| You will find medical doctors, naturopathic physicians, acupuncturists, herbalists, chiropractors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and laypeople who are knowledgeable in the field. Homeopathic pharmacies, even major health food stores, are other resources to explore. They may be able to tell you how to find a practicing homeopath in your area.
There are national organizations throughout the United States that can provide you with a list of homeopaths as well. |
| WORKING WITH AN HERBALIST
There is no national licensing or certification for herbalists in the United States. If you wish to locate a qualified herbalist, the best place to start is probably in your local herb shop or health-food store. The staff there may be able to refer you to a knowledgeable herbalist who can advise you. If you are unable to locate an herbalist this way, you may wish to contact the Herb Research Foundation, located at 1007 Pearl Street, Boulder, Colorado 80302 (telephone 303^149-2265) for suggestions. |
Linda B. White, M.D.
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 Burdock (Arctium lappa)
Taken internally, this root decreases inflammation. herbalists consider it a traditional remedy for many kinds of skin disorders, including
Allergies and Eczema
Research indicates that three types of allergens may contribute to eczema.
ž Food allergens. Although food allergies can be a factor for some people with eczema, so far no simple, bulletproof tests accurately diagnose all food allergies. |
Michael T. Murray, N.D.
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 It is ironic that this renewal comes not from traditional herbalists but rather from renewed scientific investigation into the use of plant medicines. It seems that science and medicine have finally advanced to a level at which they can appreciate nature instead of discounting it. It is worth remembering that although the scientific investigation of plant medicines is taking away some of the mystery and romance of herbalism as a greater understanding of the ways in which herbs work is achieved, herbal medicine is being improved by modern scientific research and technology. |
Alan Keith Tillotson, Ph.D., A.H.G., D.Ay.
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 The detail presented here is indicative of how trained professional herbalists think.
Venous Insufficiency
After the arteries and capillaries deliver nutrients to the cells, the veins return the blood to the heart and lungs for "recharging." Veins are larger than arteries and can easily suffer from inflammatory damage, especially in cases of poor circulation or blood stagnation. Varicose or abnormally dilated tortuous veins are usually found in the legs, resulting from the high venous pressure and relatively poor tissue support for the superficial veins. _ Dr. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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 Herbalists report that oat top extract reduces symptoms of withdrawal from methylphenidate (Ritalin), and relieves sadness and mild depression in adults with ADD. Avena has pharmacological actions surprisingly similar to those of opium, which accounts for its calming effects.
• Eczema. Avena or oatmeal baths soothe inflamed skin.
• Nervousness and menopause. Avena is nerve food. It nourishes the nervous and hormonal systems, easing hot flashes, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), blood-sugar swings, exhaustion, insomnia, depression, and anxiety. |
Michael T. Murray, N.D.
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| Because of the possibility of photosensitivity, some herbalists recommend that individuals, especially those with fair skin, avoid exposure to strong sunlight and other sources of ultraviolet light when using St. John's wort.2
Those taking St. John's wort should also avoid foods and medications that are known to interact negatively with MAO-inhibiting drugs. Tyramine-containing foods (cheeses, beer, wine, pickled herring, yeast, etc.) and drugs such as L-dopa and 5-hydroxytryptophan should be avoided. St. |
Alan Keith Tillotson, Ph.D., A.H.G., D.Ay.
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| I have included specific information on how to find qualified herbalists in the Resource Guide at the end of the book.
In my opinion, a qualified herbalist is more than someone who is knowledgeable about plants and diagnostics, as important as these are. He or she must also be able to move beyond barriers of culture, language, and emotion to achieve deep emotional, physical, and spiritual connections and understanding.
To do this, there must be an underlying philosophy and spirituality, a connection to and reverence for nature. |
the Editors of PREVENTION
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 Brattleboro Naturopathic Clinic in Vermont and a member of Britain's National Institute of Medical herbalists. Indeed, this common, pleasantly spicy herb is a traditional remedy for stomach upset. To make the tea, break up one stick of cinnamon in a cup and cover with boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes, remove the cinnamon, and drink.
Ginger
Chew on a small piece of fresh ginger, take 250 milligrams in capsule form four times a day, or drink tea as needed. In Europe, this gnarled and knobby root is commonly used to calm churning stomachs. |
Linda B. White, M.D.
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| For example, the American Herbal Products Association—a group of herbalists, researchers, and manufacturers—has created a Code of Ethics that members are expected to abide by. It also releases product safety alerts regarding adulteration—that is, contamination with an unlabeled substance —of herbal products and it publishes an important reference work, the Botanical Safety Handbook.
There's also the Natural Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA), a group of manufacturers and retailers devoted to product quality and truth in packaging and advertising. |
| Finally, some herbs are what herbalists call tonics. Rather than treating specific conditions, as drugs are designed to do, tonics exert a gentle health-promoting effect on the whole body over time. The best label and this book disagree, go by the manufacturer's dosage recommendations.
ž If you experience any unusual symptoms within eight hours of taking an herbal medicine, discontinue use. Everyone reacts to herbs differently. If you're unusually sensitive, you may experience side effects and allergic reactions even at low doses. |
| Typical dosage-, up to nine 300- to 400-milligram capsules per day,- or 60 drops of tincture three times per day. Some herbalists recommend taking a dose every hour or two while you have symptoms. Caution-. If you're allergic to other members of the aster family, such as ragweed, you may be allergic to echinacea. Do not use if you have autoimmune disease.
Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus)
This herb, revered in Traditional Chinese Medicine, is the one to take long-term if you or a child seems to be prone to recurring infections. |
Alan Keith Tillotson, Ph.D., A.H.G., D.Ay.
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| As I mentioned earlier, herbalists believe it is important to discuss not only the "hardware" of the brain and nervous system but also its "software," the mind and emotions. All of these chemical reactions and responses are essential to our understanding of the nervous system, and focusing on hormones and neurotransmitters can certainly offer us insight into mental processes. But we all know that they are only part of the answer. Psychological factors obviously are involved in nervous system health. |
Paul Pitchford
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 Part of this problem is avoided by choosing a holistically oriented physician and simultaneously getting support and advice from other health practitioners—for instance, experienced herbalists, naturopaths, and therapists skilled in emotional transformation.
• Cancer can result from overnutrition, especially from excessive amounts of growth-promoting foods such as meats, fats, dairy products, sweets, and rich foods in general. |
Alan Keith Tillotson, Ph.D., A.H.G., D.Ay.
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| Western herbalists use echinacea, wild indigo root (Baptisia tinctoria), cat's claw inner bark (una de gato or Uncaria tomentosa), and St. John's wort as internal treatments. A useful external preparation is a tea made from lemon balm (Melissa officinalis).
My personal favorite external treatment, however, is Earl Grey tea bags (see the review of tea leaves in Section Two). Tea leaves work better in the short term than the common allopathic internal treatment acyclovir, cost far less, and have fewer side effects. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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| American herbalists later combined "whortleberries" with gin to make a diuretic.
EVIDENCE OF BENEFIT
Bilberry extract strengthens capillaries, which not only protects the eye from the hemorrhaging associated with diabetic retinopathy, but also aids in treating other vascular disorders, such as varicose veins and hemorrhoids, and helps to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis.
Benefits of bilberry for specific health conditions include the following:
• Atherosclerosis and high blood pressure. |
Simon Mills and Kerry Bone
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 In some countries, herbalists and physicians practising phytotherapy find value in the use of milder herbs containing cardiac glycosides, in particular lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis). Its properties are similar to those of digitalis, but much less cumulative. The principal glycoside is convallatoxin, but the plant contains many minor cardenolides. Convallatoxin is poorly absorbed as a pure compound but the other components in the herb are said to aid its absorption. |
| Several herbalists assisted with Part Three of this text which contains the herbal monographs. The contributions of Mark Walker, Berris Burgoyne, Andrew Pengelly and Michael Thomsen are gratefully recognized. But in particular the diligence and meticulous research and drafting skills of Michelle Morgan, who made a major contribution to Part Three, is acknowledged with thanks and gratitude by the authors.
Secretarial staff who helped throughout the preparation of the book were Jacinta McGahan, Patti Steele, Jan Frousheger and Trish Burt. |
| Western herbalists have used ginseng traditionally as a mild stomachic, tonic and stimulant for anorexia and digestive complaints arising from mental and nervous exhaustion.3 The BHP recommends its use in the treatment of neurasthenia, neuralgia and for depressive states associated with sexual inadequacy.4 In addition to the above conditions, the Eclectics used ginseng for cerebral anaemia, asthma, convulsions, paralysis and urinary gravel.5
SUMMARY ACTIONS
Adaptogenic, tonic, immunomodulator, cardiotonic, cancer preventative. |
American Medical Publishing
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| Many essential oil products can be used safely by skilled herbalists, but others can be very dangerous or even fatal when taken orally, even in cases where the raw plant material is considered safe.
With the above guidelines in mind, here are some more, specific contraindications for a few of the most popular herbal products. Contraindicated means that the substance should not be mixed with another herb, or with a specific prescription drug. |
Simon Mills and Kerry Bone
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| Bitters are valuable for food allergies, since poorly digested proteins and other compounds probably contribute to this condition. herbalists also believe that bitters stimulate immune function and a patient who is pale, lethargic and prone to infections is a prime candidate for bitters.
The famous herbalist Dr Weiss stressed that the action of bitters was most pronounced after continued use (probably because it is a conditioned reflex).165 He described how a physician in Vienna noted that dyspeptic patients liked wormwood tea and kept asking for it, despite the taste. |
The Complete Book of Alternative NutritionSelene Y. Craig, Jennifer Haigh, Sari Harrar and the Editors of PREVENTION Magazine Health Books
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| Indigestion
Deep inside the twists and turns of your digestive system, there's ample room for discomfort—ranging from excess gas to indigestion and heartburn. But herbalists have some healing drinks that could relieve whatever ails you.
A Minty Solution
One of the most popular herbal remedies for indigestion is peppermint, which is especially helpful if you have problems with excess gas. The plant's leaves contain an oil that's been shown to relax the lower esophageal sphincter, which can help you release gas. |
| Today garlic's benefits are so well known that major pharmaceutical companies are producing and selling garlic capsules. But herbalists feel that to get the full healing potential, you need to eat the real thing—and that means adding some garlic cloves to your menu.
Why the renewed interest in a funny-looking herb that's so odoriferous that it's sometimes called the stinking rose? After all, garlic has been around for as long as anybody has kept track of plants and their uses. Why all the renewed attention? |
| While the tea contains only minute quantities of chamomile's antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory components, herbalists believe that drinking it regularly has a cumulative effect. Chamomile tea is also rich in a number of flavonoids, a class of phytochemicals that are believed to have beneficial effects.
To prepare chamomile tea, pour a cup of boiling water over a heaping tablespoon of chamomile flower heads or a chamomile tea bag and let the mixture steep in a covered teapot for 10 to 15 minutes. Drink the tea between meals, three or four times a day, for stomach or intestinal discomfort. |
| Doctors, researchers and herbalists have long been fascinated by the apparent healing powers of multi-cloved, pungent garlic, and research has highlighted some of garlic's beneficial properties. Among other things, garlic may help lower cholesterol levels, protecting your heart and blood vessels. Studies also suggest that it may help to lower blood pressure and dissolve blood clots.
The problem, of course, is garlic's notorious odor. While many people love garlic in any form and often use it in cooking, you might prefer to get it in deodorized supplement form. |
Simon Mills and Kerry Bone
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| One question which has vexed herbalists is whether the taste of bitters given in liquid form can be masked and yet their reflex activity still be preserved. This is probably the case, since masking agents will change the conscious perception of bitterness but the bitter taste buds will still be stimulated.
A number of papers have been published on the subject of supertasters.166 Supertasters perceive the greatest bitterness and sweetness from many stimuli as well as the greatest oral burn from alcohol and capsaicin (from Capsicum species). |
Janet Zand, LAc, OMD, Allan N. Spreed, MD, CNC, James B. LaValle, RPh, ND
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 For centuries, herbalists prescribed echinacea to fight infection. Today, research confirms that the herb boosts the immune system by stimulating the production of disease-fighting white blood cells.
The use of plants as medicine is older than recorded history. As mute witness to this fact, marshmallow root, hyacinth, and yarrow were found carefully tucked around the bones of a Stone Age man in what is now Iraq. These three medicinal herbs continue to be used today.
In 2735 b.C.E., the Chinese emperor Shen Nung wrote an authoritative treatise on herbs that is still in use today. |
the Editors of PREVENTION
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| Tea tree oil is wonderful," says Christopher Robbins, a member of Britain's National Institute of Medical herbalists who practices herbal medicine in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, England, and has written several books, including The Natural Pharmacy. "It's cheap and easily available, and it's a wonderful antiseptic and antifungal."
Scientific studies have confirmed that the Australian aborigines who brewed the leaves of this shrublike tree 2 centuries ago for medicinal purposes were on the right track. |
Michael T. Murray, N.D.
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| It has been given to women with disorders of the mammary glands: long-term use was reputed to slowly cause the mammae to enlarge. Many herbalists consider it to be an aphrodisiac.1
Pharmacology
A standardized liposterolic (fat-soluble) saw palmetto berry extract demonstrates numerous pharmacological effects relating to its primary clinical application in the treatment of the common disorder of the prostate gland— benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Benign prostatic hyperplasia is thought to be caused by an accumulation of testosterone in the prostate. |
the Editors of PREVENTION
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| Herbalists and naturopaths have their own favored remedies for windburned skin. Here are some to try.
Calendula and St. John's Wort
Mix these herbal oils with a basic skin lotion and use as needed.
Whitney Miller, N.D., a naturopathic doctor who has a family practice in New London and Colchester, Connecticut, likes combining the soothing, anti-inflammatory properties of calendula and St. John's wort with a simple face lotion such as Eucerin.
Fill a 4-ounce screw-top jar almost to the brim with lotion and squirt in approximately 1 teaspoon of each of the herbal oils. |
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