Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with herbal

I need advice on vitamins and supplements.

Ponderance — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:04:22 -0800

The vitamin/ supplement aisle of Whole Foods scares the hell out of me, I'd like some advice please! Okay, so, you are not my nutritionist or doctor, but hopefully someone can help clear up a few things, or point me to something that does.

So I am deep in the throes of getting healthy (see prior question -http://ask.metafilter.com/122702/Help-a-vegetarian-lose-weight). I was at whole foods yesterday and stopped in their vitamin aisle, and was overwhelmed at all of the stuff that they sell, and my cynical self thinks “How much of this herbal/vitamin stuff is real, and how much is snake oil crap” and despite that I bought some flax oil, as I keep hearing about how great fish oil is, but I don’t eat fish, and I’ve been told that flax oil is a close second.

Also, I’ve been convinced that I should be taking creatine as I don’t get any, not eating meat and all. So I bought a bottle of that which seemed awfully expensive.

SO, what, you may ask, is my question. Here it is in 3 parts:

What is a well reasoned, legitimate resource that details the pluses and minuses of vitamins and supplements?

What supplements, herbal products, etc, from your experience, are useful/helpful?

What should a 37 year old, type A, vegetarian, trying to lose weight, and be healthier, be taking?

Long life fruit = bad juju for baby?

ostranenie — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 19:15:28 -0800

Luo Han Guo and pregnancy? Asking for someone else: I am in an extremely early (first month) pregnancy and I drank some Celestial Seasonings tea with Luo Han Guo, whatever that is. According to this, it's "not to be used during pregnancy." So why not, and should she be worried? Yes, I know the "dose" in the tea is probably 0.0001g or some such thing, but I'm wondering why they would warn you off it during being pregnant?

54 year-old pot head

wafaa — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:07:15 -0800

Medical Marijuana? Anybody? I have fibromyalgia. Marijuana helps. I have searched but don't get any first-person results. Does anyone have any experience with this?

What are the most reliable online suppliers for herbal remedies, specifically tea?

jeremias — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 05:15:59 -0800

What are the most reliable online suppliers for herbal remedies, specifically tea? I'm interesting in getting either the rhodiola root or a prepared rhodiola tea, but I have no idea which suppliers online I can rely on. Is there a supplier of herbal remedies that mefites have had experience with? One that has a trusted reputation and not some sketchy website that looks like it was thrown up by a college student on the lam? (I realize a sketchy website doesn't necessarily mean the product is suspect.)

Herbal jetlag pills: good/bad?

mateuslee — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 16:16:17 -0800

How helpful are those "herbal jetlag pills"? I was at some health-store today and saw some supplements made up of a bunch of herbs and other stuff (few/no artificial chemicals)... the instructions were to take a pill before take-off and one every four hours thereafter until arrival. They were about US$15 - not a bad price at all if it works.

Have any of you used these pills, and if so, how good are they? Sure would appreciate any suggestions/tips for dealing with jetlag... I travel a lot and as time goes by, I find it increasingly difficult to get past the effects of the time difference without losing a few days.

Thanks a lot!

Herbal Cigarettes or Equivalent

fantasticninety — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:43:23 -0800

Let's talk herbal cigarettes and other non–nicotine related substances! Howdy Mefi,
I've gone 6 weeks without nicotine and being intimately familiar with the addictive properties of it I'd like to find a solid herbal cigarette or equivalent. If someone has something decent please suggest below as long as I can purchase it online. People who've got personal experience in this territory would really be appreciated if they contributed.

Herbal Tea PLZ

melissam — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 19:55:25 -0800

Recommend me some strong herbal tea? Had to ditch my beloved caffeine and I'm feeling a little sad on the tea front. I picked up some herbal teas, but most have been kind of weak (notably the Numa and Stash teas). The best have been Tazo's Passion and Orange teas, but those are kind of on the opposite side of the spectrum and scream "OMG WE HAZ FLAVORZ."

I guess I'm looking for something that is a little more subtle, but really, I'm willing to try anything that tastes good. Loose, bagged, whatever, as long as it's caffeine free.

Convenient Herbal Breath Freshness.

Baby_Balrog — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 13:14:13 -0800

I desire some sort of breath-freshening device (i.e. gum or mints) that is all natural and does not contain any sweeteners. I realize this may, at first glance, seem sort of disgusting, but I realized today after eating lunch that I'm completely sick of sticking sugary crap in my face after I've finished a good meal. I'd prefer that the freshness delivery method be at least somewhat orthodox - perhaps some kind of herbal gum that doesn't contain any sweeteners? I have no inclination to carry a pouch of leaves anywhere on my person to facilitate this appetence.

Ecstacy Herbal Cigs in NYC

stagewhisper — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 12:11:04 -0800

Anyone know of a reliable local source for Ecstacy brand herbal cigarettes in the NYC or Poughkeepsie area? Due to smoking laws, it is illegal now to smoke cigarettes on stage. The loophole in the last two years has been to smoke herbal cigs on stage, and as a Prop Master I've bought Honey Rose herbals before for this purpose. The latter have been nixed in favor for the Ecstacy brand due to actor and stage manager preference and I'm having a heck of a time finding a source in NYC (??!!!) for them- every tobacco shop I call tells me they can longer get this brand. If there's anyone in the metro NYC or Hudson valley area who has a secret source for these particular herbal smokes, I will be eternally grateful. (Apologies. I promised myself I would never use Askmefi for prop sourcing and yet here I am!)

tea/infusions/tisanes - How hard is it to mix your own spice teas?

Karmakaze — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 07:41:45 -0800

tea/infusions/tisanes - How hard is it to mix your own spice teas? Note, in common American English usage, tea refers to pretty much any leafy/herby mixture steeped in water. Some people use tea to mean only stuff made with leaves from the tea bush (Camellia sinensis) and everything else is a 'tisane' (or 'infusion' or 'herbal tea'). I tend to refer to everything as tea, and qualify black/green/white tea (for 'real' tea) and herbal tea (for everything else) as context requires.

A few years back I discovered that every time I failed to drink coffee for a couple of days, I had a nasty migraine-like hangover. It happened often enough that I let the withdrawal run its course, and chose to thereafter limit my caffeine intake. I was primarily drinking coffee (provided free) at work to overcome the excess air conditioning, so all I really needed was an alternate hot beverage. I don't like the taste of cheap-o free work coffee enough to drink it decaffeinated, and decaffeinated black tea tends to taste like stewed cardboard.

I quickly learned that you can only drink so much mint or chamomile tea (in fact, I don't even like chamomile that much. I only keep it around to pass to co-workers with upset stomachs.) I find I don't much like rooibos/redbush, but most other herbal teas are either bland or sour (sour's ok, but not on an empty stomach). I found a brand (Yogi Tea) with some flavors of the non-caffeinated category that I like, but my favorites tend to require a trip to a fancy supermarket. Recently, even the fancy supermarket didn't even have the varieties I was looking for. Sadly, I live in deep suburbia, so it's hard to find anything like a proper tea shop.

It occurred to me that the India Spice tea is basically the spices that go into spice chai, except without the black tea included. I already know how to make a ginger tea by pouring hot water over a little grated ginger root. We have spices all over the house (whole nutmeg, all that sort of thing). So, in theory, it shouldn't be too hard for me to either mix up a spice tea from scratch, or to doctor up something I already have that just needs a kick.

What spices are soluble, and how do you make them more soluble for these purposes? Are there tricks to figuring out the right proportions of spice-to-other-spices or spice-to-water? Should I just bite the bullet and try to find an affordable mail-order house?

Chrysin for anxiety?

jason's_planet — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 08:39:57 -0800

Has anyone ever used the herbal supplement Chrysin for anxiety? How effective is the herbal supplement Chrysin in treating anxiety? I've heard that bodybuilders use this to block the conversion of testosterone into estrogen. But I'm not interested in this application.

What concerns me right now is not getting super-bulked, super-cut. What concerns me is getting a handle on my anxiety. I've heard that chrysin reduces anxiety. Has anyone out there had any experience with using this supplement? Were you able to find a reasonably cheap brand? I'm a big fan of the Jarrow line of supplements, but their Chrysin is very expensive.

If you are male, did you experience any prostate-related side effects, such as BPH?

Thanks very much for your time.

Help a former athlete deal with depression.

|n$eCur3 — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 21:05:30 -0800

As a former athlete, I am having trouble coping with both the loss of my sport, and in its absence, the associated lack of euphoria. What can I do to feel better without taking anti-depressants? For the record, as far as I can remember I have always had a case of mild to moderate depression. I have never taken prescription medication to treat it though. However, during different segments of my life, I have self-medicated in one way or another. I smoked pot habitually for about a year but quit because the lows were too low. I also tried drinking alcohol for about a year, but gained weight and felt like shit; ditched that too. Finally I started eating right and doing daily exercise. After about 6 months of training I felt amazing and started to get competitive with cycling. And for the past 3 years have been riding for about 2-3 hours per day (as a student with plenty of time).

When I was near my athletic peak, I was able to deal somewhat serendipitously with my ongoing case of depression. Incidentally, the highs that I obtained on daily 3 hour bike rides gave me enough of an endorphin cocktail to be somewhat productive in society. Outside of the sport, I felt that I had a lot of energy left over – enough to accomplish anything that I was willing to set my mind to. Now that I have actual responsibility for the first time in my life, I have had to let go of cycling, gradually. I feel dysphoric, depressed, unmotivated, easily distracted and tired most of the time. The 45 minutes in the gym does not cut it for me, no matter what sport I try. Cycling on the weekends helps to a point, but the endorphins wear off and its hard to accept not being able to go on rides that I could easily do as recently as 2 months ago.

I am interested if anyone here has experienced a similar transition. Specifically, what did you do to cope? What do you do to fill the void where [insert sport] had previously existed?

I am willing to take anti-depressants as a final measure, and in the end, accept that I might need to. But for now I would like to know if there are any natural ways to deal with depression. I exercise, eat well, and sleep enough. So, I'm looking for things along the lines of: vitamin B-12, green tea, Chinese medicine, meditation. What works for you?

herbal calming remedy for dogs

nancoix — Thu, 25 May 2006 13:30:21 -0800

I found a few references to herbal dog calming remedies in the MeFi archives, but I specifically want some testimonials (positive or negative) about products such as Actipet Anxiety-Free tablets. Or similar products containing St. John's Wort, chamomile, valerian, hops and yeast. Bonus points if you've tried them on a basenji.

is it possible to reverse breast shrinkage after going off the pill?

Anonymous — Sun, 21 May 2006 19:55:24 -0800

after being on birth control pills for many (8+) years, i had to go off them (permanently) for medical reasons. six months later, my breasts have noticeably shrunk almost a full cup size. i wasn't busty to begin with - when i first started on the pill, i was between a large A and small B cup; on the pill, i went up to a full B cup. off the pill, i've shrunk to a small A - in fact, almost a double-A. none of my bras, camisoles or swimsuits fit any more, and nearly all my shirts, dresses and blouses gape open or look baggy. i haven't had any weight loss that would otherwise explain the size decrease.

sure, i could buy a bunch of padded bras in order to wear my clothes again (or go broke and buy a whole new wardrobe) but understandably, i'd rather not! (my husband has been very cool about the whole thing - he's indicated no disappointment in having less boobage to play with - but he also understands why this is upsetting for me.)

i have NO interest in breast implants - i would just like to return to my previous size (or at least get a back in the neighborhood). so are there any non-surgical ways (supplements, exercise, etc) to enhance breast size that work - ie., aren't total scams?

(and please, no suggestions of going back on the pill, or trying the ring/patch/different brands/etc. it's a medical thing - i can't be on any form of hormonal birth control ever again, full stop. and please don't tell me to get pregnant, either.)

Herbal remedy for depression?

Ugh — Tue, 24 May 2005 21:16:58 -0800

I need advice from people who have experience taking herbal remedies / vitamins, specifically for depression. I was diagnosed with clinical depression and panic disorder about two years ago and was prescribed the highest dosage of Paxil. It definitely helped with my panic disorder, but never really seemed to change my depression. Actually, about a year into taking it, I became suicidal. After researching a little, I found Paxil is linked to increased suicidal tendencies so I immediately went off the drug cold turkey. Of course this was very dumb and I went through massive withdrawls but I didn't realize how dependent my body had become on it.

Which leads me to my question. It's been 3 months since I went off Paxil and I still have issues with depression. I'm not too keen on going on another prescription, but am curious about hermal remedies and/or vitamins I can take that might help. I have heard of St Johns Wort but does it actually work? Are there vitamins I should be taking? Certain foods I should be eating? Hearing from people with personal experience would be great.

Home remedies for coughs

donnagirl — Wed, 09 Jun 2004 12:28:07 -0800

Anyone have a great herbal/home remedy for a serious cough? I've been to the doctor; the diagnosis was viral bronchitis. I got a shot in the rear that's supposed to work in a few days, and an inhaler that doesn't seem to help much. I rattle when I breathe, and I feel like I've pulled every muscle from my rib cage up. Anything to quiet it down while I wait for "the virus to run its course" would be greatly appreciated. I googled, but there's a thousand natural remedies out there, and I have no experience to help me sort through them.

Canine flea/tick preventative treatment?

jerseygirl — Mon, 24 May 2004 09:06:23 -0800

Canine flea/tick preventative treatment? I have a rough and tumble pup (18 pounds, 18 months old). He's quite an outdoor companion, and I find ourselves walking more wooded trails this year. I expect fleas, and especially ticks, are going to be a concern this summer. I am staying completely away from Hartz in all shapes and forms. I am very open to the idea of natural/herbal/homeopathic flea and tick preventatives as long as they work well. I am also interested if anyone has any experiences with Frontline or Advantage. Whatever the treatment, it would have to withstand bathing, as he is groomed professionally once a month and usually is rinsed down or bathed at home once a week (depending on how much mud he gets into). I will consult with the vet before going ahead with anything, obviously, but would really appreciate any of your personal feedback.

Help identifying an empty German flask I found?

Smart Dalek — Mon, 12 Jan 2004 15:32:15 -0800

I'd like some help identifying an empty flask I found in a drawer.
It's from Germany, and bears the inscription "Herrenberger Blutwurzelansatz / Weinhaus Gläßer / Brennerei Herrenberg / Deutsches Erzeugnis".
The bottle is at least 10-12 years old, and doesn't mention any overseas distributor. Could it have held an herbal wine, or a liqueur?