More people are going organic even when it comes to their medicine. Local business owners who specialize in natural products say their sales are on the rise and herbal remedies are in high demand.

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Rosanna Albano is a firm believer in herbal medicine. "I buy always the omega-3 fatty acids, the DHA, I get vitamin D," shared Albano.

She calls herself a regular to the Village Green Apothecary in Bethesda. She finds a variety of natural ingredients for her entire family.

Albano pointed out, "This I use a lot, just to sweeten the shakes and smoothies that I give to my kids."

Albano is part of a growing trend. research shows that herbal supplement sales in 2009 almost doubled, compared to 2008.

Marc Isaacson, the owner of Village Green Apothecary, said, "With healthcare costs escalating tremendously, you have families who are paying 10-20k a year to insure their families, so there's totally a movement towards healthy living, prevention."

Isaacson says these products are usually affordable, accessible and effective.

"They are food based. Most of them are coming from food sources and plant sources, so these are the kinds of things that your body would ingest or naturally has," said Isaacson.

With thousands of supplements available without a prescription, we asked the experts "are these really safe?"

Tetsuhiro Ueno told us, "When they say natural, it doesn't always mean natural."

Tetsuhiro Ueno specializes in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. While he says alternative health supplements show positive results, consumers still need to be cautious of purchases over the counter.

"Sometimes like cheap product there are so many fillers and unnecessary stuff inside so even you're taking vitamins and minerals, you cannot get the full benefit from the product," said Ueno.

So he says your best bet is to consult your doctor.

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy offered this statement:

"Herbal supplements are monitored by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for safety but not regulated by the FDA like drugs and foods. The regulatory loophole for herbal supplements allows products to reach the store shelves that are not previously approved by the FDA and in some cases, make claims that are false."