Over the past several years, there has been an exciting change happening in America...a movement toward using more natural therapies and remedies to help treat health problems either in place of, or in addition to conventional Western medicine.  The natural healing world is gaining increasing acceptance by the world at large, and many skeptics are finding that it's not all just "snake oil" after all!  Scientific studies are finally being conducted on herbs and other natural forms of treatment, and one can find articles or reports on news shows about "alternative healing" just about every day.  Most people have now heard of herbs like Echinacea, St. John's Wort, Ginseng, and Golden Seal, and the ads abound on the Internet, TV, radio, and in magazines for these products.

While it is wonderful that we have finally rediscovered the natural healing wisdom of our ancestors on a broad scale, it can also get very confusing to sort through all of the information (and misinformation) available to the general public on this topic.  The average person doesn't know where to begin or what to believe when it comes to trying to help themselves with natural methods.  This is not surprising, when even the "experts" in this field don't always completely agree with each other about methods and treatments for disorders.  And since the research is still so new, there are many conflicting studies reported in the news by reporters who have no education or experience on this topic, and the science behind the herbs is still inconclusive in many ways.  The fact is that they still don't know why or how the herbs work, even though they may isolate certain chemical constituents from these plants, theorizing that these are the chemicals that are the "most" important, it is only theory.  Just as they have still not identified all of the hundreds of health-promoting chemical constituents in fruits, vegetables, and grains, the same holds true for the health-promoting properties of herbs.

Yet people are interested in learning more about the use of herbs; just about everyone has either used some herbs or natural supplements themselves, or know someone who has.  Some have been very successful, some have gotten no results at all, and unfortunately, some have even made their health worse by using herbs that are not right for them, or by using inferior quality brands.  In this field especially, the old saying, "you get what you pay for" could not be more apt.  There are hundreds of natural brands and products popping up every day, pharmaceutical companies cashing in on the wave of popularity and thousands of other individuals trying to make the quick buck, and generally, the cheaper these products are in cost, the less effective they will be.  

Indeed, random tests of some of these products indicate many discrepancies between what is printed on the label and what is inside of the bottle.  There may not be the same milligrams of the herb that is presented on the label, all of the chemical constituents that the herb should have may not be present, or might be in lower concentrations than what should be there, indeed, sometimes they find that the herb listed on the label is not present at all!  The product could contain all kinds of fillers and synthetic materials, dirt, and worse, they have even found toxic substances such as lead and arsenic and other pesticides!  So, some of these brands that people are using to help them get well could actually be harmful to their health.

It is very important to use high-quality brands and high-quality bulk herbs, and for this you generally need to be willing to pay a little more. Treating something like cancer requires an investment of money that would be higher than just trying to treat a cold or flu, but it can be well worth it in the long run.  The "cheaper", lower quality herbs will really end up being a total waste of money in the long run, because you will not get anywhere near the same results, if indeed you get any results at all, and as stated above, you might even end up feeling worse! "Dietary supplements", as most of these herbs are labeled in accordance with the FDA, are not regulated by the FDA or any other governmental agency at this point, hence, the many unscrupulous business practices mentioned above are rampant in this field.

So, when people are beginning to use herbs, it is important to know something about them first.  Just because a product is "natural" doesn't necessarily mean that it's totally harmless.  Anyone with high blood pressure, heart problems or irregularities of any kind, diabetes, or in extremely weakened body conditions should generally stay away from "stimulant" herbs, such as Ma Huang/Ephedra and caffeine-containing herbs such as Guarana and Kola Nut.  It is also recommended to avoid these kinds of natural stimulants if you are taking prescription medications like anti-depressants or thyroid medications.  If you are taking blood thinning medications, then you would also want to avoid herbs such as kelp, alfalfa, barley greens, wheat grass and other "green" kinds of foods and herbs that have a high content of Vitamin K, as this will work against the medication, and you might also want to avoid herbs like White Willow that also have a thinning effect on the blood, and this might be too much when combined with the medications. People who use prescription anti-depressants that want to switch to natural anti-depressants like St. John's Wort, Kava, and 5HTP (derived from the Griffonia bean) should be aware that a gradual weaning off from the medication is in order to allow time for the natural substance to "take over".  If one were to just abruptly stop taking the medication, and then begin to use the natural version, they would probably find that they will "crash" mentally, which can lead to very dangerous situations.

Herbs take time to start seeing any effects for the most part; they work by gradually cleansing, building, and strengthening the body systems and this does not happen overnight.  They do not store in the body like drugs do, and they do not work by suppression as most drugs do, so one must be very patient and committed to sticking with a product for at least a couple of months to begin to see any positive changes.  You generally need to take them every single day, a few times a day for them to work properly in the long run.  It can be very hard in the beginning to try to remember to take all of the herbs as you should, but the more you commit yourself to sticking with the program, the more the positive results will start to occur, and this makes it much easier to remember your herbs!  Before you know it, it will just be second nature and part of your lifestyle.

Allergies to herbs are also something to consider when starting an herbal program.  For instance, anyone with really bad ragweed allergies should generally avoid Chamomile, Echinacea, and Golden Seal.  People can be allergic to any substance under the sun, whether it's natural or synthetic, and unfortunately, sometimes the only way to find out if you have an allergy or sensitivity to an herb is to simply try it!  The good part is that if you do find that you develop a lot of side effects or negative effects from using an herb, you can just stop taking it, and the herbs will be gone from your system within 24-48 hours and you will return to "normal" again.  If you are a more sensitive individual and tend to have a lot of allergic reactions to things, it would be advisable to start very slowly with any herbs that you might decide to do, and try starting with weak tea forms of the herbs, as this is the most diluted form of herbal products to use.  Try just one cup a day for a week or two to make sure that it will be something that you can tolerate before you start gradually increasing the amounts and then eventually move on to stronger forms such as tinctures, liquid extracts, and capsules and tablets.

While I strongly advise anyone considering starting an herbal program to consult with qualified health care professionals first, this may be difficult to do.  Many conventional doctors still do not know the first thing about herbs, and many are still advising their patients not to use ANY herbs or natural products as the scientific research is still not conclusive, and these natural substances could be very dangerous and harmful.  This is a bit disingenuous when we all know that many prescription drugs are much more harmful and even deadly, yet these same doctors warning against the dangers of herbs seem to have no problem prescribing these synthetic substances for people!  

The fact is that there have been no reports of death or toxicity from the PROPER use of herbs, although as stated above, there are a few that certain individuals have no business using, and some that should not be used in excessive amounts. Thankfully, there are an increasing number of doctors and healthcare professionals out there who are open to the use of herbs, and are gradually educating themselves on the use of natural therapies.  If you can find one of these more open-minded and/or "holistic" doctors, by all means consult with them before you start using any herbs.  You can also find help from practicing Herbalists, Naturopathic doctors (N.D.'s), Chiropractors, Occupational/Physical therapists, Homeopathic practitioners, Holistic nurses, Ayurvedic practitioners (the oldest form of healing from India), and TCM/acupuncturists (another extremely old healing practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine). Talk with your friends and family who are more 'into' natural approaches to health to find great references for natural health care practitioners and products.

What I would really like to see is people taking charge of their own health, and this means doing a lot of research yourself.  It is so easy to put our health in other's hands, giving them all the responsibility and just following what they recommend, whether it's advice from a conventional doctor or advice from an herb store clerk.  Then, if it doesn't work, we can blame them and despair in our suffering. And what I find even worse is that if their advised treatments DO work, we assign that healing power to that doctor or store clerk and they become "gods" to us, never learning or tapping into the healing power that lies within each one of us, always vulnerable, always powerless to change our own health in our own ways.   

It is becoming increasingly obvious that conventional medicine, while certainly miraculous in many ways, is not doing too great with folks that suffer from chronic diseases of all types. There are more and more cases of immune system breakdowns happening than ever before (endometriosis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus, arthritis, diabetes, allergies, asthma, etc.), and Western medicine just does not have very effective methods for treating these problems, hence, the return to more natural methods which do tend to be very effective in helping to treat these problems.  Conventional medicine tends to focus on treating symptoms, while Natural medicine tends to focus on treating the root cause of the symptoms.  So, it would be in our own best interest to find out about EVERY treatment that might be available for us to use for our own health, whether it's conventional or natural, and this means reading and studying as much as you can on the topic from both sides of the coin.  

YOU are the one who is ultimately responsible for your own health, and you must make the choices about what you will or won't do when it comes to healing and preventing illness.  While this initially may be a scary thought for some, the more you allow yourself to learn about your particular health conditions, the more empowered you will become.  When you finally learn that you have this power of knowledge, your mental outlook will improve dramatically, which will also be beneficial on your total health.

DISCLAIMER:  These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are for educational purposes only.  These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

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