Healing Herbs

Natural Healing With Herbs

There is so much information regarding the history and many uses of herbs. We have tried to highlight some facts to assist you with understanding herbs and how to use them.

Herbs have been used for thousands of years in the practice of medicine, in beauty preparations and even to protect homes from insects. One of the first things I learned about herbs is that they are powerful and must be respected as such. You can get into a lot of trouble if you don't understand that and are considering using herbs internally or externally.

The practice of herbal medicine has existed since prehistoric times and flourishes today as the primary form of medicine for perhaps as much as 80% of the world's population. Over 80,000 species of plants are in use throughout the world. Along with acupuncture, herbal medicine is considered primary healthcare in China, where it has documented use for over 2,500 years.

If you are considering taking herbs internally please consult a qualified herbalist or holistic practitioner. If none are available in your area then speak with your physician. Whichever you choose please tell them about all the medications you are taking and why; that's both prescription and over the counter drugs. Be sure to include vitamins and even aspirin in this disclosure. This is important because drugs, vitamins and other supplements may have adverse reactions with some herbs. Even some herb combinations are not safe, some combinations will nullify the effect you are trying to achieve, and finally some combinations may be dangerous to some individuals.

I suggest you proceed cautiously and take the time to do the necessary research before taking any herb internally on your own. It's true that herbs are healing and healthy but always remember they are powerful too.

The power and potency of the healing herbs are very real. Every herb has specific healing properties. Natural medicines are not like manufactured drugs. Herbal preparations work gently, so they take time to act internally or externally. When you use an herbal preparation, begin with a small amount. Watch closely for signs that symptoms are easing. Observe how the preparation makes you feel. Using herbal treatment requires observation, coupled with good judgment.

Natural herbal preparations are generally well tolerated by most people. Most herbs are nontoxic, with few, if any, harmful side effects. However, it is important to know the action and possible side effects of an herb before you use it. Although it is very unusual, some people may show signs of sensitivity to a particular herb.

Reactions can include a headache, an upset stomach, rash, swelling, itching, high blood pressure, or difficulty breathing. If you have a reaction, discontinue use of the herb immediately. Adverse reactions are unusual if herbal remedies are used in recommended doses. Problems are more likely to occur if an herb is overused, if the dosage is too high or if the herb is given continuously for too long. Chamomile, for example, may cause some individuals to develop an allergy to ragweed if given on a daily basis for too long; the prolonged use of licorice can lead to high blood pressure. This is why, even if an herb is beneficial for a chronic condition, it is not usually recommended that an herbal remedy be given on an ongoing basis, but rather that it be used for set periods of time, or alternated with another remedy or remedies. When using herbal treatment, as with most other aspects of a healthy life, moderation is the key. If you have any question about the use of a particular herb, consult with a qualified herbalist or health care professional.

If you are allergic to certain plants or families of plants please refrain from taking herbs orally or using externally products that contains herbs from these groups. If you are not sure which plant family an herb is from there are many sources of information on the internet, in your local library and book stores available to assist you.

There are over 750,000 plants on earth. Relatively speaking, only a very few of the healing herbs have been studied scientifically. And because modern pharmacology looks for one active ingredient and seeks to isolate it to the exclusion of all the others, most of the research that is done on plants continues to focus on identifying and isolating active ingredients, rather than studying the medicinal properties of whole plants. Herbalists, however, consider that the power of a plant lies in the interaction of all its ingredients. Plants used as medicines offer synergistic interactions between ingredients both known and unknown.
 
Herbalists use the leaves, flowers, stems, berries, and roots of plants to prevent, relieve, and treat illness. From a "scientific" perspective, many herbal treatments are considered experimental. The reality is, however, that herbal medicine has a long and respected history. Many familiar medications of the twentieth century were developed from ancient healing traditions that treated health problems with specific plants. Today, science has isolated the medicinal properties of a large number of botanicals, and their healing components have been extracted and analyzed. Many plant components are now synthesized in large laboratories for use in pharmaceutical preparations. For example, vincristine (an anti-tumor drug), digitalis (a heart regulator), and ephedrine (a bronchodilator used to decrease respiratory congestion) were all originally discovered through research on plants.

Herbs are available in a variety of forms, including fresh, dried, in tablets or capsules, or bottled in liquid form, see our section Herb Forms for a description of each. You can buy them individually or in mixtures formulated for specific conditions. Whatever type of product you choose, the quality of an herbal preparation; be it in capsule, tablet, tea, tincture, bath, compress, poultice, or ointment form is only as good as the quality of the raw herb from which it was made.

Herbal extracts needs further exploring because there are different types of extracts which can sometimes be confusing. Many herbalists believe that standardized extracts are the only ones that should be used by the average consumer.

Standardized extracts arose out of the need to create a uniform product for clinical trials. Broadly speaking, there are two types. One is based on identifying and quantifying an extract to a characteristic chemical marker compound. The second, identifies and concentrates one or more as active constituents, making it closer to the level of a chemical isolate. This means that other naturally occurring constituents are displaced at the expense of one or a number of compounds.

Per a recent article on this matter, those who support standardized extracts believe that they represent a trend towards higher technological refinement. They believe that they will provide a more consistent, stronger and a more effective product backed by chemical analysis to confirm the presence and ratio quantity of one or a number of characteristic plant constituents. They further assert that this will increase consumer confidence and that this is ultimately good for greater acceptance of herbs by the medical establishment and the mainstream.

As herbal medicine extends further into the mainstream, science and industry must not forget that there is an as yet unrecognized profession of highly qualified and experienced clinical herbalists.

The American Herbalists Guild founded in 1989, represents the emerging herbalist profession.

There is much more to this debate than can be covered here but keep in mind that you must ask questions even when purchasing organic or wild-crafted whole herbs or extracts. The use of fertilizers and pesticides can greatly alter the quality of the resulting herbal product. Any manufacturer should be able to tell you how their products are grown and processed.

Generally, herbs fall into two categories: wild-grown and farm-grown. A wild-grown herb is one that grows naturally, without human intervention. As a result of natural selection, plants tend to be found in places with conditions that optimize their growth. For example, horsetail grows best in moist, swampy areas, while arnica thrives at high altitudes in alpine meadows. The process of gathering herbs from their natural habitats is called wild-crafting.

The disadvantage of wild-grown herbs is that there is no guarantee the plants haven't been exposed to chemicals and pesticides. Herbs harvested from a meadow, for example, may have been exposed to chemical drift from a crop-dusted farm nearby. Exhaust fumes from passing traffic may have settled invisibly on plants growing near a country road. Water-loving plants, like horsetail, may be rooted in the bank of a polluted stream.

Because of the possibility of contamination, unless you are very sure of the source of wild-crafted herbs, organic herbs grown commercially may be a better choice. Organic farm-grown herbs are becoming increasingly available, as more and more herb farms are being established. With careful management, organic herb farms can provide a steady supply of quality herbs to the consumer. 

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.