Alzheimer's Mad Cow Disease And Buying Herbs Info

You can buy a pound of organic herb for around the same price as one or two bottles of store bought herbs in capsule form. You'll get a pound of better, fresher more potent organic herb instead of 3 ounces of lesser quality.

If you do get encapsulated herb in a bottle try to get vegetable based capsules. Look for "Suitable for vegetarians" or "Vegan" or something similar on the label. I want my capsules from a plant source. This goes for herbs or supplements or vitamins.

However I don't take regular so called vitamins or minerals. I use the best I use SuperFood Plus from Dr Schulze's American Botanical Pharmacy. That's my number one choice. Any one that knows me can tell you I don't recommend much. I'm very critical of health related products. If I mention something it's worth at least a look.

Not made from animal scraps or mineral oil. I'm concerned with a recent disease in cattle and other farm animals in the animal based capsules. Mineral oil blocks absorption in the digestive track. Specifically Mad Cow Disease in cattle and Scrapie in sheep and goats.

Mad Cow disease a.k.a. BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy)
Scrapie a.k.a. TSE (Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy)
Found in cats in Europe (Feline Spongiform Encephalopathy)
To mention a few.

In people in the US the official agencies call it -
variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (vCJD) and now they added
new variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (nvCJD)

The human form is a Spongiform Encephalopathy but you notice they have been very careful not to include it in the name.

Are they the same disease but given different names because they are in different animals. I'll tell you more of this possible connection in a future post. These diseases and many more in the same class raise well deserved concern. I am very suspicious of pathogens that jump across multiple species all at once.

This is something I don't feel happens in nature by it's self. Maybe from one animal to us or another animal but when it jumps all species all at once a red warning flag goes up. Know what I mean. Some one has been peeing in the gene pool.

If you want to use herbs in capsules there are some people doing this manually so you don't get the flow agents. If you come across an offer for this from one of the herb suppliers you still want organic or wild-crafted herb and please look for or request the vegetable based capsules.

The other option is to buy vegetable based capsules and fill them yourself. You may find you can buy capsules in bulk also. Usually in multiple of 1000 caps. When I do this I get the best prices buying from the same place I get herbs. I have found it much cheaper than buying direct from the companies that make the capsules. I buy herbs from several companies.

The standard sizes of capsules would be "0" or the larger "00". Most herbs you by at the store are in the "0" size capsule. Personally I prefer the "00" size. When you buy bulk everything becomes so cheap there is no reason to skimp.

When you fill capsules by hand it takes time but saves money. To make the job easier you can get a cheap tool that makes the process easier and faster. It will keep your hand from cramping up if your going to fill hundreds of capsules in one sitting.

I started doing this with the Ginkgo biloba for my mother to help with her Alzheimer's disease. It worked better that the stuff we were buying in the stores. Not only does it help with memory it but got rid on the mood swings and bad attitude she occasionally would bless us with.

The one I use has a base made up of 4 parts. A base that has little rounded indentations to cup the bottom of the capsule. In each corner is a vertical peg that you side the next layer onto. Also on the base are 2 more pegs. one centered on opposite ends of the base.

These pegs are for 2 small rectangles. When turned one way the support the filling platform and when turned 90 degrees allow the platform to sit on the base.

The platform has 50 holes that align with the indentations of the base. You start with the platform up. Place a capsule in each hole. The top of the capsule is a hair lower than the platform.

Then spoon some herb on the platform. They give you a card to move the herb around and fill the capsules about the size of a credit card. When all the holes are filled you take the tamper that have one peg for each capsule and press it into all the capsules at the same time. Then repeat until you can't get any more to compress and the capsules are full.

Now you just rotate the pieces that support the platform and let it lower. The filled capsules are now about half exposed but still being held upright. Now place the caps on the capsules and your done. The one I use is called Cap-M-Quik. I have both the "0" and "00" sizes. I have tried others but I like the Cap-M-Quik the best. Fast and easy to use.

I usually take the smaller cap side before I cap the filled capsules and scoop up a little more herb in them before placing the on the filled half. That way I get more herb in them and the capsules are very firm if you squeeze them between to fingers.

When I have taken store bought bottled capsules and squeezed them they seem to have a different amount herb in each capsule. Most of them are only putting half as much herb in their capsules than will fit. This makes you think your getting more than you think. It's a visual deception.

It's just like everything else we buy. They put it in a big container and then add that the contents are by weight not buy volume. Content may have settled. I don't believe that. It's to make you think your getting more when your not.

Like when they started putting 14 ounces coffee in the same size can they previously put 16 ounces in. Then they kept the price the same and people thought they were still getting 16 ounces. Or when you buy an extra large box of breakfast cereal and when you open it there is about what should be in a medium size box. One top of that the bigger container costs you more, takes more space to store and makes more trash.

When you buy herbs in bulk you can usually get it in several forms. Powdered form is what you would get if you planned to put it in capsules. I also get powdered form when the herb is extremely hard like Kola nut when making a tincture. Some herbs are just so hard they will destroy consumer grade blenders, food processors and mills.

They sell chopped which is usually used when making teas. You can get ginkgo biloba in whole leaf. Both dried and at certain times of the year you may be able to buy fresh.

The shipping on fresh is a lot more because it's shipped next day delivery and may have ice packs included. The fresh herbs are often shipped by a certain carrier. This is because they have a controlled environment from the pickup to delivery.

Your herbs don't bake in a hot truck or transit hub on its way to you. Even if shipped when it's cold out you want to know your herbs won't get jammed up against the trucks heater.

This is usually not your choice. The herbal companies that you want to buy from will always take care. They want repeat business. They make sure you get your fresh herb fast and in great shape. Every time I have ordered fresh herbs they looked like I just went out and picked them.

A quick word about bottled herbs bought in health food stores and wellness centers and any other type of stores that carry a line of herbal products. The buyer beware. If your buying a bottle of capsules or herbal tea know that they have been around sitting on the self and in the warehouse for a while. I never buy generic or store brand.

With that said if that was all I had available to me I would use it. The stuff still works. Maybe not as quick or as well but it's better than nothing. Always buy the best you can get or the best you can afford. Don't give up just because you can't have the best.

Also most of the commercially bottled capsules contain flow agents. These are added so the powdered herb flows through the automated equipment that puts the herb in the capsules. Check the label and you will see these chemicals. Still look for organic if you can. I have seen hand packed capsules available through some of the bulk herb sellers.

Know that these companies are in herbals to make a profit and they may be buying cheap pesticide treated herbs for 50 cents a pound to fill their containers. Pesticides lower the immune system. These cheaper herbs may not have the full range of compounds the higher quality herbs have and they may be weaker.

When you buy bulk you have the advantage of seeing what your getting. You see the condition it is in. You can actually smell and taste it. You can see that it isn't half rotten or have mold growing all over it. You can send it back.

After you use herbs for a while you will evening be able to make a good appraisal of its quality. You will even be able to determine if dried herbs are this years crop or last years crop.