Healing with Herbs: Introduction
Anyone who suffers from a serious acute or chronic illness and wants to use herbs to treat it should consult a professional for treatment—an acupuncturist (they are also trained in Chinese herbal medicine), certified naturopath or herbalist, or physician, nurse, or nurse practitioner who has obtained training in herbal medicine. But there are a number of less serious conditions that we can treat ourselves with herbal remedies that we can purchase at our local health food store or on-line, or if so inclined, make ourselves.
Before going into specifics in subsequent posts, however, I’d like to go over some general considerations: First of all, the fact that certain segments of the mainstream health industry pooh-pooh the efficacy of herbs has given many people the erroneous impression that herbs are harmless. Although some herbs are mild and benign, others are quite powerful. Like pharmaceutical drugs, herbs can cause side-effects (St. John’s wort is known to increase sensitivity to sunlight, for example), it’s possible to overdose on some of the most powerful ones (consider the opiates), and they can interact not only with each other but with any pharmaceutical drugs you might be taking (e.g., anyone taking a blood thinner should avoid herbs with blood-thinning properties such as Ginkgo). It’s always wise to do some research on any herbal supplement you plan to take; and you should discuss your plans with your health care provider if you are currently taking medication and/or you have ongoing health problems. If you have a primary health care provider who is hostile to holistic medicine, it might be time to find another one if herbal medicine is a route you want to pursue. These days, there are more and more providers who are open-minded and multi-faceted in their approach to healing.
When purchasing herbs, make sure to select brands that have a good reputation for quality. Some brands have been found to contain either none of the main component it’s being sold as, or to possess dangerous contaminants. If you visit a certified herbal practitioner, ask them what brands they recommend. You can research them on the Internet as well, or ask your friends who use herbs which brands they recommend. Some herbs now conform to the practice of testing for and listing the milligrams of the most active constituent on the label. That is a probably good rule of thumb in terms of deciding whether a supplement is of good quality, but it’s not foolproof.
Arguments are often made that a drawback to using herbs for healing is that dosages can vary so much from batch to batch. Dosages do vary because these substances are grown, not manufactured, but herbs are not like pharmaceutical drugs; they are not as powerful or concentrated, nor are they a single active ingredient. Like food, herbs have a rich smorgasbord of components (Echinacea, for example, is believed to have fourteen components that account for its preventative health properties, some alcohol-soluble and some water-soluble), many of which will balance out potential side-effects. If you are careful to choose reputable brands, the dosage issue should not be a source of worry (although, you should only take the recommended dosage).
If you’re deciding which herbs to take on your own, without the guidance of a professional, be sure to research them. There is now an incredible array of respectable Internet resources that give information on the herbs themselves; and there are also search engines that will allow you to pair two herbs or an herb and a drug to see if there are any known interactions. Always be sure to find out about any contraindications for the herb you’re considering; as I mentioned above, even though they are generally milder than pharmaceutical drugs, the reason they’re used to address specific health issues is that they are known to have certain affects on our physiology.
This brings me to an aside as far as pre-packaged herbal teas go. They are some of the weakest preparations there are—herbs are best when they are fresh or prepared in such a way to maximize their potency—but they are herbs. A friend of mine once said, “I wouldn’t go into someone’s medicine cabinet and just take a random assortment of pills; for the same reason, I don’t drink random herbal teas.” If there is an herbal tea that you drink regularly because you like the way it tastes, it’s probably a good idea to take note of the ingredients list and research the properties of those herbs. Individuals with high blood pressure, for example, wouldn’t want to drink tea containing licorice root.
Generally speaking, it’s good not to take the same herb day in and day out, year after year. Herbalists recommending getting off an herb occasionally if it’s one you take regularly, or taking something else for a while. That way, there’s less chance that your body will build up sensitivities or allergies to the herb.
Read the directions to see whether you should take an herb with food or on an empty stomach. That can make a difference in its absorption rate and effectiveness. Treat your herbal regimen as you would a drug regimen and take them according to directions, whether they’re on the bottle or recommended by your practitioner. You won’t get good results if you take them haphazardly. If you have any negative reactions, stop taking the herb immediately and call your health care provider to see if there are any additional steps you should take. Drink lots of water to flush it from your system.
In following posts, I’ll discuss more specific aspects of herbs—known side-effects and interactions of some common herbs, as well as some of the most tried-and-true herbal remedies for various ailments. Below is a list of Internet resources to help you educate yourself. One of the great things about herbal medicine is that the power can lie in our hands to take care of a great many common health problems; but with that power comes risk, and responsibility for our own well-being.
To find a practitioner:
The American Herbalists Guild: http://www.americanherbalist.com
Herbal databases:
National Institute of Health: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginformation.html
Complete Herbal: http://www.complete-herbal.com
Medscape/WebMD: http://medscape.com/druginfo/druginterchecker (you’ll be required to set up a free account to use their tools)
List of some commonly used herbs and their properties:
University of Michigan Health System: http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/aha/umherb01.htm
Search engines for herbal and drug interactions:
Drug Digest: http://www.drugdigest.org/wps/portal/ddigest
Medscape/WebMD: http://medscape.com/druginfo/druginterchecker (you’ll be required to set up a free account to use their tools)
Note: Use all of the above information at your own risk, and do not use as a substitute for professional treatment or consultation.
Monday, May 10, 2010