There are currently a wide variety of herbal remedies available on the market.

Many of the tablets that are available contain material that  has been extracted and standardised to optimise efficacy.

During the extraction process, however, it is possible to introduce new compounds or induce chemical changes in the composition of the remedy.

Not all of the changes are for the worse, of course. It may be better to take out a compound that is toxic if you are producing a concentrated formula by extracting the active ingredients.

It may, perhaps, be better yet to return to the usage of the herbal material itself.

The efficacy that our forebears believed an herb had been based on the use of the plant material itself and not a tablet.

The information in these pages is designed to give you an insight into what parts of specific plants have been used as traditional remedies and their perceived actions.

If you are on any medication or have any serious health problems ALWAYS consult your G.P. before trying any herbal remedy.

Any of these materials may cause allergic effects in a very small number of individuals. Always try a small amount of the product first and if no obvious ill effect is apparent, cautious use can be continued. Overuse of any of the plant materials noted below is expressly not advised.

If you do not like the taste of any of the plants, you should always spit out the offending material, remembering to always dispose of your litter sensibly.

Plant material can be used as supplied or, of course, you can use it to prepare herbal drinks, tinctures or pastes, or even added to your cooking to enhance the flavour, as you require. You should always try to use as small a pinch of herb as possible at first. Remember that, if you are used to taking herbs in tablet form, typical amounts of herb used with successful activity are often less than 0.001 grams. That's a really small pinch!

The traditional uses of the plant materials are only indicated to show the history of the plant in relation to our forebears and their expectations of its efficacy, but this in no way guarantees any effect in vivo.

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Ó CDP Products 2004