cautions
about herbal information
There is more and more information available on herbs.
There
is more and more information available on herbs. Much of the information
available is very general and lacks specificity. As with pharmaceutical
ads that say you should consult your physician to see if these medications
are right for you, likewise you should do the same when it comes to herbs,
and consult a certified herbalist.
Many
people would criticize that type of comment. They say that herbs are the
medicine of the people, that they are safe and that the information
provided in books and on the web is accurate. All of which is true,
however we no longer have the cultural wisdom of proper herb use passed
down through families. Much of the herbal lore is no longer passed from
mother to daughter as it once was. Though the information available on the
web and in books, is often factual, it may not be appropriate. A few herbs
that demonstrate this point are ginger, licorice and aconite.
Ginger is
one of the few herbs that still has some family cultural wisdom behind it.
Many people have been told that if you have an upset stomach, to drink
ginger tea or ginger ale. This information is correct, ginger is a
powerful herb when it come to some kinds of stomach discomfort. What is
lacking is the old differentiation as to when it will help and when other
herbs would be better. Ginger works best on a “cold” stomach marked by
nausea, tightness, sticky or cold wet stool, desire for warm liquids, and
especially after overeating of cold raw foods. Stomach problems marked by
acid reflux, hot diarrhea, or dry stool are better treated with other
herbs (fennel, and hawthorn berry for example).
Licorice
is very common in traditional herbal medicine. As such it has been through
a lot of scientific testing. Research indicates that there can be problems
with licorice interacting with various medications. As a result, doctors
caution against its use. The testing done on licorice has been with
licorice in large doses as a single herb preparation. Traditionally,
licorice was used in very small quantity in a larger formula. Worrying
about licorice and drug interactions, can lead to a false sense that other
herbs are safer, when in fact many have not been well researched. There
are many common foods that pose a greater threat than licorice when it
comes to drug and herb interactions.
If you look
up aconite in any of the popular herbal texts you will find warnings that
this herb is poisonous and should not be be used. What is not mentioned is
that there is a difference between raw aconite
and processed aconite.
Raw aconite which is prohibited from sale in the U.S. is
poisonous. Properly processed aconite is a powerful herb that is quite
safe especially if prescribed appropriately.
Research
and textbooks provide factual information. Quite often they are lacking in
the information on proper clinical application of these substances. There
are several books from very respected publishers that provide factual
information, and report how a herb has been used, rather than why and how
it should be used. The area of greatest concern is when people use these
herbs to self treat without knowing how to self diagnose. Herbal diagnosis
is different from biomedical diagnosis. The advice should always be;
understand what you are putting into your body and why. If you are not
sure, get the advice of someone who knows not only the medicine but how
and why it should or should not be applied to you.
David
Bock C.Ac. Dipl. OM
is a Nationally Board Certified (NCCAOM) in Oriental
Medicine, Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal medicine. He practices at The
Ommani Center for Integrative Medicine at 1166 Quail Court in Pewaukee,
WI. Phone: 262.695.5311 – www.ommanicenter.com.
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