Advantages And Disadvantages Of Herbal Medicine

I remind you that the information provided in this series is for information purposes only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information is not intended to be patient education, neither is it to be construed as such. It does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment where required. Consult a doctor for medical advice, treatment or diagnosis.

Also while every attempt is made to ensure accuracy, you are strongly advised to take responsibility and do your own research.

In the previous article we looked at herbal medicine, along with some points to bear in mind when purchasing and using herbal products. These points include the need to take relevant precautions to ensure your safety.

Very often, when people speak of healthy diets, they often focus on areas such as

• clean eating or
• cutting the carbs and
• eating fruit and vegetables.

Herbs are usually not mentioned and are often treated as an afterthought. In reality, herbs are wonderful for boosting your own immunity and overall health.

In this article we will look at some advantages and disadvantages of herbal medicine.

What’s alternative about herbal medicine?

By the way, you will note that I am avoiding the use of the “alternative”. The only relation that this word might have is when it is used to compare or contrast with allopathic (Western) medicine.

Many so-called “alternative” therapies, including plant medicine, have existed long before modern medicine came along.

There are, however, some cases where allopathic medicine is much more appropriate and where it excels over plant/herbal medicine. An example is dealing with broken bones. In which case, you will want to get yourself to the emergency room as quickly as possible.

Apart from this, we have the complementary approach to health, that is, combining allopathic and plant-based approaches to health.

Herbal medicines are often considered to be the best solution to address the growing number of health-related concerns today. Rather than making use of synthetic medications commonly prescribed by their doctors, consumers today are looking for alternative (haha) solutions – ahem, other ways – to address their health problems without having to dish out hundreds of dollars for treatment, as well as potential allergic reactions to the chemicals used on synthetic products.

Or else, they are seeking ways to complement their use of prescription medications with herbal/plant-based solutions.

Naturally, all prescription medications come with side effects and there are issues with over-dosing. Your doctor or pharmacist will usually advise and educate you as to any risks.

Before starting out on your journey towards better health, it would be useful to know the advantages and disadvantages of herbal medicines to ensure that you are getting your money’s worth in addressing your health-related concerns.

We mentioned some of these in the previous article. In this article we will look a little deeper.

Advantages Of Using Herbal Medicines

So you want to include herbal medicines in your overall nutrition strategy?

Advantage No. 1 – Natural Ingredients

Pharmaceutical and other companies that bring you herbal medicines only make use of natural ingredients for their products. The natural compounds found in plants, once extracted, are carefully formulated to ensure that every capsule or tablet is filled with the essential nutrients to address your health concerns improve your body’s natural recovery process.

If you check out the labels of herbal products, you will see that they are mostly from the extracts of plants. No synthetic chemicals and formulas are needed to complete the medicine. There might be a few ingredients that are integrated into the mix to improve the formulation.

You might also want to make sure that the products you are getting are free from:

• dairy products
• soy
• wheat
• gluten
• sugar and
• yeast…

…if you have any issues with any of these ingredients.

Other ingredients you might want to watch out for are artificial flavorings, sweeteners, fillers, and colorings.

Advantage No. 2 – A Cost-Effective Solution

One of the advantages of herbal products is their price. They are a lot cheaper compared to synthetic medicines commonly prescribed by doctors today. In fact, cost-conscious consumers are opting for this solution to their health problems in order to get as much savings they can get to address their health-related concerns.

This is even more so in light of ongoing public health crises.

The reason why herbal medicines are cheaper is because of the ingredients used in it. No expensive chemicals are used in the formulation of the medicine and the ingredients can be grown almost anywhere under the right conditions.

If you are using plants, almost all herbs are highly affordable. You will not break the bank buying these. In fact, using natural herbs in your teas and cooking could yield more health benefits than most of the commercially-sold supplements on the market.

Also, have you ever considered…

Growing them yourself?

The beauty of herbs is that it’s easy to grow them on your own. If you’d like to try your hand at container gardening, herbs are a good way to get started. Ideally, it’s best to start growing them in early spring.

They need quite a bit of sunlight, so you may either have an herb garden or, if you’re growing them indoors, place the pot near a window sill so the herbs get sufficient sunlight.

You’ll be able to grow your own herbs and spend less money buying them. Alternatively, depending on where you live, you may be able to harvest herbs from the wild. If doing this, get permission, if required.

Always only pick what you need and be very sure about what you’re picking. There are poisonous herbs out there, and you don’t want to be careless here.

Advantage No. 3 – Convenience

Another benefit of using herbs in your diet is the convenience. It’s very easy to brew herbal teas to boost your health. Since the teas are all-natural, you can have several cups throughout the day without worrying about any side effects.

Mind you, this does depend on the tea.

Making a tea is much easier than juicing or cooking a vegetable dish. Yet, herbal teas are just as potent. Many herbalists blend the herbs and place them in airtight containers.

The moment they want to make a tea, they just boil some water and add a heaping teaspoon of the herb into their tea and allow it to steep for 5 minutes. Then they strain the tea and sip away. It’s really as easy as that.

With regard to cooking and other uses…

I combine ginger with raw garlic for my throat and dealing with colds and for supporting my digestive system. I also combine chopped red onions with raw ginger and green, leafy vegetables to add some color to my food, as well as for the health benefits.

Caution: the combination of raw onions and garlic can be intense!

Advantage No. 4 – No Allergic Reactions

You don’t have to worry about what you eat when you take in herbal products for your health problems. Since the ingredients are 100% natural (usually), you don’t have to be careful about your meals causing allergic reactions that compromise your health.

This would be the ideal situation.

However, see the next section…

Disadvantages Of Using Herbal Medicines

With all the advantages stated above in the use of herbal medicines for bodily health, many would think that there are no complications when using it whenever they feel like it. This is a common misconception that often leads to unexpected issues.

With regard to plants…

Sometimes, if you are using any part of the plant directly, and depending on which plant it is, you find that you are allergic to the plant (or a particular part of it).

This is quite rare.

If this is the case, take note of what part of the plant you might be allergic to and avoid it. You may also find that you are not allergic to other parts of the plant.

When considering using herbal medicine…

Proper formulation and dosage is necessary for safe use. You are strongly advised to follow the dosage indicated on the label of the herbal medicine or to consult a qualified natural health practitioner or your primary health care provider to discuss an appropriate usage of the product for your particular needs.

It is also advisable to undergo a physical or laboratory examination to ensure that your body will not react with herbal medicines.

If you are under a doctor’s care and taking prescriptions, you will want to make sure that you are not taking them simultaneously with plant/herbal medicine. If you are using both, make sure you wait about two hours after taking your prescriptions before doing plant medicines.

Even if the product worked for some, there are no guarantees that it will have the same effect when you take it in yourself.

Remember the Law of Individual Differences we mentioned in the previous article.

Also remember that more is not necessarily better.

And watch out for scams!

Herbs are not be used as a crutch to support and ameliorate an unhealthy diet (unless you are using them within a gut health protocol, for example). However, they are a tool to help you with enhancing your health. Use herbs wisely and use them often.

In the next article we will look at some of the language of plant medicine.

To a better, wiser, stronger YOU!