How to buy herbs that work: get your money's worth with our goof-proof guide to shopping for and using herbs. Plus, learn which herbs work best for 20 common ailments

Natural Health, Oct-Nov, 2001 by Daphna Caperonis

Also realize that your absorption of herbs can wiry widely. Little research exists on herb-food interactions, but Romm and other herbalists believe that black pepper and spicy-hot foods speed up the absorption of herbs, while fatty fare slows it down. If you're constipated, you may absorb more of an herb's medicine. The reverse is true if you have diarrhea. Mucilaginous herbs like slippery elm (Ulmus rubra) and Irish moss (Chondus crispus) can slow the absorption of some drugs; it's possible they may have the same effect on other herbs, says Winston, who recommends you take these herbs two hours before any others.

Manage your expectations.

Knowledgeable consumers don't expect all herbs to work immediately, like fast-acting drugs do, says Blumenthal. But it's important to know when to give up if you're not seeing results. Here are some guidelines: Herbs for acute problems, like willow bark (Salix spp) for a tension headache, or cascara sagrada (Rhamnus purshiana) for occasional constipation, should work in minutes or hours. Remedies that treat chronic ailments, like St. John's wort for depression and ginkgo for poor circulation, may take months. Wait at least a month before judging anything you take for hormonal problems, like chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus) for pre-menstrual syndrome. If you feel worse after taking any herb, discontinue it immediately.

Keep media flashes in perspective.

The United States has no system for evaluating the benefits of herbs, as it does for evaluating pharmaceutical drugs, says Blumenthal. Therefore, the media's reported risks of herbs appear against no recognized benefit, which exaggerates the perceived danger in using them, he says. If you hear a disturbing report about an herb, visit the Natural Pharmacy's website (www.tnp.com) to bone up on research about an herb or visit the website of the Herb Research Foundation (www.herbs.org) to get the group's opinion about news reports as they happen.

Seek advice.

Look at your natural food store's events schedule. Many stores invite herbalists and naturopaths for mini-consultations. You may have to pay a fee, but getting advice tailored to your body may save you money in the long run.

RELATED ARTICLE: The Best Herbs for 20 Ailments

WE ASKED FOUR HERB EXPERTS FOR THE MOST EFFECTIVE herbs for the following 20 conditions. Take the following doses daily (unless otherwise noted, divide the doses according to our advice in "Dose Properly," page 101). For tincture doses, 1/4 teaspoon equals 1 ml equals 40 drops. If your condition has lasted at least one month, don't expect immediate results.

Here are our experts' top picks:

1 Anxiety

BEST HERB: Kava-Kava

(Piper methysticum)

Kava-kava works on two fronts: It loosens tight muscles caused by stress and relaxes your mind, says Daniel Gagnon, a medical herbalist in Santa Fe, N.M., and professor at the North American College of Botanical Medicine in Albuquerque. Clinical research supports its anti-anxiety action.

DAILY DOSE: Take 2 capsules standardized to 60 to 120 mg of kavalactones (also called kava pyrones).