Buy Your Herbs and Vitamins Here to be Safe
Puritan's Pride
Who the heck isn't selling vitamins and supplements these days? I can even go in the "GAS UP and BUY CHICKEN" store here in town and get wildly colored, overpriced packs for energy both for work and sex as well as all manner of combinations to keep me awake, put me to sleep, calm me down, and wire me up.
Having come from a mountain family that did herbs long before that was cool and long before Barbara Mandrel ate crackers in bed which is not a good idea, I'd have to say that Puritan's Pride is going to be a good bet if you want to play around with natural body and mind enhancers.
First, let me say that it's a good idea to know what you want and why before you go out and buy natural products. I took one once to boost my immune system and totally wacked out my female system. My MD had to jump start me some real drugs and suggested that I might want to think about what I put in my body. I should have just asked my Grandma and avoided any stuff that didn't have the Raven Nest Branch seal of approval.
I'm a quick study, so I haven't experimented after that major mess, and I threw out that supplement that aids weight loss but also blows out your heart. I figure fat is better than dead if you know what I mean.
I'd just as soon buy my weed stuff direct or grow my own and do on a few items like mint, yarrow, and dandelion. For the sake of honesty, I must confess I didn't plant the dandelion but do love how the roots in tea keep yeast infections at bay. The flowers fry up very nice like squash and who can argue with greens of any variety for health and the food pyramid on the "not so fatty" end. Still, I like to get some stuff that I just do not have the time or the constitution to search out or cultivate.
This is where Puritan's Pride comes in...
PP is not a Johnny come lately. They've been around since 1960. They NASDAQ as Nature's Bounty with Puritan's Pride being the mail and online space for the company. They carry most of the top names that pop up at all kinds of outlets, so you're not buying some hit-or-miss from the basement of a person who may or may not know what they are doing. If you know an herbalist, then great. If not, then don't send your money out to some oddball who buys web space and sells you something that may be dried grass or sugar pills for energy. This is a safe space with a track record.
I buy several items from Puritan's Pride. There are some items you really can't go wrong with. Vit C or E are safe bets. I take Vit C to keep colds and nasties at bay, and I buy Vit E in capsules and use that for all manner of stuff both externally and internally. Another favorite is the aloe vera gel, which does boost the immune system and takes the edge off hangovers. Gotta love that combination.
The quality at PP is always great. You don't hang in for 40 plus years, if you're not providing the real deal. Some of the Vit E capsules I've purchased from other places were thin and did not hold much of the substance. The ones at PP are great and stay nice in the cabinet over a good length of time. The Vit B do not have that old smell that some companies have with ones that are not packed as well. If you get some of the bad ones, then you may get energy (though I wouldn't bank on it), but you'll burp like crazy and have to gobble breath mints.
Prices are excellent at PP. You may price check and come up with slightly better prices at times but not often. The last aloe vera gel purchase I made saved $10 off the going price local and online (for 3 bottles). That was not even a big sale price at PP. The base was low, and they knocked off a dollar or two putting them much lower than the drugstores online. If I watch for the big time sales, then I can go even better of cents or dollars off.
Once you order, then you get on the catalog list. They have a no frills booklet type catalog that includes sales and all products with some details. If you're looking to learn about herbs, then you won't find it here, but you can do your own research on various items. Then, you can cross back and buy at PP.
The only real downside I see with Puritan's Pride online (and mail order) is that you really need to know about alternatives in order to get the most out of the store. They do have some great articles and carry most any product you might want. It's just not a window shop where you stumble in and get a lot of direction. Though the store is divided neatly though busy in presentation, it would not be one where you sample and put stuff in your body that will do goodness knows what. A lot of people think that anything grown naturally is OK, but that is not the case. Where do you think the ideas for drugs come from? Those "wildwood flowers" ain't a salve for those looking to life straight though that is not always the objective anyway.
If you take standard safe items like Vit C and E or aloe vera gel, then check out PP. If you're willing to learn and find out what might make your life better in various ways, then keep PP in mind. It's one of the few alternative stores that I'd give the thumbs up with no reservations. They rock for selection, price, and customer service.
