Medicinal herbs are some of the oldest medicines used by our ancestors. Determining the effects of various leaves, flowers, roots, barks, and berries has evolved over centuries and in all cultures around the planet. It’s only in the last century or so that science has been able to validate the medicinal benefits of herbs and identify the key constituents that lead to the desired medicinal benefit.
While many prescription medicine have their origins in plants, when those compounds are taken in isolation at high levels the door is opened to side effects. Whole herbs are so much more complex than isolates, and often contain compounds to mitigate potential side effects.
One example of this is salicylates found in herbs such as white willow bark or meadowsweet which have historically been used to alleviate pain. Isolated and synthetically produced acetyl-salicylic acid (or ASA – aspirin) is a regularly used medication for pain. ASA is also often used to thin the blood in cardiovascular patients (making a good thing) but this comes with the potential side effect of bleeding in the digestive tract for those who just want to get rid of their headache (making it a bad thing). The herbs that are rich in salicylates are usually abundant in tannins as well, and tannins tighten up tissues to prevent bleeding! You’ve likely experienced tannins before from some strong green or black tea that made the inside of your mouth feel dry. Nature provides medicines along with compounds that help to keep their benefits in balance.
Herbs may be used in isolation or in combination depending on what the patient needs. They may be taken in liquid form as a tincture, in capsule, or as a tea. The processing is important to ensure potency and medicinal effect.
