Why Herbs?
Why herbs? Walk the aisles of any drugstore or supermarket, and you’ll see hundreds of “over-the-counter” remedies. Why not use them? And beyond that, why not rely on just what the doctor gives you? In 2006, Americans walked right past standard remedies to spend $22.3 billion on herbal supplements. They would not be spending that kind of money if they didn’t see some kind of attraction. What draws people to herb use?
Gentleness
One reason people turn to herbal remedies is gentleness. Herbs are typically less refined, less distilled than standard remedies.
For example, Mormon tea contains pseudoephedrine, the same active ingredient as the over-the-counter cold remedy Sudafed®. The actions of Mormon tea aren’t as harsh, however, because the plant contains less of the active ingredient than Sudafed, the plant’s pseudoephedrine is buffered by other ingredients, and it hasn’t been distilled to magnify the effect. Furthermore, with Mormon tea, you get the liquids that are so crucial to a cold, and you get the warmth and the steam, which soothe irritated tissues. Moreover, you don’t get the fillers and the red dye #40. Similarly, if you compare prescription sleep aids with herbal remedies, you’ll see the difference between something that knocks you out and something that helps you sleep. Even if you don’t appreciate the difference in the evening, you will in the morning when you’re trying to clear the residual from your system.
In short, one of the differences between herbal care and standard Western medicine can be the difference between a nudge and a shove. Mormon tea, willow bark, thyme, eucalyptus, peppermint
—all these herbs have distilled, more potent counterparts in over-the-counter medicines. Using the herbal version sometimes gives you the option of taking a gentler amount of the active ingredient.
It is not true, however, that all herbal remedies are less potent than their counterparts. Some are more potent, perhaps dangerously so. If you use Listerine®, for example, you get the disinfectant properties of thymol (an active ingredient in thyme) in a well-tested form. If you decide to “go herbal” and use the essential oil of thyme or thymol straight, you could kill yourself with it if you don’t take proper precautions. Though, in general, herbs are gentler than their refined counterparts, some herbs are not at all subtle in their effects. If you’re going to use herbs, especially internally,
you must know the difference between the two.
Complexity
Another benefit that draws people to herbal remedies is the complexity of herbs. Most prescription and over-the-counter medicines have one or two active ingredients in some kind of carrier. By contrast, herbs usually contain a blend of several chemicals, each with active properties.
What that means is that sometimes herbs are a fortunate blend of several active ingredients working in concert. For example, arnica contains not just the anti-inflammatory compounds that it’s famous for, but also chemicals that function as antiseptics and anesthetics. Some herbs—hops for example—don’t have a single verifiable active ingredient, but all the ingredients together have a verifiable cumulative effect, especially when blended with other herbs. In other words, one reason to use herbs is a faith—and I choose that word deliberately—in nature’s benevolent complexity. A corollary of that statement of faith is the belief that when we refine an herb into a single active ingredient, we may be refining out benefit as well as “inactive” ingredients.
Is such faith warranted? Partially. To be honest, though, herbs’ complexity can be either the good news or the bad news. The bad news is that you may be getting problematic ingredients with helpful ones. For example, borage oil contains a powerful anti-inflammatory, but it also contains the liver toxin pyrrolizidine. Licorice is an outstanding remedy for coughs, but it also contains glycyrrhizin, which messes up the electrolyte balance of the body. The bottom line is that some herbs have a beneficial complexity; some have hidden harmful ingredients. Only careful investigation will tell you which is which.
Novel Effects
Another reason people use herbs is to gain effects not available in standard Western medicines. If you go to your doctor and ask for something to help keep you from getting a cold this winter, chances are the doctor won’t be able to help you. The herbal shop down the street, however, has echinacea, andrographis, elderberry, astragalus, and all manner of other exotic sounding herbs, each claiming to offer help in warding off a cold. Similarly, if you go into the doctor with a bruise from heavy training, the doctor will probably tell you to ice it and hope for the best. Go to the local herb shop, and the proprietor may give you arnica, bromelain, perhaps some comfrey.
For most people, money, time, or just a fear of doctors has created a line between significant ailments and ordinary ones. If annoyance with a physical problem exceeds a certain level, they’ll go into the doctor. Below that threshold, however, is where they turn to herbs. Frankly, this realm of
“ordinary ailments” is where herbs excel. They can help clear up minor annoyances, they can help foster health and well-being, and they can make you feel better while you’re healing. An herb may not “cure” a cold, but neither will a visit to the doctor. Furthermore, a nice cup of chamomile tea will probably make you feel better than sitting for a couple of hours in a doctor’s waiting room.
Herbs typically are gentler, have fewer side effects, treat not just major physical malfunctions but minor day-to-day physical annoyances, and they don’t require a trip to the doctor. Perhaps that’s why sales of herbs have taken off in the last decade. However, with the rise in herb use has come a rise in the number of people being careless in their use of herbs, some fatally so.
Safety with Herbs
First, let me say that this section is not for the attorneys of this world; it’s for you and me. It is my attempt to nudge you in the direction of healthy attitudes toward herb use. In my research, over and over again, I’ve run across an appallingly cavalier attitude toward herbs. Many people put herbs in their mouths and on their skin without a single thought to their side effects or their interactions with other herbs, prescription drugs, and over-the-counter remedies. They don’t bother to look into an herb’s background or track record, but rather take the herb in response to the latest news report, or worse yet, magazine ad. What I offer to you here is a reality check, something to think about before you begin experimenting with the herbs in this book.
Principle Numbe r One :
Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean you can be as stupid as you want with it . Some herbs are poisonous. Even those that aren’t can make you quite miserable if you use them badly. A few years ago, kava was the flavor of the month. Health food magazines, television health reporters, and of course vitamin and herb stores were touting it as a near-magical stress-buster. People started taking it by the handful. Then the reports of liver failure started floating in. The numbers weren’t huge, but a few otherwise healthy people damaged their liver to the point of needing a liver transplant. The FDA jumped in and issued an advisory. Herbalists replied, citing all the people using kava who don’t need liver transplants. The debate continues to rage. Google “kava, liver,” and you’ll get an overview of the arguments, both rational and irrational. Yet one fact is not really in dispute: you can be stupid with kava. You can be stupid with any herb.
The point is this: You wouldn’t pull bottles from a pharmacist’s shelves and try two of these, four of those and a small handful of that. Yet you’d be surprised at how many people do something very similar with herbs. Herbs work in the body using the same mechanisms of action as drugs do. They interact like drugs do. They have safe and unsafe doses like drugs do. And they can do you a world of hurt if misused, just like drugs do. “Natural” does not mean “harmless.” If you don’t know where the line is between “safe” and “stupid” for any given herb, don’t use it.
Principle Numbe r Two:
Just because it looks like the herb in question doesn’t mean it is the herb in question . Plants are trickier than you might think to identify in the wild. For example, comfrey and foxglove—the
plants themselves as they grow in the wild—look quite alike. Moreover, the range for comfrey and the range for foxglove overlap considerably; the two can grow side-by-side. What would happen then if you decide to harvest your own comfrey and end up with foxglove by accident? Brew some comfrey tea, and it will probably clear your sinuses. Brew some foxglove tea, and it could very easily stop your heart.
Each species of herb has enough variety that only a fool tries to make an identification based on pictures in a book. If you don’t have the benefit of training with a reputable herbalist, don’t go collecting in the wild.
Similarly, if you want to try growing your own herbs, the wisest course is to get some training from an experienced herbalist. You want to be sure you know which of the plants you planted is the herb and which is a weed. You’ll need help sorting through nurseries and seed companies, to learn which have good seeds and cuttings and which don’t. Besides, without the right care and harvesting, herbs can lose potency and effectiveness. In short, if you want to start your herb use with the seed or the plant, get some hands-on training.
Principle Numbe r Thre e :
Not all herb companies are reputable: Let the buyer beware . So you’ve decided not to go harvesting in the woods on your own and are now standing in your local herb shop surrounded by hundreds of bottles and dozens of different brands. How do you know what you’re looking for?
Even herbs purchased in health food stores can be problematic. Packages of herbs from the Far East, South America, and Eastern Europe usually contain the herb stated on the label. Sometimes, though, they contain something completely different. Stories of mislabeled herbs can even be found in the U.S. and Europe, where labeling laws are stricter. The unfortunate fact is this: Though mislabeling is uncommon, all it takes is one mislabeled bottle to spoil your day completely.
Even if the packaging company has harvested the right herb and packaged it in a bottle with the right label, the herb still may not be healthy or effective. Offering herbs for sale involves far more than picking leaves and stuffing them into bottles. Potency can decline quickly with poor growing practices or sloppy handling. Label information varies widely from product to product. The
“recommended daily dose” can be a very arbitrary thing (or not mentioned at all) on some of the poorer quality brands. Some herbs have been found to be contaminated with metals, prescription drugs, micro-organisms, and other unhealthy ingredients.
How do you know you are getting good quality herbs? Here are a few general principles: First, countries with low levels of regulation tend to turn out the least consistent quality. The Far East, South America, and Eastern Europe are typically less reliable because of lax regulation. The U.S.
has truth in labeling laws—the herb in the bottle must legally be the herb named on the label—but it has very little regulation of herb quality. Potency, therefore, is an iffy thing for some U.S.
companies. Some U.S. companies turn out great herbs, some very poor herbs. It takes a bit of sleuthing to figure out which is which. European countries, most notably German and the U.K., will, in general, have tighter regulations than North and South American countries. Consequently, in general, the quality of their herbs tends to be higher.
Other indications of quality include in-house testing. A reputable company should do batch checks, and they should have strict quality control policies. If you’re looking for reputable
companies, check out their Web site. Those who do in-house testing tend to feature it prominently on their site.
You can also look for quality assurance seals from independent third-party certification programs on the label. One such seal is the NSF International seal. The NSF (formerly the National Sanitation Foundation) inspects both the herb itself and the manufacturing process. Those products that pass inspection are allowed to bear the NSF seal. What the seal means is that not only is the herb inside the bottle the herb on the label, but no additional herbs are present that aren’t on the label. The NSF seal says nothing about potency, however, just purity of product and accuracy of labeling.
American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) members agree to abide by a code of ethics. That code includes ethical business practices, protection of endangered species of herbs, truth in labeling, disclosure of added constituents, and warnings about safety issues involved in herb use.
The association relies on members to regulate themselves, but members who are found to be out of compliance can be expelled from the association.
T he United States Pharmacopeia s eal
Us e d wi th the p e rmi s s i o n o f the Uni te d S ta te s P ha rma c o p e i a
The USP seal says a little more than that of the NSF or AHPA. “USP” stands for “United States Pharmacopeia.” USP is an independent, self-sustaining, nonprofit, science-based public health organization. The USP seal on a bottle of herbs says that the label on the bottle actually contains what it claims on the label. It also says that the product doesn’t contain harmful levels of specified contaminants, that the binders or capsules containing the herb will break down and release in the body, and that the company making the herbs uses good manufacturing processes. In other words, if a bottle of herbs bears the USP seal, that means that the herb is pure, uncontaminated, and potent.
The seal also says that the shelf life dates are reliable and that the suggested doses on the label are
reasonable. The tests and standards used by USP are recognized by the FDA. In other words, the USP seal is probably your best indication of quality in American-made herbal supplements.
Let’s say that you are back in the herb shop and faced again with a choice of which herb to buy.
None of the bottles carry third-party seals. You don’t know anything about the brand names. How can you minimize your risks? According to one study, price seems to be a fairly reliable mark of quality.2 If one brand is significantly cheaper than the others, be suspicious. On the other hand, if an herb is standardized to one of its active ingredients, that’s a good sign. Check where the herbs were grown or harvested. If they were imported from a country with poor regulation—China, an Eastern European country, a South American country—be cautious. German, Swedish, Finnish, or British manufacturing companies tend to be more reliable. In fact, since the advent of the European Union, the quality of all European herbs is becoming more consistently regulated and consequently better.
(What this tight regulation means for the availability of herbs and herbal advice is another, more complex and hotly debated issue, but regulation has made the quality of the herbs sold more reliable.)
If you plan to use herbs regularly, find a brand or a distributor who offers consistent quality and buy each time from them. What you don’t want to do is to buy from hotdog_joe73 or zhangsherbs on eBay or some random Web site. Hot Dog Joe or Zhang may sell great herbs, but you have no way of telling. The material in the capsule may be the best herb you’ve ever used or it may be wallpaper paste.
Principle Numbe r Four:
Never look solely at the common name for an herb. Always check the scientific name for an herb.
Not only does one plant often look like another, the names of plants can be similar as well. For example, gotu kola (Centella asiatica) is not the same as kola (Cola acuminata). Gotu kola has adaptogenic and wound healing properties. Kola (kola nut or “cola”) is the stimulant found in colas.
“Gardenia” in the United States is a pleasant ornamental (but not medicinal) flower, composed of several species in the Gardenia genus. In China, “gardenia” refers to Fructus Gardeniae, a medicinal herb.
Quite aside from the obvious possibilities for confusion between common names is the issue of which species are most potent. For example, some species of echinacea work better than others. Do the contents of your bottle of echinacea contain one of the better species or one of the cheaper, less effective species? The only way to know is to check the scientific name.
Principle Numbe r Five :
Homeopathy is not herbalism. Creams and other products made using homeopathic methods will often have the same name as herbal creams. The two, however, are not interchangeable. For example, homeopathy uses arnica just as herbalism does. In fact, in the U.S. most arnica cream offered for sale in herb shops is homeopathic arnica, not an herbal preparation. The two are made using very different processes. Homeopathy leaves very little of the herb in question in the final product. It also uses the resulting preparation differently. Look for either the abbreviation HPUS,
or a number followed by X, e.g. 10X. That means it’s a homeopathic formula, not an herbal one. It also means that this book says nothing about that particular formula, its use, or its potential effectiveness.
Principle Numbe r Six:
If you diagnose yourself, you have only yourself to blame if you’re wrong . Just because you think you know what you’re treating doesn’t mean you’re right. Diagnosing yourself and treating yourself with herbs can delay a much-needed trip to the doctor.
That being said, we all do it. We all look at life’s injuries and ailments and say, “Nah, I don’t have to go in to the doctor. It’s just a ___.” Be aware, though, that treating symptoms can mask a larger, more serious underlying condition. Taking responsibility for your health means not just learning which herb to use when, but also when to put away the herbs and seek professional help.
That being said, we all do it. We all look at life’s injuries and ailments and say, “Nah, I don’t have to go in to the doctor. It’s just a ___.” Be aware, though, that treating symptoms can mask a larger, more serious underlying condition. Taking responsibility for your health means not just learning which herb to use when, but also when to put away the herbs and seek professional help.