Commonly Used Herbal Supplements Among Women

Shannon Felmey

Kaplan University

HW 499 Bachelor’s Capstone in Health and Wellness

March 2, 2015

What are Herbal Supplements?

May also be referred to as botanicals

Dietary supplements

Usually plant-derived

Regulated by FDA, but not as drugs or foods

(Mayo Clinic Staff 2014)

Intended to be taken by mouth (National Center for Complementary

and Integrative Health 2009 )

How Many People Use Herbal Supplements?

50%-75% of American adults

Use tends to be more prevalent among women than

among men

Usually used to enhance health and wellness

(Dickinson & MacKay 2014)

What are Some Commonly Used Herbal Supplements Among Women?

Ginger

St John’s Wort

Green Tea

Fenugreek

Common Dietary Supplements among women include

Calcium and Vitamin D (Dickinson & MacKay 2014)

Ginger

Commonly used to treat nausea of various causes,

including pregnancy-induced morning-sickness

May be used to help relieve joint and muscle pain

associated with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis,

although studies have not proven effective.

(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health 2006)

Photo courtesy of National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

St. John’s Wort

Used for treating mild to moderate depression

Must be used with caution, especially when taken with

other medications or herbal remedies

(Straub n.d.)

Photo courtesy of nativeamericanherbalism.com

Green Tea

Contains high levels of antioxidants to prevent cancer onset

No major drug interactions with green tea polyphenols

Caffeine content of green tea may interact with some

medications

(Straub n.d.)

Photo courtesy of www.greenteapedia.org

Fenugreek

Common among nursing mothers to increase milk supply

(Galactogogue)

Related to peanut family; may trigger asthma in some

allergic individuals

May produce hypoglycemia with other anti-diabetic meds

(Marasco 2007)

Photo courtesy of living-organic.org

Want More Information on Herbal Supplements?

Natural Medicine Journal http://naturalmedicinejournal.com/

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

https://nccih.nih.gov/health/supplements

Nutrition.gov http://

www.nutrition.gov/dietary-supplements/herbal-supplements

National Geographic Special Edition (Available Now)

Photo courtesy of shop.nationalgeographic.com

Available Educational Resources

Using Dietary Supplements Wisely https://

nccih.nih.gov/health/supplements/wiseuse.htm

Mayo Clinic http://

www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-

eating/in-depth/herbal-supplements/art-20046714?pg=1

Dietary Supplement Label Database

http://www.dsld.nlm.nih.gov/dsld/

Recommendations

BE INFORMED!!

Always make sure HCP know about any and all

supplements

More is not always better

Do the research

(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health 2009)

Precautions

“Natural” does not always mean “safe”

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Taking any medications, including OTC

Have any medical conditions

Expect to have surgery

Children

(National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health 2009)

References

Dickinson, A., & MacKay, D. (2014). Health habits and other

characteristics of dietary supplement users: A review. Nutrition

Journal, 13(14). Retrieved March 3, 2015, from

http://www.nutritionj.com/content/13/1/14

Marasco, L. (2007). Increasing your milk supply with

galactogogues. Journal of Human Lactation (24)2008: 455-

56.

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2014 November 14). Herbal supplements:

What to know before you buy. Retrieved March 3, 2015 from

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-

eating/in-depth/herbal-supplements/art-20046714?pg=1

References

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

(2006 May). Ginger. Retrieved March 3, 2015 from https

://nccih.nih.gov/health/ginger

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

(2009 February). Using dietary supplements wisely.

Retrieved March 3, 2015 from https

://nccih.nih.gov/health/supplements/wiseuse.htm

Straub, J. (n.d.). Herbal alternative medicine: The benefits of

being informed. Retrieved February 28, 2015 from http://

www.healthandwellness.kaplan.edu/articles/cam/Herbal%20Alt

ernative%20Medicine.html