Herbal capsule is another common form of herbal therapy. The herb is dried
and pulverized into a powder that is placed inside the capsule. Some herbal cap-
sules contain oil-soaked herbals or herbal juices.
Herbal tablets are similar to herbal capsules except the dried, pulverized herb
is combined with stabilizers and binders and then compressed into a tablet. A
stabilizer is an ingredient that assures that the herb maintains its therapeutic
effect. A binder is an ingredient that acts like glue to hold together the powdery
mixture of herb and stabilizer.
Herbal therapy can also take the form of syrup. Syrups are made by drying
the herb and soaking it in water or oil and then adding a sweetener to the mix. The
sweetener is usually honey or sugar. The sweetened mixture is then heated until
the syrup forms. Herbal syrups are used to treat colds, cough, and sore throat.Hazards of Herbal Therapeutics
Herbal therapies have a therapeutic effect and are acceptable interventions for
diseases and symptoms. However, the lack of standards in manufacturing and
lack of oversight by regulatory agencies exposes patients to potential hazards.
Pharmaceuticals approved for distribution in the Untied States have under-
gone rigorous testing that identifies the purity and concentration of the active
ingredient that delivers the therapeutic effect. This also identifies the toxic lev-
els that can cause serious and potentially lethal toxic effects. In addition, testing
also identifies the effect a pharmaceutical has when combined with other pre-
scribed or OTC medications.
Herbal therapies lack this testing for a number of reasons. These include the
expense of these tests and the lack of regulation. Anyone can sell herbal therapy
without having to receive approval from a governmental agency or from the
medical community.
A major concern is the effect herbal therapy has on the patient who is also tak-
ing prescribed medications. Medication interaction is always a risk. A prescriber
should always ask what medication the patient is taking and review the patient’s
chart before prescribing another medication.
For example, a patient who takes cascara—a laxative for constipation—and
senna—also a laxative—along with Digoxin—which is used to treat an irregu-
lar heart rhythm—can develop a toxicity. Likewise, taking juniper—a diuretic
that causes increased urination—and dandelion—also a diuretic—along with(^128) CHAPTER 8 Herbal Therapy