the supplements these stores were selling either did not contain any of the herbs, or there were ingredients in the bottle not listed on the label. Hmmmm. I don’t want to be the one to say “I told you so,” but…. There is only so much raw material available, and there is a cost associated with it. Simple economics has to tell you, you cannot make a profit by selling one bottle of a product at below cost or getting two free bottles with every purchase of one. To me, that kind of deal makes me think I overpaid for the first bottle. Ask yourself these questions: when was the last time a member of the Walton family (founders of Walmart) greeted you at the door? When did the person at the drugstore even know what the herb was for? Get my point? The independent store owner tries (or should try) to know you by name or at least by sight. The staff should know their products and have information about the product, and the manufacturer. The independent needs you to become a return customer, while the big guys play a numbers game. Reader’s questions Dear Jonathan, I tried your cayenne pepper in the boot suggestion and it really worked! I was out shovelling snow for hours and I was very comfortable, well, at least my feet were. However, I tried your trick of putting garlic on the bottom of my feet but it did not help my head cold. My sinuses were still pretty blocked. Did I do something wrong? – Ella Dear Ella, You do did nothing wrong, but it sounds like a question of “right church, wrong pew.” with the garlic treatment. Applying garlic to the feet is very good for a respiratory problem, but a garlic steam would have been a better approach to help alleviate your stuffy head. If that does not do it, we have an Herbarium formula called “Sinus Blaster” that will open you up from top to bottom. This is the stuff I demonstrated on Seth Stutman, the host of TV-22’s program “ Mass Appeal.”some time back. This formula not only helps clear your head and lungs, it also helps fight the cold or flu virus. We recently had a girl come in who had lost her voice due to a very bad sinus infection and postnasal drip. I gave her three drops of “Sinus Blaster” and within a minute her voice was returning. Granted, she was cursing me because of the taste, but we were chuckling because her curses were becoming very audible. She thinks I am a flipping magician. – Jonathan Winter skin woes I have had many people coming in to the store recently complaining of dry, itchy skin. Listed here are a few suggestions that might help stop the itch: • Drink lots of water, not just liquids. It’s a known fact that most of the liquids people drink – coffee, tea, etc – tend to have a diuretic effect and actually dry out your skin. • Take a good multivitamin, one that is formulated with plenty of vitamin A and D. When you read a vitamin label, do not concern yourself with the numbers that indicate the vitamin contains 100 percent of the recommended daily intake. That level is based on the minimum amount of a nutrient needed to maintain cell function. I know this is heresy, but you may be the proof. If you are taking a Centrum-type vitamin and are suffering these skin problems, your body is telling you it needs more than the minimum. • Consider supplementing with vitamin D. Dietary recommendations are that adults should take between 2 and 4,000 iu’s of vitamin D daily. • Try adding fish or flax seed oil to your diet, about a tablespoon per day. This can help plump up and moisturize the collagen under the skin and help keep the fluids in your body from being sucked out by the cold and lack of moisture in the winter air. More fish oil benefits Here is another reason that supplementing your diet with fish or flax oil can be of benefit to you. If you are quitting smoking, a recent study showed using omega-3 oils can reduce nicotine cravings. This report was based on a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. It appears a deficiency of omega-3 oils affects areas of the brain that are involved with feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. That makes it harder to resist cravings if you are low in this essential fatty acid. Got questions? Send them here! I have a new email address for those of you who want to keep your questions private. You can still reach me at the usual email address, which is herbarium258@gmail.com, or you can use the new, private and direct email for more delicate questions, Qs4Jonathan@gmail.com. – Jonathan Send your questions on botanical remedies to Natures Rx: Jonathan Evans at herbarium258@gmail.com. Readers can also ask questions by regular mail at : The Herbarium, 264 Exchange St., Chicopee, Mass. 01013. If requesting additional information from Evans, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope for the reply information.