First came natural food supplements. And now you can pop capsules for your daily fix of pure herbs.

What's the best cure for that cold which won't go away or that stressed-out feeling? You've tried the usual cough syrups and even antibiotics and it's beaten them all.

Now it's time to bring out the heavy artillery - herbs. What? Well some companies are saying pure herbs will set you to rights in a jiffy.

Indians have been using herbs - in one form or another - since time immemorial. Many women swear by face creams that contain a generous dollop of neem. Other people don't feel right unless they have munched karela to control their metabolism or had a bit of lasuna to keep cholesterol levels down.

Now companies seeking to jump on the health bandwagon are putting herbs in capsules and selling them. You can pop two capsules a day for your daily fix of pure herbs such as neem, Tulasi, Brahmi and ashwagandha, among others. These pure herb extracts are available over-the-counter from your neighbourhood chemist.

Himalaya Drug Co was first off the starting blocks with a range of 12 pure herbs in capsule form while Sanat Products has followed suit with an offer of six pure herbs and plans to offer more.

Already, the range offered by the two companies offers herbal solutions for everything from skin care and alertness, to common colds, stress, blood purification, and building immunity. "Natural products are better absorbed in the system and don't have any toxic side effects like synthetic formulations, " says Ravi Prasad, President & CEO, Himalaya.

But why should one consume Tulasi capsules instead of Tulasi, for instance, which you can grow in the garden? "Pure herb capsules are even more beneficial than the pure herbs," says Manoj Pahwa, CEO of Sanat Products, a pioneer in bringing herbal food supplements to the market place in India. Its Sunova Range of food supplements was launched in 1994.

Pahwa is now trying to move one step further. He argues the quality of pure herbs vary from place to place and cites the example of amla a rich source of Vitamin C. For instance, this year he says amla from Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh isn't as good as amla from Rajasthan. "If you consume pure herbs, you can never be sure whether they contain the beneficial ingredients - or the active constituent, as we call it - in the right measure," Pahwa asserts. "But if you have the pure herb capsules, you can be sure the active constituent remains the same in every capsule that reaches you."

Then, there's the convenience factor. As Pahwa says it's much easier to pop two capsules a day than to have consume, say five grams of Tulasi, every morning and evening. And last but not least, there's the taste factor. "It's much easier to have karela capsules than karela, I can assure you," he says.

Sanat also has found a market abroad for its pure herb capsules, exporting them to United States, Europe and Japan. Also it has been selling food supplements like Sunova Spirulina for nearly six years now.

Natural products are easily absorbed in the system and don't have any toxic side effects - Ravi Prasad, CEO, The Himalaya Drug Company

Prasad believes this is all part of a global craze for alternative remedies. "High-pressure lifestyles, cramped living conditions and an acute consciousness for healthy and better living has created a demand for instant natural remedies or herbal supplements that can be consumed without prescription."

Even if the health benefits are unproven, the numbers are certainly compelling. Pahwa says the global herbal healthcare market is pegged at $10 billion and is estimated to grow to a massive $ 50 billion by 2010. The Indian market is also reckoned to be growing by about 15 per cent a year.

Sanat says it has standardized it products. Pahwa says that each pack of Sanat pure herb capsules will list the ingredients in each one so that consumers can know what they are getting. For instance, each capsule of its neem product has been standardized to 5 per cent bitters.

Himalaya also says that its 72 years of experience have gone into ensuring consistency in all its products, including the pure herb capsules.

What do doctors say about herbal tablets? Interestingly, doctors appear to have shed the skepticism that they once had about anything that wasn't entirely endorsed by allopathic medical systems. "It's a good thing that pure herb extracts are now available. At least people can be sure of what they are consuming. Its difficult to understand the other herbal formulations because so many things are mixed in them, " says SK Gupta, head of department, pharmacology. All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences.

"Herbs are known to have immensely beneficial ingredients. Pure herb extracts can, therefore be really useful. But it all depends on whether the companies marketing them have done scientific analysis of herb extracts before selling them," adds Dr. Sanjeev Malik, Secretary General, Indian Medical Association.

Some doctors do, however, resist these products. "The attitude of the doctors is only to be expected because they have been trained to reject herbs, "says Pradip Burman, Chairman, Sanat Products, "So it is important that science is introduced into herbs which, I am happy to say, pass the test naturally. " Burman also cautions that there is a need to differentiate between Ayurveda and natural products.

Which perhaps explains why Dabur, the Ayurvedic major in the country, hasn't made a push into this market. As Dilip Bhujbal of Dabur Ayurvedic Specialities Limited explains, Ayurveda is based on the premise that everything in this universe is composed of the five basic elements. The degree to which each element is present in an individual forms is individual "prakriti". And Ayurveda treats each individual according to their prakriti. That's why two people with the same ailment could require different treatment. And since Dabur's expertise is in manufacturing Ayurvedic formulations. Bhujbal says the company has decided to stay out of the pure herbs business.

Himalaya and Sanat, however, are sure to have increased competition sooner than later. As Pahwa says, more Indian companies are bound to look closely at this sector especially after 2005, once the patents regime is enforced.

"Herbal healthcare is our heritage. If we exploit it well, it could well turn out like the software business," says Pahwa. And while Prasad is cautious about revealing figures in the short run - he simply says there has been an overwhelming response to Himalaya's pure herbs - Pahwa says Sanat is expecting sales worth Rs 6 crore within the first year of launch.

Who says that neem tastes bitter?