Herbal Remedies for Stress

Many, many years ago, herbs were relied upon for treatment and cure of all types of ailments. Tried and true herbal remedies were passed along through the generations. But with the dawning of the "miracle of modern medicine," herbal treatments took a backseat to the wonders of science. While modern medicine certainly did have some miraculous effects, the ability to patent and therefore make money on a cure further pushed less profitable herbal medicine into the realm of the "old wives tale."

But in recent years, herbal medicine has made a dramatic comeback and is gradually being used in combination with traditional medicine, resulting in a kinder, gentler, more sensible approach to health care. Many doctors are finding that the use of herbs in some cases is actually more effective than the traditional treatments, giving them greater options for treating their patients.

The one drawback to this recent return to herbal remedies is that there are currently no controls to assure the quality of herbs on the market. Suddenly there is a flood of different brands and herbal blends on store shelves and the consumer has to proceed with caution. It is truly a situation of "buyer beware."

For example, take Echinacea and Golden Seal. These are two very effective herbs for the treatment of various infections. You would think that buying a blended capsule of the two herbs would be the way to go, but first check the label. While Echinacea is a relatively inexpensive herb, Golden Seal is not. Therefore, many herbal blends will be heavy on the more inexpensive herb with only trace amounts of the more expensive one. You would be better off in this case to buy the two herbs individually.