To use herbal medicine requires a departure from the idea that the only valid knowledge comes from scientific research. The scientific method is a powerful and useful paradigm, but we can enrich our knowledge by allowing the possibility of learning from perspectives outside the bio-medical model. Just because an herb has not been studied does not mean it is ineffective or unsafe. Tradition of use and knowledge of the plant based on observation and experience are valid as well. As noted by R. F. Weiss, a leading German physician, where there is a long tradition of use by a population, [the herb's] action has to be considered established, even without double blind trials." For example, there is general knowledge regarding the use of prune juice for constipation. We know what prune juice does, and that it is safe. It is not necessary to study its safety and efficacy. [Similarly], when there has been widespread use of an herb over time for a particular effect, there is validity to that knowledge. The World Health Organization recommends that in a rational approach to evaluating the safety and efficacy of herbal products, historical and cultural usage should be combined with modern scientific research.

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Herbal Preparations and Dosage Guidelines

Storage: Store dried herbs away from light and heat.

Quality: The freshness and quality of the herb, meaning the care with which it was harvested, dried and processed, are the most important factors in the effectiveness of the herb.

Water-Based Preparations: Water-based preparations must be made from dried, not fresh plants. In the fresh plant the cell wall is still intact, so most of the constituents cannot be extracted. Drying is necessary to rupture the cell wall and allow release of the constituents. A larger quantity and broader range of the nourishing properties of the plant are available in water than are in alcohol.

Simple teas are appropriate for flowers and seeds which open and release their contents easily, or for herbs where the volatile oils are a major constituent.

Infusions are used to prepare the leafy portion of plants. Leaves have tougher cell walls so it takes longer for the constituents to come out of the plant into solution.

Cold infusions are used for a few plants which contain valuable constituents that would be damaged by heat.

Decoctions are used to extract the more dense parts of plants such as roots or barks.

External applications of herbs, such as poultices, compresses and fomentations, are used to accelerate healing and prevent or draw out infection.

Essential oils are very strong and are almost never used internally.

Infused oils: The fresh plant is simply packed into a jar, covered with olive oil, and allowed to sit for two weeks. Salves can be made by simply adding beeswax.

Tinctures are alcohol based preparation. Some herbs work better in tincture form, since some plant constituents are more soluble in alcohol than in water. Some plants are more effective medicinally if the fresh plant is made into tincture; in other cases, dried plant is more beneficial, and with some herbs it doesn't matter.

Glycerites, the sweet fraction of oil (oil minus the fatty acids) does not have the same extractive properties of alcohol. Most herbs are not effective in this preparation.

Powdered, prepackaged herbs have been extensively exposed to air, causing oxidation and rapid loss of potency. Grinding and encapsulating the herbs oneself is the best way to maintain high quality if capsules are preferred.

Standardized extracts are chemically manipulated to isolate, measure and concentrate specific compounds that are considered to have beneficial activity. There is more potential for side effects with these extracts. And the synergistic effects of the plant are diminished or lost.

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Nutritional Supplement Dosages

For many of the treatments that are recommended in this section, dosage instructions may be found on the products themselves, whether as part of the product label or your health care provider's prescription. This is particularly true of the conventional medicines and homeopathic remedies. There are two categories of treatments where label information may not be sufficient, however: herbal treatment preparations and nutritional supplements.

Herbal Dosages For Children

When treating your child with herbs, it is important to base the dosage on your child's age, weight, and condition. Unless otherwise specified, use the following age-specific dosage equivalents when administering herbal remedies:

Newborn to two years. One dosage equals 3 drops of tincture diluted in 1/4 cup of water, formula, or breast milk, or 2 to 3 teaspoons of tea. A nursing mother may also take an adult dose of the appropriate herbal treatment. The herbs will be transmitted to her baby through her breast milk, filtered and diluted to the appropriate strength.

Two to six years. One dose equals 6 to 10 drops of tincture diluted in 1/4 cup of water, or 1/4 cup of tea.

Six to twelve years. One dosage equals 10 to 20 drops of tincture, 1/2 cup of tea, or 2 tablets or capsules.

Twelve years to adult. One dose equals 20 to 40 drops of tincture, 1 cup of tea, or 2 tablets or capsules.

Nutritional Supplement Dosages

For nutritional supplements, unless other dosage levels are specified in the individual entries, consult the table below for the appropriate therapeutic dosages of the various supplements recommended.

Note that all the amounts in this table are therapeutic doses. That is, they do not necessarily represent the amounts of these nutrients that your child needs on a daily basis, but rather increased amounts that may be helpful for certain conditions when taken for limited periods of time. Also, some dosages are given in international units (IU); others in milligrams (mg); and still others in micrograms (mcg, the equivalent of 1/1000 of a milligram).

Therapeutic Dosages of Nutritional Supplements for Children

Supplement	Birth-6 Months	6-12 Months	13 Months- 2 Years	3-4 Years	5-6 Years	7-11 Years	12-15 Years	16-18 Years
VITAMINS
Vitamin A/ Beta-Carotene	2,000 IU	2,000 IU	2,500 IU	2,500 IU	3,000 IU	4,000 IU	5,000 IU	5,000 IU
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)	400 mcg	600 mcg	800 mcg	800 mcg	1,000 mcg (1 mg)	1,500 mcg (1.5 mg)	1,500 mcg (1.5 mg)	1,500 mcg (1.5 mg)
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)	500 mcg	700 mcg	900 mcg	1,000 mcg (1 mg)	1,200 mcg (1.2 mg)	1,600 mcg (1.6 mg)	2,000 mcg (2 mg)	2,000 mcg (2 mg)
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)	3 mg	3 mg	4 mg	4 mg	4 mg	15-25 mg	50 mg	50 mg
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)	400 mcg	600 mcg	1,000 mcg (1 mg)	1,000 mcg (1 mg)	1,500 mcg (1.5 mg)	2,000 mcg (2 mg)	2,500 mcg (2.5 mg)	2,500 mcg (2.5 mg)
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)	1 mcg	2 mcg	2.5 mcg	3 mcg	4 mcg	5 mcg	5 mcg	5 mcg
Biotin	50 mcg	50 mcg	50 mcg	75 mcg	100 mcg	150 mcg	200 mcg	200 mcg
Folic acid	40 mcg	60 mcg	100 mcg	150 mcg	250 mcg	350 mcg	400 mcg	400 mcg
Vitamin C	40 mg	60 mg	100 mg	150 mg	150 mg	200-500 mg	300-500 mg	300-500 mg
Bioflavinoids*	40 mg	60 mg	100 mg	100 mg	150 mg	200-500 mg	300-500 mg	300-500 mg
Vitamin D	100 IU	100 IU	100 IU	100 IU	100 IU	100 IU	100 IU	100 IU
Vitamin E	5 IU	6 IU	8 IU	15 IU	20 IU	25 IU	50 IU	75-100 IU
MINERALS
Calcium	400 mg	600 mg	800 mg	800 mg	800 mg	850 mg	1,200 mg	1,200 mg
Chromium	50 mcg	60 mcg	80 mcg	80 mcg	120 mcg	200 mcg	200 mcg	200 mcg
Iron	10 mg	15 mg	15 mg	15 mg	12 mg	12 mg	18 mg	18 mg
Magnesium	70 mg	90 mg	150 mg	200 mg	250 mg	300 mg	350 mg	400 mg
Selenium	40 mg	60 mg	80 mg	100 mg	150 mg	200 mg	200 mg	200 mg
Zinc	4 mg	6 mg	10 mg	10 mg	10 mg	10 mg	15 mg	15 mg
*Bioflavinoids are not technically vitamins, however, they are often considered together with vitamins because they work synergistically with Vitamin C, and many supplements that supply bioflavinoids combine them with that vitamin.

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MoonDragon's Health Information: Nutrition Basics: Natural Food Supplements Index

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