“The Lord has given some simple herbs of the field that at times are beneficial; and if every family were educated in how to use these herbs in case of sickness, much suffering might be prevented, and no doctor need be called.” (2SM 294.1) With the above counsel many of us use herbs with benefit. But use caution when you buy herbs from unknown sources. In a congressional study it was stated that, “Nearly all of the herbal dietary supplements tested in a Congressional investigation contained trace amounts of lead and other contaminants, and some supplement sellers made illegal claims that their products can cure cancer and other diseases, investigators found. The levels of heavy metal – including mercury, cadmium and arsenic – did not exceed thresholds considered dangerous…. However, 16 of the 40 supplements tested contained pesticide residues that appeared to exceed legal limits…. In some cases, the government has not set allowable levels of these pesticides because of a paucity of scientific research.” So if you are using herbs check out the sources or even better, grow your own! (Source: New York Times June 01 2010 18:02)