Understanding Herbs and Modern Medicine With Em’s Herbals

For instance, Mitchell notes that willow bark contains salicin, which converts to salicylic acid. This is commonly known as aspirin, the well-known household pain reliever. Aspirin also contains this acid, but in far larger amounts that are synthesized in a lab. So, both are derived from the same compound, but willow bark is thought to be a gentler, more natural form. However, according to a study found in the peer-reviewed medical journal, Phytotherapy Research: “The multi-component active principle of willow bark provides a broader mechanism of action than aspirin and is devoid of serious adverse events. In contrast to synthetic aspirin, willow bark does not damage the gastrointestinal mucosa. An extract dose with 240 mg salicin had no major impact on blood clotting.”

Using herbal medicine for health and wellness, Mitchell says, is great as a daily preventative routine that can provide many benefits for your body: helping it adapt to stress, reducing inflammation, balancing electrolytes and providing adequate levels of vitamins and minerals.

“One plant can have hundreds of compounds that can potentially address multiple systems at one time,” she says.

As an example, licorice root (photo below) has multiple uses for an individual. By positively affecting the adrenal glands through cortisol regulation and adrenaline response, the herb can be used to help the body adapt to stress. But it also happens to be an herb with both anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties, in addition to helping remove tarter from teeth.

“Herbs have a multi-faceted effect in the body with just one herb,” she says. “With very few exceptions—and there always are exceptions—herbs are safe. The majority of herbs can be taken safely, and without side effects.”

One of the drawbacks of many Western medications, Mitchell says, is the often-unfortunate cycle they perpetuate upon a person’s inter-connected bodily systems. A single medication may be prescribed to target a single condition and its symptoms, only to have that medication lead to issues requiring subsequent medications.

Mitchell sees herbal medicine as part of nature’s inherent intelligence, and humans as part of that intelligence. Still, despite most herbs being safe, gentle long-term approaches to dealing with a range of potential health issues, it’s still important to be careful.

“There are people out there who might claim themselves as natural healers that have intensive protocols with a lot of potentially toxic herbs for long periods of time,” she says. “Those can potentially do harm to people.”

Attempting to purge one’s self of parasites by ingesting large amounts of wormwood, for example, might get rid of parasites. But wormwood also has neurotoxic components that could cause other health issues.

Just as you wouldn’t carelessly experiment with pharmaceuticals, you shouldn’t be reckless with herbs. Pacheco recommends consulting a trained herbalist to determine the best practices for your personal health.

“Plants are meant to be used to promote health and wellness, in low doses for long periods of time,” she says. “Not in highly-concentrated doses of potent, powerful herbs targeting just one thing.”

For anyone wondering where to start with adapting herbal benefits to your own life, Mitchell recommends starting with basic, common, food-grade plants like chamomile, raspberry leaf, licorice, spearmint, or nettles (shown in image at right), among others. Try them, taste them, research their benefits, and see how they make you feel, she advises.

While herbal medicine is a huge topic, starting simple is a sure way to safely and carefully figure out how herbs can benefit your health and well-being.

“To use plants in order to help ourselves feel better, be healthier, and live our best lives,” she says, “should be a natural step for everyone.”