And avoid a scattergun approach…
I know it can be tempting to think that herbal medicine is ineffective just because you rubbed Lavender essential oil on your temples when you had a headache, and the pain was still there 10 minutes later.
It’s understandable to be cautious about taking herbs when you hear through the internet that someone ‘developed liver disease’ after a week of ashwagandha [or black cohosh/ St John’s Wort/hops/etc.] tea.
Or that, even when you have been brave enough to start a tincture prescribed by your qualified/ insured/experienced local herbalist, a feeling of slight nausea 3 days later must be due to the herbal medicine [and not the takeaway you had late the night before].
I know this because I have heard these objections and more from people who don’t want to even consider seriously trying herbal medicine for insomnia/anxiety/digestive issues/ headaches and more.
It is indeed true that taking herbs doesn’t always get to the root of the problem, and that can be for many reasons. In defence of medicinal herbs however, I would say that allopathic medicine hasn’t a really strong reputation for getting to the root of the problem either, but it is very effective at subduing symptoms – and if that is all you want or need, then fine.
One of the reasons that herbs don’t always work is this: when we have a problem and see someone promoting ashwagandha [or black cohosh/St John’s Wort/hops] capsules for menopausal symptoms [or whatever] on TikTok, or Facebook, or Instagram because it has really, really helped them and they can offer tubs of these through their account at a commission, and we get excited about what they are saying and pop them into our basket with great hopes.
But if these capsules don’t work and solve our problem then it is tempting to give up the whole idea of the natural root because, let’s face it, there are an awful lot of herbal capsules you can buy to play with, and how can you gauge progress why you are flip-flopping your way through supplements?
The best way to even start on taking control of your own health isn’t buying herbal capsules off the internet because someone told you that what they are selling is a fantastic remedy for hot flushes, or insomnia, or parasites…
What I would always recommend is start with what you eat, and what time you go to bed.
Whatever medicinal route you choose to take, if you eat crap on a regular basis and go to bed at 2.00 am, well then good luck with trying to turn your health around.
If you need encouragement about ‘healthy’ approached to living, then tune into a podcast like Dr Rangan Chatterjee’s because he gives sensible advice people trust him because he is a doctor.
If it is your digestion that is the problem, then I have always found that altering the diet and taking herbal teas can have a fantastic effect.
If it is sleep that is the problem, then sticking to a bedtime routine, altering a few things, and taking herbal teas can have a fantastic effect.
So, do that for a couple of months before you start buying those herbal supplements that a TikTok influencer has told us all about. Then look at symptoms that are still bothering you and try a logical rather than a scattergun approach. If you want to see a trained and insured practitioner visit nimh.org.uk who have lists of practitioners near you.
If you can’t afford a practitioner, then I would buy [or get from the library] sensible books that carry good practical advice without the need to sensationalise it. I recommend these:
- Christopher Hedley
- Anne McIntyre
- David Hoffman – Complete Illustrated Herbal
Obviously try to get a diagnosis from your GP if you think you have a serious issue. But if it is just reflux or something straightforward, herbs can alter the situation rather than mask it. One of the actions of many medicinal herbs is – trophorestorative. I love that word!
And I wish you luck!
HerbWorks is a low-cost membership for people interested in simple herbal medicine, where we can have a face-to-face live chat each month.
I look forward to seeing you there…
