Herbal supplements use ingredients derived from plants and have a long history of use across traditional systems of medicine as well as modern natural health products.
At Village Vitamin Store, you can explore a broad selection of herbal capsules, standardized extracts, tinctures, liquid formulas and traditional botanical preparations from established wellness brands. Your Herbal Supplements collection includes hundreds of products across a wide range of botanical ingredients and formulations. Village Vitamin Store
What Are Herbal Supplements?
Herbal supplements are natural health products containing medicinal ingredients derived from plants.
Depending on the herb, products may use the:
- Root
- Rhizome
- Leaf
- Flower
- Fruit or berry
- Seed
- Bark
- Resin
- Aerial parts
Different parts of the same plant can have different traditional uses and concentrations of naturally occurring compounds, so it is important to check the exact botanical ingredient and plant part listed on the product.
How to Choose an Herbal Supplement
Botanical Name
Look at the botanical or Latin name as well as the common name. This can help distinguish between herbs with similar names but different species.
Plant Part
Check whether the product uses the root, leaf, flower, seed, berry or another part of the plant. Different plant parts are not necessarily interchangeable.
Whole Herb vs Extract
Some herbal supplements contain dried or powdered plant material, while others use concentrated extracts.
A concentrated extract may represent a much larger amount of original plant material than the extract weight shown on the label, so products should not always be compared by milligrams alone.
Standardized Extracts
Some botanical extracts are standardized to provide a defined amount or percentage of naturally occurring compounds.
Examples can include:
Standardization can help describe a formulation, but a higher percentage does not automatically make one herbal supplement better than another.
Single Herbs vs Herbal Formulas
Some products contain one primary botanical ingredient, while others combine several herbs or add vitamins, minerals and other natural health ingredients.
Single-herb products can make it easier to identify the amount and preparation of an individual botanical, while combination formulas may be designed around a broader wellness goal.
NPN
Natural health products licensed for sale in Canada carry an eight-digit Natural Product Number (NPN). Health Canada’s licensing process reviews information including medicinal ingredients, potency, recommended use and conditions of use.
Check the individual NPN for the exact authorized ingredients, recommended uses, dosage and cautions.
Popular Types of Herbal Supplements
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is an Ayurvedic botanical commonly found in adaptogenic herbal supplements and is available in root extracts, capsules, powders and combination formulas.
Turmeric comes from Curcuma longa. Turmeric and concentrated curcumin extracts are commonly available in capsules, softgels and combination formulas.
Milk Thistle is a botanical commonly found in liver-focused herbal products. Many extracts are standardized for compounds known collectively as silymarin.
Echinacea is widely used in herbal products associated with immune and seasonal wellness. Different products may use different Echinacea species and plant parts.
Ginseng products may include Korean or Asian Ginseng, American Ginseng and other botanicals commonly marketed under the ginseng name. Check the botanical species when comparing products.
Rhodiola rosea is an adaptogenic botanical available in capsules, concentrated extracts and liquid herbal preparations.
Valerian root is traditionally used in herbal sleep and calmative products and is available in capsules, extracts, tinctures and tea.
Ginkgo supplements commonly use concentrated leaf extracts and may be standardized for flavonoid glycosides and terpene lactones.
Garlic supplements are available as concentrated garlic, aged garlic extract, standardized formulas and black garlic preparations.
Dandelion products can use the root, leaf or whole plant and are available in capsules, extracts, tinctures and herbal tea.
Herbal Capsules vs Tinctures vs Tea
Herbal products come in many different formats.
Capsules and tablets provide convenient measured servings and may contain powdered herbs or concentrated extracts.
Liquid extracts and tinctures provide botanical ingredients in a concentrated liquid preparation.
Herbal teas use plant material infused in water and generally provide a different concentration than capsules or extracts.
Powders can provide whole herbs or concentrated botanical ingredients that can be mixed into food or beverages.
No single format is automatically best. Compare the botanical preparation, serving directions and intended use of the individual product.
What Are Adaptogenic Herbs?
Adaptogen is a term used in herbal medicine for certain botanicals traditionally used to help the body adapt to physical or mental stress.
Herbs commonly found in adaptogenic products include Ashwagandha, Rhodiola, Ginseng, Holy Basil and Astragalus.
Each herb has its own traditional uses, formulation and safety considerations, so they should not be treated as interchangeable.
Herbal Supplements for Different Wellness Goals
Herbal supplements are commonly grouped according to different wellness interests, including:
Stress and relaxation — Ashwagandha, Rhodiola, Holy Basil and Valerian
Digestive wellness — Dandelion, Artichoke, Ginger and DGL
Immune wellness — Echinacea, Elderberry, Astragalus and Garlic
Women’s wellness — Black Cohosh, Vitex, Sage and Maca
Cognitive wellness — Ginkgo Biloba and certain Ginseng or Rhodiola preparations
Joint wellness — Turmeric, Boswellia and Ginger
The exact authorized uses depend on the individual product and should be confirmed using its NPN.
Are Herbal Supplements Natural Health Products?
Many herbal supplements sold in Canada are regulated as natural health products.
Health Canada states that licensed natural health products can be identified by an NPN or DIN-HM on the label. Licensed products have been assessed for safety, efficacy and quality under their recommended conditions of use.
Always read and follow the directions on the individual product.
Important Herbal Supplement Safety Considerations
Herbal does not automatically mean appropriate for everyone.
Botanical ingredients can interact with medications and may have specific restrictions related to pregnancy, breastfeeding, surgery or particular health conditions.
Different herbs also have very different cautions. For example, St. John’s Wort is known for significant medication interactions, while other herbs may affect blood clotting, blood glucose, blood pressure or sedation.
Health Canada recommends reading and following product labels and discussing natural health products with a healthcare professional when appropriate, particularly when using medications or managing a medical condition.
Shop Herbal Supplements Online in Canada
Browse Herbal Supplements at Village Vitamin Store to explore traditional herbs, botanical extracts, adaptogenic herbs, tinctures, capsules and herbal formulas from established wellness brands.
Compare botanical species, plant parts, extract concentrations, standardized compounds, serving directions and NPN information to find a product that fits your needs.
