There are so many myths about herbs and herbal medicine floating around that it can make my head spin. Until we clear up the myths about herbal medicine, many people who could benefit will shy away from this incredible tradition of natural medicine that is our heritage and our birthright. Over the next few weeks, I’m going to devote some time and attention to de-bunking these myths one-by-one.
herbs & spices in Kerala, India
So, let’s jump right in and tackle the biggest, baddest myth first!
Myth #1: “Herbs are both dangerous and ineffective.”
(So just stop for a moment and think about that… if they’re so inert that they’re ineffective, how could they be potent enough to be dangerous?)
Truth: Herbs are safe and effective—when used properly. For herbal therapies to be safe and effective they need to be:
- The correct herb(s) for the individual
- The correct dose for that patient
- The correct preparation (tincture, tea, capsule, etc)
- And the correct part of the plant (root, leaves, flowers, bark…)
Those are a lot of variables–and each of them needs to be right in order for herbs to have a therapeutic effect. It’s easy to understand why so many people who try using herbs as home remedies without professional guidance don’t get good results! It’s nearly impossible for a lay person to know exactly which herbs to choose, how much to take, or how to know if the preparation is potent enough (or if it even has any of the active constituents in it!) The common belief that “herbs don’t work” may come from the fact that many of the herbal remedies used in the West are being taken by people who really don’t know which herbs they need in the first place. Even if they get the plants right, they’re probably using the wrong dose and often choosing a preparation that’s completely inert by the time it gets into their bodies. By contrast, my clients and the clients who work with my herbal colleagues are often amazed at the profound results of herbal medicine.
Herbs exist on a spectrum. Some are food-like, having their primary therapeutic effect through nourishment. These herbs are extremely gentle and unlikely to cause any adverse affect. They’re no more dangerous than spinach, apples, or rutabagas. On the opposite end of the spectrum, some herbs are deadly poisons, such as the poison hemlock that famously killed Socrates. It’s absolutely true there are dangerous herbs, some of which can be used medicinally within very narrow dosing ranges. Most herbalists do not work with these plants anymore. Few of us use foxglove, for example, because the pharmaceutical medication made from this plant is easier to dose safely. So we leave it to physicians to prescribe digitalis to heart patients and stick with what we do best—helping to optimally nourish and balance the person’s body so that they have the best chance at healing. Most of the herbs are your local health food store are generally safe with relatively low toxicity and few side effects. If that weren’t the case, they wouldn’t have made it past the FDA and onto the shelf. (You don’t see foxglove on the shelf at Whole Foods, do you? There’s a reason for that.)
The myth of “dangerous and ineffective” tends to come from members of the conventional medical community who have been trained to understand risk & benefit in a particular way. They’ll tolerate substances that they think are ineffective but have little risk of danger, often citing the faint hope that maybe their patient will experience a placebo effect, and since the worst-case-scenario is that “nothing will happen” they’re willing to support patients giving the therapy a try. Massage, acupuncture, vitamins, and many dietary therapies fall into this category for skeptical physicians. Even for the small minority who doubt that these therapies have any efficacy, they’re willing to let patients try them because it seems highly unlikely that any harm will come of it. Physicians are not out to oppose herbal medicine just for the sake of maintaining control; they’re acting out of genuine concern for their patients’ well-being using the limited information that they have. Those who still oppose herbal medicine just don’t have all of the information about herbs that they need in order to feel confident about supporting their use.
Herbs are clearly biologically active and most people in the medical community don’t have any training in understanding the ways that hundreds upon hundreds of medicinal plants affect the human body. Again, this isn’t a vast conspiracy; they’re too busy learning about how to prescribe pharmaceuticals and perform surgery! As one who’s witnessed the depth, breadth and intensity of medical education, take my word for it—doctors have enough learning to do in order to master the art of conventional medicine. Learning herbs isn’t their job; knowing our herbs inside and out is the job of herbalists. Doctors are legitimately concerned that the possibility for a patient being harmed by herbal medicine exists. At the same time, they’re not aware of the benefits that herbs have to offer because they haven’t had the time to study it. To a practitioner who thinks there’s the possibility of risk and very little chance of benefit, herbs seem like a terrible idea.
This is why herbalists and physicians need to work together. As an herbalist, I honor the realm of pharmaceutical medicines with utmost respect. That is the sacred domain of the work between a physician and her patient, and it’s completely outside my expertise. I never advise my clients on pharmaceutical drugs. To do so would be dangerous and illegal. My hope is that as herbal medicine becomes more well-established in the United States, physicians will in-turn look to herbalists to advise their patients on the safe and effective use of herbal medicine. My hope is that we may come to work together in partnership for the best interests of the people we serve, who all deserve to access the kinds of health care that they want. When that time comes, the myth that herbs are “dangerous and ineffective” will be a laughable relic of the past.
