So, back to the question, ‘Does herbal medicine really work?’

Modern drugs are without a doubt exceptionally good at saving people’s lives and helping people survive many serious diseases.  However before all our modern day medicines and drugs were developed herbal medicine was the only medicine available and used by people for thousands of years, and humans have survived for a very long time.  The knowledge of herbal medicine has also survived and been passed down through the generations.  In fact, according to the World Health Organisation, 80 percent of the world’s population still use and rely on plant medicine as their primary healthcare.  Would something that didn’t work at all really have been so treasured and preserved throughout time?

Sadly as the modern day drugs and medicines got developed there was a rejection of traditional plant medicines in much of the developed world and much of its understanding and knowledge was at risk of being  lost.  How many of you remember a grandparent or great-grandparent using simple homemade remedies such as lemon, honey and ginger tea for a cold? Or wintergreen ointment for sore arthritic joints? Nowadays people will turn to paracetamol and ibuprofen for the same problems.  Unfortunately prolonged use of these drugs causes other problems in the form of side effects but lemon, honey and ginger or wintergreen ointment seem not to.

So there I see an advantage of plant medicine.  Ibuprofen and paracetamol are pure single chemicals.  They act on the body in a single way.  They are very helpful for short term acute use but in excess they can have side effects.  Plant remedies, as we saw earlier, are extracts from plants containing many complex chemicals which act on the body together.  Scientists have tried to isolate single chemicals that they think are the active constituents but in truth the many chemicals most probably work together in synergy to bring about healing.  We know that salicylic acid is the chemical commonly known as aspirin and taking too much causes stomach bleeding.  However meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) contains salicylic acid amongst many other chemicals.  Taking meadowsweet tea or tincture does not cause stomach bleeding because all the other chemicals present buffer and protect against this specific side effect of salicylic acid.

This complex nature of herbal medicine makes it tricky for science to prove that herbal medicine works but there is a growing body of scientific evidence showing that it does work.  Recently a review paper stated, “Despite the use of garlic being such a common practice, this particular plant is of great medical importance, as garlic has exhibited antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and even antitumor effects”(1). In 2016, researchers tested the antiviral effects of ginger against feline calicivirus, which is very similar to human norovirus, one of the most common stomach bugs causing vomiting and diarrhoea. The results from this study confirmed the specific antiviral potency that ginger possesses (2). The traditional use of individual plants for specific reasons is slowly being demonstrated.  New ways of showing that plant medicine works and how it works is emerging.  Just because it has not yet been scientifically proven does not mean that herbal medicine does not work! 

If you still wonder whether herbal medicine really does work, try it for yourself just as our ancestors probably did! Christopher Hedley and Non Shaw, two very eminent herbalists, said “Plants are our teachers.  They teach us how to be in the world.  The way a herb is in the world will inform it of the way to be in your body”  For safety reasons only do this exercise with safe well known herbs.  Brew yourself a cup of herbal tea of your choice such as chamomile, peppermint, rosemary or lemon balm by infusing a teaspoon of herb in a mug of hot water.  After about 10 minutes of brewing take the cup and sitting quietly and mindfully observe first the smell and aromas of the tea.  Inhale the volatile steamy elements for a couple of minutes.  Observe and note what you experience.  What does it smell like, does the smell remind you of anything?  Then take a few sips.  What does it taste like? How would you describe it?  After you swallow it, where does it go to in your body?  Can you feel it in any particular parts of your body? Does it move up or down your body?  Expand or contract? How does it make you feel?  Is it warming or cooling?  What does it do? What does it make you think of?  Has it made anything feel better than before? What do you imagine this herb is good for? Then find out what this herb is traditionally used for and see if your experience agrees!